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Learn about the principles, methods, and tools for successful Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) research, focusing on effective assessment and impact evaluation in blended learning environments. Gain insights into clear goal setting, adequate preparation, and interpreting significant results.
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MAINTAINING QUALITY IN BLENDED LEARNING: FROM CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT TO IMPACT EVALUATIONPART II: IMPACT EVALUATION Patsy Moskal (407) 823-0283 pdmoskal@mail.ucf.edu http://rite.ucf.edu
SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING (SOTL) • Scholarly research on effective teaching and student learning • Ernest Boyar, 1990, Scholarship Reconsidered • Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning • Scholarship Assessed (1997) Charles Glassick, Mary Taylor Huber, and Gene Maeroff
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS DEVOTED TO THE SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING & LEARNING • International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning • American Association for Higher Education & Accreditation • Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning • The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
MOTIVATION FOR SOTL • Research new instructional methods or classroom changes for improvement • Provides opportunities for publication and presentation • Tenure and promotion • Supporting data for accreditation, grant proposals, etc…
JOURNALS DEVOTED TO SOTL • Journal of Scholarship of Teaching & Learning • Teaching in Higher Education • New Directions for Teaching & Learning • Journal on Excellence for Teaching and Learning • Achieving Learning in Higher Education
DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC JOURNALS • Journal of Education for Business • American Biology Teacher • Journal of Research in Science Teaching • Studies in Art Education • Teaching and Learning in Medicine • Journal of Nursing Information • Arts and Humanities in Higher Education
CHALLENGES IN COMPLETING SOTL RESEARCH • Faculty lack of expertise in research/stats • Lack of time, resources • Minimize class disruption • Challenges to designing research
The Alice in Wonderland approach to assessment “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” said Alice. “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where—” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. “—so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added “Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk around long enough.” --Lewis Carroll
Principles that guide our evaluation • Evaluation must be objective. • Evaluation must conform to the culture • Uncollected data cannot be analyzed. • Data do not equal information. • Qualitative and quantitative approaches must complement each other. • Evaluation must show an impact. • Results may not be generalized
THE KEY TO SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHING SOTL… • Clear Goals • Adequate Preparation • Appropriate Methods • Significant Results • Effective Presentation • Reflective Critique (Glassick, Huber, Maeroff, 1997)
CLEAR GOALS • Do you have a clear goal? • Is your goal doable?
THE K.I.S.S. PRINCIPLE OF ASSESSMENT DESIGN Keep It Simple and Straightforward! A simple, doable design is better than a complex, impossible design that is never completed!
HITTING THE TARGET… • What do you want to know? • You must clearly define your questions. • And, if your data doesn’t answer your questions… what’s the point?!
ADEQUATE PREPARATION • Have you looked at the literature? • Can you do your study? • If you need help, can you get support?
FINDING SOURCES OF HELP • Faculty development center • Institutional research • Office of Assessment • Statistics or research folks • Content experts • Other researchers
APPROPRIATE METHODS • Do you have data or can you get it? • Do your methods “fit” your goal and objectives? • Be prepared to rewind and repeat!
SOME ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION TOOLS • Surveys • Focus groups • Course-based performance • Observations • Tests/exams • Pre-collected data • E-portfolios • Rubrics
SIGNIFICANT RESULTS • Did you achieve your objectives? • Does this work inform and add to the field?
STATISTICALLY OR PRACTICALLY SIGNIFICANT?? • Don’t let the statistics run your design! • Statistically significant may not be practically significant. • What about the random sample? • Quantitative and qualitative approaches must complement each other
SURVEY PROS AND CONS PROS CONS Student opinions Low response rate Timing can impact results Wording of questions is important “Over surveyed” students • Easy to administer • Electronic is possible • Researcher’s questions • Can tell you “what” • Open ended can tell you more • Can look at demographics
Student Satisfaction in Blended Courses N = 36,801 49% Percent 28% 17% 6% 2% Very Satisfied Unsatisfied Very Unsatisfied Satisfied Neutral
STUDENTS’ POSITIVE PERCEPTIONS ABOUT BLENDED LEARNING • Convenience • Reduced Logistic Demands • Increased Learning Flexibility • Technology Enhanced Learning Reduced Opportunity Costs for Education
Less Positives With Blended Learning • Reduced Face-to-Face Time • Technology Problems • Reduced Instructor Assistance • Overwhelming • Increased Workload Increased Opportunity Costs for Education
Student satisfaction in fully online and blended courses Fully online (N = 67,433) Blended (N = 36,801) 49% 47% Percent 28% 28% 17% 16% 6% 6% 3% 2% Very Satisfied Neutral Very Unsatisfied Satisfied Unsatisfied
PRE-EXISTING DATA PROS AND CONS PROS CONS Someone else decided what to collect May not be in a form of your choosing Requires permission and obtaining from others • Already collected • May have longitudinal data • Often in electronic spreadsheet
Success rates by modalitySpring 09 through Spring 10 F2F n=456,125 Blended n=30,361 Fully Online n=83,274 Percent
Withdrawal rates by modalitySpring 09 through Spring 10 F2F n=456,125 Blended n=30,361 Fully Online n=83,274 Percent
A decision rule for the probability of faculty member receiving an overall rating of Excellent (n=1,280,890) If... Excellent Very Good Fair Poor Good Facilitation of learning Communication of ideas Respect and concern for students Then... The probability of an overall rating of Excellent = .97 & The probability of an overall rating of Fair or Poor =.00
A comparison of excellent ratings by course modality--unadjusted and adjusted for instructors satisfying Rule 1 (n=1,171,664) Course Overall If Rule 1 Modality % Excellent % Excellent Blended 48.9 97.2 Online 47.6 97.3 Enhanced 46.8 97.5 F2F 45.7 97.2 ITV 34.2 96.6
EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION • Did you remember your objectives? • Did you remember your audience? • Did you present your message in a clear, understandable manner?
DATA DO NOT EQUAL INFORMATION… • Data, by itself, answers no questions and is nothing more than a bunch of numbers and/or letters. • How you interpret the data for others can determine how well they understand. • Visuals are good! • Ongoing assessment is best.
REFLECTIVE CRITIQUE • Did you critique your own work? • What worked well and what didn’t work? • Where do you go from here?
Evaluation Cycle • Define your question(s). • Determine methods that can answer question(s). • Implement methods, gather, and analyze data. • Interpret results – did you answer your question? • Make decisions based on results.
Some Issues to ponder with data • Uncollected data cannot be analyzed! • Data is not always “clean” and can require work • Look for data you already have
TACKLING IRB • What is it? • Training may be required • A MUST if you want to publish or present • Don’t be intimidated!
UNEXPECTED ISSUES • Technology challenges • People challenges • No response • Dirty data
MAKE AN IMPACT WITH YOUR ASSESSMENT… • The final step in assessment (or evaluation) should be determining how your results can impact decisions for the future.
IMPACT EVALUATION AS A MATTER OF SCALE A lot Institution Opportunity Costs College There is added value at every level Department A little Program Individual Few Many Level
RESEARCH INITIATIVE FOR TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS What services do we provide? • Research design • Survey construction & administration • Data analysis & interpretation • Results provided in “charts and graphs” format • Publication and presentation assistance
Patsy Moskal, Ed.D. (407) 823-0283 pdmoskal@mail.ucf.edu http://rite.ucf.edu Contact Information