There is clearly a need to move from traditional lecture based delivery to a student-centred learning environment. The authors discuss how student engagement, preparation, satisfaction and grades improved following a radical redevelopment of a topic that encouraged increased student participation. This was achieved in collaboration with the Office of Teaching, Learning and Technology at the University of Iowa and involved moving from a lecture-centric format to one that provided multiple learning contexts that supported student learning.

Students reported that the online resources, online quizzes and the alignment with real world application helped them to meet the required topic learning outcomes. The changes in topic structure also allowed the face to face sessions to develop higher order learning.

Although there is debate in the literature on the success of redesigned courses in improving student grades, it is argued that careful and considered alignment of course goals with learning outcomes in the planning stages can help to provide practical design decisions and required resources to support student engagement and better learning outcomes.

The authors stressed that successful topic redevelopment requires significant time to allow careful and considered planning.

 

Question: What resources and support would you need to redevelop your topic to provide a successful student-centred learning environment?

 

Full article can be found:

Large Lecture Transformation: Adopting Evidence-Based Practices to Increase Student Engagement and Performance in an Introductory Science Course   │  Journal of Geoscience Education 64, 37-51 (2016)

 

By Jae-eun Russell, Sam Van Horne, Adam S Ward, E. Arthur Bettis lll, Maija Siploa, Mariana Colombo and Mary K Rocheford

 

Synopsis by Dr. Debbie Charter

Lecturer in Higher Education – CILT