William Birmingham Vincent F. DiStasi and Gary Welton ASEE Conference June, 2009 Austin, TX 1ASEE 2009: DyKnow

ASEE 2009: DyKnow 1

Learning Style, Student Motivation and Active Learning

William BirminghamVincent F. DiStasiand Gary Welton

ASEE ConferenceJune, 2009Austin, TX

ASEE 2009: DyKnow 2

Grove City College

ASEE 2009: DyKnow 3

Studied Active Learning Software/Tablet PCs for several years Faculty highly satisfied with software/Tablet PCs Students are neutral about satisfaction compared with other

computer-based technologies Student who like DyKnow are:◦ Motivated to learn◦ Like receiving faculty notes◦ Are active learners

Key points

ASEE 2009: DyKnow 4

1:1 Tablet PC program now in sixth year◦ 16th year for 1:1 laptop/TabletPC program

Ubiquitous computing ◦ Networking (wired & wireless) in all classrooms, most places on

campus Reduced technology costs◦ Retire almost all general computer labs◦ Retain specialized labs

Tablet PC Computing Program

ASEE 2009: DyKnow 5

Study long-term use and satisfaction◦ Dyknow and Classroom Presenter◦ Tablet PCs◦ Impact on learning:

Note taking Active learning

Population: faculty and students across the college◦ Science and Engineering◦ Humanities

Study is in its 3rd year

Research Project: Technology in Classroom

ASEE 2009: DyKnow 6

Active learning: student-faculty engagement in the class◦ Socratic style in a modern setting

Research points to the benefits of active learning◦ Students retain more of the lecture material◦ Students immediately exercise concepts

It can be painful◦ Lecture is no longer a place to surf the web or to sleep◦ Falling can lead to painful experiences in classroom◦ Responsibility more clearly lies with student in learning◦ Some ingrained habits (notetaking) don’t work

Active learning

Software supporting active learning Classroom Presenter, DyKnow Instantly transmit prepared or extemporaneous content

to student screens◦ Progressive disclosure of content.◦ Content can be freehand, PowerPoint, web, etc.

Collaborative note taking Student response tools Content replay Collect, grade and return student work

ASEE 2009: DyKnow 8

Note: DyKnow is a proxy for active learning General evaluation plan◦ Survey students and faculty in “DyKnow classes” in initial

years◦ Survey general population on

Learning style Note taking style Attitudinal: active learning, technology in the classroom,

motivation for learning

Evaluation Plan

ASEE 2009: DyKnow 9

Fall 2006: DyKnow without interactive features. Spring 2007: DyKnow using interactive features.◦ Faculty and students participate in the Index of Learning

Styles© (ILS), created by Felder and Soloman. Spring 2008: General use of DyKnow◦ General population ILS survey

Fall, 2008: General use of DyKnow◦ General population ILS survey◦ General population “personal factors”

Surveys

ASEE 2009: DyKnow 10

Assess preferred learning styles on four dimensions.

◦ Visual: prefer visual representation of material◦ Verbal: prefer written and spoken explanations

◦ Sequential: linear thinking process, learn in incremental steps◦ Global: holistic thinking process, learn in large leaps

◦ Sensing: concrete, practical, oriented toward facts and procedures◦ Intuitive: conceptual, innovative, oriented toward theories and underlying

meanings

◦ Active: learn by trying things out, enjoy working in groups◦ Reflective: learn by thinking things through, prefer working alone or with one or

two familiar partners

Description of ILS


Student evaluation marginally below midpoint ◦M = 2.63/5; SD= 0.98

Satisfaction rating varied from course to course◦ 2.25 to 3.75◦Most favorable rating where DyKnow use was voluntary

Students rated themselves as proficient with DyKnow (M = 4.61/7) and faculty as proficient (M=4.62/7)

Baseline: Fall 2006 Results


*To what extent do you think DyKnow enhances your understanding of material and concepts as they are presented in class in comparison to a class that uses …

2007/08 Results

QuestionSpring 2007Mean and sd (N = 154)

Spring 2008Mean and sd (N = 294)

*lecture and chalkboard? M = 4.18, sd = 1.82 M = 4.04, sd = 1.68

*overhead transparencies? M = 4.50, sd = 1.63 M = 4.45, sd = 1.64

*PowerPoint or OneNote? M = 3.71, sd = 1.63 M = 3.66, sd = 1.53

Global Satisfaction M = 4.12, sd = 1.52 M = 4.06, sd = 1.44

1 = DyKnow provides a very significant disadvantage.4 = DyKnow provides neither and advantage nor a disadvantage.7 = DyKnow provides a very significant advantage.


Question All Students

Using DyKnow enhances my understanding of course material. M = 3.18

Using DyKnow provides me with a better set of notes. M = 3.61

I am more attentive during class because DyKnow is used. M = 2.77

I am more confident during exams when I have studied material from my DyKnow notes as compared to when I have studied from traditional paper notes.

