Skinner and Jenkins: Inspiring And Enquiring
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Transcript of Skinner and Jenkins: Inspiring And Enquiring
Inspiring and Enquiring
Elisabeth Skinner Martin Jenkins
University of Gloucestershire
• Some students prefer scribing (McAlpine 2004)
• EBL threatens low confidence …. poor independent learning
• EBL builds confidence …. strengthens independent learning
Capacity building or personal development does not occur before participation but through participation (Warburton 1998:33)
• Build confidence before EBL? X
• Build confidence through EBL?
The Focus of this Paper
• Persuading students to take part despite low confidence
• Providing support to maintain motivation
• Because the rewards (growing confidence) are great
The Case Study
• Level One: Town and country planning
• 64 students = 23 campus + 41 distance
• EBL activity in groups: investigating a chosen planning application found online
• Vehicle for both learning and assessment over nine weeks
Inspiring
• ‘Engagement’ is to “gain the full attention of students” (McAlpine 2004:126) – Ensure relevance – Create excitement
• Design an activity that is “so enticing, so intriguing, and so marvelous (sic) that [students] really do not want to miss out on it” (Bender 2003:47)
• Choices: groups, application, assessment
Support: Information and Practice
“Instructional responsibility in relation to practice is to provide a learning environment in which there is both structure and formative feedback since the two are supportive of a deep approach to learning” (McAlpine 2004:129)
• Course materials (print and online)• Clear instructions with assignment checklist• F2F classes• Learning activities
Support: Practice and Feedback
• WebCT discussion group with teacher presence and feedback
• Campus class groupwork with teacher help and feedback
• Group as learning community with mutual support
Evaluation
• Observing attendance online and in class
• Mid-point survey of campus class only
• Standard end-of-module evaluation
• Assessed 300 word individual reflection
Support for independence
• Inspired to work independently – 7/10 distance groups– 3/6 campus groups
• Slow starters – 3/6 campus groups (absent students,
waiting for deadline)– 3/10 distance groups (absent students,
online decisions difficult)
• Five mid point drop outs
• Pressures for all students
• Groupwork
– 25% de-motivating– 75% motivating
Inspiring independent learning
• Mid-point survey– 70% inspired, engaged– 50% fun
• End-of-module evaluation4 out of 5 median score for developing new skills, extending learning, opportunities for independent learning, enjoyment
Marks
• 200859 students– average mark 64%– 25% 70+
• 200648 students– Average mark 57%– 15% 70+
Assessed reflection
• One student critical of the EBL activity• Problems with groupwork• Sense of excitement and inspiration
“I found this project both exciting and challenging. We picked a complex application …. and I learned a great deal. I enjoyed the challenge immensely and my motivation stayed high during the task.” (Distance learner)
Assessed reflection
“This assignment was a good way to see exactly how the planning system works; it is hard to understand when you’re just being told about it, so it was easier to understand when looking at it in terms of a specific application in a more practical set-up.” (Campus student)
• Extensive learning• Explicit comments on growth of confidence
through knowledge and skills
• “I am naturally a nosy, inquisitive person and love being given the chance to find out about anything, particularly something as important as housing and associated laws. I enjoyed the task and think that it was a successful method of getting students to do their own research into what a planning application involves.”
(Campus student)
• Students went the extra mile – investigations online and on the ground
Tentative conclusions• Provided stimulating, relevant activity with
choices
• Provided support online and in class to maintain motivation
• Consider role of groupwork and individuals in groups
• Inspired the majority of students to engage to help students grow in confidence
References
• Bender, T. (2003) Discussion-based Online Teaching to Enhance Student Learning (Virginia, Stylus Publishing)
• McAlpine L (2004) Designing learning as well as teaching: A research-based model for instruction that emphasizes learner practice, in Active Learning in Higher Education Vol 5, Issue 2 July 2004 pp119-134
• Salmon, G. (2000) E-moderating: the key to teaching and learning online (London, Kogan Page.)