ICT Education Seminar

1. ICT Education Seminar presented by Angela Carbone School of Information Management and Systems Monash University Angela.Carbone@infotech.monash.edu.au

2. Presentation Overview • A personal teaching journey • ICT Education Issues • Steps towards valuing research in ICT Education • IT Education Project Team • Computing Education Research Group (CERG) • Projects (Small/Medium/Large, Funded/Non-funded) • Are there rewards for good ICT university teachers?

3. Individual Teaching-Related Projects • Individual Projects • Advanced Students’ Project Scheme • Identifying Students at Risk (G-SPI) • Mentor Scheme for females • Development of Web-based teaching resources (CADAL Quiz) • Why? • Non-funded • Little support/motivation to pursue “Seek employment with TAFE College they’re interested in teaching issues” • Responding to student’s need, Intrinsic rewards, changes to class size 1990 Level A, Dept. of CS

4. Valuing Research in ICT Education • A Common View held • Any effort to improve teaching erodes time spent on SERIOUS research • My View • As one can not get high quality computing and advances without research on computing one can not get high quality teaching without research on learning and teaching in the specific context of the teaching • Difficulty • Many ICT Educators are unfamiliar with techniques of educational research and evaluation

5. Perceived Problems in ICT Ed • In 1994 perceived problem in the teaching and learning of computing/programming • The main concerns • high failure rates • a low flow of students into higher degrees • a perception of a wide range of teaching skills • Complaints about “General decline in student quality”

6. IT Education Project • Dean of IT approached the Dean of Education • Invested $50,000 towards resolving the problem • Basically, the Dean of IT wanted Education experts to tell academics in IT how to teach • Education project group (Edproj) was formed to investigate the concern 1994 Formation of Edproj

7. IT Education Project • Isolated academics in Faculty focused on similar concerns • Educational experts provided IT educators with an introduction to educational research methodology and evaluation • Outcome: Small/ Medium Sized Projects • Tutor Training • Development of Web-based teaching resources • Questionable work practices • Anonymous feedback • Investigating characteristics of programming tasks that might encourage GLBs/PLTs • Still extrinsic motivation & rewards for educational innovation minimal 1996 – Unsuccessful promotion to Level B

8. Minimal rewards • Reason for unsuccessful promotion (former Dean of IT) • “The reason is the concern the committee had for your research potential… There was no question of your teaching ability and initiatives in that direction…. But it was felt that some progress towards a research degree was essential” • Appointed Dean of IT • “To be promoted based on teaching, you can’t just be a good teacher you must be an outstanding teacher” 1996 – Enrolled in a PHD Computer Science Education 1997 – VC Award for Distinguished Teaching

9. Computing Education Research Group About CERG • Interested Faculty members led to formation of CERG, 1997 • provides a forum for the discussion of state of the art research in ICT Education • sharing of pedagogical approaches • Main issues in ICT Education • Investigates • the uses of technology in teaching, • different approaches to teaching computing topics, • Approaches evaluated with the aim of determining their effectiveness and efficiency in improving the processes of human learning. • http://cerg.csse.monash.edu.au

10. CERG Resources • People • About 50 members [10 core players] • Members from every school in the faculty • Members from outside the faculty (Ed, Arts, Eng) • Needed • Research expertise, statistics and education • Appointed research fellow 1998 • Workshops • Students • In 1999 2 PhD students, 2 Hons students • Equipment • Computing equipment, Licenses for SPSS, NVivo • Local and International Alliances

11. CERG Local Alliances • Within the Faculty of Information Technology • The Associate Dean Teaching • Facilitated Learning for IT Education (FLITE) • Within Monash University • Centre for Learning and Teaching Support (CeLTS) • Educational Design Group (EDG) • Higher Education Development Unit (HEDU) • Language and learning Services Unit (LLS) • Monash University Library • Monash Transition Program • Higher Education Partnerships in Communications and Information Technology (HEPCIT) • Information Technology Services  • Outside Monash University • ASCILITE • HERDSA

12. CERG International Alliances • CSERGI - Computer Science Education Research Groups International is an informal alliance of Computer Science Education Research Groups which aims to enhance the work within each group by the cross-cultural international support of interested colleagues world wide. • http://www.docs.uu.se/csergi/ • Members are • Computing Education Research Group, Monash University, Australia • The Centre for Informatics Educational Research, Open University, UK • Computer Science Education Research Group, University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA • Computers and Education Research Group, University of Kent, UK • Computer Science Education Research Group, Uppsala University, Sweden

