Using Mastering with Today’s Students Tips to Encourage Student Success Scott Hildreth - Chabot College

2 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Today’s students…. Wireless hot spot? Wireless hot spot??

3 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Today’s students….

4 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Our Students… Online, Mobile, Social, Hyper (linked) Online, Mobile, Social, Hyper (linked) Visual, Video-friendly Visual, Video-friendly Willing to learn, but…. Willing to learn, but…. Less time for homework? Less time for homework? Less patience for questions? Less patience for questions? Less comprehension for reading? Less comprehension for reading?

5 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 But we also have… More classes, more students, less time… More classes, more students, less time… Administrators asking that we “prove” students are learning Administrators asking that we “prove” students are learning

6 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 The Homework Dilemma We know it can help students learn We know it can help students learn We know it takes effort to succeed We know it takes effort to succeed We want to get feedback to students quickly We want to get feedback to students quickly But… But… Grading is incredibly time consuming, and of questionable value if students don’t learn from it

7 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 The Homework Dilemma Coping Strategies… Coping Strategies… Assign “odd” problems with answers Assign “odd” problems with answers Assign many, grade a few Assign many, grade a few Assign, but collect and examine occasionally Assign, but collect and examine occasionally Don’t assign very many Don’t assign very many Use graders & TA’s if you have $ Use graders & TA’s if you have $

8 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 The Homework Dilemma And with any of these… And with any of these… What students miss isn’t always clear when you collect the assignment; What students miss isn’t always clear when you collect the assignment; Why they miss the problems isn’t easily known; Why they miss the problems isn’t easily known; By the time you can learn these, days/weeks may have passed. By the time you can learn these, days/weeks may have passed.

9 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Benefits of Online Homework Anywhere, anytime availability 24/7 Anywhere, anytime availability 24/7 Encourages collaboration & spontaneous help Encourages collaboration & spontaneous help Instantaneous Feedback Instantaneous Feedback For Students For Students For us – what they miss, what errors they make, how long they take, how much they do For us – what they miss, what errors they make, how long they take, how much they do

10 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Using Results

11 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Using Results to Teach Examine submissions quickly by Examine submissions quickly by Hardest problem (& most common errors) Hardest problem (& most common errors) Time (caveat: not necessarily valid measure) Time (caveat: not necessarily valid measure) Names Names Change lecture/discussion to focus on errors Change lecture/discussion to focus on errors Re-assign key problems (with variables!) Re-assign key problems (with variables!)

12 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Benefits of Online Homework Re-allocate grading time Improve lectures & labs, targeting key concepts we now know they have missed; Improve lectures & labs, targeting key concepts we now know they have missed; Amending/editing problems we now know why they miss Amending/editing problems we now know why they miss Adding relevancy through links to new research Adding relevancy through links to new research and… and… Our own research! Our own research!

13 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Mastering Captures Data

14 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Data at our fingertips…

15 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Assignment Results

16 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Mastering Benefits Scaffolding Tutorial Problems Scaffolding Tutorial Problems Multiple Types of Hints Multiple Types of Hints Feedback based on actual student errors Feedback based on actual student errors Rich Databases Rich Databases Assignable problems Assignable problems Enhanced Media Enhanced Media Comparable Results across class & all users Comparable Results across class & all users

17 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010

18 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Additional Benefits Personalized Help Personalized Help Record of student work Record of student work Customized grading exceptions Customized grading exceptions Tremendous Flexibility Tremendous Flexibility Assignment Types Assignment Types Grading schemas Grading schemas Editing, Enhancing, Extending Editing, Enhancing, Extending

19 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Additional Benefits Change credit, extend due date - instantly Change credit, extend due date - instantly

20 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Mastering Flexibility Homework Homework In-class Group/Lab Work In-class Group/Lab Work Lecture! Lecture! Extra Credit Extra Credit Quizzes Quizzes Study & Remediation Study & Remediation

21 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Assignment Types in Physics

22 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Assignment Types in Astronomy

23 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Assignments Sources Sources Textbook End-of-chapter problems Textbook End-of-chapter problems Tutorials with stepped hints Tutorials with stepped hints Test Banks Test Banks Additional media (Astronomy Tutorials) Additional media (Astronomy Tutorials) Customized Problems Customized Problems

24 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Assignment Options Sorting by difficulty, type, title Sorting by difficulty, type, title Customize credit based on time or difficulty Customize credit based on time or difficulty Track total estimate time & difficulty Track total estimate time & difficulty Add messages to enhance instructions Add messages to enhance instructions

25 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Annotating Assignments

26 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Creating Assignments Editing is easy! Editing is easy! Simple editor Simple editor Add Annotations Add Annotations Add hyperlinks Add hyperlinks Rephrase or emphasize Rephrase or emphasize Advanced editor Advanced editor Expanded hints Expanded hints More correct/incorrect answer feedback More correct/incorrect answer feedback

27 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Adding Hyperlinks

28 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Easy to Explore New Problems

29 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Grading Customized for assignment types Customized for assignment types Homework (no hint “penalty”, multiple chances, late work % declines by hour, etc.) Homework (no hint “penalty”, multiple chances, late work % declines by hour, etc.) Tutorials (credit for trying, 50% credit late) Tutorials (credit for trying, 50% credit late) Export to Excel Export to Excel

30 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010

31 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Grading

32 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 So how hard is it to get going?

