Activitybased Studentoriented Teaching

1
Activity-based Student-oriented Teaching
LearningMy Engineering Perspective in student
retention issues

• Presented by
• Dr Darwin Liang
• School of EDT
• University of Bradford

2
Common myths or facts?

• If I put on better handouts on Blackboard, then
  my students should learn better
• If I improve my lecture material, my students
  should benefit from my expertise and appreciate
  my effort
• I must dump down my course in order to pass more
  students, as they are not the same kind of
  students nowadays

3
Why I chose this approach (AbSo Teaching) in
response to the question To come to lecture or
not, is that the question?
?!?
4
Questions I ask myself on a yearly basis

• Why do we need to improve our current student
  retention?
• What are key obstacles and threats to current
  practices?
• Is maintaining the status quo an viable option?
• What innovations can we implement in our teaching
  practice?

5
Statistics show

• Gradual decline in of students passing the
  module(s) at first attempt
• Gradual decline in the average marks achieved in
  the module(s)
• General dissatisfaction from student feedback to
  mode of delivery

6
Past Teaching Methods

• INFORMATION teaching
• with delivery and assessment based upon
  traditional chalk and talk written exam paper
• with practical laboratory and tutorial support
  (drills based on material presented in lecture)

7
Linking Past Teaching Methods Poor Student
Performance ? Poor Student Retention

• Students achievement in 2007-08 (example in
  Analogue Electronics module level 2, semester
  2)

Max 71.6 Mean 31.6 S.D. 18.4 Pass 35.4
8
Linking Teaching with Performance

• Students achievement in 2006-07 (example in
  Circuits module level 1, semester 2)

Max 92.6 Mean 42.4 S.D. 15.4 Pass 59.6
9
New Teaching Method Improved Performance

• Student Achievements in 2008-09

Max 85.9 Mean 44.0 S.D. 19.2 Pass 67.2
10
New Teaching Method Improved Performance

• Student Achievements in 2007-08

Max 97.2 Mean 55.9 S.D. 24.3 Pass 73.5
11
Module Review outcomes

• Improved student performance resulting in higher
  retention and progression
• Removal of dreaded assessment and enhancing
  with activity for improved student learning

12
What really is ABSO Teaching Learning?

• Letting students do some of the learning (
  design their own experiments problem based)
• Involving students in a range of dissemination
  activities (on line quiz, weekly tutorial
  sessions)
• Lecturers do lectures and teach their students
  using activity as opposed to actual lectures
  more tutorials
• Other ways (to be developed self-learning
  support group similar to Face book/Twitter)
• Lecturer lecture more than in previous years
  before laboratory sessions
• Letting students do part of the teaching
  tutoring one another

Which do you agree with?
13
Some student perspectives about what AbSo
Learning is
Teaching by one to one tutorial activity to
ensure that the taught material reflects true
understanding and benefiting from the enthusiasm
of a lecturer providing continual feedback
I think activity led teaching is the lecturer
drawing upon his/her scholarly knowledge and
experience to illuminate their lecturing via
activity and thus extend the students' learning
experience. This is what I learn best - I learn
by using my hands and actually doing it instead
of listening to it. Without such activity, my
learning can only be superficial - gained from a
text book in the same way that I learn from my
school teacher.
Activity-Based Student Oriented Teaching
Learning
Activity-led teaching must actively engage me in
the process of learning so that I can acquires
the skills required for the module. This would
probably involve true Problem-Based Learning - as
such, this is unlikely to happen as it is very
time intensive in the first stages of student
development and staff may not have time to help
me.
14
Current AbSo-Led Teaching Practices in EDT
On- line Quiz Self-paced
learning
Feedback
Lecture Laboratory
Mid-term assessment(s) Final Examination
Tutorial Support Drills
15
What are the drivers for AbSo Teaching Learning?

