RSD Framework Recent Progress in the Electrical ...€¦ · RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012...
Transcript of RSD Framework Recent Progress in the Electrical ...€¦ · RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012...
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RSD Symposium 2012
Nov 27, Melbourne
Monash University, Caulfield Campus
Brian Ng
Said Al-Sarawi
RSD Framework – Recent Progress in the Electrical & Electronic Engineering Context
Life Impact The University of Adelaide
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Outline of Presentation
• History of RSD Framework in EEE
• Why RSD made sense for EEE
• A Way Forward
• Wrap up and discussions
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
History of RSD Framework in EEE
• Timeline
• 2006: Applied to supervision and assessment of research project
component inside Masters coursework
• 2007: Second cohort of Masters coursework student; assessment
framework for Defence Masters thesis
• 2009: Trial of using RSD for Honours capstone project assessment
• 2010-current: School-wide use of RSD for Honours project assessment
• Findings:
• Moderately positive outcomes identified, e.g. reduced plagiarism
• School wide adoption is difficult, and required (significant) annual
tweaking
• Enjoys a good level of backing/support
• Various initiatives to “upscale downwards”
• RSD workshops, pilots
• School level engagement
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Why RSD made* sense for EEE?
• Provides clear and explicit assessment criteria
• Highly transparent assessment process
• Verbose rubrics allows for communication to a range of assessors
• Assessment process emphasises development and assessment of
research skills
• Valuable information for aspiring students
• Descriptors for skills which need be developed (and assessed
against!)
• BUT each of these also had its corresponding downsides
*and still makes!
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Brave New World – 2014 and Beyond
• Student interest EEE has declined over the past 10 years
• In favour of other disciplines such as Mechanical
• New educational environment
• Teaching modes and emphases change with technology
• Employment landscape also much different
• Need to produce newer breed of graduates
• External drivers loom large on the horizon, e.g. AQF8, international
market
• Curriculum refresh cycle is an opportunity to address these
• Much soul searching as a School?
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
EEE Workshop 2012
• School of E&E Engineering convened for a series of 4 workshops in
semester 2
• Key stakeholders were in attendance
• Aim for some “grand design” curriculum to address raised issues
• Discussions
• High level graduate attributes
• Pathway to developing them over 4 years
• Practical constraints
• Pedagogical framework
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Characteristics of Our B.E.
• Multiple facets: core science, technologies & applications,
professional practice, research
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Pedagogical Model
• Emphases on Engineering Science and the System Engineering
methodology
• Some subtle difference to the scientific method
• Latter is highly relevant to workplace practices for
contemporary engineering in Australia
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Consequences and Challenges
• Fundamental shift in thinking for our School’s teaching
• Current Levels 1 and 4 can remain with minor tweaking
• Revamp Levels 2 and 3
• “construct a bridge to connect the two banks”
• Significant investments in the coming years
• Delivery and assessments will need to be revised
• Material may not need much modification beyond repackaging
• No longer be obsessed with coverage
• Pace of change will need careful management
• Where to find time to do all this?
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Role of RSD in All This …
• Critical to get the “language” right – RSD is ready to inform this
process
• Much discussions on how students evolve over 4 years
• or
• Development framework
• Scaffolding for group work is novel (for us!)
