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PILOT EXPERIENCE ON STUDENTS PREFERENCES REGARDING DIFFERENT TEACHING METHODOLOGIES

Luis Mara Lpez-Ochoa (*)Luis Mara Lpez-GonzlezCsar Garca-LozanoJess Las-Heras-Casas

luis-maria.lopezo@unirioja.es

indexBackgroundPurpose of the studyDescription of the studyConclusion

Index.Background.Purpose of the study.Description of the study.Conclusion.2Background (I)

BackgroundOne of the objectives prioritised by the convergence process within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is designing syllabi and teaching projects that are implemented using the students learning as a point of reference.Despite the manifold requirements and demands of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), these standards focus primarily on defining the competencies to be developed within an educational model based on a system of credit transfer and accumulation.With this in mind, let us recall that academic freedom, understood as the right to teach with absolute freedom in higher education, is not adversely affected by the new university model. Therefore, the faculty maintain their right to choose the teaching methodology they consider most appropriate.The University of La Rioja is a relatively young university that at this moment must take on two challenges of great magnitude: consolidating the new European Higher Education Area, and maintaining the trust of governmental authorities amidst these uncertain times and budget adjustments. In both cases, the quest for excellence as an educational centre, sought after by improving the quality of teaching, is shown to be the best investment in the future - short, medium and long term. 3Background (& ii)

It is impossible to define teaching quality in a specific and yet general manner, since the educational environment encompasses different actors (faculty, student body, institutions, graduates, etc.) and each of them can formulate different and legitimate interpretations of teaching quality. This situation explains the increasing support for those theses that affirm teaching quality is a relative and multi-faceted concept, in relation to its systems objectives and actors. In this context, we believe that the professor is the foremost guarantor of teaching quality in educational centres and we understand the student to be the main focus when it comes to evaluating teacher quality, as the student represents the direct recipient of the service provided.This article aims to analyse university teaching from a primarily practical standpoint, reflecting on the current situation and identifying possible deficiencies, focused on the protagonists of the teaching-learning process: teaching staff and students

4Purpose of the study (i)PRODUCTS SERVICESAre generally tangible Are generally intangibleOwnership of the product purchased is passed onOwnership is not passed onCan be re-soldCannot be re-sold Can be shown and tested before purchasingThere is no before the purchase and therefore it cannot be shown or testedCan be storedCannot be storedIs produced before it is consumedIs consumed while it is being producedProduction and consumption often do not occur in the same placeProduction and consumption do tend to occur in the same placeCan be transportedCannot be transportedIndirect relationship between the producer and the consumerDirect relationship between the producer and the consumerQuality of Service

PURPOSE OF THE STUDYQuality of ServiceFirst of all, it is important to underscore that when assessing teaching quality one must remember that a service, not a product, is being evaluated.

5Purpose of the study (Ii)Subjective Quality OBJECTIVE QUALITYSUBJECTIVE QUALITYInternal perspective of qualityExternal perspective of qualityFocus on production/supplyFocus on marketing/demandAdapts to pre-established specificationsThe client is the authentic judge of qualityProvided without any mistakes, reduces costs and avoids deviations from the established standardBusiness is able to determine the needs, wishes and expectations of the clientsAdequate for standardised activitiesActivities involving a significant amount of contact with the client

Subjective Quality In short, as education is a service, its evaluation is necessarily subjective, since its users are so diverse, and each one has their own expectations and perceptions.6Purpose of the study (IIi)Dimensions of Quality of ServiceDIMENSIONDESCRIPTIONTangible componentsAppearance of physical facilities, teams, personnel and communication materials ReliabilityAbility to provide the service promised in a reliable and accurate mannerResponsivenessWillingness to help clients and provide them with an efficient serviceProfessionalismPossessing the abilities and knowledge required for the provision of the serviceCourtesyPersonnel is attentive, considerate, respectful and friendly CredibilityBelief in, and sincerity and honesty about the service providedSecurityDanger, risks and concerns do not existAccessibility Accessible and easy to contactCommunicationMaintain clients well-informed, using a language they can understand, and also listening to clientsUnderstanding clients Make an effort to get to know clients and their needs

Dimensions of quality of serviceWe distinguish between ten dimensions by which a user judges the quality of a service:Tangible componentsReliabilityResponsivenessProfessionalismCourtesyCredibilitySecurityAccessibility CommunicationUnderstanding clients

7Purpose of the study (& Iv)KNOWLEDGESPHEREDisciplinary knowledgeTeacher trainingGeneral pedagogical knowledge, teaching principles and strategies. Knowledge of the foundations of education, its objectives and purposes.Curricular knowledge, syllabus and materials.Teaching managementDidactic content knowledgeMastery of content Knowledge of students and their characteristics.Knowledge of studentsKnowledge regarding the educational context and culture.Identity of the educational centre

Given the foregoing, it is clear that teaching in higher education entails several professional demands that go beyond specialised content knowledge, and include complementary skills and knowledge.The following table re-organises educations principals focal points for improvement, quality and excellence according to a liberally interpreting the aforementioned complementary knowledge sets and Spanish universities current situation.8Description of the study (I)*

our research focuses on the preferences students To evaluate their motivation and predisposition to participate in the teaching-learning process.

