Conference papers

Use of On-Line Video for Mathematics Peer Instruction: a Pilot Experience.

Marisa Llorens — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:40:19 PDT

The learning of mathematics is often associated with established prejudices, such as a belief that it is a difficult and boring subject. The association of mathematics with a passive learning process, involving a teacher/lecturer writing on a board and the students simply following or copying what is written, accentuates that perception. This paper presents a pilot project for mathematics peer instruction using on-line videos created by the students. The context of the project is an engineering mathematics foundation module in an Irish college of engineering, covering basic engineering mathematics prerequisites. The course is open to a wide range of students with varying educational backgrounds, making student engagement and the maintenance of a positive attitude towards the topics particularly important.

Results from the pilot demonstrate the potential for increased student engagement with the subject matter, as well as an improved attitude towards the discipline. The students recognized the need to focus and develop a clear understanding of the problem and the path to the solution as the main benefit of the video making process. The students involved in the pilot project valued the use of on-line instruction materials created by the lecturer or available from other sources. However, they showed a stronger preference for peer and own videos over more institutional material.

Exploring the Barriers to Independent Study and Learning in First Year Undergraduate Engineering Students?

Robert Martin Morris — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 06:20:17 PDT

This mixed method case study was carried out in the Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland and was conducted with the co-operation of four experienced lecturers of engineering and three groups of first year undergraduate engineering students.

The main aim of the research was to identify factors which represent barriers to the independent study and learning of first year engineering students.

Many first year engineering students do not return to college for the second year of their programmes. Many reasons for this are identified in the research, including the failure of students to pass assessments and exams as a result of the lack of independent study and learning. For this research qualitative interviews were carried out with four experienced lecturers to capture their views and experiences of the study and learning habits of first year students. The data gathered during these interviews, in conjunction with my own personal experiences, and knowledge gathered from the research literature on the subject, served to guide and inform the selection of the questions which were used in a student survey.

The Quantitative student survey consisted of two parts, the first included questions relating to the profile and study habits of the students, the second employed a set of questions titled “a brief measure of leaner autonomy”. This resource provides a numeric value for the student’s learner autonomy which provided the mechanism used to explore the relationship between the level of autonomy of some students and their profile and study habits.

The analysis of the data gathered provides a detailed insight into the views of the engineering lecturers and the factors which represent barriers to the first year students study and learning.

Online Resourse Aiding Students to Practice and Perfect Manufacturing Based Skills

Robert Martin Morris et al. — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:25:19 PDT

As part of our teaching in the Departments of Fabrication and Transport Engineering in the Dublin Institute of Technology we use industrial metal folding machines to help students to learn the sequencing of folds on manufactured sheet metal components. Many students have difficulty visualising the folding sequences required to complete practical manufacturing assignments. This paper details the digital media resource which was developed to provide students with the opportunity to offer a proposed solution to questions which relate to the folding sequence required for these components. Feedback is provided through the medium of pre recorded videos which show the component being folded using the folding sequence the student has suggested. If the folding sequence the student has suggested is correct they are guided to a video which shows the successful folding of the component. If the folding sequence the student has suggested is incorrect they are guided to video which highlights the errors and provides guidance of on the criteria for the selection of the correct bend sequence. The students can access this resource at any time to practice and perfect their ability to sequence folds correctly. A student survey was carried out and the data was analyzed. Detailed in the Paper are the findings and recommendations which arose from the student Survey.

Creating Serious Games at Third Level: Evaluating the Implications of an In-house Approach

Pauline Rooney — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 01:45:24 PST

Due to the inherently interdisciplinary nature of serious games their development
necessitates the effective collaboration of team members spanning multiple disciplines and skill sets (Adams 2010). In their attempts to harness these skills, most higher education projects have formed teams through academic/commercial partnerships, whereby academics and commercial developers combine their respective expertises in subject matter/pedagogy and game design/development. However considering the expertise in most higher education institutions and the recent surge in serious games courses at third level, one might reasonably conclude that higher education holds huge potential for developing serious games in-house. Yet surprisingly, such ventures are relatively few. Thus, while cross-faculty higher education collaborations may hold potential for developing serious games, the implications of such an approach are largely unexplored to date.
This paper aims to remediate this gap in the literature by presenting a phenomenological,
naturalistic case study of an innovative project based in one higher education institution which
involved multiple disciplines in the design and development of a serious game. Using a theoretical
framework for game design comprising the elements of play, pedagogy and fidelity, this paper
examines the impact of an interdisciplinary in-house approach on the design of this serious game, paying particular attention to the balancing of design elements and the impact of disciplinary
perspectives in this regard. As such this study adds a new dimension to established difficulties
involved in serious game design by illustrating the significant impact which interdisciplinary team work
practices, and associated disciplinary perspectives, can have on the design process and product.

