Stephen Broughton Paul Hernandez-Martinez Carol L. Robinson Lecturers’ beliefs and practices on...

Stephen BroughtonPaul Hernandez-MartinezCarol L. Robinson

Lecturers’ beliefs and practiceson the use of computer-aided assessment to enhance learning


Introduction

Background to CAA at the target institution

Background to this project

Research questions

Methods

Findings at this stage

Discussion and conclusions


Background to CAA at the target institution


The HELM project

Helping Engineers Learn Mathematics

Started in 2002 by a consortium of universities

Includes workbooks and a CAA system

Question bank with thousands of maths questions

Concurrently

A separate bank of questions was developed for maths studentsHarrison et al. (2007), HELM (2006).


Example CAA question


Example CAA solution


Ten years on

How do lecturers and students use CAA now?

What sort of student improvement do lecturers and students desire from CAA?

Does CAA practice affect whether these outcomes are achieved?


Background to this project


Previous work

Student focus groups

How students use CAA

The nature of the feedback given

The definition of student improvement

The role of the lecturer

Broughton, Hernandez-Martinez and Robinson (2011, 2012a, 2012b).


Research questions


Lecturers’ use of CAA

1. How is CAA implemented in first year mathematics modules for mathematics and engineering students at this institution?

2. Why are lecturers using CAA?

3. What are lecturers’ perceptions of issues arising?

4. How are lecturers dealing with these issues?

Roth and Lee (2006).


Methods


Lecturers’ views

Questionnaire

Nine completed questionnaires

Questions on practice and opinion

Interviews

Six took part in follow-up interviews

Questions expanded on questionnaire responses


Findings at this stage


Lecturers’ implementations of CAA

CAA coursework testPaper-based

coursework testNo test

Invigilated Non-invigilated Invigilated

Practice test access granted more than one week before a test

Practice test access granted after the test 0 2 1 1

Practice test access granted up to one week before a test

Practice test access granted after the test 0 1 0 0

Practice test access not granted after the test 3 1 0 0


Why lecturers are using CAA

Save time by continuing inherited practice

Support student learning by encouraging them to practise

Assess students more frequently by offering immediate feedback

Accepting advice from colleagues following casual conversations


Lecturers’ perceptions of issues arising

The questions are formulaic and not challenging enough.

The questions do not test conceptual knowledge and understanding.

The feedback is not beneficial to every student.

Lecturers do not know how students approach the tests.


How lecturers deal with CAA issues

Authoring new CAA questions that challenge conceptual knowledge

Replacing the online test with a paper version

Introducing other assessments and restructuring module assessment

Reducing the weighting of CAA towards the overall module mark


Discussion and conclusions


Conclusions

CAA saves time setting tests but it is time-consuming to write new CAA questions

The question bank is a treasured resource but it does not test students’ conceptual knowledge

CAA encourages students to work between lectures but it is difficult to ascertain how students approach the tests


Further information

This presentationsbpr.es/sf12a

References sbpr.es/sf12b

Stephen Broughton Paul Hernandez-Martinez Carol L. Robinson Lecturers’ beliefs and practices on...

Documents

Transcript of Stephen Broughton Paul Hernandez-Martinez Carol L. Robinson Lecturers’ beliefs and practices on...