Using Blackboard to Increase Learner Success

1
Using Blackboard to Increase Learner Success

• Presented by
• Bill Ganza
• Chuck Lombardo

2
Workshop Description

• Based on principles of mastery learning, this
  approach uses the features of Blackboard to
  enhance mastery of subject matter. Using
  Blackboards features makes this easy for
  faculty. In this presentation, well discuss
  adaptive release, multiple attempts for
  assessment, and assignments and other features.
  We will explore these and other features of the
  Blackboard learning system and discuss ways for
  faculty to use these tools to improve student
  learning and subject matter proficiency

3
What is Mastery Learning?

• An instructional method that presumes that all
  can learn if they are provided with the
  appropriate learning conditions.
• A method where by students are not advanced to a
  subsequent learning objective until they
  demonstrate proficiency with the current learning
  objective

4
Mastery Learning

• Typically consists of discrete topics which all
  students begin together
• Student who do not master, are given additional
  instruction
• Students who do master are given enrichment
  activities until others catch up so class moves
  together.

5
Mastery Learning

• Instructor provides
• Tutoring
• Group based instruction
• Frequent and specific feedback
• Over 2000 articles published on Learning for
  Mastery (Martinez, 1999)

6
Mastery Learning

• Can involve
• Direct teacher instruction
• Cooperation with classmates
• Independent learning

7
Mastery Learning

• Focus on the process not the content
• Based on Benjamin Bloom's Learning for Mastery
  Model
• Refinement s by Block
• Can be used as teacher-paced, one-to-one
  tutoring, or self-paced learning

8
Mastery Learning

• Requires
• Well-defined learning objectives organized into
  smaller, sequentially organized units

9
Mastery Learning

• Assumes that there is no normal curve for grades
• Assumes that 90 could master what they are
  taught
• Based on Caroll's Model of Learning

10
Caroll's Model of Learning

• School Learning f(time spent/time needed).
• Carroll explains that time spent is the result of
  opportunity and perseverance.
• Opportunity in Carroll's model is determined by
  the classroom teacher the specific measure is
  called allotted or allocated time (i.e., time
  allocated for learning by classroom teachers.)
• Perseverance is the student's involvement with
  academic content during that allocated time.
• Carroll proposed that perseverance be measured as
  the percentage of the allocated time that
  students are actually involved in the learning
  process and was labeled engagement rate.
• Allocated time multiplied by engagement rate
  produced the variable Carroll proposed as a
  measure of time spent, which came to be called
  engaged time or time-on-task.

11
Carroll's Model (1963)

• Carroll proposed that the time needed by students
  to learn academic content is contingent upon
• aptitude (the most often used measure is IQ)
• ability to understand the instruction presented
  (the extent to which they possessed prerequisite
  knowledge),
• the quality of instruction students receive.
• Carroll proposed specific teacher student
  behaviors/characteristics where the variables
  needed to predict school learning - he did not
  include influences of family, community, society.

12
Mastery Learning - Basic Principles

• Almost all students can earn A's if
• 1) students are given enough time to learn normal
  information taught in school, and
• 2) students are provided quality instruction.
• By quality instruction Bloom meant that teachers
  should
• (1) organize subject matter into manageable
  learning units,
• (2) develop specific learning objectives for each
  unit,
• (3) develop appropriate formative and summative
  assessment measures, and
• (4) plan and implement group teaching strategies,
  with sufficient time allocations, practice
  opportunities, and corrective reinstruction for
  all students to reach the desired level of
  mastery.

13
What are the Advantages of Mastery Learning?

• Greatly perform the performance of low aptitude
  students
• Increase student retention
• Students will not have to put in much more time
  to achieve mastery
• Studies confirm Mastery Learning increased
  student performance as measured by exam scores
  and Student Aptitude (Slavin, 1987 Kulik, Kulik
  Bangert-Drowns, 1990)

14
Obstacles to Mastery

• These are four obstacles that have kept Mastery
  Learning from becoming a standard method of
  instruction. They include
• 1) creating multiple versions of each test,
• 2) grading multiple versions of tests for
  students at varying stages of the course,
• 3) scheduling time for students to take several
  versions of tests, if needed, to attain a certain
  level of mastery, and
• 4) teaching students who are at different
  learning objectives.

15
Applications of Mastery Learning

• Psychology Courses (FCCJ SIRIUS Course)
• Remediation in Mathematics (Allegany College of
  Maryland SIRIUS - FCCJ)
• Others include Agriculture, Education, Computer
  Science, Economics, Foreign Languages, Health
  Sciences, Language Arts, Microbiology, Physics,
  Vocational Education/Training (Hymel and Dyck,
  1993)

16
How can we use Blackboard to promote Mastery
Learning?

• Assessments
• Multiple Attempts
• Random Blocks
• Assignments
• Adaptive Release of Content
• Collaborative Discussion Boards
• Course Cartridges
• Other features

17
Assessments Attempts (6.3)
18
Assessment Attempts (7.1)
19
Assessments Attempts Campus Edition
20
Assessments Random Blocks (7.1)
21
Assessments Random Blocks
22
Assessments Random BlocksCampus Edition
23
Adaptive Release - Settings
24
Adaptive Release - Settings
25
Adaptive Release - Mastery
26
Adaptive Release - Remediation
27
Adaptive Release - SettingsCampus Edition
28
Adaptive Release - SettingCampus Edition
29
Adaptive Release MasteryCampus Edition
30
Adaptive Release - RemediationCampus Edition
31
Assignments Grading
32
Assignments Student View
33
Assignments - Option

• You can also set up an assignment as an
  assessment (Essay Questions) with multiple
  attempts and place these in a content area called
  Assignments

34
Assignments MasteryCampus Edition
35
Discussion Boards
36
Discussions Campus Edition
37
Course Cartridges
38
e-Pack Campus Edition
39
Discussion
Other Blackboard features you can use for
mastery? Other options for mastery? Questions?
40
Contact Information

• Bill Ganza
• Director of Professional Development
• wganza_at_fccj.edu 904.632.3114
• Chuck Lombardo
• Director of Creative Learning Services
• clombar_at_fccj.edu 904.633.5905