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Implementation and Institutionalization of PLTL in a Caribbean University: Successes, Challenges and Implications. Imron Miller and Novelette Sadler-McKnight The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. Chemistry at the UWI. Three / Four year BSc Programme - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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IMPLEMENTATION AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF PLTL IN A CARIBBEAN UNIVERSITY: SUCCESSES, CHALLENGES AND IMPLICATIONS
Imron Miller and Novelette Sadler-McKnight The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
CHEMISTRY AT THE UWIThree / Four year BSc Programme
Year 1 – Introductory Chemistry (> 500 students)
Years 2 and 3 – Advanced Chemistry (80-100 students)
Laboratory integrated with lectures and contribute 20% towards the final grade for student
At least two in-course tests per course
Final written exam at end of each semester eight (60-70 %) of course grade
•Weekly tutorials Students are given weekly problem papers which are discussed in 1 hour tutorial sessions which are led by faculty and/or senior graduate students Attendance not mandatory Active participation encouraged•Traditional lecture mode of instruction •“Sage on stage”. Lecturer on platform presenting material students more passive learner
STRUCTURE OF LEVEL 1 CHEM Semester 1 CHEM 190101
Fundamental Analytical Chemistry, Atomic Structure, Aliphatic Organic Chemistry, Structure and Bonding and Molecular Energetics
Semester 2 ; CHEM 1902Thermodynamics, Coordination Chemistry, Main Group Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Kinetics, Functionalized Organic Chemistry and Aromatics.
Background to the StudyDecline in: performance in level 1 chemistry courses
with increased enrolment (>70% to 50%)
problem solving and critical thinking skills.
attendance at lectures and tutorials
Interest in chemistry
Background to study The large lecture group (>300 per group) often
results in lack of student participation and poor understanding of some concepts
Many students have difficulty adjusting to the more impersonal, and rigourous university culture.
Many students enter with inadequate academic backgrounds and the self-confidence
Interventions Tried Increased number of smaller sized tutorials
Increased training of faculty sensitizing them to new instructional approaches to engaging students in large classes.
Posting of lectures notes and resources online.
Result: No significant change in the results
WHY PLTL? Focus on student-student interaction Active learning and cooperative learning
strategies would provide an environment in which students could collaborate to solve problems and deepen their understanding of concepts.
Could enable students to make a smoother transition to the tertiary level through increased social interaction with their peers.
Development of new relationships and commitment to a common purpose of learning and succeeding academically.
PLTL versus Tutorials Tutorial (30 students or more with a
lecturer or graduate student in control is replaced by small groups (8-10) and peer leaders.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
To improve the learning experiences and performance of introductory level studentsTo assess the impacts of PLTL on students in terms of• Academic performance• Learning gains • Attitude to chemistry• Self- confidence • Transferable skills- leadership, working in
teams, oral and written communication , critical thinking and problem solving
Also……• Since students self selected into
PLTL, it was necessary to compare their chemistry background knowledge and its effect on their performance in Level 1. (Maths, Chem, Phys, Bio grades prior to entering university)
Strategy for Implementation Graduate student recruited to implement
and coordinate PLTL as a research project Project proposal developed and presented
to faculty and HOD to get their approval. Start with a small group of 50 students
as a Pilot study Analyze results of the pilot and assess
whether to continue
Role of Grad student
Liaise with faculty to prepare
workshop problem sheets/manuals
Attend some lectures
Recruit and train Peer Leaders
Organize rooms for workshops
Attend some workshops and
give feedback to Peer Leaders
Design and administer
qualitative and quantitative
instruments to assess outcome of
intervention
Collect and analyze relevant
data
Report findings to the department at
end of each semester
Make modifications,
recommendations etc
Implementation-CHEM 1901 SEMESTER 1
Pilot started in 2008-9 Selection of Peer Leaders
Students with B+ or better grades at Level 1 sent letters of congratulations and invited to be Peer Leaders in this important PLTL programme
5 Peer Leaders selected and trained (Two 3 hours sessions prior to start and weekly thereafter)
Peer Leaders received stipend
Selection of students
Advertisements : during registration, online, posters, in lectures during first week
Students register for 2 hr sessions based on their timetables.
Semester 1: 48 students participated, placed into 5 groups [self-selected]: 6 workshops sessions held.
Semester 2; same peer leaders; 59 students; 10 workshops
18 students participated in both semesters
Groups met regularly to tackle problems designed by the lecturer and or programme coordinator to help deepen students’ understanding of concepts
Participating students expected to
attend lectures, tutorials and do required readings, assignments and laboratory work.
RESULTS In both semesters, PLTL participants out-
performed their peers .(despite similar chemistry backgrounds)
The PLTL group also had better quality grades. Differences were significant (t-tests) Students who participated for both semesters,
did better than those who participated for semester 2 only or Semester 1 only.
