Technologizing the postgraduate classroom

PedRIO 2016Sara Smith and Martin Khechara

Context• We have a diverse postgraduate class

– Backgrounds vary • Undergraduate backgrounds• Ethnicities• Professions

– Transition is difficult to manage• Active learning environments can help with this

transition – (Lizzio and Wilson, 2004) • Lectures are not always an appropriate format

Background• Oh no not PIBS!

– A typical 20 credit level 7 module with a few issues• Limited student engagement• Poor student attendance• Poor student performance• Demotivated teaching staff

– Could the introduction of a more active learning and student centred environment help?

Approach• We focused on the use of two technologies

– Panopto to facilitate flipping• Stand alone/ cloud based lecture capture technology• Lectures recorded outside of session accessed

through VLE– Socrative to facilitate questioning and feedback

• Web/ app based formative assessment and polling technology

• Quizzes designed to check understanding from flipped lectures

Study design• An action research approach was used

– Student evaluation questionnaires• Carried out at the end of each session

– Mid-module evaluation• Carried out at the end of the last technologized

session– Focus group

• Carried out after final session given by study staff• 5 student volunteered • Recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed

Findings• Questionnaires

– All positive outcomes– No negative impact of

changing delivery• Focus groups

– Three thematic areas were identified• Physical• Emotional• Worth

Findings

Summary of responses from session evaluation questionnaires

Physical• Physical factors of session design

– Related to the functioning of sessions• Students acknowledged their role;I would encourage somebody to do modules with this approach [use of technology and flipping] but to just be prepared to do your share of the work (LI)

– The journey must be shared and not passive (Berrett, 2012; Bishop and Embry-Riddle, 2013).

• Creative hands on activity important in learning;I think the practice with the apples was really good because when you see something and when you do something even when it is not related it fixes much better into your mind the information (WS)– Creative ‘play’ promotes higher order thinking (Mainemelis, and

Ronson, 2006).

Emotional• Emotional aspects and interactions

– Related to relationships built in the classroom• Students identified the importance of relationships

and safe spaces;Another thing that I have noticed is that especially with this class students tend to be quite shy. They won’t speak up and they don’t want to answer questions and they don’t want to ask. When we’re in groups and talking to each other we are a lot more open and a lot more comfortable (LJ)– Safe spaces promote learning (Gayle et al. 2013)

• The approach facilitated engagement;[the flipped approach] awakes your interest, even if you are not interested in it you start to get interested in it because of the way you teach it (WS)

Worth• Added value to students

– Related to perception of something extra• Students identified the convenience and utility of

the RLO’s generated;[Panopto]….I also think it is more convenient. If you have a lecture you actually have to sit down and look through the power point slides where as if you have video you can just sit and play while you are multitasking (LJ)[Socrative] Its great. It put it more easy. At master level you think it is going to be very tough and difficult…. and this dynamic we get with socrative it is an easy way to put the topic…and to check [learning]’(WS)– Socrative and videos are important extra value items that effect

perception of value (Alves, 2010)

Conclusions and Recommendations• The approach:

– Improved student (and tutor) attitudes– Increased engagement and participation– Promoted understanding and retention

• Is this all about increased belonging?– Factors identified have been shown to promote

belonging (Thomas, 2012)– Further work needed to investigate increases in

attainment and other impacts in this cohort– The role of each of the themes in supporting learning

References• Alves, H. (2010) Perceived value Index in Higher Education. Innovative Marketing. 6

(2) 33-42• Berrett, D. (2012) How ‘flipping’ the classroom can improve the traditional lecture. The

Chronicle of Higher Education. A16-18• Bishop, J. L. and Embry-Riddle, M. A. V. (2013) The Flipped Classroom a Survey of the

Research. 120th American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition, Atlanta, Georgia, United States, June 23-26.

• Gayle, B. M., Cortez, D. and Preiss, R. W. (2013) Safe Spaces, Difficult Dialogues and Critical Thinking. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. 7 (2) 1-8

• Lizzio, A and Wilson K (2004) “Action learning in Higher Education: an investigation of its potential to develop professional capability” Studies in Higher Education 29(4) pp 469-488

• Mainemelis, C. and Ronson, S. (2006) Ideas are born in fields of play: Towards a theory of play and creativity in organisational settings. Research in Organisational Behaviour. 27. 81-131

• Thomas, L. (2012). Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change: final report from the What Works? Student Retention & Success programme. London: Paul Hamlyn Foundation.