Group projects in ecology foster a deep learning approach

A third year offering in ecology at The University of Newcastle involved students working in small collaborative groups. Groups designed, conducted, interpreted and presented field-based projects addressing current ecological issues for local environmental management agencies. Communication and group/peer interaction was facilitated during the projects via face-to-face meetings, fieldwork, online group discussion forums and electronic file exchange facilities. Presentation of research findings was achieved via posters at a one-day symposium and an online virtual conference. Assessment of group projects was achieved via both inter and intra group peer assessment. The activity has been designed based on Ramsden’s (1999) principles of a student-centred approach to learning which aims to create a learning context which fosters a ‘deep-approach’ to learning. Indicators of a deep approach to student learning include an intention to understand, focusing on the concepts applicable to solving problems, empowerment of students to take an active and independent role in their own learning experiences, relating previous knowledge to new knowledge and an internal or intrinsic motivational emphasis. Student feedback via a questionnaire and a series of open-ended written responses suggested that when provided with an appropriate face-to-face and electronic collaborative learning environment, student experiences reflect characteristics of a deep learning approach

Evaluation templates and fulfillment of the university formative objectives: diversification and transverselity of criteria in subjects of Spanish Language and Theory of Literature

In the different projects boarded in these last years by our group from educational innovation, attention to two lines of work has been lent that, applied to subjects integrated in the scopes of the study of the Spanish language and of the theory of Literature, were in our opinion essential to approach the new educative space in which we were immersed. In one first stage, it was fundamental the elaboration of educational materials and the use of heterogenous tools that allowed the student to make a pursuit of the subject in which the knowledge was acquired progressively. The space of the Virtual Campus thus becomes a valid platform for the development and design of different types from activities and exercises by means of which complementary tasks to actual teaching are approached. However, this development raises in one second phase –in which we were now– and almost simultaneously, the necessity to analyze the evaluation methods. Once established the continuous evaluation like fundamental criterion in the development of the subject, it is precise to establish general frames that allow at the same time student’s precise pursuit and transverselity between criteria of evaluation shared by several subjects. From these budgets, our work is centered in the creation of templates or model-cards model that identifie so much the evaluation criteria as the aptitudes that the students must surpass, to the object of which can serve as guide in their application to different disciplines. Therefore, on starting from the exercises designed in the first stage of the project, evaluative models are developed that allow to value the degree of assimilation and execution of the different objectives and contents.Example: Work in group and later exposition and discussions by the students: - Consisting of the putting in common of the results derived from the work in group or other individual derivatives of the theoretical and literary text commentary. - Cooperative learning: works in equipment, inside and outside the classroom. Objectives: to favor the doubt and exchange of information on the subjects debate object, besides to foment initiatives and the critical attitude of the students. - Justification: this type of exercises favors the formation of the student in two-way traffic. First, in as much it must construct his own speech, organize it, structure it and argue it for his putting in common before his companions. It facilitates the personal learning and the development of skills related to the construction, elaboration and written expression of different types from speech. The second, the exposition helps to develop skills and comunicative strategies, contributing to improve the oral expression. Finally, the coordination of the work of group causes a greater implication of the students in the process of elaboration and the final results, as much of the work written as of the oral presentation, without forgetting that the use of other resources (presentations, videos... etc.) by the students facilitates his familiarisation with educational and expositive techniques nearer the present contextInted2009 Proceedings C

Managing evolution and change in web-based teaching and learning environments

The state of the art in information technology and educational technologies is evolving constantly. Courses taught are subject to constant change from organisational and subject-specific reasons. Evolution and change affect educators and developers of computer-based teaching and learning environments alike – both often being unprepared to respond effectively. A large number of educational systems are designed and developed without change and evolution in mind. We will present our approach to the design and maintenance of these systems in rapidly evolving environments and illustrate the consequences of evolution and change for these systems and for the educators and developers responsible for their implementation and deployment. We discuss various factors of change, illustrated by a Web-based virtual course, with the objective of raising an awareness of this issue of evolution and change in computer-supported teaching and learning environments. This discussion leads towards the establishment of a development and management framework for teaching and learning systems

A window into learning: case studies of online group communication and collaboration

The two case studies presented explore the potential offered by in‐depth qualitative analysis of students’ online discussion to enhance our understanding of how students learn. Both cases are used to illustrate how the monitoring and moderation of online student group communication can open up a ‘window into learning’, providing us with new insights into complex problem‐solving and thinking processes. The cases offer examples of students’ ‘thinking aloud’ while problem‐solving, showing how and why they arrived at particular outcomes and the underlying thought processes involved. It is argued that these insights into students’ learning processes can in turn offer us the opportunity to adapt our own teaching practice in order to achieve a better pedagogical ‘fit’ with the learning needs of our students; for example, through a more precise or more timely intervention. It is also suggested that looking through this ‘window’ enables us to concentrate our assessment more closely on the process of task completion, rather than focusing solely on the end product

Usefulness of VRML building models in a direction finding context

This paper describes an experiment which aims to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of a Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML) building model compared with equivalent architectural plans, for direction finding purposes. The effectiveness and efficiency issues being primarily investigated were number of tasks completed overall and task completion times. The experiment involved a series of tasks where participants had to find a number of locations/objects in a building unknown to them at the outset of the experiment. Statistically significant results are presented for the benefit of the research community, law enforcement officers and fire fighters where it is clear that in this context, the VRML model led to better task completions than the equivalent architectural plans. Regarding the task completion times, no statistical significance was found. Given the current climate of security issues and terrorist threats, it is important that law enforcement officers have at their disposal the best information possible regarding the layout of a building, whilst keeping costs down. This also applies to fire fighters when rescuing victims. This experiment has shown that a VRML model leads to better task completions in direction finding

Assessment for learning in architectural design programmes

This paper compares the learning and teaching strategies practised in the programmes of the Architectural Subject Group at the University of Northumbria with best practices of assessment (‘Assessment for Learning’) as promoted by the Centre for Excellence in Learning in the same University. These best practices are grouped under the umbrella concepts of ‘Assessment for Learning’ and comprise six key criteria which can be paraphrased as; authenticity and complexity in methods of assessment; use of summative assessment as the main driver for learning; extensive opportunities to develop and demonstrate learning; rich in formal feedback; rich in informal feedback; developing students’ abilities to direct their own learning, evaluate their own progress, and support the learning of others