Students who participated for both semesters also did much better than those who dropped out (semester 1 only)
Student Groups
% pass
Sem 1 Sem 2
Average Score
Sem 1 Sem 2
Percentage of GradesI n the ‘AB’ rangeSem 1 Sem 2
PLTL (N= 48) (N=59)
64.6 74.6 49.5 52.5 29.0 44
Non-PLTL (N=434)N=394)
49.3 59.1 44.3 42.5 19.0 22
Population(N= 482)(N=453)
52.1 62.3 44.8 45.8 20.0 25
Year 1 Semester 1
% Pass Rate % Avg Score % 'AB' Grade0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Popn.NonPLTLPLTL
Year 1Semester 2
% Pass Rate % Avg Score % 'AB' Grade0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Popn.NonPLTLPLTL
Comparison of PLTL Groups performances in C10K
010
203040
5060
Sem1 only Sem 2 only Sem 1&2 Population
Groups
% C
10K
Scor
e
Series1
Response Administration sufficiently impressed to
support continuation. Programme expanded and this
academic year 180 students and 20 Peer leaders
Peer leaders granted stipend by the department.
Year 2; Semester 1
% Pass Rate Avg Score % 'AB' Grades0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
PopnNonPLTLPLTL
Year 2; Semester 2
% Pass Rate Avg Score* % AB Grades0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
PopnNon-PLTLPLTL
Year 3
% PASS* AVG Score* % AB grades0
10
20
30
40
50
60
PopulationNon-PLTLPLTL
Year 4 ; Semester 1
% Pass Avg Grade %AB Grades0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
PopulationNonPLTLPLTL
Effect on Peer leaders The experience of being a peer leader helped to improve their understanding of the subject.
“Being a peer leader has helped me to learn more than what I did in first year because certain areas that I went through I never really understand it because of the rush and the course content being long and lengthy. Learning with the group as well they gave more insight, they gave a better understanding and I gave them tips as well as to how they can tackle a question”. (PL Errol)
“Oh yeah, going through the questions now in the sessions, working them or whatever, I feel like I have a good grasp of it right now. Even in organic chemistry I find myself more comfortable with mechanisms. So it was fairly good, even thermodynamics, the understanding of entropy and how to calculate Gibbs energy for a system and its surroundings and those things, yeah mon so the sessions really help me in my second year..”
(PL Jermaine) :
Personal growth and development
“one thing I don’t like is to play the hypocrite, so if I am going to be there in the sessions and telling them that ‘you should read your lectures man, go to your tutorials and those things’, then I can’t be slacking off and not reading my lectures up to time and so yes it really pushed me to read my lectures, I even found myself going to a few of the (first year) lectures, I found myself talking more in the (my) lectures and so forth, during the tutorials so yes it[the peer leading experience] boosted my confidence so that even my English right now, I have never been so fluent speaking English but through this session I had a chance to practice and to build on my English so it was very good. (PL Jermaine)
Increased self confidence“I had never taught before and I
never thought that I was adequate enough o be a teacher. So yeah man it has helped to boost my confidence tremendously actually”. (Former peer leader Tiffany)
Improved leadership skills
“With this leadership opportunity that I was given I just decide to make the best of it. And being on the centre stage I found that it was very good for me , it boosted my confidence, and it enabled me to you know show some of my leadership qualities, I am better prepared right now to take my time and manage other responsibilities yeah I am more comfortable with other leadership roles”
PLTL Student Feedback
In general students had positive views of the PLTL workshops, Peer Leaders and workshop materials
How did the PLTL workshops help/not help you?
“it helped me become more confident in my approach to my work”
“it helped to understand some concepts that were not clear in class” “it helped me to better analyze information” “the PLTL project motivated me to do chemistry and it aided in explaining
concepts better”
What did you like most about the PLTL workshops?
“the interaction amongst persons my own
age” “Our peer leader was cool and made
learning fun and look easy” “the challenging arguments brought
forward by other students and the step by step explanation and discussion about the problems especially the things the lecturers left out in the lectures”
Item Mean PLTL approach had a positive impact on my attitude towards learning of Chemistry.
3.7 ± 0.8
The peer leaders were effective in fulfilling their roles
4.0 ± 0.6
Workshop materials were effective. 4.2 ± 0.5
PLTL approach helped to improve my learning of introductory level chemistry.
4.2 ±0.2
N =108
Challenges Funding for training and compensation of peer leaders,
production of manuals for workshops Available rooms available to conduct workshops. Finding suitable Peer Leaders “Denying” some students the opportunity to participate. These challenges can be overcome through
institutionalizing the model and giving consideration to offering credits or tuition waivers, instead of cash to Peer Leaders. In addition, the institution could charge students a small fee as part of their laboratory fees, to offset costs manuals and resource materials
Conclusions PLTL workshops Significantly improved
performance in introductory chemistry as well as Increased student self confidence and attitude
towards chemistry. Participation in both semester results in better
performance than in one semester only. The PLTL model provides an atmosphere in which
students freely express themselves more freely, show less fear of failure, and develop the self- confidence and problem solving skills that are necessary for independent learning.
Implications Results point to the need for
institutionalization of the PLTL model to include all Year 1 students as well as other subjects e.g Math, Phys etc
Need for a PLTL programme director who can focus on coordinating the programme
The need to revisit our mode of instruction
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to the kind assistance and generosity of A.E. Dreyfuss and Gosser, D. who assisted with training and useful advice prior to the start of the project.
Thank You