• Education Scenery has fundamentally changed
  Diversity
• Less elite, more diversity
• Students and parents have their own ideas on
  education
• Emphasis on students learning rather than on
  lecturers teaching
• Larger number of degrees available , mixed
  cohorts
• Freshman year has become a way of balancing
  student knowledge involving some repetition of
  high school curriculum
• Rapidly changing professional world -
  Globalization
• Engineering graduates will be more and more
  engaged in the generation of knowledge through
  research practical projects
• They should be educated to cope with risk and
  uncertainty associated with scientific and
  technical advances

16
Traditional ways to sell courses in the UK
(Huntley-Moore Panter, 2002)

• Assertion of Status
• We are not an ex-Polytechnic!
• Declaration of Achievement
• We did well in the RAE!

17
AbSo Teaching Is that the mission of the
University of Bradford?

• Our core mission is that of
• Making Knowledge Work (University of Bradford,
  2009)
• We are a provider of
• high quality teaching, underpinned by
  internationally recognised research,
• which enables our students to achieve their
  educational aspirations and enhance their career
  prospects within a sustainable, supportive and
  safe environment

18
Concluding remarks

• Need to establish an effective link between
  teaching/learning and student retention and
  mechanism to measure effectiveness
• Lectures given by a good presenter do not
  automatically improve the students learning
  experience, nor does it improve retention
• University, schools, departments and academics
  should put a joint effort in order to enhance the
  learning environment of the students make it
  fun to learn.
• Activity-based Student-oriented Teaching
  Learning (ASBo) is gradually being developed at
  EDT, but improvement are always possible and
  necessary to make it standard across the board.

19
Yes or No?

• Could you use activity-based student-oriented
  pedagogy within your current teaching practice?
• May be ?

20
10 Recommendations
Appendix

• Make activity-based learning standard
• Have inquiry based freshman year
• Build on freshman year - continuity
• Remove barriers to interdisciplinary education
  School versus Department
• Link communication skill and coursework
• Use IT creatively set up Student Facebook, Ning
  network
• Finish with capstone experience
• Students as apprentice teachers
• Change faculty reward system
• Cultivate sense of community

21
I. Make activity-based learning standard

• Starting from the first year students should
  engage in learning on their own in as many
  courses as possible
• Students must learn how to convey results orally
  and in writing
• Students must explore other fields to contrast
  and complement major field
• Courses should allow for joint collaboration
• Fieldwork and problem-based lab should be promoted

22
II. Have inquiry based freshman year

• Students should be ready to study, with any
  remedial study done prior to entering program or
  during the delivery
• Freshman seminar/lecturer should be given by more
  experienced faculty, not just for junior staff
• Practical projects and mutual critiques of oral
  and written work involving students in
  assessment

23
III. Creative use of IT creation of self-help
tutorial

• Students should be able to tutor each other ,
  using study groups created virtually using Face
  Book or Twitter type of software exclusive for
  students at the programme (to be implemented
  next)
• Freshman seminar/lecture should be presented in
  technology-based teaching rooms with smartboard
  and supporting software.
• Maximum interaction between students and
  technology with guided supervision by teaching
  assistants and lecturer

24
Further developments in AbSo Teaching

• Teaching as activity-based learning vs. more
  didactic approaches to teach via lectures sit,
  listen, take notes, drill, remember, etc.
• Designing degree programmes which capitalise on
  current research expertise in the school,
  emphasizing in hands-on experience
• Linking research in the context of degree
  programmes for professional development
• Learning environments which support a
  problem-based focus
• e.g., good access to primary sources in library,
  good IT support, well-supported laboratories

• Course content is influenced strongly by the
  current industry needs
• In Engineering and the Sciences, final year
  undergraduate projects are frequently linked to
  the research interest of staff and students are
  given access to modern research equipment.
  Incentive for high retention rate.
• Very rarely, a lecturer will state that his or
  her teaching is informed by pedagogical research.
  Should it be encouraged?

25
Where are we at EDT in terms of AbSo Teaching?

• From a teaching staff perspective
• Annual LTA conference for all academic staff
  solicit and share good practices
• From the perspective of our students
• Implement via module reviews to provide flexible
  develop relevant curriculum and assessment
  methods for students in electrical, civil,
  mechanical, industrial technology and design
  engineering programmes based on feedback from
  regular Staff-Student Liaison Committee meetings

26
UG Learning Experience at EDT
L1
L2
L3
27
UG Assessment Profile at EDT
CW 24
CW 14
L3
L3
L2
L2
L1
L1