Challenges around the Challenges around the undergraduate experience: undergraduate experience:

Designing programs, units and Designing programs, units and classes for student engagementclasses for student engagement

A/Professor Mark FreemanA/Dean (Learning and Teaching)

Mark.Freeman@usyd.edu.au

Participant learning outcomes

1. Describe some of the considerations impacting today’s UG students learning

2. Evaluate the potential usefulness of some different in-class learning activities

3. Identify some useful strategies (eg. engaging UG students at the program-level)

4. Value learning as fun and interesting sometimes

Interactive ‘work’shop

Instructions1. Change tables. Number off 1 to 6 on current

table. All those number ‘1’ move to table 1. Number ‘2’ move to table 2. etc

2. Sit next to someone you don’t know.3. Spend 1 minute each telling your life story.4. After 2 minutes introduce your pair partner to

others on the table5. (Someone may need to facilitate)

What is your business discipline?

31%

13%

31%

0%

6%

19% 1. Accounting2. Finance3. Marketing4. Management5. Economics6. Other

What year were you born?

0%

17%

83%

0% 1. Before 1946 (mature)2. 1946 to 1963 (baby boomer)3. 1965 to 1982 (gen X)4. 1983 to 1991 (net gen)

Baby boomers and Millennials  Baby Boomers Generation X Net GenerationBirth Dates 1946–1964 1965–1982 1982–1991

Description Me generation Latchkey generation Millennials

Attributes Optimistic Independent Hopeful

Workaholic Skeptical Determined

Likes Responsibility Freedom Public activism

Work ethic Multitasking Latest technology

Can-do attitude Work-life balance Parents

Dislikes Laziness Red tape Anything slow

Turning 50 Hype Negativity

Oblinger & Oblinger (2005)

Visual

Digital

Connected

Immediate (gratification)

Multi-task

Experiential

Social

Peers

What’s needed?

Crave interactivity

What matters?

Global

Oblinger & Oblinger (2005)

Millennials at a glance

Internet=Oxygen

Scratch where itchy!

“Digital Natives accustomed to the twitch-speed, multitasking, random-access, graphics-first, active, connected, fun, fantasy, quick-payoff world of their video games, MTV, and Internet are bored by most of today's education, well-meaning as it may be. But worse, the many skills that new technology [has] actually enhanced (for example, parallel processing, graphics awareness, and random access) -- which have profound implications for their learning -- are almost totally ignored by educators”

Prensky (2001)

In terms of my global experience I did

16%

5%

26%

11%

42% 1. my UG/PG studies in my home country 2. #1 above but visited universities outside3. my UG/PG studies in another country4. my UG & PG studies in another country5. my UG & PG studies in other countries

Helping Millennials Learn1. Not about the technology

– Face-to-face interaction can’t be missing• Clickers provide anonymity

– Provide convenience• LMS (online syllabus, readings, submission, marks)

– Provide mobility and connectivity• Wireless networking laptops

– Provide social• Blogs and wikis and threaded discussions

– Provide customisation• Podcasts (difficult concepts; feedback)

Helping Millennials Learn

2. Assessments that matter– Problem based learning – Integrated business experience

3. Encourage community and social networks– Peer mentoring & peer learning– In-class teamwork

4. Design great learning activities– Business games and simulations– Online anonymous role play simulation

Helping Millennials Learn

5. Design learning spaces for interaction– Encourage informal learning and social– Remove the dominant ‘large passive lecture hall’

• Inverse relationship between distance from lectern and student’s total exam score (Becker 73)

• Forcing students to sit in centre seats when they prefer back seats results in a 40% net gain in probability of receiving an A grade (Benedict & Hoag 04)

TBL class 1

TBL class 2

UQ collab class

MIT class

Caledonian flexible space

Caledonian informal

Caledonian informal

Helping Millennials Learn

6. Interactive engagement is the key – Definition: heads on (always) & hands on (usually) – Co-create knowledge in/out, peers, TA, faculty,

administrators, work– Feedback as immediate as possible– US developed National Survey of Student

Engagement (NSSE) in 2000

Good practice designing for learning

1. Encourages student-faculty contact2. Develops student reciprocity & cooperation3. Uses active learning techniques4. Gives prompt feedback5. Emphasizes time on task6. Communicates high expectations7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning

(Chickering & Gamson, 87; Chickering & Ehrrmann, 96)

Complete ‘The Minute Paper’ (page 4)

Strategic school-level questions

• How can we design better learning spaces?

• How can we harness learning research and technology to improve student interaction and academic efficiency?

• How can we design better programs?

• How can AAPBS work strategically to support academic leaders with these in achieving the AAPBS mission?

How does SPARK work?

Rating scale: 0 = no contribution 1 = less than team average 2 = contribution per team average 3 = above team average

How will SPARK affect marks?

