Student Centered Learning is a 10 credit, NFQ level 9 qualification offered by the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). The module is delivered using a blended learning approach.
Learning Outcomes
- Evaluate and apply the major concepts, theories and practices of student-centred learning in education
- Critically review a range of retention programmes and student led learning initiatives
- Critically review formative instructional practice (FIP) and how they are activated in the classroom or in an online learning environment
- Design a student-centred learning toolkit
- Evaluate student-centred classroom strategies and techniques
SCL Toolkit
Implementation of Formative Assessments in Second Year Science
Introduction
Student-centred learning (SCL) allows students to develop their own knowledge and skills by doing activities that are facilitated by a teacher (Harden and Crosby 2000; O’Neill and McMahon 2005). SCL has become a leading learning approach in Ireland (Attard et al. 2010) and is a growing pedagogical option within science. SCL pedagogies include the implementation of formative assessment strategies, in this case online discussion forums via the VLE Moodle, allowing for increased monitoring of student progress throughout the module by both the teacher and student. Formative assessment strategies acknowledge the steady progress in knowledge, skills and learning over time (Costine et al. 2012) in addition to highlighting gaps for future development (O’Neill and McMahon 2005). The Limnology and Oceanography (L&O) module takes place in semester 2 of second year on the BSc Applied Freshwater and Marine Biology degree in Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). The module aims to identify and describe the major processes that form the oceans and drive circulation within the oceans; evaluate the important physical and chemical environmental variables which sustain aquatic life; describe the importance of productive processes and the inter-relationships between plants and animals; select and apply analyses and methods appropriate to the scientific study of aquatic environments; and finally identify the risks and hazards associated with field sampling in aquatic environments (O’Connor et al. 2015). The teaching and learning (T&L) strategy combines lectures, practical’s and field trips with student-directed learning alongside formative and summative assessment forming 60% continuous assessment and 40% final summative exam (O’Connor et al. 2015). SCL is key to the successful completion of the module however, it remains unclear whether students feel formative assessments and feedback are a useful SCL pedagogy for increasing student engagement with the Corrib Catchment report. Therefore, the aims of this SCL toolkit are to i) implement formative assessments and feedback into the second year Corrib Catchment Report within the module Limnology and Oceanography, ii) evaluate whether students found the formative feedback useful in preparing for the final report, and iii) assess whether summative grades increased due to increased student engagement, knowledge and understanding of the topic.
Implementation of Formative Assessments in Second Year Science
Introduction
Student-centred learning (SCL) allows students to develop their own knowledge and skills by doing activities that are facilitated by a teacher (Harden and Crosby 2000; O’Neill and McMahon 2005). SCL has become a leading learning approach in Ireland (Attard et al. 2010) and is a growing pedagogical option within science. SCL pedagogies include the implementation of formative assessment strategies, in this case online discussion forums via the VLE Moodle, allowing for increased monitoring of student progress throughout the module by both the teacher and student. Formative assessment strategies acknowledge the steady progress in knowledge, skills and learning over time (Costine et al. 2012) in addition to highlighting gaps for future development (O’Neill and McMahon 2005). The Limnology and Oceanography (L&O) module takes place in semester 2 of second year on the BSc Applied Freshwater and Marine Biology degree in Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). The module aims to identify and describe the major processes that form the oceans and drive circulation within the oceans; evaluate the important physical and chemical environmental variables which sustain aquatic life; describe the importance of productive processes and the inter-relationships between plants and animals; select and apply analyses and methods appropriate to the scientific study of aquatic environments; and finally identify the risks and hazards associated with field sampling in aquatic environments (O’Connor et al. 2015). The teaching and learning (T&L) strategy combines lectures, practical’s and field trips with student-directed learning alongside formative and summative assessment forming 60% continuous assessment and 40% final summative exam (O’Connor et al. 2015). SCL is key to the successful completion of the module however, it remains unclear whether students feel formative assessments and feedback are a useful SCL pedagogy for increasing student engagement with the Corrib Catchment report. Therefore, the aims of this SCL toolkit are to i) implement formative assessments and feedback into the second year Corrib Catchment Report within the module Limnology and Oceanography, ii) evaluate whether students found the formative feedback useful in preparing for the final report, and iii) assess whether summative grades increased due to increased student engagement, knowledge and understanding of the topic.
Implementation plan
Key Findings
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Peer Recommendations
- Engage with second year students regarding the design of potential formative assessments which they may find more engaging
- Change the schedule and delivery of the course allowing formative and summative assessments to occur continuously with no breaks
- Gather further feedback from students indicating their preferred assessment type: two formative and one summative or two small summative and one large summative assessment, and
- Investigate further how best to introduce second year science students to formative assessment
Lessons Learnt
There are several key lessons which can be learnt from the implementation of this SCL toolkit:
There are several key lessons which can be learnt from the implementation of this SCL toolkit:
- Second year students are more focused on passing their modules and thus engaging with summative assessments than using formative assessments and feedback to develop deeper understand of topics or to improve their general scientific skills such as scientific writing and referencing
- This provisional data suggests that in the case of the Corrib Catchment Report formative feedback had no added value when comparing student cohorts with formative assessments (2018/2019) to without formative assessments (2017/2018)
- The high number of ‘not competent’ scores in the formative feedback assessments did not truly reflect the actual knowledge, skills and understanding students had on the topic
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