Measuring the Dynamics in Learning

M. Austin Creasy

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Conference: 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Publication Date: June 26, 2016
Start Date: June 26, 2016
End Date: June 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-692-68565-5
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Works in Progress: Classroom Practice
Tagged Division: Educational Research and Methods
Page Count: 11
DOI: 10.18260/p.25699
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/25699
Download Count: 528

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Paper Authors

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M. Austin Creasy Purdue University (Statewide Technology)

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Assistant Professor
Mechanical Engineering Technology
Purdue University

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Abstract

This work in progress paper describes a method for measuring the learning cycle of students participating in a flipped course. Education has typically used “static” performance to assess how students are grasping, learning, and mastering new concepts in learning. Static performance is defined here as the product of learning that a student provides an instructor for grading and assessment. This product may not contain all the work and processes used in their performance and therefore, static performance essentially only provides a “snap shot” of the learning. This snap shot is used by the instructor for instruction assessment, curriculum improvements, and student feedback. Using the snap shot does not provide the instructor with any information about additional learning activities performed by the student. Students that are learning new materials have environmental or metacognitive factors (peer distractions, instructor accents, etc.) to consider in the learning process. Therefore, obtaining information about the work and processes that a student follows can be defined as the “dynamic” performance. Obtaining the dynamic performance of a student’s journey through a subject matter will provide additional information about the student’s environment and struggles that can be used to improve education effectiveness.

In some courses, the required skills for mastering a newly introduced concept are obtained by students practicing numerous problems that are typically completed with pencil and paper. This practice allows the students to apply the concept to different scenarios in an attempt to master the concept. A student’s finished product is the solutions and the written procedures to the solutions of the problems that are assigned. The submitted solutions are not an accurate record of the work and processes used on that specific assignment. The solutions do not contain measurements of when a student uses notes, when a student asks for assistance, how many attempts are performed by the student, how the student determined which procedures to use, etc. A measure of a student’s dynamic performance provides that information because it captures all of the mention components. Technology can record the dynamic performance of students in an environment where they typically learn and work on these assignments. Surface devices can be used to replace computers, paper, and pencil and record all of the steps a student uses in producing the final product to be submitted for grading and assessment. The recordings provide the dynamic performance of the learning that has previously been difficult to obtain without special procedures or considerations. This paper will show how a surface device was used to record the dynamics in learning of a single student and show what information about learning was obtained from that student.

Citation
Format

Creasy, M. A. (2016, June), Measuring the Dynamics in Learning Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana. 10.18260/p.25699

TY - CPAPER
AB - This work in progress paper describes a method for measuring the learning cycle of students participating in a flipped course. Education has typically used “static” performance to assess how students are grasping, learning, and mastering new concepts in learning. Static performance is defined here as the product of learning that a student provides an instructor for grading and assessment. This product may not contain all the work and processes used in their performance and therefore, static performance essentially only provides a “snap shot” of the learning. This snap shot is used by the instructor for instruction assessment, curriculum improvements, and student feedback. Using the snap shot does not provide the instructor with any information about additional learning activities performed by the student. Students that are learning new materials have environmental or metacognitive factors (peer distractions, instructor accents, etc.) to consider in the learning process. Therefore, obtaining information about the work and processes that a student follows can be defined as the “dynamic” performance. Obtaining the dynamic performance of a student’s journey through a subject matter will provide additional information about the student’s environment and struggles that can be used to improve education effectiveness.

In some courses, the required skills for mastering a newly introduced concept are obtained by students practicing numerous problems that are typically completed with pencil and paper. This practice allows the students to apply the concept to different scenarios in an attempt to master the concept. A student’s finished product is the solutions and the written procedures to the solutions of the problems that are assigned. The submitted solutions are not an accurate record of the work and processes used on that specific assignment. The solutions do not contain measurements of when a student uses notes, when a student asks for assistance, how many attempts are performed by the student, how the student determined which procedures to use, etc. A measure of a student’s dynamic performance provides that information because it captures all of the mention components. Technology can record the dynamic performance of students in an environment where they typically learn and work on these assignments. Surface devices can be used to replace computers, paper, and pencil and record all of the steps a student uses in producing the final product to be submitted for grading and assessment. The recordings provide the dynamic performance of the learning that has previously been difficult to obtain without special procedures or considerations. This paper will show how a surface device was used to record the dynamics in learning of a single student and show what information about learning was obtained from that student.

AU - M. Austin Creasy
CY - New Orleans, Louisiana
DA - 2016/06/26
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Measuring the Dynamics in Learning
UR - https://peer.asee.org/25699
DO - 10.18260/p.25699
ER -