Strategies to Enhance Learning during Lectures and Team Work - Essay Example

This paper examines design required by a that currently uses the large group lecture method of instruction as their primary method of providing instruction to students. The paper examines using the flexible delivery model as the solution to the large group lecture method of instruction. The flexible teaching and learning model is looked at in depth. The literature review provided explains institutional thinking associated with instituting a flexible delivery model. Recommendations include designing a curriculum presentation model that includes traditional methods of instruction and newer methods of instructional delivery including flexible teaching and learning. Course Design to Reduce Dependence on Lectures 1. Description of the circumstances of your group. 1.1 The target group consists of students enrolled in sports studies or medical science programs at the Facility of Biomedical and Health Sciences. 1.2 The context of this large group lecture program consists of providing information and resources to the students via a lecture format with a question and answer period following the lecture. Resources available to the student include routes of communication most commonly used by lecturers, such email or in person, and library resources that are available to all students (references and computer aided research). The most important resource available to the students is the lecturer. This person maintains availability for guidance on projects or questions related to the study program they are engaged in. 1.3 The situation where the learning occurs is often the lecture hall and in independent research performed by the students. Students are often presented with large amounts of information that they are responsible for knowing and understanding. Practical applications also provide opportunities for learning to occur. 1.4 The setting where learning will occur is often in the lecture room or hall. Students are provided adequate space to take notes, hear the lecturer, and see the materials presented along with the lecture presentation. Another setting where learning occurs is in the library or lab facilities where research and practical applications take place. 1.5 Current modes of delivery primarily include the lecture format where the instructor presents material, discusses material, and allows for a question and answer period following the presentation. Other modes of delivery include instructional videos, overheads, and slide shows. The Instructor has a wide variety of presentation equipment available to enhance delivery of information to the students. Students are often referred to internet web sites. 2. Analysis/Description of the problem or issue that needs addressing and various contending strategies of interest. The issue at hand here is that the mode of delivery of material benefits students that learn best auditorally. The lecture mode of delivery ignores other learning styles in the interest of providing information to students en masse rather than in small class settings. Large group lectures provide very little interaction between student, material, and instructor. Large group lectures primarily function as information gathering sessions where only the lecturer speaks, and students listen and take notes. Real learning occurs when the student researches and provides completed assignments to the instructor (essays, thesis, and reports). University faculty would probably be very interested in learning of other ways to present material and learning opportunities to their student. Different modes of delivery that would address other learning styles and provide enrichment opportunities for students would benefit university and student alike. University students, unlike their much younger primary school counterparts, can take on the responsibility of being self-motivated to complete studies using different modes of delivery. Strategies that may be considered for use in the university environment include ‘flexible learning’ and ‘flexible delivery’. Education examined from the perspective of being an industry, is considered a prime environment for the application of technologies. The university system would benefit by introducing technology that offers opportunities for both internal and external students. Internal students are those that attend university in the flesh while external students often attend university via technology (internet, television, or conferencing using telephone equipment). 3. Description of the mechanics of the strategy in general terms and specifically. The mechanics of this strategy can best be understood if explained from the viewpoint of education as an industry. In the past continuing education to university level was for the elite or those who could afford the costs. Bright students of all classes were rewarded with scholarships. But, for the most part, the masses were not able to attend university. These students were often channelled into vocational programs that trained them for a place in the work force or students joined the working poor. This has changed in recent years due to the advent of information technology, specifically computers and the internet. Computers have gone from technological oddities operated by ‘geeks’ to user friendly technology that just about everyone can operate. This technology has brought education to many people’s doorstep and education has become affordable because learning management systems that take advantage of presentation and internet technology and provide an interactive experience to the learner without having an instructor present. As an industry, educational institutions can provide a high quality educational experience to a large group of people via the internet or computer aided instruction via compact disc. The education industry can provide different learning opportunities other than traditional classrooms or lecture halls. ‘Flexible’ delivery offers educational intuitions the opportunity to provide internal students with broader learning experiences via computer labs and online learning. The internet as a tool in learning offers students instant access to scholarly journals, references, and news articles. This ‘on demand’ way of learning provides the student with the most up to date education available. Most universities have their own ‘home page’ where students can access university learning tools. Student who used to get numerous hand outs covering basic information needed to complete the university experience can now access that information via the internet. This would include information about different reporting and referencing styles. The students have instant access to the ‘how to’ information needed to successfully complete their courses. Internal students still benefit from face to face interaction with their instructors. Lectures are still the best format for delivery for some subjects. Laboratory experiences are not easily duplicated in the virtual learning environment. Basically, medical students still need hands on experiences with cadavers and future teachers still need exposure to student teaching opportunities. The focus of this paper is not on the elimination or replacement of traditional learning environments but rather a look at how the learning experience can be enriched through the used of technology. 