Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Modifications were made to the timing of subject matter delivery in order to maximize
the primacy-recency effect. Students require breaks, and the longest time to lecture should
proceed without interruption is approximately 45 to 50 minutes. It is inadvisable to focus on
a single task for extended periods, because neurochemical depletion reduces learning
productivity. An attention span of seven to eight minutes was assumed, and suitable
activities and diversions were introduced on their expiry. Extensive use was made of humor
and drama triggers. Forward and backward referencing were used, and where possible, the
subject matter was grounded in familiar real-world examples. The most obvious implication
is that the most important topics should be introduced in the first session and revisited in
the final session. The more mundane topics are ideal for the second session.
Students were given extensive advice on the mechanisms of memory, in particular, how
to move items from short- to long-term memory and how to organize information for easier
recall. Much of this revolves around good note-taking skills and repetition, but few students
had any awareness of how much repetition is required and the timescales involved.
A 50-minute examination preparation session was given at the end of the course. This
focused on technique rather than content, in particular, the task of relating question selection,
ordering, and answering to learning styles.
Although this seems an extensive alteration to teaching style and practice, the total
work involved was less than 16 hours for a 42-hour, single-credit course. The extra work was
incorporated into the annual update of the course and has since provided a useful framework
for the development of other courses.
EVALUATION
Table 1 shows student perceptions of the course for three semesters before and after
the introduction of new teaching practices. The figures are drawn from the same single-credit
course, and each enrollment had a minimum of 55 students.
Table 2 shows time series data on marks distributions for the same unit over a three-year
period. While the minimum mark has remained relatively constant, the average mark has
increased, and the percentage of students performing well has increased, only the attrition
rate has decreased.
DISCUSSION
Demonstrating a direct causal link between changes to teaching practices and provid-
ing training in metacognition with changes to student outcomes is not possible in the absence
of a strictly controlled experiment. Possible objections might include the following:
1.
The lecturer might have made the course, assessments, and examinations simpler in
order to increase the number of students receiving good passing grades.
2.
The students are aware that they are part of an uncontrolled experiment.
3.
The improvements could be explained by increases in the quality of the student intake.
Taking these in turn, Item 1 may be countered by the fact that the examinations have
been peer reviewed for consistency in style and level of difficulty. Samples of examination
scripts and assignments have been similarly peer reviewed.
