Download - A Framework of Leading towards Learning through Active Engagement of Students

A FRAMEWORK OF LEADING TOWARDS LEARNING THROUGH ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF STUDENTS

Mohammad A. RobManagement Information SystemsUniversity of Houston-Clear Lake

Houston, Texas [email protected]

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

Introduction

Theoretical Background Motivation Engagement and Learning What the Accreditation Agencies Say? Taxonomy of Significant Learning Designing the Learning

Environment The Role of Technology The Central Question

A FRAMEWORK OF LEADING TOWARDS LEARNING

The Leading-Learning Framework

The Basic Concepts or Guidelines Distribution of Learning Activities Designing the Learning Activities

Application in an MIS Course

Student Reflection

Results

Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Teaching undergraduates can be more challenging than graduates

Teachers complain: Undergraduates are not motivated towards learning However they are critical in evaluating instructors

Research show that engagement of students can lead towards motivation Also the art and practice of engagement is

primarily the responsibility of the teacher


MOTIVATION

Motivation means to be moved to do something

People are intrinsically motivated to do something for reward or satisfaction

Most students are extrinsically motivated to complete tasks with resentment & disinterest

Researchers have been investigating what task characteristics make an activity interesting


ENGAGEMENT AND LEARNING

Engagement is an extrinsic motivational task that fosters learning in the educational environment

Engagement theories suggest that students must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and in worthwhile tasks

Engagement is not just a student-oriented activity


WHAT ACCREDITATION AGENCIES SAY? The National Survey of Student Engagement, AACSB

Standard of Teaching and Learning, and ABET Standards for Engineering and Technology suggest:

Student engagement to enrich learning experience

Active involvement of students and collaboration and cooperation among faculty-student and student-student

Collaboration along with oral and written communication skills development and application in the IS programs


THE ROLE OF TODAY’S TEACHER Leading Pedagogical Researchers say:

The art and practice of engaging students towards learning is principally the responsibility of the teacher

The teacher becomes less imparter of knowledge and more a designer and facilitator of learning experiences for students

The real challenge in teaching is not covering the material for the students; it’s uncovering the materials with the students


FINKS’S SIX TAXONOMY OF SIGNIFICANT LEARNING


Foundational Knowledge

Concepts and principles of a subject matter: facts, terms, formulae, concepts, principles, etc.

Application Involved in various kinds of critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Integration Connection between ideas, subjects, people, etc. that improve intellectual power

Human Dimension

Learning about self and enabling interaction with others in the society

Caring Identify and changing one’s feelings: energize

Learning how to Learn

Self-directed learners: furthering one’s knowledge towards the next level

FOUR LEARNING CENTERS OF BRANSFORD ET AL.


Knowledge Centered

What we want students to know and be able to do when they finish a course: the foundational knowledge, skills, and attitudes

Learner Centered

Connecting to the strengths and interests of learners and helping them learn about themselves

Community Centered

Providing an environment where students feel safe to ask questions, learn to use technology, work collaboratively to develop lifelong learning skills

Assessment Centered

Providing multiple opportunities to make students’ thinking visible, provide feedback and give chances to revise

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY In the era of high-technology, engagement is

also seen as a framework for technology-based teaching and learning.

When students use technology as a tool to communicate with others, they take on an active role versus a passive role of transmitting the information by a teacher, a book, or broadcast.

Instructors and students are constantly making choices on how to obtain, display, or manipulate information appropriate and useful for others.


THE CENTRAL QUESTION What role an instructor can play in setting up a classroom

and course-related activities that motivate students to value their learning and self-regulate their activities, to carry them out on their own?

The 21st century teachers acts as leaders : to engage students in important activities and challenges

them with fun, in an environment conducive to learning, with technology, and guides them towards the goal of mastering the subject

matter, and with an end product – the knowledge of which will endure a human life beyond

the academic environment.


THE LEADING-LEARNING FRAMEWORK

It is based on the concepts of: motivation and engagement, active and collaborative learning, taxonomy of significant learning, designing the learning environment, and the role of technology, as discussed before


THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF THE FRAMEWORK


Reduce Burden of Teaching

The concept of “teaching by instructors” is changed to “learning by students:” teacher leads

Increase Efforts by Students

The burden of learning goes to students: students learn through “active engagement”

Define a Clear Outcome or Product

for a Course

The outcome is a significant document binder or a business information system

Formulate a Group Project around the

Outcome

Incorporate a “semester-long” group project that applies most important concepts of the subject

Make All Course-Related Materials

Freely Available

Empower students by providing lecture notes, past presentations & systems through a website

Maintain Dedicated Computer

Classrooms

Easy access to database servers & web servers to develop applications & use multiple tools/course

SHIFTING BURDENS OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS


EngagementAssessme

nt

Lecturing Leading

Teacher

Teacher

Student

Student

Assessment -Centered Teaching

Engagement –Centered Learning

DISTRIBUTION OF KNOWLEDGE AREAS Concept-Based: Developing

individual student’s knowledge on the subject matter

Project-Based: Understanding the relationship between various concepts of a subject matter

Multi-Dimensional: Going beyond the subject matter and improving on human dimension – collaboration, cooperation, cross-curriculum, communication, research, multi-culture, career, etc.


