Inspiring and Enquiring

Elisabeth Skinner Martin Jenkins

University of Gloucestershire

• Some students prefer scribing (McAlpine 2004)

• EBL threatens low confidence …. poor independent learning

• EBL builds confidence …. strengthens independent learning

Capacity building or personal development does not occur before participation but through participation (Warburton 1998:33)

• Build confidence before EBL? X

• Build confidence through EBL?

The Focus of this Paper

• Persuading students to take part despite low confidence

• Providing support to maintain motivation

• Because the rewards (growing confidence) are great

The Case Study

• Level One: Town and country planning

• 64 students = 23 campus + 41 distance

• EBL activity in groups: investigating a chosen planning application found online

• Vehicle for both learning and assessment over nine weeks

Inspiring

• ‘Engagement’ is to “gain the full attention of students” (McAlpine 2004:126) – Ensure relevance – Create excitement

• Design an activity that is “so enticing, so intriguing, and so marvelous (sic) that [students] really do not want to miss out on it” (Bender 2003:47)

• Choices: groups, application, assessment

Support: Information and Practice

“Instructional responsibility in relation to practice is to provide a learning environment in which there is both structure and formative feedback since the two are supportive of a deep approach to learning” (McAlpine 2004:129)

• Course materials (print and online)• Clear instructions with assignment checklist• F2F classes• Learning activities

Support: Practice and Feedback

• WebCT discussion group with teacher presence and feedback

• Campus class groupwork with teacher help and feedback

• Group as learning community with mutual support

Evaluation

• Observing attendance online and in class

• Mid-point survey of campus class only

• Standard end-of-module evaluation

• Assessed 300 word individual reflection

Support for independence

• Inspired to work independently – 7/10 distance groups– 3/6 campus groups

• Slow starters – 3/6 campus groups (absent students,

waiting for deadline)– 3/10 distance groups (absent students,

online decisions difficult)

• Five mid point drop outs

• Pressures for all students

• Groupwork

– 25% de-motivating– 75% motivating

Inspiring independent learning

• Mid-point survey– 70% inspired, engaged– 50% fun

• End-of-module evaluation4 out of 5 median score for developing new skills, extending learning, opportunities for independent learning, enjoyment

Marks

• 200859 students– average mark 64%– 25% 70+

• 200648 students– Average mark 57%– 15% 70+

Assessed reflection

• One student critical of the EBL activity• Problems with groupwork• Sense of excitement and inspiration

“I found this project both exciting and challenging. We picked a complex application …. and I learned a great deal. I enjoyed the challenge immensely and my motivation stayed high during the task.” (Distance learner)

Assessed reflection

“This assignment was a good way to see exactly how the planning system works; it is hard to understand when you’re just being told about it, so it was easier to understand when looking at it in terms of a specific application in a more practical set-up.” (Campus student)

• Extensive learning• Explicit comments on growth of confidence

through knowledge and skills

• “I am naturally a nosy, inquisitive person and love being given the chance to find out about anything, particularly something as important as housing and associated laws. I enjoyed the task and think that it was a successful method of getting students to do their own research into what a planning application involves.”

(Campus student)

• Students went the extra mile – investigations online and on the ground

Tentative conclusions• Provided stimulating, relevant activity with

choices

• Provided support online and in class to maintain motivation

• Consider role of groupwork and individuals in groups

• Inspired the majority of students to engage to help students grow in confidence

References

• Bender, T. (2003) Discussion-based Online Teaching to Enhance Student Learning (Virginia, Stylus Publishing)

• McAlpine L (2004) Designing learning as well as teaching: A research-based model for instruction that emphasizes learner practice, in Active Learning in Higher Education Vol 5, Issue 2 July 2004 pp119-134

• Salmon, G. (2000) E-moderating: the key to teaching and learning online (London, Kogan Page.)