33 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Before Course Starts Setup, Copying Assignments, Add Hints Setup, Copying Assignments, Add Hints Choreography Choreography Help Pages Help Pages Examples Examples Math/Equation Tips Math/Equation Tips Sample Student Account Sample Student Account

34 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Best Practices Early Setup Early Setup “Default” Student account “Default” Student account Consider ahead of time: Consider ahead of time: how you want students to use hints how you want students to use hints how you want to score late work how you want to score late work how much credit you want to give HW and/or group work how much credit you want to give HW and/or group work Use the system in lecture Use the system in lecture Encourage use of feedback & reply quickly Encourage use of feedback & reply quickly Use the Diagnostic Data Use the Diagnostic Data Experiment! Experiment!

35 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Caveats, Gotchas, Gremlins

36 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Incorrect Answers can occur Incorrect Answers can occur Java Plug-in’s need updating Java Plug-in’s need updating Pay attention to Units (esp. radians vs. degrees), Significant Figures, Tolerances Pay attention to Units (esp. radians vs. degrees), Significant Figures, Tolerances (Current) gradebook can be improved (Current) gradebook can be improved Groups feature not as powerful Groups feature not as powerful Caveats, Gotchas, Gremlins

37 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Online is not for Everyone

38 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Concerns How much time is required to LEARN the tool on our side…. And, How much time is required to LEARN the tool on our side…. And, How much time away from key concepts is really required to teach the tool to the student? How much time away from key concepts is really required to teach the tool to the student? What about teaching students to diagram problems, or explain steps of a solution? What about teaching students to diagram problems, or explain steps of a solution? What about Cheating? What about Cheating?

39 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Concerns & Criticisms

40 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 “You won’t really know what they are doing wrong without looking at paper HW” “You won’t really know what they are doing wrong without looking at paper HW” “Some problems don’t lend themselves to computer mediation” “Some problems don’t lend themselves to computer mediation” “You spend too much time teaching the tool, not the concepts.” “You spend too much time teaching the tool, not the concepts.” “The tool is too complex.” “The tool is too complex.” “The grading system makes errors.” “The grading system makes errors.” Concerns & Criticisms

41 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Cutting out social learning?

42 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 But on the plus side… More time to focus on teaching More time to focus on teaching More information to use More information to use More flexibility than textbooks alone More flexibility than textbooks alone More accessibility More accessibility

43 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Fearing the future?

44 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Or enjoying it…

45 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Questions? Discussion? Check out the resource list and current research Check out the resource list and current research Login to my classes to look around Login to my classes to look around me with questions! me with questions! Images reprinted in the online presentation and available online were borrowed with permission from " .this.book", The Cartoon Bank, Alfred A. Knopf, NY, “The Far Side” comics by Gary Larson cannot be distributed online. Images reprinted in the online presentation and available online were borrowed with permission from " .this.book", The Cartoon Bank, Alfred A. Knopf, NY, “The Far Side” comics by Gary Larson cannot be distributed online.

46 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Tips, Hints, Good Stuff

47 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Group Work Group Work Students Like “Visual” Quizzes Students Like “Visual” Quizzes Screen Shots w/ annotations (Snag-it) Screen Shots w/ annotations (Snag-it) Exporting grades to Excel Exporting grades to Excel filter for feedback filter for feedback Tips, Hints, Good Stuff

48 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Tip#1: Group Work

49 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Tip #1: Group Work For in-class group work: For in-class group work: Pick a few key tutorials Pick a few key tutorials Allow more time than you think Allow more time than you think Have a handout to gather team names and share credit. Have a handout to gather team names and share credit. For outside of class work For outside of class work Use “submit feedback” to gather names Use “submit feedback” to gather names

50 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 In-class Group Work Tutorials are great time-on-task activities Tutorials are great time-on-task activities Assign 4-5 problems for minutes of discussion. Assign 4-5 problems for minutes of discussion. Use the tool while you walk around Use the tool while you walk around Encourage using HINTS Encourage using HINTS Help with entering symbols Help with entering symbols Prompt conversation & discussion Prompt conversation & discussion

51 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Tip #2: Math/Equations Learn how to enter basic symbols used most often with keyboard commands Learn how to enter basic symbols used most often with keyboard commands v 2 = v^2 v 2 = v^2 x 1 = x_1, x 1 = x_1, sin(q) = sin(/theta) sin(q) = sin(/theta) Demonstrate this in class Demonstrate this in class Provide Handouts Provide Handouts Use HELP Use HELP

52 Scott Hildreth - Chabot College - Spring 2010 Math/Equation Tips