Seeds for Solutions, How does the past inform the future? Innovation projects from 2000/01 #KATS2015

Project Title: Web Support for Student Peer Review. 

Project Leader(s): Stephen Bostock 

Student peer review of coursework can be a valuable learning experience for both reviewers and authors, and offers additional feedback to students on their work without the staff time involved in additional marking. However, for courses of any size the administration of reviewing with multiple reviewers is a significant load. The need for single anonymity (authors do not know reviewers) or double anonymity (and reviewers do not know authors) adds to the complexity, requiring anonymous codes to be used if reviews are forwarded directly to authors. Other considerations include the allocation of equal reviewing loads to reviewers, and avoiding pairs of students who review each other's work.


As long as students access to have email and the web, most of this administration can be automated. This project will deliver a web site for general use allowing tutors to specify a list of authors and reviewers, the coursework to be reviewed (possibly with its URL), the number of reviews per coursework, the criteria to be used, and the type of feedback required (qualitative/quantitative). Tracking of the reviewing process and archiving of reviews will allow tutors to monitor the process and see its results conveniently

Web Support for Student Peer Review-Presentation slides

Web Support for Student Peer Review-Project Report 

Web Support for Student Peer Review. by Stephen Bostock, Keele University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Project Title: Development of a Writing Skills Programme for First Year UG Students. 

Project Leader(s): Susan Bruce and Monica McLean 

Employers, like academics, frequently lament the decline in literacy standards of undergraduates; academics, however, have neither time nor resources to ensure that students graduate with literacy skills whose value is substantial, but whose acquisition necessitates systematic tuition. Current practice largely depends on individual academics addressing individual errors of individual students; more effective and efficient a model of delivering tuition concerning literacy skills is the North American Freshman Seminar wherein key literacy skills, embedded within discipline-specific courses, are communicated to students in their first semester. We will construct an outline for an Introductory Writing Course which could be adopted internally by different disciplines within Keele University to improve the writing skills of Keele undergraduates. We will research modes of delivery of such courses currently in operation in the UK and the USA; evaluate and select support materials such as handbooks; construct a course syllabus which would be transferable to other disciplines; organise a workshop for those who will be teaching on the course. We plan to pilot this course in the Autumn semester of the academic year 2001-2002, in the introductory module of the new Single Honours degree in English and American Literature, and to evaluate its success at the end of its initial semester.

Development of a Writing Skills Programme for First Year UG Students - Final Report

Project Title: Development of a Writing Skills Programme for First Year UG Students. by Susan Bruce and Monica McLean, Keele University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Seeds for Solutions, How does the past inform the future? Innovation projects from 2000/01 #KATS2015

Project Title: Programmed Learning to Replace UG Lectures
Project Leader(s): P.Chevins

The application is for funds to support a teaching development which is intended to enhance learning whilst ultimately producing savings in staff time. Funds are required to enable time to be spent on developing the teaching materials, to purchase software for computer assisted assessment (CAA) and to free time for learning its use.

The outcomes will be:
A teaching innovation that will be fully evaluated, and if successful, applicable to other modules and courses.
Software for CAA, also evaluated and available for other modules and courses.
A commitment to disseminate information on the above University-wide, if appropriate, via Keele Teaching Network (KTN) or other means.

The following proposal arises from a paper written for and approved by the Biology Teaching Team (meeting held January 10th 2000. The paper "Are Lectures a Waste of Time?" ).

Most of the lectures in a specific section of a module will be replaced with a programme of study from the prescribed text. The module selected is Animal Physiology (Year 2) chosen because it is a subject heavily laden with factual content. The beginning of the module will be conventionally taught. Halfway through (week 7) the selected section (on nerve, muscle and endocrinology) will be introduced with one lecture, setting out what is expected of the students and introducing the first topic.

Each student will receive a programme of study as part of the published module guide, setting out in detail what is assumed knowledge (the starting point) and which sections of the textbook are to be covered each week. In week 8, in one of the normal scheduled teaching times, all students will have a formative objective style test on the week’s work, with immediate detailed feedback. The next topic will be introduced by a single lecture at the appropriate time, and will be followed by the same schedule of private study followed by objective test. The same procedure will be followed until the end of the module, with a selection of the tests being summative (probably alternate weeks). Students will be informed that a selection of the questions from the formative tests will be repeated in the summative ones, thus providing a good incentive to learn from their feedback. Tutorial support will be provided, so that any failures of understanding can be corrected.

