Do opposites attract

1
Do opposites attract?

• Dr. Roberto Bencivenga
• Red Deer College
• Canada

2
A quick preface

• So much to do, so little time
• Thank God for PowerPoint?
• Red Deer College
• Rural Alberta (East of Rockies)
• Community College
• Approximately 4500 FTE
• Wide range of programs including

3
My usual workload

• First year Engineering transfer program
• Calculus
• Linear algebra
• Full 4-year Nursing Degree
• Basics of statistics
• Opposites? Yes!
• Do they attract? In more ways than one!

4
First year Engineeringthe students

• Mostly males
• Not strong on average
• Mixture of go-getters and parkers
• Need to
• Bring them up to speed
• Perform a selection
• Clarify University demands
• Present a supportive image

5
First year Engineeringthe environment

• Our school system does
• allow calculators
• not emphasize control of basics or proficiency
• promote real life philosophy
• Our receiving University does
• not allow calculators
• expect good quality to maintain transfer
  arrangements

6
First year Engineeringthe usual stuff

• Use marked activities as leverage for the
  academic message
• No marked homework, except for carrot bonus
  exercises.
• Weekly lab quizzes based on textbook exercises
• Two major Tests plus Final Exam

7
First year Engineeringthe innovation

• Questions
• How can we balance the attitude students bring
  from high school with what is expected from
  University?
• How can we wean students from the calculator
  without abandoning it?
• How can we make them to think?

8
First year Engineeringthe innovation

• The structure of each major tests and Final Exam
  is that of a triple jump.
• Each such test is divided into three separate
  tests
• A memory test
• A basic skills test
• A proficiency test

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The Memory test

• A set of randomly selected questions from a list
  provided to students in advance.
• Each question refers to a basic formula,
  definition or theorem
• Expected answers are one-liners
• Approximately 1 minute per question
• No aid allowed.
• 3 marks for each correct answer, 0 for any
  blanks, -1 for each incorrect answer.

10
The Basic Skills test

• A short set of exercise-level questions
• Addresses basic techniques
• Approximately 10 minutes per question
• Only aid allowed a 4x6 handwritten card
• No calculator.
• Each question is out of 4 marks

11
The Proficiency test

• A shorter set of advanced questions requiring a
  combination of methods
• Approximately 20 minutes per question
• Any hand-written notes allowed, no book
• Any calculator allowed
• Each question is out of 10 marks
• Evaluation is qualitative

12
So, did it work?
?

• From my point of view, yes
• Excellent discrimination
• Pedagogical message loud and clear
• Lots of ideas for further refinements
• From their point of view, not clear
• Not comfortable with unusual format
• They hated the memory test
• Its always too long

?
13
Four-year Nursingthe students

• Mostly females
• Strong in core nursing areas
• Mostly determined to succeed
• Weak in and closed to math
• Determined to avoid learning any math-related
  knowledge

14
Four-year Nursing the environment

• Our Nursing program
• is part of a Province-wide consortium
• uses Problem-Based Learning model
• is very intense and time-demanding
• focuses on one-to-one learning
• requires students to know enough statistics to be
  able to overview and assess the data analysis
  methods used in research papers

15
Four-year Nursing the innovation

• Questions
• How can we balance the requirement for
  statistical knowledge with its perceived marginal
  role in this profession?
• How can we encourage evidence-based practice
  without getting too technical?
• How can we get them to relax about stats?

16
Four-year Nursing the innovation

• No formal statistics course
• Instead, a 3-phase approach
• Year 1 Collecting and summarizing data
• Year 2 Probability and hypothesis testing
• Year 3 How to (superficially) critique a
  statistical data analysis
• Focus on hands-on application

17
Year 1 Descriptive Stats

• In small groups, students
• Collect data from a community agency
• Summarize data using basic methods
• Identify the problems encountered
• Propose alternative methods
• No marks attached!

18
Year 2 Probability and hypothesis testing

• Basic concepts introduced
• Probability (and epidemiological applications)
• Randomization (and clinical trials)
• Hypothesis testing (protocol and jargon)
• Statistical and clinical significance
• No formulae
• A few multiple choice questions on exams

19
Year 3 Critiquing a data-based research article

• In small groups, students
• Select a relevant research article
• Identify all major stats methods used
• Try to assess their appropriateness
• Focus on interpretation
• Focus on finding features of the tests used
• Reports worth 15 of the Nursing Research course

20
So, does it work?
?

• From my point of view, yes
• Anxiety is lower, learning is higher
• Applicability comes through
• Students see and accept relevance of stats
• From their point of view, yes!
• They appreciate the reduced weight
• They realize they are comfortable with stats
• They even start wanting more!

?
21
Do opposites attract?

• The opposites
• Gender
• Aims
• Environment
• Students perspective
• Further work to be done

22
Do opposites attract?

• The overlaps
• Three aspects
• Need to support students
• Focus on role of evaluation
• Our need to adapt to circumstances
• Our need to love our students
• Students dont care how much we know
• unless they know how much we care.