Engagement with Gizmos

Using Webinar Sessions, eNotebooks and Lecture Response Systems, to facilitate engagement.

Molecular Biology and BiochemistryGareth Denyer, School Molecular Bioscience

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WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT LECTURES?

Which reason SURPRISES you the most?

A. Discipline to engage with the material

B. Feeling of connection with lecturer/course

C. Social contact with peers and Uni life

D. Rapid disengagement if did not attend

E. Ability to ask questions

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ARE LECTURE QUESTIONS EFFECTIVE?

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ARE LECTURE QUESTIONS EFFECTIVE?

In theory a great barometer of class understanding….But in a class of 300?????

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A SAFE PLACE FOR QUESTIONS?

• Anonymous

• In their own home

• At a time that feels right

• Recorded

• Easy to set up

• No software installation needed

• University Supported

• No need to appear on video!

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TYPICAL SESSION

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TYPICAL SESSION

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TYPICAL SESSION

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TYPICAL SESSION

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DEPLOYMENT

Student opinion… exceptionally positive… EXPLANATIONS

Originally run during Stu Vac and before exams

About 30 turned up regularly – but recorded

Since then run in the evenings about once per week

Anonymity a key factor – yet felt PERSONAL

Especially good for catch up material

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WHAT DO THESE EXAM RESULTS MEAN?

UoS Mark

AAM

P

C

D

HD

regular attendee

ENGAGEMENT IN PRACTICAL CLASSES

› Traditionally

- Lab Bench Experiments

- Mainly follow-the-recipe

- Little opportunity for extension experiments or revision of approach

ELEMENTS OF SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY

› In addition to Theory/Background & Technical Skills

- Observation

- Measurement

- Data Analysis

- Presentation

- Questioning

- Experimental Design

- Discussion (Feedback Cycle)

- Revision of Approach

- Opportunity to Repeat

- Curation of Data

ELEMENTS OF ENGAGEMENT

PRE-ENGAGEMENT PROBLEMS

› Few actually do the pre-work

- Worse still: some do, some don’t!

› Rely on tutor tutorial

PRE-PRAC TUTE – ENGAGING??

ELECTRONIC LAB NOTEBOOKS

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ePortfolio – Pebblepad Lab Archives

E-NOTEBOOK FACILITATES ENGAGEMENT

› Pre-work actually done!!!

› More time to do real lab work!

› Re-structured class to allow repetition and redesign of experiments

STUDENT-TUTOR ENGAGEMENT

› Little outside class

› Tutors are post-grads working in real research labs!

› No development of the relationship

THE COST OF ENGAGEMENT

› 24/7 communication

› Much more work for the tutors

- Harder to answer random Qs than deliver well-rehearsed “tute”

› No longer the Sage on the Stage

- Loss of status??

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CAN THIS APPLY TO LECTURES?

Classroom Engagement systems

Get the mood of the class in real time

Increased preparedness Quality questions and tailored responses

eLN Adobe Connect

Leverage off student devices

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A SHAKY START….

BCHM2072 started sprinkling questions here and there……

But then Danny Liu shows Socrative atScience Teaching Tips

Free…. Easy….(and I got my classes re-timetabled )

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GOING THE FULL FLIP?

Chemistry reported great success on flipping….

Surely can’t try this with first years!!!??

………students master basic content before they come to class, and work with their new knowledge in class.

This is the reverse of the lecture model, where the professor lectures on basic material, and then students struggle with homework on their own…….

Totally unrealistic to imagine that they really will listen to a one hour lecture on-line first… ?

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FLIP STRATEGY…COMPETING TENSIONS

Make them realise I’m not bluffing

Don’t lose the students that didn’t pre-engage

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TURNING EACH SLIDE INTO QUESTIONS

Original Lecture Slide 26

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A FRESH APPROACH

Original Lecture Slide 55

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THE STUDENT VOICE

Thanks to Jill Johnston, Dale Hancock, Danny Liu and Vanessa Gysbers

[TRUST your colleagues to analyse your feedback…]

But the exam also contains objective measures….

Extra workload – what if everyone did it!?

Focus on MCQ and exams rather than engagement per se?

No preparation – not worth coming to lecture

Very polarised emotions – Loved it or hated it

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GIZMO ENABLED ENGAGEMENTS

Laboratory Class Tutorials

eNotebooks Adobe Connect

Lectures

Response Systems