Promoting Active Learning Inside and Outside the Classrooms

Teaching Development Grant Sharing Session (15 December 2009)

• Principal Investigator: Catherine Chiu; • Research and Teaching Assistant: Valerie Yap• AIS2020: Introduction to Sociology

Project Objectives:1. To promote the use of Classroom Assessment

Tasks (CATs) and Blackboard as tools for learning.

2. To design and test learning activities3. To monitor and assess the effectiveness and

impact of the student learning activities

PART 1: Project Activities

Besides the usual group presentations and group discussions, other classroom assessment techniques (CATs) were carried out:

Active Learning Inside the Classroom

Active Learning Outside the Classroom

Application CardsBrainstorming ActivityDebateReflect-Group-ShareVideo Showing

Course Preparatory AssignmentIndividual Critique PaperJournal WritingOnline SurveyDiscussion Board

To aid students effectively learn an introductory course, students were involved in the learning process.

Note: All learning activities except Video Showing and Discussion Board were awarded marks ranging from 1-3 points per activity.

Applying the CATsApplication Card To apply concepts and theories to social issues

Example: Apply theoretical approaches to explain “workers going on strike”

Brainstorming Activity To propose multiple ideas on how to solve an issueExample: How to engage men and women in achieving gender equality

Course Preparation Assignment To distinguish concepts and theories as preparation prior to the class lectureExample: Can an interpretive sociologist be a conflict sociologist? Why or why not?

Debate To defend their position and appraise opposing views on a particular issueExample: Decline of traditional families in Hong Kong

Discussion Board Forum for discussing and expressing any comments and views on the lecture and class activities Example: A new BBC poll has found widespread dissatisfaction with free-market capitalism. What is your reaction to the survey findings, and what is your view on capitalism?

Individual Critique Paper To assess how well students critically evaluate the main points of a group presentationExample: Critique group presentation on “How "Mcdonaldization" is emerging and its impacts – emergence of a global culture?”

Journal Writing To interpret and question their observations or reflections on a social issueExample: Listing down your waste for a day and reflecting on what this says about your lifestyle

Online Survey To assess students’ prior knowledge of a topic or issue; to serve as a supplement to the lectureExample: Gender Values Survey

Reflect-Group-Share To independently formulate their opinion/views and share with a groupExample: Which of the models of capitalism, namely market capitalism, managed capitalism and state capitalism will have more positive effects on democracy?

Video Showing To analyze and relate the video content to the lecture Example: Global Environmental Issues

Example 1 Online Survey (Pre-class Activity)

Purpose: To assess students’ prior knowledge of gender; to serve as a supplement to the lecture

1. Students answer the Gender Values Survey on Blackboard.2. Students express and briefly explain their own views to

statements relating to gender.3. The findings are presented at an appropriate point in class.

These will also be uploaded to Blackboard for the student’s reference.

4. The instructor links new information to the results.

Students were given opportunities to talk, discuss, write and apply what they are learning.

Example 2Application Card (In-class Activity)

Purpose: To assess students’ ability to apply deviant theories to explain juvenile shoplifting

1. Students form groups of 4-5 2. Each group is assigned one deviant theory3. Groups discuss and attempt to transfer what they have just

learned to explain juvenile shoplifting4. Groups share and receive feedback from the instructor and

their classmates5. At the end of class, worksheets are collected. Answers are

compiled and summarized which will later be uploaded to Discussion Board.

Example 3 Individual Critique Paper (Post-class Activity)

Purpose: To assess how well students critically evaluate the main points of a group presentation

1. Each student is assigned a presentation topic to critique.2. After each presentation, students are given a week to analyze

and interpret the presentation as well as express their own views on the given topic.

3. A week after, papers are marked and returned to the students with comments.

PART 2: Student FeedbackA. Learning experienceB. Course participation activities

Rating of Students’ Learning Experience

Course Intended Learning Outcomes:Mode(n=22)

Mean(n=22)

I have gained a good knowledge of the basic sociological concepts and paradigms.

4 (64%) 4.09

I have become more competent in examining social actions from a sociological point of view, instead of from an individualistic point of view.