Creating Spaces for Voices: the Portfolio as a Framework to Support Inquiry Into Third Level Learning and Teaching

Roisin Donnelly et al. — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:02:53 PST

This paper will discuss qualitative research that was conducted in our professional practice in supporting academic staff in third level learning and teaching in a higher education institution in the Republic of Ireland. The goal was to understand more fully the process of compiling a teaching portfolio through supporting the academic staff in their development of an authentic voice. A further concern of the study was to examine the extent to which the portfolio process promoted the development of skills such as reflection and self-evaluation and provided a structure for documenting and reflecting on learning and teaching for academic staff in higher education. Klenowski (2002) contends that "in the promotion of the portfolio for assessment and learning purposes there is the possibility that too much will be promised and that in practice a lot less will be achieved." Our concern was to understand what in practice was being achieved by the teachers developing the portfolio.

The Wiki Way: Supporting Collaborative Learning for First Year Students

Kathleen Hughes — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 01:16:51 PDT

Skills in working in teamwork are demanded from graduates, and these are ever more likely to be over the internet. Horizon (2011) calls for this need to be reflected in students’ project work. The use of Wikis has been posited as a tool for collaborative online knowledge creation, increasing engagement, and social constructivism (Wheeler and Wheeler, 2008). The use of wikis in student groups is still relatively new, however, and the need for deeper investigation of its role in supporting group collaboration has been identified in literature (Bruen et al, in Donnelly, Harvey and O’ Rourke, 2010).

This study utilised an action research methodology, with the aim of improving professional practice (Mc Niff and Whitehead, 2010). The research was evaluated using a questionnaire, which was administered anonymously using an online survey tool (www.surveymonkey.com), using mostly open-ended questions. This was triangulated through wiki contribution measurement and instructor observation using field notes.

From a theoretical point of view, the students’ responses demonstrate the enhancement of the groups’ collaboration, improved communication and social construction of knowledge. From the students’ point of view, feedback was generally positive about the experience. Managing the introduction of third level assessment expectations, working in groups, and the wiki technology posed challenges for the instructor.

In conclusion, positive outcomes in supporting student collaboration, engagement and deepening learning emerged from the research, along with implications for further enhancement of the students learning experiences in future assessments. Further examination of the individual members’ contribution levels warrants further study, while the role of the instructor as moderator of the wiki also deserves exploration.

Introducing the Failure Mode Effects Reflective Analysis Technique for the Field of Higher Education and Research

Frances Boylan — Mon, 30 May 2011 10:01:07 PDT

The Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) technique is a well-established “key tool” [1] for risk assessment and management in the field of engineering that has been ‘borrowed’ extensively in recent years by other areas such as the field of medicine, chemical process industries, and the automotive industry, where it has been utilised as a quality improvement tool. In a very structured way the FMEA enables a team of individuals to assess and manage risk by clarifying potential failures or problems with the product, service or process under review, highlighting the effects or consequences of those failures, and agreeing procedures to be put in place to either eliminate the occurrence of those effects or mitigate the severity of their consequences.

In the absence of a standardised risk assessment strategy in the field of higher education (HE) and research, this paper details a study undertaken at a HE institute in Ireland that ‘borrowed’ the FMEA technique and modified it for use in the field of HE and research specifically, in order to evaluate its potential role and value for the field. Once modified in ways that supported the epistemological assumptions of the borrowing discipline, the technique was used to carry out a risk assessment of the strategies in place at the institute in question to implement its elearning initiative. Subsequently, how the research process itself ran, as well as the type and quality of the data the technique helped generate, were analysed in depth.

The key finding of the study emerged as the high level of reflection that the modified FMEA technique encouraged unexpectedly amongst the participants. It provided them with a rare and invaluable opportunity to reflectively analyse the strategies in question, which led to significant outcomes for them. This in turn led to the design of the Failure Mode Effects Reflective Analysis (FMERA) qualitative research technique for the field of HE and research, which holds huge potential for the field in this era of great change and need for continuous quality improvement. This paper will introduce the technique and provide practical recommendations for its use.

