Blended learning to support teaching and assessment:

linking theory with practice

Mark RussellThe Blended Learning UnitUniversity of Hertfordshire

m.b.russell@herts.ac.uk

Background•Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics•Core engineering module (15 CP/ single semester)

•Often seen as a difficult subject•New language•Reliant on some mathematical competency

•First year module

• ~50% failed the examination (2001/02)

Teaching - up to 2001 i. Lectures (didactic 1:~150)

• instruction, motivation and sign-posting / making links ii. Tutorials (interactive 1:~25)

• student participation working on tutorial sheets - related to lecture iii. Laboratory studies x 2 (interactive 1:~25)

• Practical application of theory “ Hands on” activities• Some socialisation

Using i) as a backdrop, ii) & iii) sought to provide opportunities for students to ‘construct’ their understanding of the subject through practice and experience.

• Assessment based on:• 70% final examination (at week 12)• 20% laboratory reports (conventional - teacher marked)• 10% phase test (set at week 7/8 - teacher marked)

What would Yorke,

Kift, et a

l say?

What would you do if you wanted to fail more students / provide a lousy first year experience?

Good practice…Encourages Contact Between Student and FacultyDevelops Reciprocity and Cooperation among

studentsEncourages Active LearningGives Prompt FeedbackEmphasises Time on TaskCommunicates High ExpectationsRespects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning

How People Learn

Learning is a conversationLearning is not a spectator sportThe learners have much to offer as well as gain

What went wrong? – some possible issues• Increasing student numbers

– Increasing difficulty in providing personal & prompt feedback– Increasing difficulty to track student’s progress– We teach, you learn (reciprocity?)

• Increasing range of abilities (qualified to similar levels!)– Previous assumptions on student’s capabilities becoming invalid

• Increasing range of motivation (or lack of motivation) – Time-on-task was varied (not appropriately encouraged)

• Lacking learner focus– Did not use student’s conceptions to drive follow-up tasks (learner-

centric?)

• Assessment did not really support learning– Timeliness of feedback – Use of feedback– high expectations? / Active learning?

Chronology of developments2001 StudyNet – opportunities to provide:

– Improved teaching materials – on-line access– Additional support material (diverse talents)– Develop reciprocity… via discussion forums

2002 Weekly Assessed Tutorial Sheets (WATS)– Active Learning / high expectations

2004 Peer assessment of laboratory reports– Learning through assessing– Sharing good and bad practice– Engaging students with criteria (high exp)

2004/5 Just-in-Time Teaching– Intelligence led teaching (learner centric)

2006 IWB to encourage collaborative learning2007 On-line tutorial using Elluminate

e-content

blendedlearning

The Use of Discussions within StudyNet

Objectives:• Provide tutor prompts• Respond to student questions• Encourage student-student

interactions• Drip feed students with F&T

Discussions – student use (% of total students in group)

• 2001 - 10% (70)• 2002 - 10% (97)• 2003 - 20% (105)• 2004 - 49% (697)• 2005 - 37% (443)

Our forum?

Their forum?

2002: 57% of students thought the forum was useful

A new assessment regime

Feed-forward to staff (Just-in-Time-Teaching)

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Interesting, but what about the conversation?

What one area / topic / thing would you like further help on?

What one area / topic / thing would you like further help on?

In your own words describe the temperature change graphs

In your own words describe the temperature change graphs

Often in manometry we ignore the density of the fluids in one of the limbs – why is this?

Often in manometry we ignore the density of the fluids in one of the limbs – why is this?

Please state which question was the most difficult and why

Please state which question was the most difficult and why

In your own words describe Bernoulli’s Equation

In your own words describe Bernoulli’s Equation

Some student responses

Arguably we were …

… Developing (forcing) good study behaviours

“I think WATS was a good thing as it has made us all review our notes and revise throughout the semester instead of throwing on the floor and not looking at them until the exam”.

“I think it is a good approach to learning because it enables or rather "forces" us to work on the module every week, and this kind of helps sometimes”.

Year (start)

2001 2002(WATS)

2003 2004 2005

Mean % 38.7 47.1 42.2 52 33.1

%> 34% 49 67 65 77 44

Population 127 128 133 163 174

Final Examination Marks

Some feedback…

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F&T 2001-2002

F&T 2002-2003

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F&T 2001-2002

F&T 2002-2003

Course was well organised Independent learning was encouraged

Conclusions• Improved student performance resulted

from use of Blended Learning• Greatest improvement through:

– Use of WATS– Adopting just-in-time teaching

• Many students valued:– Greater structure – More personalised approach

Pedogically

driven

For every classroom door?

“As you enter a classroom ask yourself this question: If there were no students in the room, could I do what I am planning to do? If your answer to the question is yes, don't do it.”

Gen. Ruben Cubero, Dean of The Faculty, United States Air Force.

Student vs. content-centric view of T&LTeaching or learning focus?

“As you enter a classroom ask yourself this question: If there were no students in the room, could I do what I am planning to do? If your answer to the question is yes, don't do it.”

Gen. Ruben Cubero, Dean of The Faculty, United States Air Force.

Student vs. content-centric view of T&LTeaching or learning focus?