It is intended that the objective tests will be administered by computer, thus automating the feedback and saving staff time. It is recognised that the savings of teaching time will not be immediate. The planning, writing of objective assessments, and learning and setting up of the computer system selected will take a considerable investment of time. However, although this is an eventual aim of the project improvement in learning quality is the more important objective, and it is hoped that this will at least begin to be achieved the first year. Evaluation and continued development is planned for the future, with any worthwhile results disseminated within Life Sciences, and if appropriate, the University, perhaps via KTN.
Software

A review of available software has been conducted using the following website recommended by Stephen Bostock at http://www.seda.demon.co.uk/eddevs/caalist.html.

The eleven systems listed here, and one other (Miranda from Strathclyde University) have been compared, and the choice narrowed down to the five most promising, which I have tried in demonstration or full working form, with the following results.
Hot potatoes is free of charge to HE, provided tests written are published to the web, but only supports six quite primitive question types.
Miranda is better, but has no graphics currently enabled, so is also limited in question format.
WebTest allows graphics in gif or jpeg format, and is an improvement on the above.
Question Mark Perception is better developed than any of the above, and has the advantage of sophisticated results analysis and reporting built in. It has been used at Keele in an earlier form in the Psychology department. It is a commercial product (in contrast to the other four) and is versatile and easy to use. The simplest solution for a single user would be to buy a licence and use it.
TRIADS is extremely impressive, and as the product of a tripartite university project (Open, Derby and Liverpool) is currently not for profit. It has even greater potential than QM Perception but the ease of question loading and results analysis potential cannot be evaluated from the on line demonstration. A number of its features are still under development. A full evaluation means entering into an agreement, whose general terms are copied below. (Graham Lees, Earth Sciences, has entered an agreement).
Software – Conclusions

TRIADS and Question Mark are in a league of their own, but TRIADS offering more features and development prospects. Cost comparisons are relevant. These show a great advantage of TRIADS, which I believe must be the system of choice now and long-term, for the University.

UK Higher Education Institutions or Departments who wish to become TRIADS evaluation sites receive full training in the use of TRIADS and are supplied with the TRIADS Engine. At the end of the formal evaluation period, Evaluation Sites would have free use of the TRIADS Engine for another year and a discounted upgrade charge for new versions after that date. There will be different levels of agreement for campus-wide & departmental sites. The small print also requires six monthly evaluation reports from course leaders, and other sharing of experience. Currently 28 UK HE institutions are evaluation sites.

Project Title: Programmed Learning to Replace UG Lectures - Final Report
Project Title: Programmed Learning to Replace UG Lectures - Presentation Slides


Programmed Learning to Replace UG Lectures by Peter Chevins, Keele University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Seeds for Solutions, How does the past inform the future? Innovation projects from 2000/01 #KATS2015

Project Title: Embedding Transferable Skills
Project Leader(s): P.Clavin

The determination to embed an explicit skills element into the teaching and learning strategy of undergraduate history has been generated by the national, institutional and departmental context. The study of history, like other arts and humanities subjects, has come under renewed pressure by government to demonstrate its utility for employment at a time when vocational relevance is adjudged the priority objective of higher education. It has also become increasingly important to underscore to undergraduates and parents (who bear an increasing proportion of the costs of financing a programme of university study) how the study of history, like other arts and humanities subjects, hones a variety of skills valued in the workplace.

The project is motivated by the department’s desire to ensure that all our students have the study and communication skills necessary to complete their course of study and to make a confident and successful entrance into the job-market. The funding will facilitate the redesign of a major first-year course that focuses on, and refines, a number of transferable skills embedded in the teaching of Modern European History (Hist116 &117). In particular, the course is designed to enhance and reward students’ ability: to present ideas orally, to collect information effectively, to be independent and critical thinkers, to demonstrate moral awareness and to work confidently in groups.


Embedding Transferable Skills by P Clavin, Keele University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Project Title: Computer-based Diagnostic Testing and Tutorial Follow-up for First-year Mathematics Students
Project Leader(s): Peter Fletcher and Doug Quinney

For students entering higher education courses in all numerate disciplines there is always some pre-requisite level of mathematical knowledge and skills assumed. Such courses also tend to recruit large numbers of students with a rich diversity of intake qualifications and prior experience. It is essential to identify gaps in students' knowledge at the start of their degree studies and to provide tutorial support tailored to their individual needs.

Within two weeks of starting Principal Mathematics, all students take a multiple-choice computer-based diagnostic test, which produces a graded profile of their skills in A-level topics such as basic algebra, differentiation and integration. Based on the results, each student is assigned to one of three computer-based learning modules, and all students take part in paper-based exercises in differentiation (this is known as 'The Differentiation Blitz'). The aims of the project were:

(1) to validate the diagnostic test by comparing its results with those of the paper exercises;

(2) to compare two computer-based learning modules, Mathwise and ShowMath, particularly with regard to

- the difficulty of inputting mathematical expressions,
- the nature of the tutorial dialogue between student and program,
- the ability to identify students who are in most need of help at a critical time in their undergraduate studies.