Team C: 15/20

15 x 0.9 = 13.5

15 x 1.16 = 17.415 x 0.75 = 11.3

15 x 1.25 = 18.8

Team B: 12/20

12 x 0.9 = 10.8

12 x 1.16 = 13.9

12 x 1.25 = 15.0

12 x 0.75 = 9.0

Aggregate factors produced by SPARK system SAPA factor 1.1 indicates overrate own contribution to team by 110%

SPA factorTeam A: 12/20

12 x 1.0 = 12

Designing for active learning

Bassey 68

More on designing for active learning

Bligh 71

Designing courses: interactive engagement – Hake (98) meta study

• Performance on standardised physics concept tests• Controlled for class size and time spent on concept

– Sample: • >6000 students• 62 intro physics units• IE & traditional teaching

“IE methods had an average gain 0.48 ± 0.14SD, which was two standard deviations above the traditional course which received an average gain of 0.23 ± 0.04SD”

(Hake, p.4, 1998)

Approaches to learning

or

(Saljo 79, Ramsden 89, Prosser 06)

Model of student learning (Prosser 06)

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STUDENT (e.g. previous experiences, current understanding) STUDENTS'

PERCEPTIONS OF CONTEXT (e.g. good teaching, clear goals)

COURSE AND DEPARTMENTAL LEARNING CONTEXT (e.g. course design, teaching methods, assessment)

STUDENTS' APPROACHES TO LEARNING (how they learn e.g. surface/deep)

STUDENTS' LEARNING OUTCOMES (what they learn quantity/quality)

Model of Student Learning

(Prosser, 06)

Deep learning design when teaching seen as...

0%

100%

0%

0% 1. Transmitting concepts of the syllabus

2. Helping students acquire syllabus concepts

3. Helping students develop conceptions

4. Transmitting the teachers' knowledge

Impact of L&T activities varies with approach

Information transmission

views of teaching

sface surface)Conceptual

change views of teaching

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Teacher focussed

design and teaching (eg.

passive)Student

focussed design and

teaching (eg. interactive)

Surface approach to learning

sffface surface)

Deep approaches to

learning hffffffffhhhhhh

h

Teachers perception of context)

ccfffccApproaches to cccc teaching

hhhddddddddddddddd

Approaches to learning

hh

(Prosser & Trigwell, 96; Ramsden 97)

• Class size • Workload • Control • Students • Dept value of teaching

versus research

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Teachers prior

experience)

Teachers perception of uni/dept

Model of Academic TeachingImpact of interaction design decisions varies

with approach to teaching

Team problem

• Employers want business program graduates that meet their needs.

• Identify the top three educational challenges in developing graduates.

Map & assure program-level outcomes Bachelor of Commerce

Unit 1 Unit 2 Unit 3 Unit 4 Unit 5-23 Unit 24 (Capstone)

Personal autonomy X X X X X

Research & inquiry X X X

Information literacy X X X X

Communication X X X

Ethical, social professional understandings

X X X X

Designing good program learning goals

Intercultural competenceThe process of acquiring the culture-specific and culture general knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for effective communication and interaction with individuals from other cultures. It is a dynamic, developmental, and on-going process which engages the learner cognitively, behaviourally, and affectively.

Paige et al. (2003)

Intercultural competence domains

Aspects of Intercultural Competence (Alexander et.al., 2006)

InterculturalKnowledge(Cognitive)

InterculturalSensitivity(Affective)

InterculturalPractical Skills(Behavioural)

InterculturalCompetence

Alexander et al. (2006)

3333333

Knowledge

Identifies cultural foundations of own and

others’ norms, values, experiences and interactions

Analyses how diversity influences interaction

(and how culturemanifests itself in interaction)

Reflectsand self-evaluates one’s own

and others’ capabilities and limitations in interactions in varying cultural contexts

Attitudes

Acknowledges the practical significance of own and

others’ cultural identity (beliefs, values, norms and biases) and their impact

on behaviour and interactions

Values intercultural interactions and experiences

with those from other cultures to further one’s own

understanding and interactions

Adapts to differences between oneself

and others in interactions in varying cultural contexts

Skills

Implements appropriate processes and behaviours for

interactions with different cultural settings and audiences

Selects or creates complex skill sets in interactions under

conditions of uncertainty, risk and change in professional

business situations

Applies basic skills or directions to

routine tasks and interactionsto accommodate

(a) specifiedcultural difference/s

Aw

ar ene ssU

nde rsta nd ingA

u t on omy

Ridings, Simpson, Leask et al. 2008

Taxonomy DIC

acctg

Team problem - application to AAPBSTo achieve its mission of providing leadership to advance the quality of business and management education in the Asia-Pacific region, the best option for AAPBS is

A. Commission a 1 year research project to evaluate optionsB. Develop a website with links to good practice drawing on

Asia-Pacific exemplarsC. Establish a set of standards relating to continuous

improvement and a peer review process like AACSBD. Establish a network for senior academic managers with

educational responsibilities to collaborate and share good practice

ConveyUnit

Concepts

Apply unit Concepts

Traditional class

Team-Based Class

ReadinessTest

Readings

Lecture

In Class

Out of Class

In Class

Out of Class

Holistic “Team-Based Learning”– Michaelsen et al (2002) & www.teambasedlearning.org

