A Framework of Leading towards Learning through Active Engagement of Students

1. A Framework of Leading towards Learning through Active Engagement of Students Mohammad A. Rob Management Information Systems University of Houston-Clear Lake Houston, Texas 77058 rob@uhcl.edu

2. Presentation Outline • The Leading-Learning Framework • The Basic Concepts or Guidelines • Distribution of Learning Activities • Designing the Learning Activities • Application in an MIS Course • Student Reflection • Results • Conclusion Introduction Theoretical Background Motivation Engagement and Learning What the Accreditation Agencies Say? Taxonomy of Significant Learning Designing the Learning Environment The Role of Technology The Central Question A Framework of Leading towards Learning

3. introduction Teaching undergraduates can be more challenging than graduates Teachers complain: Undergraduates are not motivated towards learning However they are critical in evaluating instructors Research show that engagement of students can lead towards motivation Also the art and practice of engagement is primarily the responsibility of the teacher A Framework of Leading towards Learning

4. motivation Motivation means to be moved to do something People are intrinsically motivated to do something for reward or satisfaction Most students are extrinsically motivated to complete tasks with resentment & disinterest Researchers have been investigating what task characteristics make an activity interesting A Framework of Leading towards Learning

5. Engagement and learning Engagement is an extrinsic motivational task that fosters learning in the educational environment Engagement theories suggest that students must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and in worthwhile tasks Engagement is not just a student-oriented activity A Framework of Leading towards Learning

6. What accreditation agencies say? The National Survey of Student Engagement, AACSB Standard of Teaching and Learning, and ABET Standards for Engineering and Technology suggest: Student engagement to enrich learning experience Active involvement of students and collaboration and cooperation among faculty-student and student-student Collaboration along with oral and written communication skills development and application in the IS programs A Framework of Leading towards Learning

7. The role of today’s teacher Leading Pedagogical Researchers say: The art and practice of engaging students towards learning is principally the responsibility of the teacher The teacher becomes less imparter of knowledge and more a designer and facilitator of learning experiences for students The real challenge in teaching is not covering the material for the students; it’s uncovering the materials with the students A Framework of Leading towards Learning

8. Finks’s six taxonomy of Significant learning A Framework of Leading towards Learning

9. Four Learning centers of Bransford et Al. A Framework of Leading towards Learning

10. The role of technology In the era of high-technology, engagement is also seen as a framework for technology-based teaching and learning. When students use technology as a tool to communicate with others, they take on an active role versus a passive role of transmitting the information by a teacher, a book, or broadcast. Instructors and students are constantly making choices on how to obtain, display, or manipulate information appropriate and useful for others. A Framework of Leading towards Learning

11. The central question What role an instructor can play in setting up a classroom and course-related activities that motivate students to value their learning and self-regulate their activities, to carry them out on their own? The 21st century teachers acts as leaders : to engage students in important activities and challenges them with fun, in an environment conducive to learning, with technology, and guides them towards the goal of mastering the subject matter, and with an end product – the knowledge of which will endure a human life beyond the academic environment. A Framework of Leading towards Learning

12. The leading-learning framework It is based on the concepts of: motivation and engagement, active and collaborative learning, taxonomy of significant learning, designing the learning environment, and the role of technology, as discussed before A Framework of Leading towards Learning

13. The basic concepts of the framework A Framework of Leading towards Learning

14. Shifting Burdens of teachers and students Teacher Teacher Lecturing Leading Student Student Engagement Assessment Assessment -Centered Teaching Engagement –Centered Learning A Framework of Leading towards Learning

15. Distribution of knowledge areas Concept-Based: Developing individual student’s knowledge on the subject matter Project-Based: Understanding the relationship between various concepts of a subject matter Multi-Dimensional: Going beyond the subject matter and improving on human dimension – collaboration, cooperation, cross-curriculum, communication, research, multi-culture, career, etc. Growth of Knowledge in Dimensions A Framework of Leading towards Learning

16. The engagement is seen as a system Student Process Instructor Input Student Output • Demonstration • Work assignment • Work assignment • Lecture • Work assignment • Document • Presentation • Research Paper • Program Code • Design/Model • Web site • Monitor & Control A Framework of Leading towards Learning

17. Relationship with fink’s taxonomyof significant learning A Framework of Leading towards Learning

18. methods of student engagement cycle cross A Framework of Leading towards Learning

19. The group project & cross-curricular knowledge SDLC Methodology should be used on the group project throughout the semester and apply overall knowledge learned from various course concepts to produce a significant outcome from the course Development of a major website by each student or group to house all course-related documents and programs is important in this technological era. A Framework of Leading towards Learning

20. The teacher as a leader The teacher acts as a leader in engaging students in multiple activities and directs them towards the goal He/She is mainly focused on course “planning” as well as “monitoring & controlling” the student activities in a “Project Management” style A Framework of Leading towards Learning

21. Application in the undergraduate VB-programming course Instructor We apply the concepts of Leading-Leading Framework by engaging students in five main activities: In-class programming Homework assignments Group-project: Apply overall knowledge to develop a business information system Three group presentations Two in-class hands-on tests Student A Framework of Leading towards Learning

22. Student reflection An assessment of the course activities as seen by students was performed through a survey questionnaire under the following conditions: The same question was asked three times in various word formats to get a better reflection from students The first assessment was done after the first group presentation and after the mid-term The second assessment was done after the second group presentation and before the final test Answer to questions are organized in five broad areas: Instructor activities, Group Project, Programming, and Motivation A Framework of Leading towards Learning

23. Results: 1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree A Framework of Leading towards Learning

24. Significant learning The result is different is the Systems Analysis & Design, Project Management, Data Warehouse and other graduate courses. Given the course activities, students are to define and justify which three activities provided significant knowledge in their learning: A Framework of Leading towards Learning

25. Conclusion We have discussed various methods of student engagement to motivate them towards learning We put forward a Leading-Learning Framework that is built upon the concept that the teacher becomes the leader to engage students in various course activities. The Framework divides the student-knowledge development into three different groups: each one is built upon the other The types of engagement may not be same for all courses. In the programming course, it is best to engage students mainly in programming activities However, group project is very effective for non-programming courses that have consistent relationship between various concepts of a course A Framework of Leading towards Learning