Patterns of online use and improved student performance with repeatable online assessments

1. Patterns of online use and improved student performance with repeatable online assessments Ann E. Holmes, Ph.D. Department of Physics, Geology and Astronomy and Jennifer T. Ellis, Ph.D. Walker Teaching Resource Center University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN 37403 Ann-Holmes@utc.edu Jennifer-T-Ellis@utc.edu Research Funded by NSF-CCLI Grant #0716290

2. Patterns of Use

3. General Usage of Blackboard Content Area contains Lecture outlines, PowerPoint lectures for review, and online quizzes 52% Physical Geology, Fall 2010

4. Blackboard Access by Date

5. Blackboard Access by Day of Week Class meets Tuesday & Thursday for 1 hour and 15 minutes Most work is done during the week on Monday-Thursday These data have strong implications for scheduling online class deadlines

6. Blackboard Access by Hour Most work is done between 8 a.m. – midnight Some work done as late as 3 a.m. Students have 24/7 access to the material These data have strong implications for scheduling online class deadlines

7. Student Performance

8. Improved PerformanceDescriptive Statistics online quizzes i>Clicker review no i>Clicker review

9. Improved PerformanceInferential Statistics Fall 2008 control group

10. Quiz Creation &Examples

11. Choosing Topics for Quizzes • 7 online quizzes • ~10 questions each • Focused on topics that were confusing, complex, not well-understood in past classes • quizzes were designed to give students visual and conceptual opportunities to learn • remembering and understanding • analysis and application

12. Topics for Quizzes • Lithospheric Plate Names • Mineral Group Identification • Solidus/Liquidus Igneous melting • Sedimentary Depositional Environments • Contact Metamorphism and Rock Names • Earthquakes • Surface and Groundwater

13. Lithospheric Plate ID Quiz Learning Objective: After completion of this quiz students should be able to recognize plate names. Screen Snapshot From Blackboard Students were given unlimited attempts to correctly identify plate names. Each exam had at least one similar question.

14. Lithospheric Plate ID Quiz Screen Snapshot From Blackboard

15. Mineral Group ID by Formula Quiz Learning Objective: Students should be able to identify a mineral group by the anion or anion group Screen Snapshot From Blackboard

16. QUESTION: Compare the two solidus lines in the diagram.  One is labeled wet solidus line and one is labeled dry solidus line.  Which statement accurately reflects the use of one of these solidus lines? Solidus/Liquidus Question • Answer Choices • Use the wet solidus line if there is no water present. • Use the wet solidus line when water is present. • Use the dry solidus if there is water present. Incorrect Feedback Minerals melt at lower temperatures when water is present. The wet solidus represents the appropriate melting curve when water is present, and the dry solidus, when water is not present. Use one or the other, never both.   • Learning objective • correctly determine the effect of water on melting temperature • understand how/when to use lines on graph

17. Solidus/Liquidus Igneous Quiz • Learning Objectives • understand how to read a P/T melting graph • understand effects of decompression • understand effects of increased temperature Which mineral melts due to increasing temperature? (ID by arrow color) Which mineral or rock melts because of decreasing pressure? (ID by arrow color) What is the state of any mineral or rock that lies in the blue field? What is the state of any mineral or rock that lies in the green field? What is the state of any mineral or rock in the yellow field?

18. Sedimentary Environments of Deposition • Learning objective • become adept at recognizing sedimentary environments Screen Snapshot From Blackboard

19. Earthquake Quiz Match the seismic stations and their seismograms to an appropriate lettered box located on the surface in the cross-section sketch of Earth.  • Learning Objective • Identify P & S waves on a seismogram • Analyze DT length on 3 seismograms • Apply knowledge to link DT length and seismic station placement

20. Earthquake Quiz Which answers correctly match seismic stations (PAN, etc) and their seismograms to an appropriate box located on the surface in the cross-section sketch of Earth?  a.  PAN belongs at Bb.  BRG belongs at Cc.  RGT belongs at Ad.  RGT belongs at Ce.  PAN belongs at Cf.  PAN belongs at Ag.  RGT belongs ad Bh.  BRG belongs at Bi.  BRG belongs at A

21. Water Quiz • Learning Objective • recognize difference between unconfined and confined aquifers aquiclude Question Well A penetrates a(n) __________. a.  confined aquiferb.  unconfined aquifer

22. Water Quiz • Learning Objectives • analyze potential contamination • assess which well is less likely to be polluted aquiclude Question Which well, A or B, is likely to be polluted by the factory? A.  neither A nor B is likely to be polluted by the factoryB.  only water from well B is likely to be polluted by the factoryC.  only water from well A is likely to be polluted by the factory

23. Conclusion • Students conceptual and visual understanding was significantly enhanced via the integration of the online quizzes • New formative assessment model required the same level of effort from the instructor to construct concept questions that assess student understanding of the content as used with the i>Clicker method • One of the major benefits to students was the ability to access to the material at times that work best for their study habits/preferences (24/7) • Increased and repetitive access is interpreted to contribute to enhancing student understanding of physical geology content and improved their overall course performance

24. Questions? Ann E. Holmes, Ph.D. Ann-Holmes@utc.edu Department of Physics, Geology and Astronomy and Jennifer T. Ellis, Ph.D. Jennifer-T-Ellis@utc.edu Walker Teaching Resource Center University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN 37403