Student perceptions and instructor experiences in implementing an online homework system in a large second-year engineering course

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 40-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia L. Elias ◽  
Duncan G. Elliott ◽  
Janet A.W. Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Online Homework ◽  
Second Year

scholarly journals DEVELOPING FOR AND DEPLOYING WEBWORK ACROSS DISCIPLINES IN SECOND-YEAR ENGINEERING

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnes G. D’Entremont ◽  
Negar M. Harandi ◽  
Jonathan Verrett
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Data Privacy ◽  
Online Homework ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Engineering Problems ◽  
Second Year

Online homework systems provide immediate feedback to students, enhancing student learning. However, paid online homework from textbook publishers or other sources systems can be costly and also raise concerns about student data privacy. WeBWorK is an open-source online homework system that can be setup on local servers, is free to students and has been in use since its development in the mid-1990s. Previous to this work around 200 engineering problems were openly shared on the WeBWorK platform, limiting opportunity for adoption.  In order to address this, we have developed, deployed, and evaluated nearly 1000 new engineering problems across a wide range of engineering topics at the second-year level.  Student perceptions of WeBWorK have been evaluated using surveys at the start and end of courses where it is deployed. These surveys indicate that students generally prefer the WeBWorK system to other online homework systems they have used. Surveys also indicate that students were generally motivated to both attempt and complete all assigned problems that contributed to their grade, and believed WeBWorK enhanced their learning. The creation of error-free WeBWorK questions was difficult, however the hope is that the ability to re-use and share these questions ensures they provide a higher value over the long term than paper-based homework problems.  

scholarly journals Study of Live Lecture Attendance, Student Perceptions and Expectations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johnathan Emahiser ◽  
John Nguyen ◽  
Cheryl Vanier ◽  
Amina Sadik
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Year Students ◽  
Study Materials ◽  
Class B ◽  
Second Year ◽  
To Come ◽  
Perceptions And Expectations ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractDeclining lecture attendance has been an ongoing concern for educators involved in undergraduate medical education. A survey was developed (a) to gain insight into the reasons students skipped class, (b) to identify the type of study materials they were using, and (c) to determine what they thought would motivate them to come to class. The survey was sent to 317 first-year and second-year medical students, and 145 (45%) responded. Only 63% of first-year students and 53% of second-year students attended any lectures that were not mandatory. The attendance was higher for students who aspired to less competitive specialties such as pediatrics and family medicine. The most popular reasons for not coming to class were related to the efficiency of information intake and instructor or class style. The most heavily used resources (> 60%) were materials or recorded lectures provided by the instructor. The second-year students also heavily used outside study materials for Board exams, such as Pathoma (50%). Students’ ideas for what might increase their attendance suggest that they perceive that the lectures may not prepare them for Board exams, and they would like faculty to address Board related content more often in class and on assessments. Respondents also suggested that teaching practices might be improved through faculty development. Faculty awareness of and references to Board exam content, embedded in strong teaching practices, may help students find more value in live lectures. Carefully designed active learning sessions may change students’ minds regarding the relevance and value of these sessions.

Crossword Puzzles: Active Learning in Undergraduate Pathology and Medical Education

2009 ◽  
Vol 133 (9) ◽  
pp. 1457-1462
Author(s):  
Anurag Saxena ◽  
Raenelle Nesbitt ◽  
Punam Pahwa ◽  
Sheryl Mills
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Teaching Tool ◽  
Internet Resource ◽  
Cooperative Groups ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Peer Teachers ◽  
Short Time

Abstract Context.—Second-year medical students are introduced to many new terms and concepts in a short time frame in the hematology system and the neoplasia section of the undergraduate pathology course. It is a challenge to provide adequate practice and necessary repetition to reinforce key concepts. Objective.—To determine student perceptions of the usefulness of crosswords as a quick and effective way to reinforce essential concepts and vocabulary. Design.—Crosswords with ensured content validity built on a free Internet resource were completed by the students in collaborative and cooperative groups of 6 to 7 with a reward for the first group to successfully complete the puzzle. Student perceptions of the value of crosswords for their learning were examined in 2003 (39 students) with a survey of yes or no responses and in 2004 (41 students) with a survey using questions with a 5-point Likert scale. Results.—Many students (37 of 39 in 2003 and 24 of 41 in 2004) indicated that crosswords were useful and contributed to their learning. Specifically, crosswords were found to be useful for identifying key concepts and vocabulary and for their collaborative and competitive aspects. Written and informal comments indicated student enthusiasm for and a desire to participate in more of these exercises. Students have transferred this review strategy to other classes and the peer teachers have expressed an interest in it as an adjunct teaching tool. Conclusions.—The judicious use of crosswords was useful for near transfer content and provided an opportunity to discuss and recall essential concepts, think critically, and collaborate in small groups.

