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Building shared instructor and peer support for students

projects.

Ramón GarroteRamon.Garrote@hb.se Tel +46 33 134841

WebCT – IMPACT 2005 –San Francisco2005/07/18 -22

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The author – picture

• Master of Science, ICT and learning• Bachelor of Science, Computer Engineering• Lecturer and ICT-adviser at three faculties at the

University College of Borås (School of Engineering, School of Textiles and at the School of Business and Informatics)

• Responsible for WebCT as application platform for e-learning

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Ramón Garrote – CV cont.

• ICT Adviser in a Asia Link project at the Universities of: – University College of Boras, Sweden– Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia– University of Redding, UK

• ICT Adviser in the Project ”Better Performance in Industry”, University College of Boras, Sweden

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Background of the project

• Projects Degree report, 10 credits(10 weeks work)

• Often done in companies– Demand specification– Reports to the examiner about the progress

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Problems to solve

• Projects Degree report did not meet quality expectations

• Directing– Keep deadline, due date– Feed-back to students

• Lots of students work on their own could cause “isolation”

• Consequences• -delayed or not finished papers

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Questions/reflections

• How could follow-up and feedback to students be improved?

• How to help students to write the Project Degree reports and improve the content?

• How to influence students to finish their Project Degree reports in due time?

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Purpose

• Improve Project Degree reports • Improve follow-up• Increase number of Projects Degree reports

finished in due time• Develop and encourage social interaction and

cooperation while producing Project Degree reports

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Target group

• Students studying last year at University of Borås, School of Technology, Computer Technology Program

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Planning

Discussions together with students– How to improve Project Degree reports ?– How to improve instruction to get Project

Degree reports finished in due time?– How to get continuous feed-back about the

progress of the Project Degree reports ?– How to avoid working alone

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Planning

After discussions with students the following method was suggested– Web based education tool (WebCT)– Discussion room– Calendar– Common area with weekly report on progress,

working papers, opposition and final Project Degree reports

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Accomplishment

• The Project Degree reports were gathered as a course in a web based education tool (WebCT)

• Means of assistance to students– Discussion room for common communication

and problem solving– Common area– Calendar

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Result

Discussion room– Communication between students– Agreed upon common meetings– Exchange of ideas and tips– Supported each other to find solutions for

different problems

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Result

Calendar– Students could make “public” statements,

book meetings and announce important common activities as fairs, exhibitions, etc.

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Result

• Common data area– Weekly reports about their Project Degree report – Development of projects could be followed by

everybody– Continuous feed-back– Great involvement– Good oppositions– Considerable improvements of Project Degree reports

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Result

• Less administration time of the Project Degree reports

• Faster feedback to the students• 7 of 8 Project Degree reports were finished in

due time • 1 student short. He got a job during the

semester