Course Structures that Engage and Motivate

Kim SheppardCecil College - Maryland

Alketa NinaWorWic Community College - Maryland

CECIL College

Flipping a Statistics Course

Classroom Setting

• 30 seat computer classroom • Epson Bright link Projector• 2 additional large display screens• 3 large white boards across the front• 2 additional white boards on side and back walls• Instructor station has document camera• Apple TV

NETOP Vision PRO Softwarewww.netop.com

NETOP Vision PRO Software

• Share instructor screen with all students in the classroom

• Showcase student’s screens• Control Internet access• Blank screen all computers• Operate computers remotely

Blackboard

• At the start of each class, I give a 5 minute Blackboard quiz

• Quiz opens 5 minutes prior to class starting and ends 5 minutes into class

• Quiz is timed (5 minutes) and open notes• Students arrive on time and prepared and

ready for class

5 Minute Blackboard Quiz

Blackboard Achievements

Flipped Statistics Class

• Students watch video lectures at home• They take notes in a course notebook we

provide them• 5 minute Blackboard quiz is on video

lectures• Class time is spent clarifying concepts,

doing activity based learning, and collecting and analyzing data

Video Lectures – Prep Work (CLICK HERE)

StatCrunch

• We have a group page for all students taking Statistics

• The group page contains approximately 100 data sets

• Surveys are posted to the group page and completed by approximately 300 students

• Survey data is posted and used in class and on assignments

• Instructor Group Page

StatCrunch Group Page

StatCrunch Surveys

Activities

• Library Data Collection DayStudents select a random aisle, a random bookcase on that aisle, and a

random book on that bookcase at the library to select a book for which they collect the following data: weight, length, width, height, title, author, gender of author

The data are used to evaluate categorical and quantitative variables, regression analysis, and inference, both in class and on take home assignments.

• Large Student SurveyThis 60 question survey is administered via StatCrunch to all students enrolled in statistics courses at Cecil and collects demographics and non-demographic

information, such as political affiliations, smoking, commuting time…etc.This database is used frequently throughout the semester in class to calculate

descriptive and inferential statistics.

Activities

• McDonald’s French FriesStudents purchase a small order of French fries at one of the three local McDonald's. They bring the fries to campus and weigh them in order to conduct a test hypothesis (McDonald’s website says a small order should weigh 71 grams). This is also a nice data set to use to discuss variation.

• Regression Vehicle Data Students collect vehicle data online (using a website like AutoTrader). They record mileage, year, price….etc., for a particular make and model of car

and then this data is used for regression analysis.

Sampling DistributionActivity

Sampling DistributionActivity

We have created two fake population data sets; one containing the age of every Cecil College student (N=2861). The second data set contains a categorical variable for every Cecil student on whether or not they are a first generation college student. We use these data sets for sampling distribution activities.

Sampling DistributionActivity

For the sampling distribution of the sample mean, we have students take a random sample of students from the fake population and compute the sample average for their sample. Every student does this and we talk about how the sample means vary. Each student takes 2-3 samples and notes the sample mean each time. The sample means are recorded onto sticky notes and posted on white board. This white board with sticky notes stays in class until the end of the semester. We then use an Applet in StatCrunch to continue to grow the distribution of the sample means.

Sampling DistributionActivity

A similar activity is done for the sampling distribution of the sample proportion.

StatCrunch Applets

StatCrunch Applets

StatCrunch Applets

Wor-Wic CC

Course Structures

College Algebra & Trigonometry Organization

Calculus I – Course Organization

Blog (click here)

Demonstration Depository & Mini Lectures

• Start with Introduction, Definitions, Rules,

• Follow by a demonstration

• Then class works in groups on practice problems.

• ….repeat again for next concepts

Class Flow

Differentiation Rules

1 n nd dyy ny

dx dx

ln x xda a a

dx

1( ) ( ) ( )

n ndf x n f x f x

dx

( ) ( )( ) g x g xde g x e

dx

Definitions/Rules

Ex:

Practice

1.

2.

Solutions

3.

32 5d

xdx

2 35 7d

x xdx

23 5x xde

dx

4326. ( ) sinf x x x x

cos4. x xy e

5. ( ) 2prxg x ra n

Practice

Solutions

27. ( ) cos 3 10 f x x

2 78. ( ) 2sec f x x

539. ( ) 2 3tan(2 ) f x x x

22 sin10. ( ) sin tf t e

Strategies

• Notebooks and • Workbooks

I have compiled the lecture notes into notebooks or workbooks which I distribute out to the class in the beginning of the semester. This helps the students keep their notes organized and also pay attention to the concepts rather than hurry to copy everything down. The practice problems are done as group work during class and posted on the board.

Strategies

• Pass the Ball – In an effort to increase participation, without

putting myself in a position to pick on students, I bought two balls which I pass out to two students in the beginning of the class.

– During class every time I ask a question the person who has the ball has to answer it.

– Once the person answers a question then (s)he passes the ball to another student who will be responsible in answering the next question.

Strategies

• Encouragement vs Criticizing

– When I taught online classes, I would send emails to students who were falling behind to let them know about it.

– A few years ago I decided to change the way I communicated with students in my online classes, and it has made a huge difference.

Strategies

• Encouragement vs Criticizing– When I taught online classes, I would

send emails to students who were falling behind to let them know about it. I must admit that tactic was a failure.

– A few years ago I decided to change the way I communicated with students in my online classes, and it has made a huge difference.

Strategies

Encouragement vs Criticizing con’t

– In particular, I will email every student individually during the second or third day of the semester to congratulate them for logging into the course and/or starting any of the homework.

Here are some examples of emails I send:– “What a great start you are making to the semester Sam!!!!

Keep it up “– “What an awesome job on homework 1.2 Sam, I can tell this is

going to be a very productive semester . Keep it up. Just a friendly reminder that section 1.3 is also due this Saturday”– “Hi Sam, you did a very good job on the first few problems of

section1.3, but I noticed that you stopped working on them. Are you stuck on any of the concepts? Please let me know if you have any questions so I can help you”

Strategies

Encouragement vs Criticizing con’t The response has been overwhelming.

• Students feel I am more approachable.

• They email me questions more often.

• They thank me for encouraging them, stating that it

means a lot to them.

• They gain confidence about the material and want

to do better.