– Students (eg. Levine et al, 04)• Actively engaged applying not passively listening• Challenges previous groupwork prejudices• Develops collaboration and communication skills• Obvious fun and hum• Achievement and learning (& in national exams)

– Staff (eg. Thompson et al; 07)• Transformation of class time• Job satisfaction • Initial cost and risk of adopting – but can adopt incrementally

Student perceptions surveyAgree Disagree

In-class indv. test encouraged preparation 99% 1%

Indiv. test ensures all contribute to team 94% 1%

Regular testing helped progressive learning 81% 7%

Team quiz developed team skills 80% 7%

Prefer both indiv & team quiz (not one) 78% 6%

Team problems helped apply quiz learning 80% 6%

Overall recommend TBL next year 80% 7%

Flexibility with TBL

Participant learning outcomes

1.Describe some of the considerations impacting today’s UG students learning

2.Evaluate the potential usefulness of some different in-class learning activities

3. Identify some useful school-level strategies to improve learning

4.Value learning as fun and interesting sometimes

I can describe some of the considerations impacting today’s UG students learning.

7%

0%

0%

20%

73% 1. Strongly Agree2. Agree3. Neutral4. Disagree5. Strongly Disagree

I have evaluated the potential usefulness of some different in-class learning activities.

0%

0%

0%

50%

50% 1. Strongly Agree2. Agree3. Neutral4. Disagree5. Strongly Disagree

I have evaluated the potential usefulness of some different in-class learning activities.

I have identified some useful school-level strategies for improving learning?

6%

0%

0%

50%

44% 1. Strongly Agree2. Agree3. Neutral4. Disagree5. Strongly Disagree

I have identified some useful school-level strategies to improve learning.

This session has helped me to value learning as fun and interesting sometimes.

0%

0%

6%

18%

76% 1. Strongly Agree2. Agree3. Neutral4. Disagree5. Strongly Disagree

Thank you ….

Q & AQ & A

ReferencesPapers and books• Epstein, M.L., Epstein, B.B., & Brosvic, G.M. (2001). Immediate feedback during

academic testing. Psychological Reports. 88, 889-894.• Freeman M, McKenzie J. (2002) ‘SPARK: A Confidential Web-Based Template for Self

and Peer Assessment of Student Teamwork: Benefits of Evaluating Across Different Subjects', British Journal of Educational Technology, vol.33:5, pp. 551 - 569.

• Michaelsen, L.K., Knight, A.B & Fink, L.D. (2004) Team-Based Learning: A Transformative Use of Small Groups in College Teaching. Stylus Publishing, Sterling VA

• Oblinger, D. and Oblinger, J. (2005) Is it age or IT: First steps toward understanding the Net generation. Educating the net generation. Educause

• Pelaez, N., (2002) “Problem-Based Writing with Peer Review Improves Academic Performance in Physiology,” Advances in Physiology Education, 26, pp174-184.

• Race, P., (2000) 500 Tips on Group Learning. Routledge, London.

Good websites• http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/business/ • http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/ • http://teaching.econ.usyd.edu.au/ • http://ipeer.apsc.ubc.ca/wiki/index.php/IPeer • www.educause.edu/educatingthenetgen

Learning: case for deep approaches

Saljo (79) then Ramsden (89), Ramsden, Prosser et al (96)– Samples: accounting depts; >8000 students & 51 intro subjects – Validated questionnaires (approaches; perceptions), Final mark– Analysis:

• Individual student as unit of analysis across all first year subjects• Individual student as unit of analysis within first year subjects• First year subjects as unit of analysis• Whole departments

– Results:• A deep approach is associated with perceptions of good teaching &

clear goals and standards • A surface approach is associated with perceptions of an excessive

workload and assessment testing reproduction

Approaches to learning

Surface Approach• Although I generally remember facts and details, I find it difficult to fit

them together into an overall picture (32)• The best way for me to understand what technical terms mean is to

remember the textbook definitions (35)

Deep Approach• I try to relate ideas in this subject to those in other subjects, wherever

possible (28)• In trying to understand new ideas, I often try to relate them to real life

situations to which they might apply (34)

Approaches not static. All can take deep approach to task/subject. Approach depends on prior experiences, design (eg. assessment) and T&L activities (eg. interaction)

Good teaching scale – six items

Items• The teaching staff of this course motivated me to do my best work (3)• The staff put a lot of time into commenting on my work (7)• The staff made a real effort to understand difficulties I might be having

with my work (15)• The teaching staff normally gave me helpful feedback on how I

was going (17)• My lecturers were extremely good at explaining things (18)• The teaching staff worked hard to make their subjects interesting (20)

The Good Teaching Scale is characterised by practices such as providing students with feedback on their progress, explaining things, making the course interesting, motivating students, and understanding students' problems.