Description of the study.The dimensions by which a user judges quality of a service can be condensed to just five: tangible components, reliability, responsiveness, security and empathy. At Thermal Engineering Department (DIT) at the University of La Rioja, we believe that more than enough tools exist to assess the first four dimensions, whether it is by means of the ANECA programs or the traditional student surveys. Nevertheless, we also believe that the fifth and final dimension empathy is not given its due consideration. In this study, our research focuses on the preferences students demonstrate for different work methodologies. The objective is to evaluate their motivation and predisposition to participate in the teaching-learning process.9Description of the study (Ii)

Our starting point of reference was the standard ISO 9001:2008 which underlies a continual improvement process based on Deming's well-known PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Action). Obviously, this approach has been adapted to our specific needs, as the following figure demonstrates.10Description of the study (iIi)

Positivist focus: A descriptive studynaturalist methodologystudents dedication different teaching-learning paces complaints, opinions, and requests Naturalist approach: An experimental study

PLAN.We have taken into consideration the two foremost schools of thought present in the research on teaching in higher education: positivist and naturalist. While these theories do propose different praxes, we believe that they are not mutually exclusive and that teaching excellence could be achieved by the appropriate combination of the two.Positivist focus: A descriptive study.With a clearly quantitative purpose, this approach focuses on describing, explaining, controlling and predicting the variables that affect teaching. Thus, a brief but concise survey of the student body was conducted.Naturalist approach: an experimental study.Clearly phenomenological and interpretive, this method concentrates on understanding how the actors in education experience and interpret the reality they construct while interacting.The first experiment consisted of teaching the first two sessions of the class utilising a primarily naturalist methodology to establish a constant and permanent dialogue among the students, while the professor guided the conversation and learning process. The second experiment was designed to assess the students dedication to their studies Thus, in addition to the mandatory tasks corresponding to continual evaluation; other voluntary tasks were proposed for students to perform on a weekly basis.In the third experiment, three different teaching-learning paces were incorporated into the computer-based classes, aiming to increase rigor and better attend to the different aptitudes observed during the previous courses.The fourth experiment consisted of planning brief periods of time during class to address students' complaints, opinions, and requests regarding teaching methods and performance.11Description of the study (Iv)

DO.The pilot experience described was conducted during classroom and computer-based work in the subject Thermal Machines and Motors during the present school year (2012-2013). This subject is taught during the first semester of the third year of the Mechanical Engineering Degree program at our university. 12Description of the study (V)

Vocation: One out of twoMotivation (EHEA): One out of tenDedication: Low levelMethodologies: Traditional preferencesPositivist approach: A descriptive studynaturalist methodologystudents dedication different teaching-learning pacescomplaints, opinions, and requests Naturalist approach: An experimental study ?

CHECK.Positivist approach: a descriptive study48% of surveyed students chose this degree program because they felt it was their vocation.Moreover, only one out of ten students demonstrated the motivation to study which the current university educational model assumes exists.As for dedication to study, 36% of the surveyed population confessed to cramming at the last minute, 16% very sporadically", 20% once a week and 28% on a daily basis. And lastly, after assessing the learning preferences of our students, we found that 84% of them opted for those methodologies considered traditional (lecture, individual study, problem-solving). And in this regard, problem-solving" proved to be a favourite (with 64%), confirming the classical perspective of technical studies.Naturalist approach: an experimental studyStudents responded positively to the use of naturalist teaching methodologies, although they also revealed a significant preference for those options that offer a better mark-effort relationship, even if that means decidedly dismissing their protagonist role and interest, both of which the innovations intend to foster.As to the weekly additional voluntary tasks, there was a unsatisfactory response and the activity was suspended by the fifth week.The only experience that can be qualified as a complete success was those classes designed to accommodate different learning paces.Regarding students' complaints, opinions and requests, we were surprised by their degree of apathy in this area.13Description of the study (& Vi)

PROFILEOBJECTIVECOGNITIVE STRATEGIESMOTIVATIONApatheticComplete the academic activity with the least amount of effort possibleSuperficial processing and low level of complexity Extrinsic (improved options on the job market)CompetitiveAchieve the best academic results possibleMixed (superficial and in-depth)UndefinedCommittedClear focus on learningIn-depth processing with a high level of complexityIntrinsic (high degree of responsibility and commitment) ?

ACTION.With an eye to new lines of research for future work, a qualitative-naturalist interpretation of the results has been performed based on the different student profiles according to their learning focus and their motivation for studying.14CONCLUSIONSat the last minute this profile often changes to a competitive profileThe average student pertains to the apathetic profileCommitted student ?

CONCLUSIONSSpecifically, in the pilot experience described herein, the average student pertains to the apathetic profile, who is primarily interested in passing classes with the least amount of effort possible, unlikely to study on a daily basis and does not desire to be a protagonist in his or her teaching-learning process. Nevertheless, the experience also indicated that this profile often changes its habits at the last minute to mimic that of the competitive profile, concentrating their studies into short bursts of time prior to a project deadline or exam, during which their academic activity becomes urgent, tense and anxious.The pedagogical proposals of the European Area for Higher Education are based on the premise that the student possesses a high degree of intrinsic motivation as well as responsibility and commitment (committed profile), and teaching innovation and academic activities must be planned on this fundamental pillar. The reality is, however, quite different, where this type of student is rarely encountered, at least in our experience.15