Pre Cluster Post Cluster PSS (n=75) Lecture 1 (n=64) Lecture 2 (n=76) Total (n=215) Stayed Stayed Deep 1: Deep-Str : Deep-Str4: Deep : Deep- Surf 1: Deep- Str : Deep- Surf 4: Deep55818 Total Stayed Strategic 2: Strategic 3: Strategic Stayed Surface 4: Surface- Strategic 2: Surface1135 Total Moved away from deep Moved Deep to Strategic 1: Deep-Str 3: Strategic : Deep- Surf 3: Strategic 0011 Total51814 Moved Deep to Surface 1: Deep-Str2: Surface0134 3: Deep- Surf 2: Surface1214 Total Moved to Deep Moved Strategic to Deep 2: Strategic 1: Deep- Str : Strategic4: Deep0000 Total Moved Surface to Deep 4: Surface- Strategic 1: Deep- Str : Surface- Strategic 4: Deep1102 Total32510 Total Other Moves Moved Surface to Strategic 4: Surface- Strategic 3: Strategic Moved Strategic to Surface 2: Strategic2: Surface1113 Total ASSIST (Learning Approaches) Analysis The ASSIST is a survey instrument with 52 Likert-type items which combine into 3 scales: Deep, Strategic, and Surface. All students took the survey at the beginning of the semester and at the end of the semester. The three scale scores were calculated for each student and then scaled. A k-means cluster analysis of the 3D scaled scores resulted in 4 clusters as characterized below. Higher values indicate a stronger commitment to the learning approach. Note that the earlier clusters and the late clusters have somewhat different characterizations. Each student was assigned to a cluster according to their early semester responses and then again according to their late semester responses. The movement between clusters is summarized in the table. For this pilot data, there was no statistically significant difference in movement between clusters among the three learning environments (PSS, Lecture1, and Lecture 2). The Problem Solving Studio (PSS): Understanding its impact on students’ approaches to learning Joe Le Doux, Alisha Waller, Jaclyn Murray The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, Atlanta, GA Challenge: many students (~ 20-25%) struggle in, and often fail or need to retake, entry level engineering courses. Objective: to create a learning environment that engages students and teaches them to “think like an engineer” Approach: establish classroom structures that change the students’ and teacher ‘s perceived rights and obligations in the classroom “I think this is how education should be from now on” – PSS student The Key Features of PSS Student comments: “It’s great to have our process critiqued by the instructors” “I felt most engaged when we began working on the big pads of paper” “I was surprised by how different this class is. I’m used to being taught, not figuring everything out myself, but I like it” “Working in groups was really helpful because otherwise, I might have been too intimidated to ask questions” Visibility Teams work in a shared problem- solving space (blotter pads) Pads provide a window into students’ thinking processes Public nature of work motivates students Collaborative Participation Team-based Student-centered Heterogeneous teams of 2 (dyad) Tables of two teams (dyads of dyads) Situated Feedback When faulty problem strategies are observed, the instructor conducts “just- in-time” discussions These discussions can take place at multiple levels: team, table, or entire class PSS is a vertical apprenticeship environment: professor  teaching assistants  students Contrasting Cases Problems focus students’ attention on engineering “habits of the mind” through the use of “contrasting cases” Significant attention is focused on diagrammatic reasoning / model-based reasoning