1 / 26

To adopt or not adopt TBL: a diffusion of innovation perspective

To adopt or not adopt TBL: a diffusion of innovation perspective. Mark Freeman & Susan McGrath-Champ. Adopt or not?. Research aims and motivation. Aim To better understand the TBL adoption decision Motivation Little research on teachers (+ others) experiences

sai
Download Presentation

To adopt or not adopt TBL: a diffusion of innovation perspective

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. To adopt or not adopt TBL: a diffusion of innovation perspective Mark Freeman & Susan McGrath-Champ

  2. Adopt or not?

  3. Research aims and motivation Aim • To better understand the TBL adoption decision Motivation • Little research on teachers (+ others) experiences • Little research grounded in (innovation) theory • Useful for potential adopters, developers & mgrs

  4. Adopt which bits?

  5. Context Australia • National research performance exercise • National teaching performance fund University • On-campus, research-intensive, “Sandstone” • 47,000 commuter students School (Faculty) Economics and Business • 10,000 students (30% international) • 300 teachers in 11 comprehensive disciplines • Research required and teaching freedom • Transformation since 1999 • Embedded L&T support staff • TBL trial 2006-7

  6. Research literature Innovation in higher education • Typically student experience/tool/method • Teacher experience often peripheral • Nearby peer (Bennett, 01) in ‘tribe’ (Beecher 91) • Other stakeholders (Bell & Bell, 05) TBL • Approach (Michaelsen et al, 02) • Students  enjoyment, engagement, skills, achievement (Levine et al, 04) • 11 medical teachers in 10 schools (Thompson et al; 07)

  7. The “Chasm”

  8. Diffusion of innovation research Individual factors (eg. Rogers 95,03) • Relative advantage • Cultural compatibility • Trialability • Visibility • Complexity Non individual factors (Frambach et al, 02) • Internal • External

  9. Research method • Staff interviews • 5 with adopting teachers • 1 dropped and 1 repeat • Accounting, HR, Ethics • 4 adoption supporters (TA, Tech, Dev, AMgr) • Questions • Demographics and context • Model used (Assessment weight? # Quests & quizzes? Appeals? Problems? Peer assessment?) • 7 open-ended adoption factors • Transcribed • Categorised by factor • Student perceptions survey and comparison on marks

  10. Relative advantage Adopter + Quality of learning + Student experience + Love instant feedback + Increase interaction + Fun factor + Job satisfaction + Long term time benefit - Initial cost (if not supported) - Writing suitable Q - Right teaching space hard Supporters + Active learning strategy (AMgr) + Less time/$ on marking (TA) + The whole TBL model (TA) - Admin work on quiz & data (TA) - Technical skill of adopter (Tec) - Riskof failure (AMgr) - Might rethink teaching (AMgr)

  11. Cultural compatibility Adopters + Paradigm shift to teaching + Free to choose teaching style + UG students naturally disposed + Confident teachers fine - Few peers interested - Relinquish control of class - PG students less comfortable Supporters + Fits role of Office of L&T (Tech) + Disrupts dominant ‘telling’ paradigm (Dev) + Fits disciplines trialled (AMgr) + Fits actual adopters (AMgr) - Research vs teaching (AMgr)

  12. Complexity Adopters + Process straightforward + Depends on attitude - Need to see to believe - Requires support Supporters +Technical staff (Mgr/Dev) - Varies by % TBL used (AMgr) - Might rethink teaching (AMgr) - Technical skill matters (Tec) - Harder larger class (AMgr)

  13. Visibility Adopters + Evident in team quiz results + Only if observed in action + Students can spread word too - Inadequate promotion eg. web Supporters + Seeing demystifies (Dev) + Hearing peer teaching hum is persuasive (AMgr) + Research & conference papers visible (AMgr)

  14. Trialability Adopters + Can break into bits - Need all bits to be truly effective Supporters + Technical support necessary (Tec/Mgr) + If interactive Q already used eg. Clickers (AMgr) - Take a few cycles to refine and get ROI (Dev) - Big bother for adopting all bits once-off (AMgr)

  15. Internal organisation Supporters + A budget meant quick responses possible (Tec) + ‘sense of something’ (TA) + Strategic positioning under new dean (AMgr) - Education of adopters (Tec) Adopters + Extra TA resource + Enthusiasm & evidence of developer + L&T leadership + L&T support - Inflexibility marking support policy

  16. Adopters + Responsive equipment supplier + Question banks - Corrupt publisher question bank - Prior “TBL” experience External environment Supporters + Evidence success elsewhere (AMgr) + Increased rankings pressure (AMgr)

  17. Themes Attributes of sample teachers  All student-centred & confident teachers (Thompson, p.254; 2007)  All value teaching personally and/or in peer ‘tribe’  All prepared to take some risks Still face challenges  Threshold factors vary and dissipate over time (Thompson, p.253; 2007)  Variation apparent with early adopter/mainstream Chasm  Course redesign even if pro-interaction and have some Q developed  Support stakeholders & context matter lots Other teachers  Not recalcitrant (Newton, p.423; 03)  Just burned, busy, besotted with main reward game

  18. Sustainability 1. Develop local support systems  Appeal to mainstream not early adopter (Anderson et al 98)  Online FAQs and templates  Online case studies (with video; honest cost/benefits list)  Encourage incremental adoption  Central equipment supply & maintenance  Central JIT development support (both technical & pedagogical) 2. Align local policies  Build and allocate appropriate teaching spaces  Reward innovation not just teaching quality  Reward evaluation and pedagogical research (Anderson et al 98)  Grant provisions include collaboration & evaluation report

  19. Sustainability 3. Facilitate communities of practice  Provide internal opportunities for sharing • TBLers • Innovators • Disciplinary tribe eg. through research seminars  Practice needs to survive champion

  20. Conclusion Case studies of adopter experience important & vary • High impact of formal & informal support structures • High impact of stakeholder’s conception of teaching Limitations overcome with future research • Ground in other models of diffusion • Bigger, multiple site, unbiased sample • Quantitative • Look for impact of different % of TBL adoption and consider adopters either side of ‘chasm’ • Current http://www.surveymonkey.com/MySurveys.asp?u=768203913765

  21. Thank you …. Q&A

  22. Add results: Student perceptions survey

  23. Add results: Student perceptions survey

  24. Add results : Student perceptions survey

  25. Add results : Student perceptions survey

  26. Add results : Student perceptions survey

More Related