Questionnaires were used to gather students' views on the diagnostic test, the paper exercises, and the computer-based modules. In addition, 28 students re-took the diagnostic test after the Differentiation Blitz.

The test results show

- a high correlation between the diagnostic test score and the paper-based exercise score, thus serving to validate the diagnostic test;

- a much greater improvement in test scores in the group that took ShowMath than with the Mathwise group. The sample is small but the difference is statistically significant.

The questionnaire results throw light on a wide range of issues to do with the use of computers for teaching and assessment. It is our intention to write up a full version of the results for publication.

Computer-based Diagnostic Testing and Tutorial Follow-up - Final Report


Computer-based Diagnostic Testing and Tutorial Follow-up for First-year Mathematics Students by Peter Fletcher and Doug Quinney, Keele University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Developing information literacy skills within undergraduate programmes, by Richard Waller, Peter Knight & Julie Beard

1. Background

“Information literacy” is a term used to encapsulate the various skills required to make effective and appropriate use of information resources (e.g. Johnston & Webber, 2003). These skills include for example the location, evaluation, management and effective use of different types of information resource that are referred to as the “Seven Pillars of Information Literacy” (http://www.sconul.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents/coremodel.pdf ).

Engaging effectively and confidently with advanced sources of information such as journal articles is crucial to success within many degree programmes. As such, information literacy is specifically identified as one of Keele’s essential “Graduate Attributes” (http://www.keele.ac.uk/distinctive/keelegraduateattributes/ ). The development of information literacy skills enables students for example to:

• Develop a more comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subject.
• Recognise the surprising amount of debate inevitably associated with academic progress.
• Identify developments at the research “cutting edge”.
• Place their own research within a clear academic context.

A key problem here is that school leavers commonly lack a number of these essential skills having been largely “spoon-fed” information or having relied almost exclusively on easy-to-access sources such as Wikipedia (Mittermeyer, 2005). This can hamper effective transitions from school or college to University, and therefore the development of information literacy skills should be considered a priority within the early stages of the degree programmes that require their use.

2. Integrating information literacy training into degree-level curricula
Key information literacy skills such as the use of online search tools and referencing skills are commonly covered within the early stages of many degree programmes. However, the tendency for these skills to be covered in a discrete and often fragmented fashion can hamper their development and lead to a “tick box” approach. Johnston & Webber (2003) consequently argue that to be effective, information literacy education should be integrated more fully into the curriculum, ideally through their inclusion within credit-bearing modules.

This Solutions resource describes how this has been undertaken within Geography teaching at Keele with the support of the library and the Faculty Liason Librarian. This resource reflects an end product of a 2012 Teaching Innovation Project that considered the ways in which the information literacy skills of new students could be developed in order to bridge the gap between school and university.

Curriculum context and structure

Focus group discussions undertaken as part of a previous teaching innovation project that sought to identify barriers to engagement with journal literature (see Waller & Knight, 2012) suggested that information literacy skills should be addressed at the very start of the degree programme to develop effective practice from the outset. These skills had previously been covered within a year 1 “Geographical Skills” practical as part of an extended library introduction delivered by the Faculty Liason Librarian. The coverage was, however, limited to two sessions separated by a number of weeks. Following the recommendations of Johnston & Webber (2003), the decision was taken to give information literacy greater prominence within this compulsory year 1 module by covering the issue as the first key theme within the practical programme. This involves the delivery of four two-hour sessions that conclude with a summative “consolidation exercise”.

A summary of these sessions and the associated resources is provided below. The resources relate to the host geography module but could easily be adapted to the requirements of any programme with the assistance of the Faculty Liason Librarian. The key information literacy skills addressed within these practical sessions are addressed in greater detail within a HEA Student Study guide entitled “Enhancing Students’ Information Skills”. Whilst this is geared towards students undertaking geography, geology and environmental science, the majority of the content is generic and is again of potential use to any degree programme. [PDF – WallerSchultz2015]

Practical Resources

Session 1: Introduction to information literacy and key resources

The opening session provides an introduction to the concept of information literacy, its constituent skills and their relevance to degree-level study. [Resource, PPT FILE – S1]

The session also incorporates an introduction to the library and its facilities that includes a demonstration of basic search skills that showcase online reading lists, the library catalogue and the search facilities for Electronic and Print Journals. The primary activity involves the completion of a workbook that provides the opportunity to practice these key skills. [Resource, PDF FILE – S1]

Session 2: Searching & Browsing

The second session builds upon the basic search skills covered in session 1 and addresses the more advanced skills required to locate relevant journal literature. The session is largely based around the completion of workbook that covers the use of search engines and gateways (e.g. Google Scholar), bibliographic databases (e.g. Web of Science) and electronic journal collections (e.g. JSTOR). It also considers the formulation of appropriate search phrases using key terms, quotation marks and Boolean operators. [Resource, PDF FILE – S2]

Session 3: Locating and evaluating information

The third session considers how to make the most effective use of the “hits” resulting from a literature search. A key focus is the assessment of the reliability and credibility of sources. This includes an exercise that requires students to critically appraise a diverse range of resources that cover the same subject area.

