Open Educational Resources (OER) Project, Fall 2016 Final Dissemination Assessment Report

ASSESSMENTS TARGETED FOUR CENTRAL AREAS: 1. Textbook Cost Savings 2. Student Perceptions of the OER Materials 3. Student Learning Outcomes 4. Faculty Perceptions of the OER Material

Open Educational Resources (OER) Pilot Program, Fall 2015 Final Report

Assessments Conducted by Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) Assessments Targeted Four Central Areas: Textbook Cost Savings Student Perceptions of the OER Materials Student Learning Outcomes Faculty Perceptions of the OER Pilot Progra

Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum

The field of specialization known as the science of learning is not, in fact, one field. Science of learning is a term that serves as an umbrella for many lines of research, theory, and application. A term with an even wider reach is Learning Sciences (Sawyer, 2006). The present book represents a sliver, albeit a substantial one, of the scholarship on the science of learning and its application in educational settings (Science of Instruction, Mayer 2011). Although much, but not all, of what is presented in this book is focused on learning in college and university settings, teachers of all academic levels may find the recommendations made by chapter authors of service. The overarching theme of this book is on the interplay between the science of learning, the science of instruction, and the science of assessment (Mayer, 2011). The science of learning is a systematic and empirical approach to understanding how people learn. More formally, Mayer (2011) defined the science of learning as the “scientific study of how people learn” (p. 3). The science of instruction (Mayer 2011), informed in part by the science of learning, is also on display throughout the book. Mayer defined the science of instruction as the “scientific study of how to help people learn” (p. 3). Finally, the assessment of student learning (e.g., learning, remembering, transferring knowledge) during and after instruction helps us determine the effectiveness of our instructional methods. Mayer defined the science of assessment as the “scientific study of how to determine what people know” (p.3). Most of the research and applications presented in this book are completed within a science of learning framework. Researchers first conducted research to understand how people learn in certain controlled contexts (i.e., in the laboratory) and then they, or others, began to consider how these understandings could be applied in educational settings. Work on the cognitive load theory of learning, which is discussed in depth in several chapters of this book (e.g., Chew; Lee and Kalyuga; Mayer; Renkl), provides an excellent example that documents how science of learning has led to valuable work on the science of instruction. Most of the work described in this book is based on theory and research in cognitive psychology. We might have selected other topics (and, thus, other authors) that have their research base in behavior analysis, computational modeling and computer science, neuroscience, etc. We made the selections we did because the work of our authors ties together nicely and seemed to us to have direct applicability in academic settings

Three elements of self-regulated learning: Metacognitive functioning, self-efficacy, and study behavior

Individuals\u27 metacognitive insight regarding their own performances -- what people think they know about what they know -- is often flawed. Students\u27 metacognitive functioning was examined in two studies. In Study 1, exam performance estimates compared with actual scores were assessed across three in-class exams. Results demonstrated a systematic tendency for lower performers to overestimate their exam performances. Top performers underestimated their performance. In Study 2, an incentive to be as accurate as possible in exam performance estimations ($50 gift card) did not reduce estimation miscalculations for either bottom or top performers. In Study 1, higher levels of students\u27 self-efficacy (one\u27s confidence that they can successfully complete a given task) were associated with higher levels of academic performance. Additionally, students with higher self-efficacy tended to use more cognitively based ( active ) study strategies. Further analysis of study behavior demonstrated a positive correlation between reported use of active study behaviors and exam score and a negative correlation between reported use of passive study behaviors and exam score. Students who were both high on the active study behavior measure and low on the passive study behavior measure scored highest on the exam. Implications for successful self-regulated learning were discussed

The OER Ambassadors Pilot

Poster presented at NERCOMP Annual Conference, Providence, Rhode Island. March 22, 201

Open Education at UNH

Last year UNH faculty helped save students nearly $150,000 by assigning Open Educational Resources in place of expensive textbooks. Find out more about this exciting project

In Their Own Words: What Scholars and Teachers Want You to Know About Why and How to Apply the Science of Learning in Your Academic Setting

Over the past several decades, there has been a continually growing body of scholarship focusing on conditions that promote students’ learning, retention, and transfer of academic knowledge. The term ‘science of learning’ is often used to describe this field of specialization. The present work is organized into five sections containing chapters focused on the history, principles, applications, and practice of the \u27science of learning.\u2