4. Literature review of the strategy. 4.1 Critical analysis of the strategy. The concept of flexible delivery has been implemented by many universities and schools worldwide. The concept of flexible delivery and its acceptance in the internal university environment has been studied. Dr, Jerry Maroulas of the University of Southern Queensland presented a conference paper on the subject. The conference paper was presented at the 1998 meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). The paper explains what flexible delivery is and how it is used. The most interesting part of his paper presented a study that provides a snapshot view of how flexible delivery has been received by students at the university. His paper presented the results of a pre-test and post-test given to internal students prior to using the computer delivered instruction and following their completion of their course. The following table shows the results of hi study (Maroulis, p6): Table 1 Survey Question Pre-Test % Post-Test % % of Change I feel reasonably confident in my ability to access materials via computer 74.6% 82.5% +7.9% I feel reasonably confident in my ability to access the internet 64.9% 72.2% +7.3% The layout of the 80218 Home Page enabled me to easily access unit resources - 86.9% - How environmentally aware do you think you were (a) before and (b) after the unit? (a) 5.6 (out of 10) (b) 7.6 (out of 10) + 35.7% Sample Size (N) 177 129 The result shown in table #1 indicates that only positive changes occurred amongst the study participants. Student commented “on the ease of access to the computerized resources and user friendly nature of the 80218 Home Page that readily allowed students to find whatever resources they needed”(Maroulis, p6-7). External students were not a part of this survey. According to Maroulis’ paper the Australian government views the use of information technology as cost cutting and Australian universities have been encouraged to use the flexible delivery system of providing instruction to students. (Maroulis, p2) According to Ted Nunan of Perth, Western Australia, flexible delivery is “seen as an industry” (Nunan, p1) that can be a money making endeavour for a university. “Provider driven models of education derived from medieval traditions of scholarship will be made irrelevant by the needs of knowledge based service industries which require perpetual ‘just in time’ learning.”(Nunan, p1) The terms ‘flexible delivery’ and ‘flexible learning’ are terms that have migrated from the traditional educational environment to the information technology environment of today. Flexible delivery and flexible learning began long before computers and consisted of providing different avenues for presenting a topic (other than lecture format) and using different avenues for learning. This could be attending an opera vs. reading about an opera or being lectured about the opera. Flexible delivery/learning of the past was simply varying presentation/learning styles. Flexible delivery of the past and present consists of using various different methods for conveying information thus adding some variation in how a student learns. Flexible learning can also be considered ‘open learning’ (Nunan, p2). This open learning consists of “increased access and increase learner control over the learning process.” (Nunan, p2) According to Nunan open learning takes control away from the teacher and gives the control to the student. This has the effect of rendering the teacher somewhat powerless over when and where the student does the learning. Minor time constraints are held in place but the student decides when to view lectures and when to complete assignments. Flexible learning also has the effect of expanding the borders of the university when external enrolment is permitted. Lastly, flexible learning offers lower performing students the opportunity to retake a course online after having not passed the classroom version of the course. This type of learning can be paced to the learning speed of the student. Flexible teaching and learning (virtual learning in this case) can quite possibly revolutionize how people are educated. The flexible teaching/learning model can turn a university into a virtual university. This can and has happened as companies that own educational institutions move into providing virtual learning. The University of Phoenix and American Intercontinental University are two schools that provide full degree programs via the internet. They have revolutionized the use of ‘net meetings’, ‘discussion boards’, and the use of the ‘drop box’ to submit assignments.(Johnston, P1) Flexible teaching and learning has had the effect of ending the days when one could get a job out of high school that would support you your entire life. The college degree has replaced the high school diploma as the minimum education needed to get a good job.(Johnston, p2) The flexible teaching/learning environment offers higher education to more people because it is more affordable than an internal degree program. Flexible teaching/learning has had the effect of redefining the role of the teacher. (Lundin, P3) Educational institutions are tasked with providing customized training into the workplace or home. Businesses are more interested in the “just in time’ learning that is needed to stay ahead of other businesses in their industry. Flexible delivery is not a one way process where the teacher sends to the student but rather a two way communication process that encourage professionals to develop networking skills they need for success in the workplace. (Lundin, p5) One of the most important considerations for educational institutions is that there is not one set model of flexible delivery that can be superimposed over a university structure. (Lundin, p6) Each university has to determine the structure of the flexible delivery system they want to use. According to Lundin the decision making model to use for implementing the flexible deliver model must include (Lundin, p7-9): An evaluation of the needs of the participants Clarification of the objectives of the program Consideration of the choice and skills of practitioners Feasibility study 4.2 Reference to related concerns. There are many concerns associated with flexible delivery. Many of the concerns mirror concerns fund in ‘brick and mortar’ universities. Cheating and plagiarism have always been big problems but in this ‘cut and paste’ society it is easier than ever for a student to turn in work that isn’t his own. There are online companies that specialize in reviewing student’s work looking for cheating and plagiarism. Universities often employ these agencies to help them screen student work. Unscheduled power outages and network failures can reck havoc on students’ nerves as they work toward meeting deadlines. Outages also affect attendance at online ‘net conferences’ that often substitute for lectures. Outages prevent students from depositing assignments in ‘drop boxes’ and keep students from viewing and replying to ‘discussion boards’. An issue that showed up during Maroulis’ study was that older learners are reluctant to use the computer based learning systems. This problem will be short lived, though, because as older students moved out of the university system they will be replaced with students that have been raised using information technology. The older students need to be encouraged to ‘try new things’ to get them through their courses. 