Engaging students in an engineering community

1. Engaging students in an engineering community COLMSCT - Project Review Kath Clay, Associate Teaching Fellow kc58@tutor.openac.uk Centre for Open Learning of Mathematics, Science, Computing and Technology

2. Overview • COLMSCT Fellowship • Project origins • Aims • Phases & methods • Findings • Community Model • Evaluation & Dissemination • Integration & application options COLMSCT, 2010

3. COLMSCT Fellowships • AL RO5 & R09 Courses Current - T173, T356, T450: Previous: T354, T355, T402, T160 • Resources. • Time (80 days over 26 months) • Project Budget for expenses and brought in resources (£2.5k). • Support of COLMSCT Research Advisors. • Fellowship Activities. • Learn & apply Education research methods. • Define plan & complete action research project. • Report & disseminate work • Participate in COLMSCT community activities. COLMSCT, 2010

4. Project origins • AL role: contact with students identified potential needs: • continuity of peer contact, • continuity of programme support • wider engineering development. • PLUS observation of differences in on-line engagement. • Faculty member discussions identified: • No existing data for engineering students on-line behaviour • Personal interest in subject wide rather than course community development: • Opportunity: COLMSCT 2007 Fellowships. PROPOSAL ACCEPTED by COLMSCT COLMSCT, 2010

5. 2 “Engaging students in an engineering community” INVESTGATE the engagement of students in an engineering community AIMS. • Establish current e-engagement trends of engineering students • Establish the requirements for: aims, structure, content and delivery of a generic engineering community. • Produce an organisation model for an engineering community. • Evaluate the model construct. • Disseminate the results associated with the project 1 3 COLMSCT, 2010

6. Aims changed as project developed. • Timings and links with SSR & Engineering Subject Pilot Engineering student definition: “undergraduate assigned to OU BEng (B24)/ Eng programme”. COLMSCT, 2010

7. Phases & methods • Define stakeholders. • Engineering students, Central Academic Staff, ALs, (alumni). • Primary (direct) data collection. • Electronic questionnaire survey (260 students).* • Recorded student interviews (7)* - * Grounded theory analysis applied • Recorded Structure discussions academic staff (EPCWG) • Structured discussions (x2),Technology ALs. • Secondary (indirect) data collection. • Review of knowledge base with COLMSCT & OU CETLs • Open literature reviews. COLMSCT, 2010

8. Define ‘Community Stakeholders’ 1 Identify key considerations relevant to aims 5 6 Define ‘Aims of Community’ Identify key considerations of e-community structures. * 7 Specify ‘Structure and Governance’ Specify ‘Resources and Content’ Identify content material* ENGINEERING COMMUNITY MODEL Capture stakeholders’ contentsuggestions 4 Project Activities Overview Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Capture characteristics of key stakeholder group(s) Capture aims of all stakeholders 2 3 Key:Activity Type Primary research (direct data collection). Literature Review (‘secondary’ indirect data). * Input from primary research included. Model development activity. 8 Model audit activity. 9 COLMSCT, 2010

9. Methods – student surveys • Questionnaire: • Mix of factual & opinion question types. • 34 questions grouped by 4 themes: 1. Student use of e-communications within a social context in time outside the OU and their employment. 2. Student access to communications technology. 3. Student engagement with (and opinions of) forums commonly available within engineering modules. Forum types: I structured (compulsory), II intermediate (voluntary participation e-tutorials) and III basic (general module forum) covered. 4. Student opinion on aims, content and format of a proposed community. • Sample population: • Representative criteria: 1. The student had studied at least two engineering related modules, i.e. modules covered by a maths (M), science (S) or technology (T) coding. 2. The student was studying either of two Level 2 modules; T207 and TXR220, COLMSCT, 2010

10. Findings & discussions • Phase 1. Current e-engagement trends of engineering students • Social Communication (technology access & external use trends) • Access to technology not a problem. • Outside OU and employment roles – student infrequent and circumspect user of social communication software (Absence of discipline & structure) • Student MUST not be assumed to be a digital native (reasons for non-use align with national averages (Dutton & Helsper)) • Use trends within OU forums • Plenty of statistics available – but derived conclusions important (Grounded Theory Analysis) Clay, K.(2009a). Review of engineering student surveys covering participation within existing OU Forums and the concept of an Engineering Community, COLMSCT CETL Internal Report, ref. Clay-COLMSCT-ENG1, the Open University. COLMSCT, 2010

11. Use trends within OU forums • Once engaged in either type I or type II forum, the student acknowledges derived benefit from peer communications. • Lurking differences suggests that students are more likely to commit to forum participation when aims are more clearly defined. • Student is often discouraged by, tone, volume & lack of purpose of contribution of others. • Student is pragmatic with a low tolerance of social chatter - low take up of the social areas (e.g. coffee bars). Relevant implications: 1. Students require defined purpose for participation. 2. Time and content management important to the student. COLMSCT, 2010

12. Phase 2. Stakeholder Community Requirements • Aims & Themes Preferences. • Generate sense of identity and belonging. • Provide a broaden overview of Engineering. • Support and Advice w.r.t.: • Careers and employability, • Professional Development & Professional recognition • Study skills and study transitions. • OU Engineering Project. These lead to 5 generic aims for a community. • Content Suggestion. • Softer skill set development (critical thinking, information review), aligned with ECUK professional competency requirements. • Engineering task skill sets developments. • Professional Institute & OU accreditations information and support. • Showcase for OU research. • Podcast themed seminars & discussion events. • Careers Q & A themed forums. COLMSCT, 2010

