That flipping classroom - Getting engineering students to be consciously competent on their own

© 2015 IEEE. This paper is inspired by the Keynote Speech which I gave at ITHET 2014 in York in September 2014. The material was very well received, and it seemed appropriate to offer it for publication in the proceedings of ITHET 2015

Flipped gaming-testing three simulation games

© 2018 IEEE. At the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences 'flipped gaming' has been tested with two student groups (in 2017). This paper will present a newer version of the 'flipping' and also how a total of eight groups utilized tree different types of simulators to play the scenarios. The scenarios were developed by the student themselves as this was their mandatory assignment. The mandatory assignment was handed out in January. The assignment was about making a playable script for an incident, in addition to conduct the planning, execution and evaluation of a complete exercise in crisis management. They were given feedback once before the workshop where they presented and played the script. The tools that were used was Rayvn (https://rayvn.global/), Microsoft HoloLens (https://www.microsoft.com/nb-no/hololens) and a simulator based on a platform from Bohemia Interactive Solutions (https://bisimulations.com/)-the same platform as Virtual Battle Space 3 uses. Rayvn is an incident management tool, mainly for communication. The written messages can then be logged and stored for later reflections. Microsoft HoloLens is a tool for 3D vision, a tool that can show environments in 3D and allow the player to carry out operations using movements that are recorded and executed. This was a prototype. The game based simulator is computer based. The different views are 2D maps and 3D environments. The players use the keyboard and mouse to move the vehicles and avatars around. This in a 'disaster town', called 'Lyngvik', a very poor planned city centre with a large accident/crisis potential. The study is based on the previous study of the learning outcome from assignment that is based on student input. The mandatory assignment was to develop a playable scenario and they could choose in which of the three different simulation tools they were to play their scenario. Two by two, the groups are to play each other's scenario. They have received some supervision and the lecturers have remarked on that the students may lack insight in what a 'playable scenario' require. One of the groups operates as the exercise management staff(the ones that makes the incidents happen and 'play out') and the other group is the ones who man the different roles in handling the scenario e.g.,-different call out services. This group is also calledmain training audience (MTA). The students are in their 6th and last semester in their Bachelor in Crisis Management. The students have been subjected to diverse teaching methods, but this is the first time they have a simulation tool to work with in order to enhance their learning outcome. The preliminary reports from the reflections after the simulating are very positive. The students report on a learning outcome, both from making the scenarios and from simulating. There is also a final report to be written where the students are to reflect on their learning outcome from the simulation and the work on the assignment. The paper shows the results from the whole undertaking and presents further details from the different phases. We also present the theoretical backdrop and the methodological reasoning behind the data collection and analysis

Flipped Gaming - testing three simulation games

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Assessment Design for Studio-Based Learning

© 2019 Association for Computing Machinery. Studio-based learning is not new to computing education, however as the ecosystem of available Open Educational Resources (OERs) expands, the capacity and desire for student self-directed learning is growing. However increasing student autonomy in how and when learning takes place creates challenges around assessment. This paper introduces the design of assessment tasks to support studiobased learning at undergraduate level. It describes an example of using learning contracts and portfolio-based assessment for evaluating individual and team performance. The paper presents some initial observations of the approach taken, and its transferability to other areas of the curriculum

Engagement and Learning from a team-based mini-project in mechatronic engineering

We outline our experiences with hidden and unsignposted learning by us and by our students arising from a team-based project activity in a 3rd-year undergraduate engineering module in the general Mechatronics area. We discuss the hidden learning achieved in areas such as team communications, team management, problem-solving skills, and communication through the media of student-produced video and presentations, as well as technical engineering reports. We describe the enablement of student reflection on their learning and its benefits and use these reflections to evidence various aspects of their learning. The work is situated within the literature on innovations and quality of STEM education

A phenomenological study of professors and instructional designers during online course development leading to enhanced student-centered pedagogy

This study explored the experiences of professors and instructional designers as they interact to design and develop a distance learning course. Six professors from several different universities who reported that their pedagogy improved after these interactions during the conversion process were identified and interviewed, along with the instructional designers with whom they collaborated, to determine what elements of the interaction led to the change in their pedagogical practices. The study used a Hermeneutics phenomenology approach employing a universal instructional design model (Merrill, 2013) and a threat regulation model of trust (Williams, 2007) to shape data collection and analysis. Analysis of the data showed that principles from the instructional design model (Merrill, 2013) were used by the instructional designers to communicate good teaching practices. Strategies from the trust-building model (Williams, 2007) were employed by the instructional designers as well as some of the faculty to reduce threats to collaboration. Faculty reported incorporating a more student-centered approach to their subsequent teaching, based primarily on improved student outcomes in these courses, including satisfaction, engagement, and retention of new knowledge. Four conclusions emerged from the findings: (a) Merrill’s First Principles (2013) is a useful model for explaining student-centered practices in higher education, particularly the principle of using real-world problems in course design, (b) Williams’s trust-building model explains some of the success of the professor/instructional designer interactions, (c) professors valued pedagogical support from experienced instructional designers, who facilitated changes in their thinking about pedagogy, and (d) professors were more likely to make changes in pedagogy when they could anticipate improved learning outcomes. Universities are recommended to implement the use of professional instructional designers and quality frameworks to introduce faculty to student-centered teaching practices. As change agents in the universities, instructional designers should take advantage of the opportunity to impact teaching practices in universities. Further research might explore how faculty incorporate new knowledge acquired as a result of interacting with instructional designers into their teaching. In addition, future studies could examine the incorporation of those features of instructional design that are not reflected in active learning methods, particularly the use of backward design to create connections between learning activities