The session also covers the effective management of information and the use of reference managers. It also considers the effective reading skills required to locate the information required quickly and efficiently. [Resource, PPT FILE – S3]

Session 4: Information Literacy Challenge

The concluding session provides some final advice on common problems such as what to do when the article you need is unavailable. [Resource, PPT FILE – S4]

The session culminates in the completion of a “information literacy challenge” that constitutes the summative assessment for this practical programme. In this way the sessions are integrated into the assessment regime of the module. [Resource, PDF FILE – S4]


3. Student feedback

Student feedback on this new practical component has generally been very positive with one student commenting:

“The teaching of referencing and databases on which to search journals was excellent and helped greatly in the transition to university.”

This highlights the important role the development of these skills can play in facilitating transitions into HE study and the importance of addressing them at the start of a degree programme. Their coverage within a sequential series of two-hour practical sessions appears to be an effective format that allows the coverage of key concepts and the incorporation and completion of interactive tasks.

References

Johnston, B. & Webber, S., 2003. Information literacy in Higher Education: a review and case study. Studies in Higher Education, 28, 335-352.

Mittermeyer, D., 2005. Incoming first year undergraduate students: How information literate are they? Education for Information, 23, 203-232.

Waller, R.I. & Knight, P.G., 2012. Overcoming the barriers to the use of journal articles with the geosciences. Planet, 25, 27-32.


Developing information literacy skills within undergraduate programmes by Richard Waller, Peter Knight & Julie Beard, Keele University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Seeds for Solutions, How does the past inform the future? Innovation projects from 2000/01 #KATS2015

Project Title: Development of an IT Resource for PGCE-science and Science Foundation Year Students
Project Leader(s): Peter Haycock

The aim of this project is to develop an IT resource for use in the 2-Year PGCE-Science conversion course and the Science Foundation Year (SFY). On completion there will exist web pages for each of these courses relating to the students' study in the Faculty of Science, together with a CD ROM containing a range of software and applets for
distribution to the students.

These two courses are concerned with students who do not have a well defined base in the University, the PGCE students being registered in Education, but spending most of their time in Chemistry and Physics, whereas the SFY students carry out studies across the Faculty of Science an elsewhere. The material being taught is more or less of 'A' level standard, in the case of the PGCE students to equip them for teaching science in school and for the SFY as an alternative to study in sixth form college. Hence the two important aspects of this project are to provide an IT resource for self-study purposes which is transportable and to make that have an 'A' level ethos.

Development of an IT Resource - Final Report
Development of an IT Resource - Presentation Slides

Development of an IT Resource for PGCE-science and Science Foundation Year Students by Peter Haycock, Keele University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Project Title: Industry in Action
Project Leader(s): Graeme Jones and Mark Ormerod

The development of personal skills and the inclusion of appropriate periods of work experience both form part of Keele’s most recent Teaching and Learning Strategy Document. Achieving greater interaction with industry is also a central objective of the HEROBaC initiative. Keele is ideally placed to deliver these objectives through its subsidiary programme. This project aims to develop an innovative new subsidiary course, Industry in Action, which will equip students with a portfolio of relevant skills, making them more attractive for placements and future employment in industry. These are essential skills for young graduates in modern society. The proposed course will also greatly increase students’ awareness of industry and commerce. This project will also focus on the teaching and learning outcomes of the Industry in Action course and their evaluation.

The whole approach of the proposed course is one of student based learning, with students working in small teams. At the end of the Industry in Action course it is hoped that students will have an appreciation of the challenges facing industry, be more self-critical about their performance, be better equipped to cope with the stress of meeting deadlines, be equipped with a range of industry-relevant skills, have developed and enhanced their application and interview skills, have increased confidence in interpersonal skills, be an effective team worker, be confident communicators and have improved their IT skills. A key part of the proposed course will be a visit to a company, where the students will be expected to give a short presentation, and subsequently write a visit report.

Industry in Action - Final Report

Industry in Action - Presentation Slides

Industry in Action by Graeme Jones and Mark Ormerod, Keele University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.