• Assessment framework – rubrics
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Wrapping Up and Discussions
• Work in progress at Program level • Many factors driving this process: high complexiy
• Process needs completion by 2013, deployment 2014
• Contact us! [email protected] [email protected]
Many thanks to generous support from library services at
Adelaide, and John, Lyn, Leanne, Cindy, Irene and all
other organisers of this Symposium
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Research Skills Development Framework
• Framework developed by Willison and O’Regan (2007)
– “Commonly known, commonly not known, totally unknown: a framework for
students becoming researchers”
• Makes explicit and coherent the incremental attainment of research
skills
– Emphasis on degree of autonomy in inquiry
– Context sensitive
– Useful for generating marking rubrics to drive learning activities towards
objectives
• RSD framework used in various disciplines
– Diverse range of disciplines at University of Adelaide
– Participation at other institutions, e.g. Monash, Macquarie, Melbourne, South
Australia
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Details: Use in Honours Project
• Traditional “cap-stone” project level 4 (Honours)
• 6 units; multiple objectives
– Professional practice skills, project management
– Technical outcomes are vital
– Research skills development embedded
• Major revamp in 2010
– RSD is identified as a suitable framework for research facet (guidelines)
– New assessment process for all project components (policy)
• Assessment matrices were developed using the RSD framework
– Make the once implicit explicit
– Serve to communicate feedback to students
– Also excellent documents to base conversations on
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
2010/11 Honours project assessment components
Activity Type Group / Individual Weight Due Assessor(s)
Proposal seminar Formative Group 5% Sem A week 3 Supervisor, co-supervisor
Stage 1 progress report
Formative Group 10% Sem A week 5 Supervisor, co-supervisor
Stage 2 progress report
Formative Individual 10% Sem A week 12 Supervisor, co-supervisor
Semester A performance
Summative Individual 10% Sem A week 12 Supervisor, co-supervisor
Final seminar Summative Group 10% Sem B break Independent assessor
Final report Summative Individual 20% Sem B week 11 Supervisor, independent
assessor
Project exhibition Summative Group 5% Sem B week 12 Independent assessor
Final performance Summative Individual 20% Sem B week 12 Supervisor, independent
assessor
Outcomes Summative Group 10% Sem B week 12 Independent assessor
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
2012 Honours project assessment components
Activity Type Group / Individual Weight Due Assessor(s)
Proposal seminar Formative Individual 10% Sem A week 3 Supervisor, co-supervisor
Stage A progress report & performance
Summative Individual 25% Sem A week 12 Supervisor, co-supervisor
Final seminar Summative Individual 15% Sem B break Panel of > 3 assessors
Final report Summative Individual 20% Sem B week 11 Supervisor, co-supervisor
Project exhibition Summative Group 10% Sem B week 12 Panel of > 3 assessors
Final performance Summative Individual 20% Sem B week 12 Supervisor, co-supervisor
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
RSD for Honours: Issues and Lessons
• Significant investment in effort for School staff
– Especially “core” personnel e.g. course coordinators, champion
• Transition arrangements must be communicated to students and
staff members alike
– Staff training on assessment principles would particularly be useful
• New for many students
– Increases quantity, and subsequently, the demand for feedback
– Interpretation issues for descriptions
• Acceptance issues can arise
– Among staff members: considered a waste of time
– Inhomogeneous application across the course
– Impact with regards to workload, supervision, feedback, … etc
• Evaluation should be integrated
– Embedded throughout the year
– Student interviews? Other reflections?
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Details: RSD for Masters (Defence) Minor Thesis
• Duration of the project – minor thesis : – 0.5 full time equivalent workload (12 units)
• Aims: – To train students in research and development methodology and
techniques
– Develop critical evaluation skills appropriate to their project topic
– Develop project management experience
• Outcomes: students are expected to gain skills in
– Engineering design, research and verification
– Critical evaluation of findings
– Project and time management
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Past Minor Thesis Assessments
• Students shall be assessed on: – the performance of research, planning, execution and management of
the project
– the quality of the project deliverables
– Written thesis as a standalone document
• Shortcomings of existing approach: – Clear assessment criteria do not exist
– It was hard to describe the assessment to non-academics
– It does not allow for direct assessment of research skill development
– Requirements to achieve various grades are not clear
– No explicit information on which skills need to be developed
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Minor Thesis Assessment Example
• Overall comments on the thesis and research outcome
• General feedback
• Technical feedback
• Pedagogical Assessment of the thesis from RSD
Framework point of view
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Pedagogical Assessment of Minor Thesis using RSD Framework
A. Candidate embarks on an inquiry and so determine a need for
knowledge/understanding – demonstrated level is 4 – 5/10
B. Candidate finds/generates needed information/data using
appropriate methodology – demonstrated level is 4 – 7/10
C. Candidate critically evaluate information data and the process of
find/generate this information data – demonstrated level 4 – 7/10.
D. Candidate organizes information collected/generated –
demonstrated level is 4 – 7/10.
E. Candidate synthesis, analyse and apply new knowledge –
demonstrated level 4 – 7/10.
F. Candidate communicates knowledge and the processes used to
generate it, with an awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues
– demonstrated level 4 – 5/10.
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Recent Progress in EEE
RSD Symposium, Melbourne, Nov 27 2012
Final Assessment Matrix