A Classroom Case Study: Achieving exceptional student performance in networking and telecommunicatio

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A Classroom Case Study Achieving exceptional
student performance in networking and
telecommunications courses by importing industry
engineering management and personnel assessment
methods into the college classroom
Tom Goulding M.S. Ph.d Rita Ditrolo M.S. Bo Kim
Ph.D Division of Computer Science and
Information Systems
Daniel Webster College 20 University Drive
Nashua, New Hampshire 03063
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Division Outcomes for CS IS Majors

• FIVE KEY ATTRIBUTES
• For Success in Technology Employment Roles
• Ability to do independent study and use new
  technical knowledge
• 2. Ability to solve significant technical
  problems utilizing software
• 3. Strong Verbal and Written Technical
  Communication Skills
• 4. Ability to work with others and contribute to
  team projects.
• 5. Ability to document technical work to
  professional (SDLC) standards

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RESEARCH IN ALTERNATIVES TO LECTURE-TEST
TRADITIONS
Material produced by a learner is remembered
better than material presented to the learner
Marcheggiani, 1999 Jacoby, 1978
An effective course is one fashioned around
essential questions that cause a student to
search for knowledge Wiggins, 1987
Cooperative learning results in greater mastery
of a subject than individual learning
Lindquist, 1995
There is now substantial evidence that students
working together in small cooperative groups can
master material better than can students
working on their own. Slavin,2002
Evaluations of Socratic vs. other teaching
methods are difficult to locate Smith, 1987
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Course Redesign

• Topic assignments given to teams of 2 or 3
  students
• Teams do all the technical lectures based on
  Independent study
• Team responsible for being class experts on all
  problems
• Class environment simulates workplace of
  scientists engineers
• No Examinations
• _ Few Technical Tutorials
• _ Mentorship
• _ Weekly Performance Reviews (not done
  in the workplace)

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• THE STUDENT POPULATION
• CAPABILITIES

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Student Capabilities SAT Scores
Competent..but Underachievers
7 Juniors
8 Sophomores
CC1 1130 CC2 1290 DD 1180 GG 1230 CC3 1240 HH
1120 PP5 770 AVG 1137
xx 1310 yy 1340 ss 1310 tt 1300 dd 1490 ee 13
60 PP4 1150 zz 1200 AVG 1296
AA 1340 EE 890 OO 1130 PP1 1230 PP2 1190 PP
3 1230 PP4 1100 AVG 1158
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Academically Equipped - Composite GPA
Underachievers Academically Weak
Sophomores
Seniors
xx 3.87 yy 2.97 ss 3.20 tt 3.70 dd 3.72 ee 3.
80 ww 3.20 zz 3.14 AVG 3.45
CC1 2.69 CC2 3.32 DD 2.88 GG 2.77 CG2 2.45
HH 2.73 PP5 2.52 AVG 2.76
AA 3.34 EE 2.88 OO 3.37 PP1 3.96 PP2 3.83
PP3 3.82 PP4 3.79
AVG 3.57
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• Student Preparation and Motivation

