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Discover how blending video clips and exercise sheets can enhance self-paced learning of math and physics for first-year university students. Explore the use of QR codes and online support for tailored and just-in-time assistance during problem-solving sessions. Presented by Riet Callens from KU Leuven.
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Self-paced learning of math and physics by blending of video clips and exercise sheets Riet Callens KU Leuven, Tutorial Services Engineering Science Leuven Engineering and Science Education Center (LESEC) 14/06/2018
Context • First year university students in engineering sciences • Belgium: open access to university • large groups (about 600 students) • Courses • mathematics and physics • summer courses • remediation courses • Focus on Problem solving • Team • professors • teaching assistants • tutors • My job as a tutor: • Help first year students to fit in the system. • Help to develop the system so that more students fit in it.
Problem solving session: an example Positioning test July 201757% correct (635 participants) Find the length of the blue curve.
Problem solving session: an example Positioning test July 201757% correct (635 participants) Find the length of the blue curve. • Exercises are designed to challenge threshold concepts or misconceptions • Meyer and Land (2003) • ‘A treshold concept can be considered as akin to a portal, opening up a new and previously inaccessible way of thinking about something. It represents a transformed way of understanding, or interpreting, or viewing something without which the learner cannot progress.’
Problem solving session: an example Positioning test July 201757% correct (635 participants) Find the length of the blue curve. • Exercises are designed to challenge threshold concepts or misconceptions • Well-experienced teachers can accurately predict, or even trigger by design, the points at which students need assistance. • Teachers have tailored explanations that • assist the students • challenge their understanding.
Problem solving session: classical approach • frontal teaching for the introduction • individual work/discussion with peers • individual tutoring by the teacher • frontal teaching Optional: • printed hints • full written solutions Students are forced to work at the same pace. Number of students Slower students Faster students
Problem solving session: online approach • make the exercise on paper • type the answer • get hints • retry • get the full answer All students slow down. Students discuss less. Students ask fewer questions. Number of students Slower students Faster students
Problem solving session: online approach How can we provide just-in-time and tailored support? • frontal teaching for the introduction • individual work/discussion with peers • QR-codes with help for frequently asked questions (applets/hints/solutions) 4. individual tutoring by the teacher Number of students Slower students Faster students
Advantages of using QR-codes • Focus lies on the work students perform on paper. Distraction from the online world is minimized. • Clear for which exercises there is online support. • There is a little barrier, students are stimulated to first try themselves to solve the problems. • Students regulate own learning process. • Support is delivered just-in-time. • During the live sessions, teachers get more time to help students individually. • Students can use the applets and first-aid video's at home, which makes it less necessary to force students at the same pace.
Geogebra applets Positioning test July 201757% correct (635 participants) Find the length of the blue curve. https://youtu.be/ceWlYl_lwBI Thanks to Koen Paes
Geogebra applets https://www.geogebra.org/m/zyGkhUUE Positioning test June 2016 62% correct (811 participants) Thanks to Koen Paes
Video recording using a webcam • Low cost setup, close to my office • Fast recording (10 min for 7 min video) • “Natural selection” of topics • Things I repeated over and over again in live sessions • Explanations that feel all right • Record immediately after the live sessions no extra preparation required • I never watch the whole video myself… • Students do not complain about the bad video quality…
Video recording using a tablet • low cost setup • everywhere • used app: “explain everything” • no arm or hands + everything can be viewed clearly - more difficult to point at things
Conclusion Blending of: • frontal teaching, mainly for the introduction of the concepts • discussion with peers • QR-codes that link to appletsand short video’s with “first-aid video-help” • individual tutoring is an efficient way to provide just-in-time and tailored support for students during mathematics and physics problem solving sessions. THANKS TO ALL MY COLLEAGUES