Digital Field AssignmentsDigital Field Assignments

Course Projects for the Net Generation

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Presenters

Mike ReeseAssistant DirectorCenter for Educational Resources

Richard Shingles Biology Faculty MemberScience Curriculum Design Consultant, Center for Educational Resources

Objectives

• Define Digital Fields Assignments

• Describe their origin and goals

• Demo examples

• Share student and faculty feedback

• Summarize best practices for implementation

Digital Field Assignments

Research assignments in which students collect and analyze field data using digital technologies.

Assignment Goals

• Ensure students apply knowledge from class

• Introduce undergraduates to research

• Encourage students to work in the field

Why?

Research is King

Research Teaching

Pres. Daniel Coit Gilman

Researcher Student

“Hear and you forget;

see and you remember;

do and you understand.”

~Confucius

Sound Familiar?

Active Learning

Problem-based Learning

Situated Learning

Obstacles

Time Class Size

FROM: Bonwell, Charles C., and James A. Eison. 1991. "Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom." ERIC Digest, EDO-HE-91-01.

Content

Today’s Learners

Millennials

Digital Natives

NetG’s

Student Characteristics

• Want to be engaged

• Enjoy working in groups

• Motivated!

• Always On

• Comfortable with new media

• Want to communicate with multiple media

Kids don’t want to play PlayStation; they want to go outside.

-Brenda Laurel

“The future of higher education liesoutside the classroom.”

Chronicle of Higher Education, c. 1999

Authentic Learner Tasks

• Ill-structured Problems

• Meaningful Context

• Time Required

• Multiple Solutions

Thomas C. Reeves, Educause 2007 - 10/24 @ 10:30 AM

Digital Field Assignments

Research assignments in which students collect and analyze field data using digital technologies.

Demos

Biology Faculty

Project Goals

• Ensure students apply knowledge from class• Introduce undergraduates to research• Encourage students to work in the field• Promote teamwork• Peer mentoring• Enrich the teaching experience for faculty

Interactive Map Tool

Overview:Flash-based Software ToolAllows for Student InteractivityFaculty Write Assignments On-lineStudents Respond On-lineAll Data Accumulated per Semester/Year

Digital Field Assignments

Research assignments for a Freshman Biology class involving

teamwork

Enrich the learning experience for students by adopting rich,

meaningful problem-based team assignments

Data Collection

• Observation

• Interaction

• Exploration

• Research

Equipment

Tools

Biomes of Homewood

• Students organized into teams

• Teams assigned areas of campus

• Catalogue flora and fauna

• Perform comparative studies

• Perform longitudinal studies

Roles

• Meeting Organizer

• Equipment Manager

• Compiler of Assignment

• Photographer

• Submitter of Assignment

Student Data

Cities

Course Design

• Readings

• Presentations

• Discussions

Objectives

• Analyze structural-cultural dynamics that affect cities

• Investigate how different disciplines conduct research

Final Assignment

• Group project (teams of 4-5)

• Explore urban issue

• Collect data

• Post to map tool

• Analyze data spatially

• NPR-news article/Final paper

Roles

• Sociologist

• Economist

• Artist

• Education Policy Maker

• Criminologist

• Political Scientist

Topics

• Public Health

• Public Art

• Crime

• Education

Gathering Data

• Observation

• Interviews

• Exploration

Images of Student Projects

Images of Student Projects

Images of Student Projects

Images of Student Projects

Interviews, Video, Photos

Public Health and Education

Final Project

Other Examples

• Museums Studies• French Language Instruction• History• Economics• Psychological & Brain Sciences

Evaluation

Surveys

Team Checkpoint

Personal Perception Indicator

Focus Groups

Team Checkpoint

PPI

Focus Group

“I’d rather create a map than a paper.”

– Student

Student started independent research assignment based on course project

“I can see what Dr. Fambrough was talking about when he said we should appreciate nature. These assignments actually get me out in the world, looking at trees, and enjoying the environment. I like them [the assignments].”

Faculty Perspectives

• Significant team collaboration experience

• Deeper understanding of biology content

• Opportunities for advanced biology students as mentors

• Model for other large enrollment lecture courses

Student Perspectives

• Students motivated!

• Students enjoy communicating and presenting with New Media

• Students apply knowledge

• Students tackle real world problems

Best Practices

• Planning

• Software/Hardware

• Support, Support, Support! - Technology

- Logistics

• Group Assignments/

- Team Building Activities

Mentors

Publications

Richard Shingles, Theron Feist and Rae Brosnan (2006) The Biomes of Homewood: Interactive Map Software. Bioscene 31(3) 17-24

Douglas M. Fambrough, , Richard Shingles, and Rae Brosnan (2005) Points of View: A Survey of Survey Courses: Are They Effective? Cell Biology Education 4: 123-137

Further Information

Center for Educational ResourcesJohns Hopkins University

www.cer.jhu.edu

Richard Shingles shingles@jhu.edu

Mike Reese mreese@jhu.edu