A Likely Pair: Engaging Technologies and Student Achievement

Eighth Annual Conference on Teaching and LearningOakland University, Rochester, MI

May 14, 2014

A’Kena LongBenton, ABD, EdSWayne State University

akenalong@aol.com

Per J.D. Willms (2000), “…the theoretical literature argues that engagement and academic achievement go hand-in-hand” (p. 9 http://goo.gl/5Sf0hc).

When instructors use technologies to teach and inform their instruction, then they will not become victims of shock when their students perhaps fail a course exam. Various technologies offer instructors a greater sense of certainty that they have taught their students the course content. Also, the below technologies allow instructors to determine how much their students know before the exam is given. Last, these technologies allow instructors an opportunity to innovatively assist their students in preparation for course exams.

Workshop Abstract

Share research literature on formative assessment and the technology debate

  Actively participate in a real-time technology-based poll

Witness what the aforementioned technologies (Poll Everywhere, QuizBreak!, Quiz Revolution, StudyBlue, and SurveyMonkey) look like in practice.

Brainstorm how they will use at least one of the formative assessment interactive technologies

Observe how others will use these interactive technologies to improve student achievement

Goals and Objectives

Workshop Questions Technology Tool (available until June 14, 2014):

http://todaysmeet.com/ctl

Today’s Workshop Slides http://goo.gl/?????

Online Slideshow & Questions

The goal of formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning. More specifically, formative assessments: help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and target areas that need work help faculty recognize where students are struggling and address problems immediately

Formative assessments are generally low stakes, which means that they have low or no point value. Examples of formative assessments include asking students to: draw a concept map in class to represent their understanding of a topic submit one or two sentences identifying the main point of a lecture turn in a research proposal for early feedback

Empowering Students to Learn via Formative Assessment

The following table highlights some formative assessments that are common in higher educational settings.

Formative Assessment Examples

Asking students to submit one or two sentences identifying the main point of a lecture

Have students submit an outline for a paper

Early course evaluations

What formative assessment strategies do you implement in your classroom?

Audience Participation

Clark’s Viewpoint: Teaching methods have the most influence on learning. Media is merely a delivery device and has no significant difference in the learning outcome. From Clark’s meta-analysis he concluded that “studies clearly

suggest that media do not influence learning under any conditions.” In the end, Clark calls for a halt to media comparison research.

Kozma’s Viewpoint: He viewed both the medium and method to have a crucial role in the design of instruction and on the student’s cognitive skills. Kozma argued that there is a relationship between the methods and media, which cannot be ignored.

Technology Debate: Clark (1983) vs. Kozma (1994)

Clark: “Media are mere vehicles that deliver instruction, but do not influence student achievement any more than the truck that delivers our groceries cause changes in our nutrition.”

Kozma: “Clark’s separation of media from method creates an unnecessary and undesirable schism between medium and method. Both should have a more integral relationship.”

Clark vs. Kozma Quotes

Formative Assessment Animoto Video: http://goo.gl/AenhyR

Poll Everywhere Survey: http://goo.gl/guKGO0

Interactive Activities

Screencast:

http://goo.gl/FRpxmV

An Online Tutorial

Benefits: Multiple choice, open-ended, or T/F questions Real-time survey results Customize charts for the results Student engagement Up to 40 users per poll for FREE Can use cell phone or laptop to enter responses Can edit, stop, copy, or delete pollhttp://goo.gl/ijdSxc

Web Address: http://www.polleverywhere.com/

Benefits: FREE Jeopardy-style online quiz Can include images and audiohttp://goo.gl/sE3nXv

Web Address: http://clear.msu.edu/quizbreak/

Quizbreak!

Benefits: FREE tool that engages audience Question analytics, e.g., how many answered it correctly FB sharing component Unlimited questions T/F, multiple choice questions with image, text, or video

options Can provide feedback and/or set a time limit Embed quizzes http://goo.gl/1juBpG

Web Address: http://www.quizrevolution.com/

Quiz Revolution

Benefits: FREE electronic flashcards can be sorted by

Hardest to easiest In order Least studied Random Wrong

Create a written review sheet Group sharing opportunity Great for short answer questionshttp://goo.gl/Nvm0ZR

Web Address: http://www.studyblue.com/

Study Blue

Benefits: FREE survey designing tool Multiple choice, open-ended, and/or T/F questions Collect responses via web link or FaceBook Analyze resultshttp://goo.gl/aYqUnJ

Web Address: https://www.surveymonkey.com/

Survey monkey

http://akenalong.weebly.com/

Please see Technology Integration Pages.

Technologies Website

The technologies explored promote: active and independent learning; application; creativity; critical thinking; problem solving; student engagement; and reflection—not mere comprehension.

  Word of Caution: Soft skills need to be addressed

when technologies are used, e.g., time management skills. There are countless technologies and distractions on the internet. If students are not instructor-guided and/or focused, then tons of unproductive hours can be spent on the web with no intellectual gains.

Words of

“What ideas, skills, and knowledge will you be able to take back and apply into their own practice and/or share with their colleagues?”

Audience Summary

Hopefully, you have had an opportunity to be engaged via technologies and learn how engagement is often a precursor to student achievement. By participating in this workshop, perhaps you will re-envision engagement, achievement, and especially how your students can access your course content at “anytime, any place any pace” (Governor Rick Snyder, 2011, http://goo.gl/BJ4wEW).

Departing Thoughts

Workshop Questions Technology Tool: http://todaysmeet.com/ctl

Questions?

Carnegie Mellon University: www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-summative.html

Florida Center for Instructional Technology: http://fcit.usf.edu/assessment/basic/basica.html

Clark-Kozma Debate: http

://hansuk.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/based-on-kozma-clark-debate-what-is-your-position-regarding-how-media-affect-learning/

http://dcmoffat71.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/clark-and-kozma-debate-is-it-still-relevant/

http://design2instruct.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/clark-vs-kozma-the-debate-continues/

http://stc.uws.edu.au/etext/debate.htm

References