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Student Survey Work ethic
Course Preparation
Juniors
Sophomores
Underachievers
Twice normal prep time
6/7
2/8
4/7
50 - 50
1/7
6/8
3/7
About the Same
Comments
Junior Data Communication Class involved
assimilating an enormous Volume of new technical
information
Sophomore Computer Architecture Class involved
less knowledge assimilation and More
programming in Assembly Language
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Outcome 1 2
Independent Learning and application To Problem
Solving
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Student Survey Learning Outcome
Juniors
Weak Students
Sophomores
4/7
Learned more or much more than in traditional
course
7/7
8/8
100
0
0
3/7
Same Less
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Confidence
Did the course further you confidence as an
independent learner?
Juniors
Sophomores
Underachievers
Yes More Confident
5/7
4/8
2/7
93
About the Same
3/7
3/8
2/7
2/7
Less Confident
0
1/8
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Student Survey Motivation to Learn
Juniors
Sophomores
Underachievers
Liked Learning more and Retaining More
1/7
5/7
2/8
80
Liked Presenting Material In Class
2/7
3/8
Lots of problems were Lots of fun
0
0
I Just Need This to Graduate
3/8
0/7
6/7
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Outcome 3
Technical Communication Skill Development
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SPEAKING ON TECHNICAL SUBJECT TO TEAM MATES
Have you improved in speaking and responding to
an audience?
Juniors
Weak Students
Sophomores
Greatly Improved
2/7
2/8
2/7
80
6/8
Somewhat Improved
2/7
5/7
No Change
3/7
0
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Student Survey Student Presentations
Juniors
Sophomores
Underachiever
V. Helpful I learned much more
4/7
2/8
100
Preparations made me think more
6/7
3/7
6/8
1/7
I didnt like it and did as little as possible
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Student Survey Communicating with Peers
Juniors
Sophomores
Underachievers
Liked Learning more and Retaining More
1/7
5/7
2/8
80
Liked Presenting Material In Class
0
2/7
3/8
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Outcome 4 Performing on Teams
PEER PRESSURE AS A MOTIVATION TO PERFORM
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Student Survey PEER PRESSURE -
Juniors
Weak Students
Sophomores
Motivation to Perform- More from Student Questions
4/7
3/8
2/7
50 - 50
Motivation to Perform- More from Instructor
Questions
5/8
5/7
2/7
OBSERVATIONS
Maybe Peer Pressure isnt a factor
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Cooperative Learning
OUTCOME 4 Team Contribution
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Outcome 4
Rank your Contribution to your team
Juniors
Sophomores
Underachiever
Most Important Member
1/7
1/8
100
7/7
We contributed the same
6/7
7/8
1/7
My partner contributed more
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Team mate effectiveness--
If your team mate was not prepared ---
Juniors
Sophomores
Underachiever
3/7
I hacked together a fix
6/7
6/8
80
I did my part only
4/7
1/7
2/8
0
I skipped my part as well
0
0
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Non Traditional Assessment

• THE ASSESSMENT METHOD

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COURSE GRADING IN CLASS TICKS

• THE TICK SYSTEM

6 12 ticks possible each week Ticks for
presentation Ticks for Question-Answer
participation
Students chosen for presentation by volunteering
or instructor selection
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Tick Spreadsheet - Distributed each Monday
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TICK ACCUMULATION 13 WEEKS
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Student Survey Tick System and Work
Underachiever
Juniors
Sophomores
Did the Tick System of Grading allow you to slack
off daily study?
7/7
6/7
6/8
80
NO
2/8
YES
1/7
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Student Survey Tick Assessment
Weak Students
Juniors
Sophomores
Did the tick system accurately capture your
performance?
6/8
0
YES
4/7
YES
67
7/7
NO
2/8
N0
3/7
RECALL YOUR LAST PERFORMANCE REVIEW IN
INDUSTRY DID THE REVIEW ACCURATELY STATE YOUR
CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIRM WHERE YOU WORKED?
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Student Survey Tick Influence on performance
Underachievers
Sophomores
Juniors
2/8
2/7
5/7
I was motivated to earn ticks
100
Ticks did not effect my performance
2/7
2/7
6/8
3/7
Did Ticks Tick you Off?
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Student Survey Rate this Approach
Juniors
Underachievers
Sophomores
6/8
Liked Much Better
6/7
1/7
86
0
0
1/7
SAME
3/7
1/7
0
Dont Like This Method
OBSERVATIONS
The good work harder and learned more
The weak probably didnt like the visibility
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• THE RESULTS

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Conclusion

• The Highly Motivated can still reach for even
  greater heights.
• Content Retention is a key objective of the top
  students.
• Top students are looking beyond graduation to
  employee competence.
• Dont choose a classroom strategy to accommodate
  the underachiever.
• Underachievement is often a choice not a destiny.