Dennis K' Pearl project leader,Stephen R' Acker TELR,

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The Statistical BuffetOhio State University

• Dennis K. Pearl (project leader),Stephen R. Acker
  (TELR),
• Bryce Bate (TELR), Alan Escovitz (TELR),
• Kathy Harper (FTAD), Alan Kalish (FTAD),
• Michelle Persinger (Stat), Deborah Rumsey (MSLC),
• Justin Slauson (Webmaster), Roger Woodard (Stat
  Ed)

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Goals and Plans To Improve instruction for
3000 students/year

• Use multiple delivery strategies for course
  content
• Individualize, advise, track, react
• Increase course completion rates
• Off-load repetitive tasks to software
• Improve TA training
• Increase satisfaction and success for instructors
• Reduce costs

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Goal successful student choice

• This is not Burger KingTM, You dont get it your
  way. You take it our way or you dont get the
  damn thing.
• - sign in Mary Smiths diner in Pickerington,
  Ohio
• - A Las Vegas buffet

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Buffet Goals and Approaches

• Full complement of nutrition (meet all
  instructional needs)
• Serve individual tastes to encourage consumption
• EEGP-example from life experience, example
  outside, generalize, practice
• On-line contract and student tracking

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Content Tracks (optimizing rather than norming)

• Large group
• Concepts/theory,examples, case studies
• Problem solving activities (group/individual)
• Small group
• Simulations, analyses, and problem solving
• Individual, including on-line activities
• Just-in-time support within a learning community

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Advising the Learner

• Learning Styles
• Study Strategies
• Previous Student Experiences

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Learning Styles (Felder and Soloman model)

• Active-Reflective
• Group-individual dimension nested here
• Sequential- Global
• Visual - Verbal
• Sensing- Intuitive

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Current Student Distribution
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Current Student Distribution
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Current Student Distribution
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Current Student Distribution
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Sensor Focus Group Quotes

• I did not find Lab 2 beneficial Im not that
  big on group work anyway.
• I liked the hands-on activity in Lab 9 . I can
  grasp it easier if I can do, see, and touch.
• I looked at the book when I needed another
  example.

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Intuitive/Visual Focus Group Quotes

• Lab 5 was good in that you had a chance to make
  your own predictions
• The Jokes were cute - actually helped with the
  material instead of being an advertisement.
  (referring to cartoons on the website)
• I only opened the textbook the night before the
  final exam.

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Intuitive/Verbal Focus Group Quotes

• I liked Lab 2 the most because it required
  original thinking.
• I enjoy group work and discussion. Good to know
  other students have questions Im not the only
  one.
• The textbook was quite helpful clearly
  established concepts and formulae.

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Large Group Options in the Pilot Buffet
Monday may be replaced by out-of-class group
writing activity covering the same learning
objectives
Problem solving may be replaced by out-of-class
problem solving coupled with on-line mastery
quizzing.
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Small Group Options in the Pilot Buffet
Alternative Project-based learning has one
day/week
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Reviewing the student-faculty learning contract

• Progress/fit reviewed continuously
• corrections for mismatch (learning from
  experience)
• At end of three main units
• Credit earned at each review point, not all or
  nothing for course discontinuer

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Entering The Buffet (www.stat.ohio-state.edu/stat
135)
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Log-in
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The student View
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The student View
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The student View
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The Instructor View
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Preparing the Menu
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Keeping Track
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Gathering Testimony
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With Permission
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Answering Questions
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Providing Resources
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Providing Resources
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Providing Resources
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Nuts and bolts issues

• Common coverage of learning objectives
• common list of 10 objectives per week
• Equalize difficulty
• to remove as decision metric
• Support equitable testing
• makes up about 2/3 of grade

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Additional course goals

• Off-load repetitive tasks to software
• FAQ system, office hours efficiency, re-usable
  learning modules
• Increase satisfaction and success for instructors
• More info on students, students selected
  environment, better success expected, support for
  technology use
• Better TA training
• Certification process, customer service training
• Reduce costs
• From 191 to 132 per student enrolled
• From 238 to 155 per completed student

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Student Reaction

How did the design of the course help or hinder
your learning?
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Student Performance

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Student Performance

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Student Performance

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Questions and Comments

• Dennis Pearl (pearl.1_at_osu.edu)