M = 2.97

2007/2008 Student Results

1 = Strongly Disagree4 = Neither Disagree or Agree7 = Strongly Agree


Data and written comments show large disparity in student satisfaction

Satisfaction of DyKnow versus other technologies How do we explain these things?◦ Technology bias (for or against)◦ Technology learning curve

Student motivation seemed important …

Why the disparity


Students who completed all three surveys: DyKnow, ILS, personal factors◦ N=166 (students completing all three surveys in Fall, 2009)

Fall 2009 Survey

Mean Stan Dev ScaleTECHBIAS 3.79 1.15 1 to 6Active vs reflective 0.44 4.63 -11 to 11MOTIV8 5.06 0.80 1 to 7NOTETAKING 3.75 1.21 1 to 5GLOBALSAT 4.22 1.24 1 to 7

16

TECHBIAS has little effect◦ Reflected in different bias where CS students are less likely to

be satisfied with DyKnow than general population Students with intrinsic motivation to learn the material

tend to be satisfied with DyKnow Active Learners tend to be more satisfied

ASEE 2009: DyKnow

Discussion

Variable β-weight tobs pTECHBIAS .295 3.89 < .001Active v Reflective -.168 2.25 .03MOTIV8 .178 2.36 .02NOTETAKING -.203 2.74 .01


The paradox:◦ Too many notes: students loose attention◦ Too few notes: reflective students can’t reflect◦ Students who like lots of notes like DyKnow

Discussion: The notetaking paradox


The following dimensions showed statistically significant correlations◦ Visual learners more positive reaction toward DyKnow.◦ Sequential learners more positive reaction toward DyKnow.

ILS Correlations


On average, students are neutral about Dyknow◦ About half of the students are relatively neutral◦ About one quarter like it, and one quarter don’t

Of the students who like Dyknow:◦ Intrinsically motivated to learn◦ Like “delivered” notes◦ Like active learning◦ Tend to like technology in the classroom

On average, faculty are strongly positive about Dyknow

Summary and Conclusions


Microsoft Corporation for funding through the University Relations Tablet PC and Higher Education.

DyKnow for continued support of this research.

Acknowledgements


*To what extent do you think DyKnow enhances your teaching of material and concepts as they are presented in class in comparison to a class that uses …

Faculty Results, Spring 2007

QuestionFaculty, (N = 21)Mean and sd

*lecture and chalkboard? M = 6.14, sd = 0.91

*overhead transparencies? M = 6.29, sd = 0.72

*PowerPoint or OneNote? M = 5.57, sd = 0.98

Global Satisfaction M = 6.00, sd = 0.70

1 = DyKnow provides a very significant disadvantage.4 = DyKnow provides neither and advantage nor a disadvantage.7 = DyKnow provides a very significant advantage.

Students, (N = 154)Mean and sd

M = 4.18, sd = 1.82

M = 4.50, sd = 1.63

M = 3.71, sd = 1.63

M = 4.12, sd = 1.52


Faculty using DyKnowDepartment Fall 06 Spring 07 Spring 08

Biology 1 1 1Business 0 0 2Chemistry 1 2 1Computer Science 2 5 6Economics 1 1 0Electrical Engineering 0 0 1Mechanical Engineering 3 3 4Music 1 0 0Physics 1 1 0Political Science 1 1 1Psychology 1 1 0Religion 0 1 1Sociology 1 0 0Totals 13 16 17


Courses using DyKnowDepartment Fall 06 Spring 07 Spring 08

Business 1 1 5Chemistry 0 1 1Computer Science 5 8 15Electrical Engineering 0 0 2General Science 3 3 5General Engineering 1 1 1Humanities 0 1 2Mathematics 0 1 2Mechanical Engineering 2 4 6Music 1 0 0Physics 1 1 0Political Science 1 1 1Psychology 2 1 0Religion 0 1 0Sociology 1 0 0Totals 18 24 40


It gives a false sense of security, you don't have to pay attention because you get the notes straight from DyKnow. This becomes a problem when studying the notes and they are unclear and difficult to understand.

It's the actual TAKING of the notes that helps me the most. When

they are given to me, I am simply an observer, and learn not nearly as much.

I like to take notes actively. I think that the actual act of writing

something down for yourself helps people learn. If anything, I paid attention less because the slides and notes were

given to me. I pay more attention in a class with chalkboard notes.

Student Comments on Notetaking


It was really nice not having to worry about writing down everything the professor was writing down, and I now have a very detailed set of notes that are fairly easy to study.

I like DyKnow because I can get the outline of a professor's notes and I can add my own notes on top of that. Also, in this class, I didn't need to copy very difficult diagrams and drawings.

DyKnow took notes for me so I could focus on the concepts; not frantically taking notes.

Student Comments on Notetaking


DyKnow is a very effective tool for teaching Mathematics because it combines the spontaneity of a blackboard lecture with the structure and reproducibility of a PowerPoint lecture. Also, the time-consuming, embarrassing, and inefficient practice of having students work at the blackboard in front of their peers is replaced by an (optionally anonymous) efficient process in which students work individually and the instructor can choose which solution to critique.

DyKnow allows the ability to teach using a multitude of techniques all in one product. The main idea is not to do everything for the students but help them grasp the information.

Faculty Comments


Polling and panel management are GREAT! I miss animations that PowerPoint support.

DyKnow was great for marking up code segments and explaining what the code accomplished, in some cases line-by-line.

I did not require the students to use DyKnow. About 1/4 to 1/3 of the students chose to use the program.

Faculty Comments


Test hypothesis that students who are intrinsically motivated to learn the material would respond more favorably to this form of active learning◦ Campus-wide survey of student motivation toward learning.◦ Analyze relationships among this survey data, learning styles and

DyKnow satisfaction measures. Education: the major factor◦ Faculty:

Help students understand the value and process of taking better notes.◦ Students:

Improve proficiency Improve note taking methods

Future Work

Documents

William Birmingham Vincent F. DiStasi and Gary Welton ASEE Conference June, 2009 Austin, TX 1ASEE 2009: DyKnow