5. Evaluative discussion. Implementation of a flexible delivery/learning system is inevitable at any institution of higher learning. The days of the lecture hall are numbered. The integration of a learning management system that supplements university instruction is desirable in comparison to a lecture only environment. Universities would be doing their students a great disservice by ignoring the flexible delivery model that has become a primary delivery tool of some institutions. The ‘just in time’ learning required by industry is supported by flexible delivery systems that can provide customized instruction to workers. “Academias business is rooted in censorship, propaganda, exclusion, hierarchy and elitism; just about everything the pioneers of Cyberspace find most odious. To some extent the leap to virtuality-based learning can be seen as a step back to the primal concept of the college as a voluntary association of colleagues joined in the pursuit of knowledge. In the 11th century, the college of colleagues had to join together in one place to use the most effective knowledge technology a available at the time - the library. Like-minded lovers of learning and collaboration today do not, can not, and should not endure such cloistering, not when the campus of Cyberspace extends its boundaries around the entire earth and beyond.” (Nunan, p3) A flexible delivery system instituted can only serve to upgrade the universities to international standards of educational delivery. The down side to not implementing a flexible delivery system would be the lack of preparation of student for real world situations. Businesses and industries rely more and more on information technology. A student not taught to use information technology with great ease will be unprepared for the workforce. The literature review supports the flexible delivery system to teaching and learning. Literature supports that those who don’t integrate a flexible delivery system into their learning environment do not properly prepare students for the workforce. The flexible delivery system has evolved from a simple variation of presentations styles to an integration of information technology into the total learning experience. The flexible delivery system is an effective and efficient method of providing higher education t the masses. It is compatible with internal delivery systems in place (lectures, etc…) and is sustainable because demand will push development of the delivery system. Using multiple technologies, such as the internet, intranet, net meetings, video conferencing, and conference calls, will help prepare students for the global marketplace. 6. Recommendations. Any institution toying with the idea of providing instruction in formats other than lectures would be well advised to consider exploring flexible delivery. For the teachers, flexible teaching and learning provides a multitude of different ways to present material to the student. For the student, flexible learning provides instruction that satisfies most learning styles (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and tactile). In this case, which consists of lectures to large groups as the primary tool of instruction to student, the university would be well served by a committee assigned the task of exploring how to implement a flexible delivery model at the school. The committee would need to: Evaluate needs of the participants (students and teachers) Evaluate the needs of business and industry Clarify of the objectives of the program Consider the choice and skills of practitioners Conduct a feasibility study Support design of both hardware and software needed. Design programs either totally external or including internal students Train staff and draft tutorial that introduces and teaches how to use the system Test and trouble shoot Implement Upgrade and change as needed. A valuable way to cut time in creating and implementing a program to supplement bricks and mortar instruction would consist of seeking out universities who already use the flexible delivery model. This would offer the university an opportunity to see how the system works, learn what didn’t work and why, and learn how other universities designed and implemented their models. Certainly the idea about not reinventing the wheel applies here. It is not recommended that the lecture method of instructing large groups be totally eliminated. It is recommended that lectures and other face-to-face encounters between teachers and students be integrated into a curriculum that includes flexible delivery. Students would benefit from a model that includes the newest technology available and traditional methods of instruction. Another recommendation would be that the university continually evaluate instructional delivery methods. Delivery methods should be updated along with curriculum updates. Students should be a part of the evaluation process. They can provide valuable information such as what works and what doesn’t work. Business and industry that the university supplies graduates too should be polled and their employee requirements need to be integrated into the overall program. A continuous relationship with business and industry needs to be created so that changes to curriculum and delivery methods serve to provide properly educated workers. Lastly, marketing materials that are used to advertise the university should include the university’s instructional methods such as lecture combined with flexible teaching/learning model. References: Maroulis, Dr. Jerry. (1998). Conference Paper. Flexibly Delivered Environmental Education ‘Down Under’: A new approach to an on-campus pre-service teacher education unit. Copyright 1998 Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Distributed via Web by permission of AACE. Nunan, Ted. (1996) Paper presented at the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Annual Conference. Different Approaches: Theory and Practice in Higher Education. Perth, Western Australia, 8-12 July, 1996. Johnston, Ian and Mary Peat. Flexibility Is All. Uniserve Science. The University of Sydney. (1999) Uniserve Science FL Tools Workshop Proceedings. Lundin, Roy. Flexible Teaching and Learning: Perspectives and Practices. School of Professional Studies. Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology. Read More