13. Content Suggestion (comments from stakeholders). • Need to have different types and quality of information at different stages of student stakeholder’s learner experience. • Some content should be information sources, other interactive. • Need to have time frame and archives principles for some activities to be effective. COLMSCT, 2010

14. Support provision needs to cover ARCS spectrum. (Atkins & Beard, 2008) Sense of belonging derives from a range of broad ‘subject glue’ activities. (Atkins & Beard, 2008). Sense of belonging derives from welcome and interaction within communications. Sense of belonging derives from perceived added value of and from interactions / engagement. (Wenger and Lave, 1991) Need to have all support elements within robust community The ARCS model of learning support (Atkins & Beard 2008) Cognitive Phase 2. Secondary Data - Literature Reviews-Issues relevant to aims Systemic Support Affective Reflective Outcomes Motivation Confidence Learning & Skills Identity Employability COLMSCT, 2010

15. Phase 2. Secondary Data - Literature Reviews-Issues relevant to community structure and design, • Relative higher importance of sociability design c.f. usability design. • Sociability governance will need to have some guidance to allow reification as the community develops. (Preece, 2000). • Strategies and content mix required to encourage and retain community member engagement (Preece, 2000). • Communities reify as they develop (Lave and Wenger, 1991) • holistic grouping of sub-communities, with members able to select and migrate between each according to needs at any point in the learner experience. COLMSCT, 2010

16. Aims: SUPPORT in Professional Development / Professional Institute Recognition. (A,R) Careers & employability (A,R) Academic transition. (A,C) (Engineering) project advice. (A,S) ARCS denotes type of support BELONGING / IDENTITY achieved by Engineering engagement opportunities Awareness of OU engineering research Direct dialogue opportunities (with staff stakeholders) Explicit socialisation opportunities (peers) ALL ABOVE ‘Subject Identity Glue’ PLUS welcoming style of communication Community Model COLMSCT, 2010

17. Subject Identity Glue Academic Transition Support PDP Support Engineering Project Support Community Organisation ORGANISATION: Hub model based on 5 generic aims. Navigation and guidance hub – pivot for others • Constraint – overlapping stakeholder requirements: these change as student progress through levels of study. • STRUCTURE – organisation of resources Navigation & Guidance Careers & EmployabilitySupport COLMSCT, 2010

18. STRUCTURE – format of resources • FORMAT DESCRIPTION – access mode & user interactions • Read only information (updated), ROU • View only podcast, VOP • Asynchronous discussion facility, AF • Synchronous discussion facility (either audio or visual and audio), SFA or SFV • Read only information (archive) ROA • Self study module, SS. NOTES • Content descriptions will each have defined format. • Actual delivery technologies not defined. • GOVERNANCE • To include: • Etiquette / rules • Reification mechanisms – making change happen. • Navigation. COLMSCT, 2010

19. TIMEFRAME MANAGEMENT • Needed to support diversity and evolution in student’s requirement • Formats have different time horizons. • Specified synchronous engagement (e.g. interactive tutorial) fixed time, date and duration, typically hours.( I) • Asynchronous discussion open for a specified number of days or weeks, then closed. (II) • Archive material, read only available to view for fixed time period.(III) • Open access material, no time frame constraint. (IV) • Asynchronous discussion, no time frame constraint.(V) • Need to synchronise community time elements with university’s academic calendar. COLMSCT, 2010

20. PURPOSE CONTENT COMMENTS Professional Development Support Professional Portfolio Guidance (‘T191 continued‘). Soft skills’ workshops. ECUK & Institute site links. FAQ resource. Accreditation news / updates. ‘Ask the Eng. team site’ (Asynchronous & archived). Self-study resources for ‘soft skills’. Community Content Career Development Support Exemplar engineering options, degree profiles & alumni career progressions. Sources of career advice. Asynchronous Careers forum open at fixed time(s) of year. Themed industry sector review forums (time-bound). Links to Careers Service. Academic Transition Support Reflection skills development. Eng. related study skills library. Course choice advice & hints. Workshop tutorials on eng. related study skills themes. Links to OU study skills resources. Links to study support resources. FAQ resource. Provide Subject Identity ‘Glue’ Themed general seminars. Showcase for OU Engineering Research. Subject news and views. Podcasts Seminars (by ALs & academic staff). Synchronous debates / archives. Links to OU Eng. Research Sites. ‘Ask the team’ events. Engineering Project Enquiries / Support Advice on project: Subject selection, Preparation, Process. FAQ resource. Asynchronous forum open at fixed time(s) of year. Comments archive from past students. COLMSCT, 2010

21. Example of Detailed content specification COLMSCT, 2010

22. Suggested options: • Mentor (support adviser) direction to resources. • Mandatory courses integrate activities with community resource. • Residential schools: publicity and use of resources. Engagement Approaches Support type coverage potential reviewed. OK • Requires: review w.r.t. ECUK competencies. response of Engineering staff planned pilot and assessment ? Evaluation COLMSCT, 2010

23. Dissemination Integration & application options • Poster: 4th Open University CETL Conference in December 2009 An Engineering Community: Investigating Barriers and Opportunities. • Paper: Engaging and retaining distance learning engineering students: the development of effective engineering communities University has been accepted for conference proceedings publication) Engineering Education Conference, EE2010 Birmingham July 2010. (Clay, forthcoming). • How can this be tested & integrated into the SSR changes within the subject area? COLMSCT, 2010