Flipping the Sound Laboratory: A Rehearsal in Audio Education

Sound is an integral part in a multimedia production, however, obtaining audio recordings for professional purposes is a confusing process for many content creators. In the modern era of `one button´ solutions, an increasing number of people are able to produce visual material of good quality. However, in many cases sound is perceived as `just being there´, and paradoxically quality becomes noticed only when it is compromised. A characteristic of audio related work is that it is often difficult, if not impossible, to restore sound that was recorded poorly in the first place. Therefore, it is crucial to have a good understanding of the basics in order to capture an audio source in good enough quality to qualify for further processing in the editing room. The University of Agder offers a dedicated audio course to the bachelor students of the multimedia technology and design study program on campus Grimstad. In this course, the students have the opportunity to record sound in a studio of professional standards, however, experience has shown that many feel perplexed and overwhelmed at the sight of several pieces of audio equipment which offers a variety of routing and processing possibilities. Learning and instruction in the studio has traditionally taken place through face-to-face verbal dissemination, however, poor engagement from some students during group work pointed to issues with information processing and motivation. This thesis investigates whether a flipped learning digital resource could improve student engagement, by preparing them in advance of their participation in a physical introductory studio session. The hypothesis of the study was that students who participate in a flipped learning model end up having a better user experience in the studio than students who learn traditionally, as they feel more competent, thus confident, to engage. Two study groups evaluated their experience in the sound studio through an established tool, which was used as the basis for answering two research questions that were linked to the hypothesis. The data that was generated was correlated with other forms of data, in order to analyse the results within a sociocultural theorical perspective, in conjunction with theories that relate to memory and motivation. The results showed a significant statistical difference in favour of flipped model students regarding their learning experience in the studio, hinting improvements in retention of information and motivational levels. The study concludes that there are positive indications that a flipped learning approach can improve engagement in an audio laboratory, however, the students´ distinct learning styles and diverse motivational orientations should be taken into account by course designers, by facilitating for enhanced flexibility and connectivity in digital resources among other things

Fully Apt Epistemic Performance, Epistemic Cognition, and Transfer Across Academic Disciplines: PhDs, Pedagogy, and Processes

The ability to effectively determine trustworthy and accurate information is essential in the complex digital environment of the modern world. Apt epistemic performance, the competence required for individuals to reach epistemic aims (Barzilai & Chinn, 2018), is essential to successfully navigating today’s complex information environment. However, research indicates that apt epistemic performance is both uncommon and discipline-specific. There is also renewed interest, from scholars and others, into questions about if and how knowledge, skills, and practices transfer from one academic discipline to another. Numerous theories have emerged to capture transfer. Notably, these include traditional cognitive theories and more recent conceptualizations such as the actor-oriented theory of transfer. More research is needed into whether and how apt epistemic performance transfers in order to better prepare students to navigate the complex digital world of today. I investigated the transfer of apt epistemic performance with data captured using think-aloud protocol. The data was gathered as experts from education (i.e., no-transfer), other social sciences (i.e., near-transfer), and natural sciences (i.e., far-transfer) reviewed four publications and answered questions about a complex problem in education. Specifically, nine participants, three representing each group (i.e., no-transfer/educators; near-transfer/other social scientists; and far-transfer/natural scientists), evaluated research evidence about the efficacy of flipped classroom pedagogy and made recommendations to a hypothetical colleague about whether or not to utilize a flipped classroom. My findings indicated that experts, from both the near- and far-transfer groups, were able to positively transfer the apt epistemic performance they developed in their own disciplines to answer complex education questions. However, with respect to two topics, conclusions reached and source evaluation, there were distinct differences in the complexity demonstrated by in-domain (i.e., no-transfer/education) experts when compared to members of the transfer groups. Likewise, negative transfer, or the transfer of knowledge and skills that hinder thinking in a different domain, was demonstrated by members of the far-transfer group as they worked with qualitative data. I found value in the aspects of apt epistemic performance, as defined by Barzilai and Chinn (2018), and both actor-oriented and cognitive theories of transfer, as tools to understand the transfer of epistemic performance across domains. My findings have implications for the study of epistemic cognition and transfer.Doctor of Philosoph