Dafna Hardbattle, Ken Fisher & Peter Chalk

London Metropolitan Universitywww.londonmet.ac.uk

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Engaging First Year Programming Students in Reflective Practice by Means of an Online

Interactive Learning Object

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Acknowledgement

This project is supported and funded by the “Write Now” Centre for

Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL)

www.writenow.ac.uk

Background

• Teaching in the sciences has been characterised by an over-emphasis on content and the instructivist approach

• This is now changing with the realisation of the importance of generic transferable skills, which are needed by graduates when they face employment

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Background• Introductory programming is known nationally to

be a difficult subject to teach and to learn• LondonMet programming modules follow the

national trend• Computing students tend to lack reflective writing

skills• Hazzan suggested that programmers adopt a

reflective mode of thinking to improve the understanding of their own mental processes

Reflective Practice

• Reflection is the process where an individual examines his/her actions during or after the accomplishment of an action

• Schon suggested that professional people (nurses, musicians, accountants and others) should examine and rethink their professional creations or course of action during (reflection-in-action) and after (reflection-on-action) the accomplishment of the creation/action process

• His assumption is that such reflection improves the proficiency and performance within the profession

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Aims

• To develop a learning object to encourage reflective practice in programming students

• To help students develop reasoning and problem-solving skills

• To investigate the relationship between reflective writing skills and programming skills

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Research Questions

• Would the computing students engage with the reflective tasks?

• Would students’ reflective writing/thinking skills be improved?

• Would students think that reflective practice tasks are relevant to improving their programming skills?

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

The Blended Learning Environment

• Lecture + tutorial + workshop

• Lecture/tutorial/workshop materials and learning objects all online

• Blackboard Learning System VLE

• Coursework assignments also in VLE

• Text book

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Reflective Practice Learning Object• Designed to allow students to learn online, in their

own time, about reflective practice in relation to writing about Java programming problem-solving tasks

• Incorporates design principles aimed at promoting higher order levels of thinking and problem solving, and to encourage active learning

• Based on Moon's categories of reflection which were renamed as, Description, Analysis, Evaluation and Conclusion for simplicity

• Created using Macromedia Flash

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Encouraging Reflective Practice

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Introducing the students to the four levels of reflection

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Possible solutions to a Java problem by us and a student

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

‘Drag & Drop’ technique to test students’ understanding of the levels of reflection

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Encouraging students to write their own reflection on various levels

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Data Collection• Samples of students’ writing was collected in Week 3

(Baseline), before the LO was introduced to the students and in Week 7 (Assignment 1) and Week 12 (Assignment 2)

• Sixty pieces of writing were used for each of the three stages

• Students’ access to the LO was tracked through Blackboard and analysed

• Data regarding the LO was also collected via an online anonymous questionnaire (33 students) and short structured interviews (17 students)

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Textual Analysis• A tool based on Moon's categories of reflection

was used by us to measure level of reflectivity• The writing was rated independently of the

module assessment and given a mark of 0 - 4 (from the lowest level of “descriptive writing”=1 to the highest level of “critical reflection” = 4, and zero if nothing was written)

• Half marks were also used as it was felt that the use of a whole mark was not always sensitive enough

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Learning Path Analysis

• Consists of a sequence of learning activities (or nodes) where the student can be identified as engaged in learning of some kind, acting upon a learning resource

• For example, coursework specification, the LO or other learning materials such as lecture notes.

• Preliminary data collection has been completed for a sample of 13 students

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Learning Path Types

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Tracking Results

• Tracking data for top six of the 175 items held in Blackboard for the module

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Did the computing students engage with the reflective tasks?

• Students’ engagement was assessed by looking at their interaction with the LO, which they could view online in their own time.

• Analysis of tracking data, obtained by drilling down to each student’s data, revealed that of the students who accessed the module in Blackboard, 83% accessed the LO.

• During the two weeks leading up to the deadline of Assignment 1, 67% accessed the LO

• On the day of Assignment 1 deadline, 21% accessed it • Between the release of the specification and the deadline

for Assignment 2, 25% of the students accessed the LO

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Student tracking example

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Student tracking example

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Evaluation of Impact

Baseline

0

10

20

30

N D A E C

Assignment 1

0

5

10

15

20

N D A E C

Assignment 2

0

5

10

15

20

N D A E C

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

• Textual analysis of students’ and coursework reports indicated a dramatic increase in the average levels of reflection

What did students think?• 85% of students either agreed or strongly agreed that the LO

helped them to think/write reflectively:“It has given me some techniques to write it in a proper manner” “it helped me how to describe, evaluate and analyze my work.”

• 67% of students either agreed or strongly agreed that they think that reflective practice helps their programming skills:“It makes you look at your own work in a critical way. It also makes you

think about the reasons you are programming in the way that you are” “being able to plan each stage of compiling my work”“it helped me to understand the way i had gone wrong” “aided my thinking and problem solving style and technique”

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009

Conclusion • Students’ feedback suggests that they used the LO and

valued it• Although we are unable to claim for certain which

element of the 'blend' has been most effective, adjusting the blended learning environment seemed to work successfully towards improving engagement and students’ skills in both programming and reflective writing

• In the future we are hoping to isolate the effects of the individual factors in the learning environment

International Blended Learning Conference

University of Hertfordshire, 2009