Collaborative Research: Just-in-Time-Teaching with Interactive Frequent Formative Feedback (JiTTIFFF) for Cyber Learning in Core Materials Courses

Collaborative Research: Just-in-Time-Teaching with Interactive Frequent Formative Feedback (JiTTIFFF) for Cyber Learning in Core Materials Courses Collaborative Research: Just-in-Time-Teaching with Interactive Frequent Formative Feedback (JiTTIFFF) for Cyber Learning in Core Materials Courses In this TUES Type 2 project we propose to use engagement, assessment, and reflection tools developed in a successful CCLI Phase 1 project and adapt them to an interactive cyber-enabled web environment. Using the tools in and out of class has potential to increase effectiveness and efficiency of learning using frequent formative feedback to students. Innovations from CCLI 1 are reflected in a new project title, Justin- Time-Teaching with Interactive Frequent Formative Feedback (JiTTIFFF or JTF). The approach will be implemented in four settings with diverse populations: Arizona State University, a large public University, North Carolina A&T, a medium size, historically black university; Oregon Institute of Technology, a medium size technology institute, and Oregon State University, a medium size, west coast university. The CCLI 1 showed strongly positive student outcomes when new strategies and tools for engagement, assessment, and reflection were used. New strategies included: 1) instruction informed by a multi-level, assessment-driven frequent formative feedback loops; 2) formative feedback from pre-class class preparation problems, 3) feedback during in-class engagement activities; 4) next class feedback discussion on prior class muddiest points. and 5) contextualization of activities and assessments with real-world applications. Compared to lecture-based pedagogy, constructivist pedagogy: increased average conceptual gain (measured by the Materials Concept Inventory) from 18% to 42%; increased class persistence from 85% to 95%; and decreased female withdrawal rate from 40% to 10%. A fall 2011 survey found 80% to 90% of students felt their learning was supported by teaching strategies of teambased problem solving, discussions, and hands-on activities. Affective factor results found that the percentage of students who agreed was: 1) 65% who felt instructional strategies in the course were more motivating than those in other classes; 2) 77% felt material learned will be of value to them after graduation in career or grad school; 3) 92% felt the course helped them see the relevance of engineering to real-world needs; and 4) 67% would recommend the course to a friend. A goal of this project is to test the effectiveness of the JTF pedagogy in different settings with diverse populations when implemented on the cyber-enabled web platforms. The web environment facilitates ease of implementation and creates the potential for broad dissemination of instructional strategies and tools developed in the CCLI 1. Another goal is to understand issues in implementation and how instructors use assessment results to adjust instruction. Such knowledge and insight will be used to develop tutorials, workshops, webinars and u-tube videos for instruction for faculty interested in adapting the JTF pedagogy in their own instruction. This TUES Type 2 project outcomes include: 1) updated sets of instructional resources in the web-based JTF Learning Tool Kit; 2) understanding of barriers and benefits of JTF implementation in diverse settings; 3) understanding of how instructors use results of multi-level assessment to adjust instruction to address student learning issues; 4) assessment of impact of the JTF approach on student attitude and learning and differences that arise due to different settings and diverse populations; 5) interest in potential for broad application of the general features of JTF strategies and tools in other engineering domains; and 6) broad dissemination and diffusion of JTF strategies, findings, and products to a wide audience.