Wi13 Workshop - Teaching as Research

CTD WEEKLY WORKSHOPS:TEACHING AS RESEARCH (TAR)

Peter Newbury Center for Teaching Development,University of California, San Diego

[email protected] @polarisdotca

ctd.ucsd.edu #ctducsd

slides and resources: http://tinyurl.com/TARCTD

Thursday, March 14, 201312:30 – 1:30 pm Center Hall, Room 316

Teaching as Research (TAR)Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

Teaching as Research2

research done by the course instructor about the teaching and learning occurring in the course he/she has taught, is teaching, will teach

can be every bit as rigorous as research done in the lab, archives, library, field

can be published in peer-reviewed journals

Weeks 1-11: PPT lectures + summative clicker qs

Week 11: BEMA [2] concept test + CLASS [3]

Improved Learning in a Large-Enrollment Physics ClassDeslauriers, Schelew & Wieman (2011)


Week 12: PPT lectures + clickers as usual

Week 12: New instructors use pre-reading, reading quizzes, clickers, worksheets, feedback (no lecturing)

Control Section Experimental Section

Weeks 13: both classes given access to Experimental section resources

Week 13: 12 question test



Table 1: Measures of student perceptions, behaviors, and knowledge.

*Average value of multiple measurements carried out in a 2-week interval before the experiment. Engagement also varies over location in the classroom; numbers given are spatial and temporal averages.

Control Section

Experimental Section

What is the value of course-specific learning goals?Simon & Taylor (2009)


Learning goals (also called learning outcomes or learning objectives) are statements of what a successful student is able to do. For example [5]“By the end of this lesson/section/course, you’ll be able

to (computer science) identify and debug a loop that

never stops (infinite loop) (physics) write down the mathematical description of

a classical electromagnetic wave, and relate the terms to the velocity, wavelength, and frequency of the wave.

(human physiology) differentiate the functions of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats found within and on the plasma membrane



3 classes (A = computer literacy Fa07, B = computer literacy Sp08, C = microbiology Sp08)

Last week of course (Wk 13): students asked to complete up to five copies of, “For me, the use of learning goals in this course is . . .”

Comments iteratively put into categories using content-analysis based coding

A B C total

Comments

225 252 120 597

Students 59 76 51 186

Categories of Educational Research [6]


Theoretical research

Action or practitioner research

Evaluative Experimental

'Cause and effect' research

Case study

Systematic reviewExploratory

Comparative

Grounded theory

Ethnography

Teaching as Research (TAR)


The improvement of teaching and learning is a dynamic and ongoing process, just as is research in any discipline. At the core of improving teaching and learning is the need to accurately determine what students have learned as a result of teaching practices. This is a research problem, to which instructors can effectively apply their research skills and ways of knowing. In so doing, instructors themselves become the agents for change in teaching and learning.

CIRTL Network [7]Note: In its original form, this passage described TAR in science, tech, engineering and math (STEM). I removed “STEM” because it applies to all disciplines.

Teaching as Research (TAR)


Teaching-as-Research involves the deliberate, systematic, and reflective use of research methods to develop and implement teaching practices that advance the learning experiences and outcomes of students and teachers. Participants in teaching-as-research apply a research approach to their teaching practice.

CIRTL Network [7]

Think of a research question


On your whiteboard, make up an education research question in your discipline:

something you’d like to find out don’t’ worry about time, resources,

implementation,…

Teaching as Research13(Petra – Road block by Magh on flickr CC)

IRB

EXEMPTIONS

Institutional Review Board (IRB)


Humans are involved in teaching-as-research. Human subjects ethics approval from the IRB may be required.

analyze students’ test answers

video of yourself(no students visible)

concept test pre- and post-

middle of term survey(eg, keep quit start KQS)

collect gender, ethnic, socioeconomic data

video with identifiablefeatures of students

students’ otherclasses, majors

surveymonkey

protection of privacyexp’ts in support of

effective, student-centeredinstruction

do no harm to subjects

Exemptions from the (UCSD) IRB


irb.ucsd.edu irb.ucsd.edu/Exemption_fact_sheet.pdf

Play it safe…


Assume all research is subject to approval by the IRB and seek an exemption for ed research. (Not, assume your research is okay and only approach IRB if you’re obviously putting humans at risk.)