Untying the Accountancy Knot

Frances Boylan et al. — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:15:23 PDT

The Benefit of Work Placement in Tertiary Design Education

Kerry Meakin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 07:12:31 PDT

The aim of this article was to document a project in work placement in third level design education. Students studying visual merchandising display and design were surveyed on their work experiences, one cohort was in second year and undertook a two week placement, the other were in their third and final year and were undertaking a two day per week placement for the entire academic year. The aim of this project was to research work placement as part of a tertiary design degree to ascertain the benefit for the student cohorts, and whether or not work placement should be considered for other design orientated subjects in the same faculty. The article discusses the learning theories behind work based learning and researches relevant literature. Students were asked to voluntary complete a survey on the validity of their work placements. The feedback from a student questionnaire conducted at the conclusion and during the work placements indicated that opportunities for student groups to work cooperatively with industry, encourages learners to develop, and encourages students to exceed their creative and theoretical learning of the course. The study concludes that work based skills may be an inherent role for all design disciplines. The author acknowledges that the results are from a small survey and a larger study should be conducted on a much longer basis, interviewing the same group of graduates over a period of, possibly, five years.

Bridging the Gap between Academics and Industry

Colm O'Kane — Mon, 17 May 2010 09:20:30 PDT

The benefits of close collaboration with industry for undergraduate design students have been repeatedly emphasised in the literature. This paper describes the operation of a design competition as a collaborative project between the DIT School of Manufacturing and Design Engineering and an external company. Small groups of design students were set a design brief and guided through the year by company representatives and by their academic supervisors. Along with giving an example of problem-based learning and showing how academic projects can remain relevant to the commercial design field, this paper gives an example of what approaches can be taken to ensure that the industryinstitute collaboration proceeds smoothly and produces effective learning and results for all concerned.

Cross-disciplinary Approaches for Developing Serious Games in Higher Education

Pauline Rooney et al. — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:10:32 PST

While some educators have adopted commercial off-the-shelf games for use in the classroom, such games may not always meet the individual requirements of lecturers whose courses are tied to specific learning outcomes. An alternative is to capitalise on in-house expertise in Higher Education and create serious games through cross-disciplinary team projects. This paper outlines such a project within one Higher Education institution. It describes synergies created across disciplines as a result of the collaboration on game design and implementation. It looks at tensions generated between the pedagogical requirements (of lecturers), entertainment objectives (of games designers) and technical excellence (sought by developers). Additionally, this paper looks at two serious games designed within this framework. Through reflections on the process and the product, this paper examines whether the collaborative process adopted within a Higher Education context can generate a product good enough to sit beside professionally designed games.

Beg, Steal or Borrow?: the Challenges Faced by Borrowing the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis Method to Elicit the Unintended Consequences of Implementing Elearning in the Higher Education Context

Frances Boylan — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:58:05 PDT

Effective project management, change management and risk management are key to the successful implementation of elearning. Connected to risk is the notion of unintended consequences, and it is with the issues and concerns surrounding the borrowing of the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis method for a research study to elicit the unintended consequences of the processes and policies put in place at one higher education institute in Ireland to facilitate the roll out of elearning there, that this paper is concerned. The Law of Unintended Consequences holds that any action undertaken can result in desirable and undesirable, as well as anticipated and unanticipated outcomes that fall beyond those originally intended. There is no research method readily available to the education researcher that is designed specifically to elicit this type of information, however, the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) method, native to the field of engineering, is a systematic and disciplined method designed to highlight the unintended or unanticipated consequences of all identifiable aspects of a system, design, process or service, thereby making it possible for procedures to be put in place to counteract, eliminate or plan ahead for the occurrence of any identified consequences, ultimately leading to increased success and quality. There is no set pattern to ‘borrowing’, and it is a common practice amongst researchers. However, it does bring with it many challenges as the researcher struggles to understand that which they wish to borrow in its traditional context in order to maintain its integrity as they adapt it and render it useful for an alternative context. This is not an impossible task, but one that requires a great deal of epistemological reflexivity on behalf of the researcher as they prepare for and execute the process. This paper will discuss issues surrounding ‘borrowing’ in general before going on to describe specifically the practical issues and concerns that arose when modifying the FMEA for use in the educational context.

Lifelong Learning: Romance, Evidence, Implementation?

Anne Murphy — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 02:01:04 PDT

This paper asks if there is evidence that implementation of a lifelong learning agenda in Ireland has progressed in the decade since the 1995 European Year of Lifelong Learning. It tries to answer the question by analysis of over forty documents related to lifelong learning produced since 1984. It concludes that while there is now much research-based knowledge and much convergence of opinion and policy on the main themes to be addressed, there has been indifferent progress and that persistent challenges remain.