4 (64%) 3.82

I have learned to apply the sociological concepts and paradigms to analyzing social issues and everyday-life situations.

4 (68%) 3.95

I made use of sociological literature and other reference materials in oral presentations as well as papers.

4 (68%) 3.95

Note: (5 = strongly agree; 1 = strongly disagree)

Selective Feedback of Students’ Learning Experience

• “The course improved my way to analyze some social phenomenon. It teached me some theory on social events. And it is good and useful in doing term papers.” // “I learn many sociological concepts and I can apply them to the other projects in the future.”

• “This course really helps me to look into things from different perspectives, criticize things from different angles.” // “Course participation activities & content coverage help me understand more about sociology and help me to analyze social issues from a sociologist’s view.”

• “I like this course can help me understand myself more and on my attitude about the different form of society.”

Course Participation Activities

Student Participation

Observantbut not

particularlyactive50%

ModeratelyActive36%

Active14%

Not active0%

• Although half of the class consider themselves observant but not particularly active, 55% agreed that they feel encouraged to participate in class.

• 41% of students agreed that the format of the class (lecture, discussion/activity) was helpful to the way they learned.

Effectiveness of Course Participation Activities

•68% agreed that class discussions help them understand key ideas in the course.

•91% of the students stated that the class activity summaries posted on the Discussion Board were useful.

•Students expressed that the summaries can be used as a reference or to review what they have learnt in class. It is also found to be a nice way to conclude the lesson.

Rating of Teaching & Learning Activities Note: (5 = strongly agree; 1 = strongly disagree) Mode

(n=22)Mean (n=22)

I. Individual Learning Activities

Course Preparation Assignment (CPA) 4 (50%) 3.83

Discussion Board 3 (62%) 3.24

Individual critique paper 4=5 (36%) 4.00

Journal writing 3 (41%) 3.55

Pre-class survey 4 (50%) 3.91

II. Group Learning Activities

Application cards 4 (64%) 4.00

Brainstorming activity 4 (59%) 4.23

Debate 4 (50%) 3.95

Group discussion 4 (55%) 4.27

Group presentation/reporting 4 (43%) 3.81

Reflect-Group-Share activity 4 (50%) 3.95

III. Video showing

Video showing 4 (57%) 4.24

Selective Feedback from StudentsApplication Cards• “To think deeply and widely of sociology not just theory but practical materials” // To

put the theory or concepts into practice.” // “Helped me in reviewing my knowledge gained on lesson in the aspects of applying or understanding.”

Course Participation Activities• “I like the course participation activities as we can have enough time to share our

opinions and have a free time to criticize, it can enhance our knowledge of sociology.”• “I think the CPAs are useful as they let me to have self-reflection on many of the

issues.” // “Help me to know more about what is teaching in class and have more knowledge on the topic”

Course Preparation Assignment• “Helps me to evaluate my understanding to the course.” // “Encourages self-learning.”

Debate• “Group the classmates into different groups according to their own perception on

traditional family is really interesting as it allows me to see how others view and whether my view is the majority or minority. It advocates me to think whether my own view is the most correct.”

Group Discussions• “Let us to think more about the content talked in the class (...) it seems that it is

another way to revise the knowledge.” • “I can get to know whether I understand or not.”• “During the discussions, I can clarify many misunderstandings of lectures. It helps to

make the lesson more interesting and interactive.”

Reflect-Group-Share• “Lets me know more about other’s opinion which help me understand more about the

discussed topic.” // “I can learn how to respect other comments and ideas. I learn it is important to respect people’s whose opinions are different from us.”

Video Showing• “Lets me know thoroughly about the topic.” // “My memory about this will be held for

longer time and it is better for me to study the course.”

[con’t]

Conclusions• Students had shown enthusiasm and interest in the course subject and the

course participation activities.

• Benefits of the Course Participation Activities:1. Student-centered2. Maximize participation3. Highly motivational (esp. group-related work)4. Encourages self-learning

• We were able to use a number of CATs and determine which worked better in enhancing student participation and learning however there was still some imbalance in activities done inside and outside the classroom.