If you’re considering a teaching-as-research project, consult with the Institution’s research ethics people.

Talk to Beth Simon in the CTD: we have several “blanket” exemptions for ed research

Inform your Dept Chair. Don’t proceed only on his/her ethics approval.

Think carefully about an experiment that puts any student(s) at a disadvantage – if it’s known an instructional strategy works, you can’t (ethically) remove that strategy from your instruction.

Research at diff types of Institutions


Primarily Undergrad Institutions (PUI) 3 courses per term Variety of courses Research often REQUIRED – (how will you

involve undergrads? More research-focused R1-type institutions

1 course per term? Teaching well a “plus” (though not enough to

overcome not meeting research expectations) publishing peer-reviewed education may or

may not contribute to your publication record

Who funds TAR?


National Science Foundation (NSF) alone TUES in Dept of Undergrad Education

(Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM) Get advice before you write your first one Go to a workshop on how to review NSF proposals

NSF and NIH as “broader impact” Go to a workshop on how to review NSF proposals Ask your Center for Teaching for help on the BI

component Partner with someone active in DBER at a PUI (fellow

grad, local institution) private

Howard Hughes MI www.hhmi.org/news/20130314.html


References1. Deslauriers, L., Schelew, E., & Wieman, C. (2011). Improved Learning in a

Large-Enrollment Physics Class. Science, 332, 603, 862-864. DOI: 10.1126/science.1201783

2. Ding, L., Chabay, R., Sherwood, B., & Beichner, R. (2006). Evaluating an electricity and magnetism assessment tool: Brief electricity and magnetism assessment (BEMA). Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 2, 010105.

3. Adams, W.K., Perkins, K.K., Podolefsky, N.S., Dubson, M., Finkelstein, N.D., & Wieman, C.E. (2006) A new instrument for measuring student beliefs about physics and learning physics: The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS). Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 2, 010101.

4. Simon, B., & Taylor, J. (2009). What is the Value of Course-Specific Learning Goals? Journal of College Science Teaching, 39, 2, 52-57.

5. Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative, Resources – Learning Goals.www.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/learn_goals.htm

6. Lambert, M. (2012). A Beginner's Guide to Doing Your Education Research Project. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc. via Tomorrow’s Professor cgi.stanford.edu/~dept-ctl/tomprof/posting.php?ID=1233

7. Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (2010) Teaching as Research. www.cirtl.net/CoreIdeas/teaching_as_research

CTD WEEKLY WORKSHOPS:TEACHING AS RESEARCH (TAR)

Peter Newbury Center for Teaching Development,University of California, San Diego

[email protected] @polarisdotca

ctd.ucsd.edu #ctducsd

slides and resources: http://tinyurl.com/TARCTD

Thursday, March 14, 201312:30 – 1:30 pm Center Hall, Room 316

Conceptual steps in the TAR process are:


1. Learning foundational knowledge. What is known about the teaching

practice?

2. Creating objectives for student learning. What do we want students to learn?

3. Developing an hypothesis for practices to achieve the learning objectives.

How can we help students succeed with the learning objectives?

4. Defining measures of success.What evidence will we need to determine

whether students have achieved learning objectives? (cont’d)

Conceptual steps in the TAR process are:


5. Developing and implementing teaching practices within an experimental design.

What will we do in and out of the classroom to enable students to achieve learning objectives?

6. Collecting and analyzing data.How will we collect and analyze

information to determine what students have learned?

7. Reflecting, evaluating, and iterating.How will we use what we have learned to

improve our teaching?

CIRTL Network [7]

Wi13 Workshop - Teaching as Research

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