Faculty and second-year medical student perceptions of active learning in an integrated curriculum

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 446-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Tsang ◽  
David M. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Active Learning ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Medical Curriculum ◽  
Faculty Perceptions ◽  
Mail Survey ◽  
Passive Learning ◽  
Teacher Students ◽  
Second Year

Patients expect physicians to be lifelong learners who are able to interpret and evaluate diagnostic tests, and most medical schools list the development of lifelong learning in their program objectives. However, lecture is the most often utilized form of teaching in the first two years and is considered passive learning. The current generation of medical students has many characteristics that should support active learning pedagogies. The purpose of this study was to analyze student and faculty perceptions of active learning in an integrated medical curriculum at the second-year mark, where students have been exposed to multiple educational pedagogies. The first hypothesis of the study was that faculty would favor active learning methods. The second hypothesis was that Millennial medical students would favor active learning due to their characteristics. Primary faculty for years 1 and 2 and second-year medical students were recruited for an e-mail survey consisting of 12 questions about active learning and lecture. Students perceived that lecture and passive pedagogies were more effective for learning, whereas faculty felt active and collaborative learning was more effective. Students believed that more content should be covered by lecture than faculty. There were also significant differences in perceptions of what makes a good teacher. Students and faculty both felt that lack of time in the curriculum and preparation time were barriers for faculty. The data suggest that students are not familiar with the process of learning and that more time may be needed to help students develop lifelong learning skills.

scholarly journals STUDENT FEEDBACK AND PROBLEM DEVELOPMENT FOR WEBWORK IN A SECOND-YEAR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PROGRAM

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnes G. D'Entremont ◽  
Patrick J. Walls ◽  
Peter A. Cripton
Keyword(s):  
Open Problem ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Student Feedback ◽  
Online Homework ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Mathematics Problems ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Blackboard Learn

Abstract – WeBWorK is a widely-used open-source, online homework tool where instructors may author their own problems, or select problems from an Open Problem Library. While it is extensively and globally used in mathematics, there are few problems available for engineering subjects. Due to initial student feedback based on mathematics problems, we decided to compare WeBWorK directly to our Blackboard Learn LMS for online homework during an integrated second-year Mechanical Engineering program. Students were assigned two problem sets in Blackboard and two problem sets in WeBWorK, and then completed a survey. Results show a strong preference for WeBWorK in all areas, including ease of use, ease of navigation, clear feedback, reported enhancement of learning, etc. We outline the primary benefits and drawbacks of using WeBWorK, and conclude by recommending WeBWorK for online homework in engineering courses.  

scholarly journals MULTI-FACTORIAL PATTERNS OF ONLINE HOMEWORK USAGE IN ENGINEERING: A PILOT STUDY

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnes D’Entremont ◽  
Jonathan Verrett ◽  
ShunFu Hu ◽  
Juan Abelló ◽  
Negar M. Harandi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Mechanical Engineering ◽  
Latent Profile Analysis ◽  
Profile Analysis ◽  
Online Homework ◽  
Usage Patterns ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Usage Data ◽  
Latent Profile

WeBWorK online homework usage data for a second-year, 130-student mechanical engineering course was analyzed using latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify student usage patterns and their relation to tests/exams grades. Ten WeBWorK usage variables were used by LPA to identify three distinct student sub-groups having particular usage patterns. The resulting three sub-groups were found to have statistically significant differences in tests/exam grades. Lower grades corresponded to fewer WeBWorK sessions and questions attempted, with a higher number of attempts and questions attempted per session; lower grades also corresponded to lower collaboration metrics and later first submissions of correct answers. These results might be used by instructors to inform and encourage online homework usage practices that are related to higher grades.

scholarly journals Original Undergraduate Research in Classroom Contexts: Student Perceptions of a Scaffolded Approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Karen Manarin ◽  
April McGrath ◽  
Miriam Carey
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Research Process ◽  
First Year ◽  
Student Work ◽  
Class A ◽  
Second Year

This article describes a model for supporting undergraduate research that can be adapted for very different classroom contexts; we implemented this model in a first-year general education composition class, a second-year Psychology class and a fourth-year English literature seminar. We examine student work created for each class as well as reflections and interviews to explore student attitudes towards and perceptions of research. While the scaffolded approach had an impact on students' understanding of the research process, the effects did not vary significantly by level and context as we had expected.

scholarly journals STUDENT SUBMISSION PATTERNS IN ONLINE HOMEWORK AND RELATIONSHIPS TO LEARNING OUTCOMES: A PILOT STUDY

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianni Co ◽  
Zuheng Xu ◽  
Giorgio Sgarbi ◽  
Siqi Cheng ◽  
Ziqi Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Online Homework ◽  
Science And Engineering ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Academic Year

Online homework systems are being increasingly used for auto-graded, instant feedback homework and practice for students in math, science and engineering. Students may use these systems, which often allow multiple or unlimited tries, in ways that are different from completing traditional paper-based homework, however research relating online homework system patterns of usage and learning outcomes is limited. This study explores online homework submission patterns and their links to student learning outcomes (weighted individual grades) by analyzing the submission patterns of two second-year engineering courses (~130 students each) from our institution over the 2017-2018 academic year using WeBWorK, an open online homework platform. Students in each of the two courses were clustered into three groups using a K-means algorithm based on when during the homework period they tended to submit attempts. Clusters were used to approximately represent a submission pattern, meaning groups of students that submit attempts mostly early, mostly late, or more evenly over the period. Conducting one-way ANOVAs for each course, we found that there is a significant difference between clusters (submission patterns) in terms of mean individual weighted grades on tests and exams (p < 1.07e-08, p < 2.68e-5). Post-hoc analyses revealed that the best performing cluster (students who submit attempts mostly early) had a mean tests/exams grades that were about 10% higher than worst performing cluster (students who submit attempts mostly late) (p < 2.6e-06, p < 9.9e-05).  

scholarly journals Student Perceptions of Online Homework Use for Formative Assessment of Learning in Organic Chemistry

2015 ◽  
Vol 92 (11) ◽  
pp. 1813-1819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Richards-Babb ◽  
Reagan Curtis ◽  
Zornitsa Georgieva ◽  
John H. Penn
Keyword(s):  
Organic Chemistry ◽  
Formative Assessment ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Online Homework ◽  
Assessment Of Learning
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