3 research outputs found
The role of pedagogical tools in active learning: a case for sense-making
Evidence from the research literature indicates that both audience response
systems (ARS) and guided inquiry worksheets (GIW) can lead to greater student
engagement, learning, and equity in the STEM classroom. We compare the use of
these two tools in large enrollment STEM courses delivered in different
contexts, one in biology and one in engineering. The instructors studied
utilized each of the active learning tools differently. In the biology course,
ARS questions were used mainly to check in with students and assess if they
were correctly interpreting and understanding worksheet questions. The
engineering course presented ARS questions that afforded students the
opportunity to apply learned concepts to new scenarios towards improving
students conceptual understanding. In the biology course, the GIWs were
primarily used in stand-alone activities, and most of the information necessary
for students to answer the questions was contained within the worksheet in a
context that aligned with a disciplinary model. In the engineering course, the
instructor intended for students to reference their lecture notes and rely on
their conceptual knowledge of fundamental principles from the previous ARS
class session in order to successfully answer the GIW questions. However, while
their specific implementation structures and practices differed, both
instructors used these tools to build towards the same basic disciplinary
thinking and sense-making processes of conceptual reasoning, quantitative
reasoning, and metacognitive thinking.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure
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Reflection and Dissection in Engineering Education : Exploring Critical Elements of Active Learning and their Roles in Course Structures
This thesis focuses on active learning through four different studies that include metacognitive and cognitive aspects of learning designs to support active learning and a contextual analysis of the implementation of teaching tools used in active learning. The first three investigate important elements of active learning whereas the fourth study explores how those elements fit together. The first two studies evaluate how student responses vary based on different reflection prompts. The third study examines student thinking processes as they work through interactive simulations. Through a comparative case study, the fourth study analyzes how two different instructors implement similar active teaching tools into their respective courses