Testing a Prototype System for Mining of Student Notes and Questions to Create Study Guides

Perry Samson

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Conference: 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Publication Date: June 15, 2014
Start Date: June 15, 2014
End Date: June 18, 2014
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: General Technical Session 1
Tagged Division: Computers in Education
Page Count: 9
Page Numbers: 24.1181.1 - 24.1181.9
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--23114
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/23114
Download Count: 387

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Perry Samson University of Michigan

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Perry Samson is Professor of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences and Professor of Entrepreneurship in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. He holds an Arthur F. Thurnau Professorship at the University of Michigan in recognition of “outstanding contributions to undergraduate education” and is the recipient of the 2009 Teaching Innovation Award at the University of Michigan and a past recipient of the College of Engineering Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2010 Perry was named Distinguished Professor of the Year by the President’s Council of Universities in the State of Michigan.

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Abstract

Testing a Prototype System for Mining of StudentNotes and Questions to Create Study GuidesThe IssueIn the foreseeable future it will be technically possible for instructors, advisors and otherdelegated representatives of a college or university to access student participation andperformance data in near-real time. One potential benefit of this increased data flow couldinclude an improved ability to identify students at risk of academic failure or withdrawal. Theavailability of these data could also lead to creation of new adaptive learning measures that canautomatically provide students personalized guidance.MethodsSamson (2010) reported that the availability of mobile tools that deliberately engage studentsduring class dramatically changed the mechanics of course at the University of Michigan withover 80% of students attending lecture voluntarily bringing mobile devices to class. On one hand,surveys showed that students believe the availability of a laptop was more likely to increase theirtime on tasks unrelated to the conduct of the course. On the other hand, the surveys alsoascertained that students felt more attentive with the technology, significantly more engaged, andable to learn more with the technology than in similar classes without it.The mobile technology led to a dramatic increases in the number of students posing questionsduring class time, with more than half posing at least one question during class over the course ofa semester, a percentage far higher than achieved in semesters prior to the use of thistechnology. Moreover, while 50% of men and 80% of women in the science course surveyedclaimed to be uncomfortable asking questions in a large lecture setting, 66% of all students (menand women) ask questions when questions and subsequent answers are posted anonymously.The tool employed for this study, LectureTools, allows the students to: • Type notes synchronized with the lecture slides; • Answer questions posed by the instructor • Self-assess understanding and indicate when they are confused • Pose questions to the instructor and view responses; • Draw on the instructor’s lecture slides; and • Print lecture slides and notes for off-line review.LectureTools enables the instructor to ask a wide range of question types including multiplechoice, reorder list, free response, numerical and image-based questions, excellent for testingstudents understanding of graphs, images and maps.The instructor also is presented with rich data on student performance that can help identify non-participating students far earlier as well as feedback on which slides and topics caused the mostconfusion for students. This presentation describes how the data are being mined to providestudent study guides and reports on how these new study guides have been received by thestudents and how they are at least partially responsible for a significant increase in studentoutcomes. In the presentation the audience will be provided an opportunity to try out the systemto illustrate the data generated and the opportunities afforded with these data. All attendees areinvited to bring a wireless device to participate.Samson, P.J., 2010: Deliberate Engagement of Laptops in Large Lecture Classes to Improve Attentiveness and Engagement,Computers in Education (1) 2, April‐June, 2010.

Citation
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Samson, P. (2014, June), Testing a Prototype System for Mining of Student Notes and Questions to Create Study Guides Paper presented at 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Indianapolis, Indiana. 10.18260/1-2--23114

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Testing a Prototype System for Mining of StudentNotes and Questions to Create Study GuidesThe IssueIn the foreseeable future it will be technically possible for instructors, advisors and otherdelegated representatives of a college or university to access student participation andperformance data in near-real time. One potential benefit of this increased data flow couldinclude an improved ability to identify students at risk of academic failure or withdrawal. Theavailability of these data could also lead to creation of new adaptive learning measures that canautomatically provide students personalized guidance.MethodsSamson (2010) reported that the availability of mobile tools that deliberately engage studentsduring class dramatically changed the mechanics of course at the University of Michigan withover 80% of students attending lecture voluntarily bringing mobile devices to class. On one hand,surveys showed that students believe the availability of a laptop was more likely to increase theirtime on tasks unrelated to the conduct of the course. On the other hand, the surveys alsoascertained that students felt more attentive with the technology, significantly more engaged, andable to learn more with the technology than in similar classes without it.The mobile technology led to a dramatic increases in the number of students posing questionsduring class time, with more than half posing at least one question during class over the course ofa semester, a percentage far higher than achieved in semesters prior to the use of thistechnology. Moreover, while 50% of men and 80% of women in the science course surveyedclaimed to be uncomfortable asking questions in a large lecture setting, 66% of all students (menand women) ask questions when questions and subsequent answers are posted anonymously.The tool employed for this study, LectureTools, allows the students to:   • Type notes synchronized with the lecture slides;   • Answer questions posed by the instructor   • Self-assess understanding and indicate when they are confused   • Pose questions to the instructor and view responses;   • Draw on the instructor’s lecture slides; and   • Print lecture slides and notes for off-line review.LectureTools enables the instructor to ask a wide range of question types including multiplechoice, reorder list, free response, numerical and image-based questions, excellent for testingstudents understanding of graphs, images and maps.The instructor also is presented with rich data on student performance that can help identify non-participating students far earlier as well as feedback on which slides and topics caused the mostconfusion for students. This presentation describes how the data are being mined to providestudent study guides and reports on how these new study guides have been received by thestudents and how they are at least partially responsible for a significant increase in studentoutcomes. In the presentation the audience will be provided an opportunity to try out the systemto illustrate the data generated and the opportunities afforded with these data. All attendees areinvited to bring a wireless device to participate.Samson, P.J., 2010: Deliberate Engagement of Laptops in Large Lecture Classes to Improve Attentiveness and Engagement,Computers in Education (1) 2, April‐June, 2010.
AU  - Perry Samson
CY  - Indianapolis, Indiana
DA  - 2014/06/15
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Testing a Prototype System for Mining of Student Notes and Questions to Create Study Guides 
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/23114
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--23114
ER  -