Growth of Knowledge in Dimensions

THE ENGAGEMENT IS SEEN AS A SYSTEM


Instructor Input

StudentProcess

StudentOutput

•Demonstration•Work assignment•Work assignment•Lecture•Work assignment

•Document•Presentation•Research Paper•Program Code•Design/Model•Web site

•Monitor & Control

RELATIONSHIP WITH FINK’S TAXONOMYOF SIGNIFICANT LEARNING


Concept-Based

Project-Based Multi-Dimensional

Purpose Learn the primary concepts of a subject matter

Get a clear picture of the subject matter

Get a practical experience through integrated application of the concepts

Provide a significant learning experience

Learning the people, the society, and other cultures

Know the purpose, value, and prospect of education

Learn about the job market in the subject area

Gain knowledge towards higher education

Apply technology

Fink’s Taxonomy

Foundational Knowledge

Application Integration

Learning how to Learn Human Dimension Caring

METHODS OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT


Knowledge Area EngagementConcept-Based • In-class writing, In-class case study

• In-class design, In-class programming• Homework

Project-Based • Semester-Long Group Project:• Apply SDLC Methodology• Student-student meetings• Group deliverables – documents &

systems• Group presentations, Web Site• Redo presentations until clear concept• Student –teacher meetings• Outcome: Project Binder or System

Multi-Dimensional

• Research papers (Job, MIS topics, cross-curricular)

• Use of multiple software tools per subject• Use network servers & electronic submission

cyclecr

os

s

THE GROUP PROJECT & CROSS-CURRICULAR KNOWLEDGE

SDLC Methodology should be used on the group project throughout the semester and apply overall knowledge learned from various course concepts to produce a significant outcome from the course

Development of a major website by each student or group to house all course-related documents and programs is important in this technological era.


THE TEACHER AS A LEADER The teacher acts as a leader in engaging

students in multiple activities and directs them towards the goal

He/She is mainly focused on course “planning” as well as “monitoring & controlling” the student activities in a “Project Management” style


Initiating

Planning Execution Monitoring & Control Closing

•Course concept

•Syllabus with deadlines•Web site update•Network access update•Group project definition•Presentation schedule• Research paper definition/schedule

•Short Lectures•Demonstration•In-class assignments

•Listen to presentations•Discussion on presentations•Meeting with groups•Monitor Revised presentation•Mid-Term Test

•Final Test•End Product•Survey

APPLICATION IN THE UNDERGRADUATE VB-PROGRAMMING COURSE

We apply the concepts of Leading-Leading Framework by engaging students in five main activities: In-class programming Homework assignments Group-project: Apply

overall knowledge to develop a business information system

Three group presentations Two in-class hands-on tests


Instru

ctor

Stude

nt

STUDENT REFLECTION An assessment of the course activities as seen by

students was performed through a survey questionnaire under the following conditions: The same question was asked three times in various

word formats to get a better reflection from students The first assessment was done after the first group

presentation and after the mid-term The second assessment was done after the second

group presentation and before the final test Answer to questions are organized in five broad areas:

Instructor activities, Group Project, Programming, and Motivation


RESULTS: 1=STRONGLY DISAGREE, 5=STRONGLY AGREE


Activity GroupsInstructor

Group Project

Programming

Motivation

Syllabus, web site, class demonstration

3.4

In-class assignments, homework, in-class test

3.8

Group project, group presentation

2.5

Downloading sample code, class attendance, course challenge, grade expectation

3.7

SIGNIFICANT LEARNING The result is different is the Systems Analysis &

Design, Project Management, Data Warehouse and other graduate courses.

Given the course activities, students are to define and justify which three activities provided significant knowledge in their learning:


Group Project Top TierResearch Papers Top TierLectures Top TierProject Documentation Middle TierPresentation Middle TierWeb site Next TierUse of software Next Tier

CONCLUSION We have discussed various methods of student engagement

to motivate them towards learning We put forward a Leading-Learning Framework that is built

upon the concept that the teacher becomes the leader to engage students in various course activities.

The Framework divides the student-knowledge development into three different groups: each one is built upon the other

The types of engagement may not be same for all courses. In the programming course, it is best to engage students

mainly in programming activities However, group project is very effective for non-

programming courses that have consistent relationship between various concepts of a course


Download - A Framework of Leading towards Learning through Active Engagement of Students

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