Modularization of Online Instruction

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Modularization of Online Instruction

• Thomas Cathcart
• Biological Engineering
• Mississippi State University

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• This presentation is at
• http//abe.msstate.edu/csd/fie.html

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Topics of this Presentation

• Modularization of course content
• Modularization of information delivery

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• Module A standardized,
• often interchangeable
• component of a system

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• Course content modules HTML packaged
  information / exercises that meet the same course
  objectives using different content.
• Information delivery modules Different modes of
  delivery of the course content that meet course
  objectives.

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• Both forms of modularization are possible
• because of HTML and Web capabilities.
• This is a work in progress. Content
• modularization was begun last spring in 1
• course. Delivery modularization is currently
• underway in one course.

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Course Content

• Certain courses are especially amenable
• to 100 web based content.
• No (or reduced) lectures
• Professor as mentor or resource
• Class meetings used for structure
• Only evaluation (quizzes) on paper.

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One such course is Biosimulation
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Course Content

• Biosimulation is a mathematical
• modeling and simulation course
• Subject material is better learned
• by doing than by hearing about it in
• a lecture.

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Conducted in an online classroom
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Course Content

• Theres a html document and exercise for each
  class meeting

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Course Content

• Lecturing is usually confined to opening remarks.
• Attendance is during scheduled class time but may
  be virtual.

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• Vissim (a graphical block diagram language) is
  used for modeling. It is intuitive and quickly
  mastered.

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HTML Documents consist of introductory material
describing the system and math for modeling the
system (as well as some coding instructions).
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http//abe.msstate.edu/classes/abe4803cd/
Although you cannot visit the content through
Webct, it is available for viewing at the
cd URL (top left)
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Course Content

• The course has been well accepted by students and
  faculty.
• The web content is pretty complete.
• It apears to provide a good introduction to
  modeling topics.
• So, what next?

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• Biological engineering students
• Biomedical / Premedical
• Environmental

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• Current list of modeling subjects
• Includes
• Some environmental
• Some biomedical
• Some generic

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• Why not create interchangeable
• html modules?
• Modules address the same
• modeling topic (e.g., process control,
• differential equations, stochastic
• modeling) but use different modeling
• subjects.

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• Allow students to select from a menu of
• 2 or 3 modeling subjects for each
• exercise.
• Generic
• Environmental
• Biomedical

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• This was difficult when lecturing was
• the only teaching mode available. Its
• very do-able now.
• Disadvantages
• Additional document preparation (not very hard)
• Care must be taken to make exercises equivalent.

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• Advantages
• Helps students to see the relevance of modeling
  and simulation to their vocational areas.
• Its an opportunity to introduce or reinforce
  topics in their vocational areas.

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• Example of implementation
• Stochastic models
• Generic model Game of Chutes and Ladders
  (predict distribution of game duration for many
  games).
• Biomedical model Non-deterministic model of
  disease transmission.
• Environmental model Rain generation and storm
  water runoff.

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• Example of implementation
• Differential equations
• Biomedical Cell culture model
• Environmental Fishery model (maximum
  sustainable yield)

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• Where are we in this process?
• One menu driven offering was tested in Spring,
  03. The students liked being allowed to choose.
• Several menu driven choices already exist and
  will be offered during Spring, 04
• Additional choices will be developed in
  conjunction with professors teaching other
  courses taken by students from the 2 emphasis
  areas.

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• Modular Information Delivery
• Web based teaching has also allowed
• the same information to be delivered to
• students using completely different
• teaching methods.

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• Not all students learn in the same way
• Reading (visual)
• Listening (auditory)
• Seeing (visual)
• Speaking (auditory)
• Doing (Tactile / Kinesthetic)

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• Physiological Systems is another
• course that has all of its material online.

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http//abe.msstate.edu/classes/abe4323cd/
The course is also taught via Webct. The link to
the upper left will allow you to see course
content. The content of Physiological
Systems is not conducive to hands-on exercises.
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• The online mode of learning is
• reading.
• Quizzes are given every 2 weeks.
• If a student can maintain an A
• quiz average, attendance is
• optional.
• If a students quiz average is less
• than A, class attendance is not
• optional.

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• Currently 7 students (of 19) are not required to
  attend class (except for quizzes).

There is only a weak correlation Between quiz
average and Overall student grade point Average
(R20.53)
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• Initially, classes were held in the computer
  classroom.
• Lectures consisted of a retelling of the reading
  (with the projector going)
• The students required
• to attend were not
• engaged!

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• After a month, we
• Turned off the computer
• Switched to a different
• room (our conference
• room)
• Occasionally provided
• donuts, and

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• Changed the format to discussion.
• Students appear to be
• much more engaged.
• Several have expressed
• a preference for this
• format.

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• In this case, use of html allowed different
• teaching modes to be used in the same
• Class (Reading and Discussion)
• Students who can succeed using distance
• learning are allowed to do so.
• Some of the students who are required to
• attend class are doing better (2 received
• their first As last quiz).

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This presentation is at http//abe.msstate.edu/
csd/fie.html