13. Main issues include: • Difficulties facing students and staff in achieving success in teaching and learning of programming • What is the best programming language to teach? • Effective use of emerging technologies • Pedagogy (PBL, Studio-based) • Meeting the needs of employers • Increased class size • Changing student demographics • Low rates of female participation • Prevent increasing incidence of plagiarism • False impressions of ICT • Curriculum development • Assessment Methods • Developing teaching resources

14. Conference Participation Conference Title • ACM SIGCSE Symposium • IEEE Conference Advanced learning Technologies • AACE: ED-MEDIA, SITE, E-Learn(WEBNET) • HERDSA • ICCE/SchoolNet • ITiCSE • ASCILITE   • CERG held the Australasian Computing Education Conference, Monash University 2000 • Reviewers of research activities

15. CERG Projects/Grants • 1998 Successful Grants • Monash FITR Grant, to support CERG research fellow $45,100. • Monash FIT’s TIF Grant to support a collaborative project to produce teaching resources for first year programming in Java $50,000. • CUTSD Grant, "An Internet Environment for learning Software Testing Processes“$50,000 1998 – Promotion to Level B 1998 – Australian Award for Computing and Information Services ($40,000) 1998 – PM Award for University Teacher of the Year ($35,000) 1998 – Appointed to Level E (Prof)

16. CERG Grants • 1999 Successful Grants • Monash SIF Grant, To develop Studio-based Teaching and Learning Model in IT $75,000. • Monash FITR Grant, Continuation of 1998 grant to employ Research Fellow as a CERG resource$27,575 • 2000 Successful Grants • NCVER Grant,Size and scope of on-line learning in the VET sector, 2000- Aug 2001, CERG will partner Chisholm TAFE and West Coast College of TAFE (WA) in a project researching on-line learning. $70,000 http://wombat.chisholm.vic.edu.au/NCVER • 2001 Successful Grants • AUTC Grant, Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Development in Information and Communication Technologies, 2001-2002, • (yr 2001 - $200,000 + yr 2002 - $100,000) • http://cerg.csse.monash.edu.au/icted/ • Other grants which CERG members have contributed to • Science Lectureship http://www.webworkforce.org(~$1.5M)

17. Studio–based Teaching and Learning • Aim • Institute an innovative teaching and learning model based on a studio approach • Features • a modern teaching and learning space, • pedagogy • an integrated curriculum across all core subjects, • collaboration (s-s, s-t, t-t) • an IT infrastructure designed to support students whether they are within the space or off campus, • assessment scheme to elicit higher order thinking skills

18. Studio–based T & L Environment The learning and teaching environment (Studio 1, Studio 2, Studio Café, Meeting Room) Development and team work Develop critical IT skills

19. Pedagogy 1st year studio leader First Year Core Core Studio Studio Manager Core Core Tools and Technology Second Year 2nd year studio leader System design Third Year Practice 3rd year studio leader Practical, Application, Vocational, Development Focus

20. Assessment • Portfolio Assessment “A purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student’s efforts, progress and achievements in one or more areas of the curriculum” (Paulson, Paulson & Meyer) • Semester 1 • 30% Mandatory • 10% Self-selected • Semester 2 • 20% Mandatory • 20% Self-selected • Exam 20% • Written, oral presentation, an interview

21. IT infrastructure • IT Infrastructure divided into 4 areas • Network • Connected to internet, SIMS network and university student network • Citrix Metaframe (thin client) environment • RF network (range 45m, run at 11Mbps) • Hardware/Software • Windows 2000, Macintosh 0S9 • Peripherals • Digital cameras, desktop video conferencing cameras, zip drives, scanners, data projector • Electronic Community • Threaded discussion Area • Video and audio communications(NetMeeting) • CADAL Quiz • All lecture notes, exercises PDF • Other software

22. Studio–based Teaching and Learning • Evaluation Methodology • Pilot Project 2000 • Full implementation 2001 • Student/Staff Quantitative Questionnaires • Qualitative data • Reflective Portfolios

23. Evaluating Studio Model • The Physical Space • Rated high in terms of its comfort level and as a learning space • ‘Studio café is a bit too small, most of the time it is so full you hardly get a space to sit’ • IT tools and Infrastructure • Frustrated with software crashing, login process • High access on studio Website • Students wanted lecturers to answer all questions posted on threaded discussion • Appreciation of loan equipment • Few commented on need for one computer per person.

24. Evaluating the Studio Model • Teaching and Learning Philosophy • “Studio subject was the only subject I could not really understand its purpose” [Semester 1] • “I liked the way the studio incorporated and related the learning areas of other core subjects of BIMS. This makes it seems that the subjects are not so separated but related and hence easier to understand and apply skills” [Semester 2] • Portfolio Assessment • Preparation was time-demanding • Students wanted to be told what to hand in • Students didn’t appreciate opportunities for creative freedom – thought this was a lack of organisation of the subject • By semester 2, significant differences were found- students found it easier to decide what items to submit and easier to organize portfolio

25. AUTC Project Aim Learning Outcomes and Curriculum Development in Information and Communication Technologies, 2001-2002, funded by Australian Universities Teaching Committee • Purpose • to investigate the ways that teaching and learning have been approached in the major disciplines of information and communication technology (ICT) with a view to making recommendations about the promotion of innovation and good practice • Reference group / Steering Committee • http://cerg.csse.monash.edu.au/icted/

26. AUTC Project • Research Methodology • Quantitative questionnaire used to investigate employers’ views about university ICT graduates. • Interviews used to investigate ICT graduates’ views on their courses. • Literature survey • to investigate methods for assessing students’ satisfaction with their courses and for the evaluation of teaching. • Qualitative data gathered from mini-conference discussions to investigate ICT educators’ views of educational innovation and the dissemination of good practice, and on current teaching and learning initiatives. • Findings • University-Industry Interface • Educational Innovation and dissemination • Educational Evaluation

27. University-Industry Interface Findings • Employers generally satisfied with their ICT graduates. • In terms of curriculum development, ICT sector is subject to the vagaries of changing technologies, ideas and fashions. • Of respondents who employed recent ICT graduates many were in contact with ICT departments • 48% providing industrial experience • 22% for course or subject advisory committees, • 25% for R&D, • 24% for consulting. • Little research has been published on ICT graduates’ experiences and attitudes after they have entered the workforce. • Existing info not very useful in terms of curriculum development and educational innovation.

28. Educational Innovation and dissemination • Findings • 83 participants reporting a teaching initiative responding to • students’ learning needs, problems arising due to reduced resources,increased student numbers, more diverse student populations, the changing needs of employers. • ICT educators perceive extrinsic motivation and reward for educational innovations to be minimal. • ICT educators perceive tension between demands of students and the skills and knowledge they believe necessary for students to be ICT professionals and life-long learners. • A range of factors are viewed as inhibiting ICT educators’ ability to generate and to disseminate educational innovations

29. Educational Evaluation • Findings • Methods used to assess students’ satisfaction with their courses are inadequate for the purpose of continuous improvement. • On the whole, ICT educators are unfamiliar with the principles and techniques of educational research and evaluation methods, impairing efforts to improve and to disseminate teaching and learning initiatives. • Most initiatives reported were formally evaluated; however, a large proportion relied on standard student feedback questionnaires and not motivated towards or skilled in the pursuit of other methods. • Educational evaluation and dissemination activities very low priority in ICT departments. Consequently, difficulty demonstrating that their teaching activities are innovative.

30. AUTC Project Recommendations • List of recommendations include: • Improving interactions with outside world • Ways of supporting educational innovation and dissemination • Ways of encouraging educational evaluation • Executive Summary Report (Avail Fri 30th Nov 2001) • http://cerg.csse.monash.edu.au/icted/execsum.html

31. AUTC Project • Stage 2, 2002 • Dissemination and building resources • Conduct a series of curriculum and staff development workshops/seminars around the country • Develop a Web-based resource centre • Promote and develop evaluation skills amongst staff to support independent activity

32. Are there rewards for good teaching? • My personal view. • No! • But we are moving to a system which provides rewards for a combination of good teaching and research on educational issues in the ICT discipline!

33. Rewards in ICT Education • 1997 Awarded Vice Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, 1997 ($5,000) • 1998 Recipient ofAustralian Award for University Teaching ($40,000) • 1998 Prime Minister’s Award for University Teacher of the Year ($35,000) • 1999 Professorship

34. Contact Details Angela Carbone School of Information Management and Systems Faculty of IT, Monash University Ph 61 3 9903 1911 Mob 0407 886 791 Email angela.Carbone@sims.monash.edu.au URL http://www.sims.monash.edu.au/Staff/Angela