A strategy for developing problem-solving skills in large undergraduate classes

Moss, G. D.; McMillen, Donald H.

doi:10.1080/03075078012331377196

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The strategies we used to achieve our objectives were developed in response to the opportunities apparent in the new philosophy of the BApplSc program. We agreed that the traditional teacher-centered, lecture-based strategy subordinated the learning opportunity to knowledge transfer (i.e., from the lecturer to the students), and encouraged passive learning (Jackson and Prosser, 1989;Liow et al, 1993) and rote memorization rather than critical thinking (Moss and McMillen, 1980). Moreover, the tendency of the traditional strategy to promote competition rather than cooperation, while failing to instill the ethos of lifelong learning (Chiodo et al, 1991), conflicted with the educational goals of our faculty.…”

Section: Summary Major Reform Of the Undergraduate Degree Program Inmentioning

confidence: 92%

Challenging the Pedagogy of Tertiary Level Horticulture

MacKay¹,

MacKay²,

Funnell³

et al. 1999

horttech

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Major reform of the undergraduate degree program in the Faculty of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences at Massey University has resulted in greater emphasis being placed on developing attributes of lifelong learning in our students. Translating this particular goal into transparent educational practice in the horticulture courses required us to overturn the existing teaching paradigm. The traditional content-focused, principles first, integration second strategy of the existing horticulture curriculum was replaced at the 100 level by a new course that melded the discipline of horticulture with attributes needed for lifelong learning. Using action learning strategies, principles of horticulture were presented in context, with students encouraged to apply and analyze them in the wholeness of the discipline. Students critically reflected on their experiences through writing-to-learn exercises, class or group discussion, oral presentations, and experientially through their laboratories. By incorporating our students' experiences with these strategies, we successfully achieved our goal of the students' learning and relating theprinciples of horticulture to the whole discipline. Although the students understood our goals in engaging them in writing-to-learn and group activities, they did not appear to recognize the educational processes in which they participated throughout the course. It seems that in forming the foundation for lifelong learning in applied science, greater attention must be given to making our mental models of the education process more transparent to the students.

show abstract

Section: Summary Major Reform Of the Undergraduate Degree Program Inmentioning

confidence: 92%

Challenging the Pedagogy of Tertiary Level Horticulture

MacKay¹,

MacKay²,

Funnell³

et al. 1999

horttech

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Students become unwilling to participate, disinclined to speak out, assuming a more passive role on the assumption that their inactivity is less likely to be noticed in a larger class (Booth et al, 2000;Australian Universities Teaching Committee, 2003). However, the broader literature in education and the social sciences indicates that most undergraduate students are more willing to change than lecturers may give them credit for (Moss and McMillen, 1980;Islam, 2001) and can work without constant direct lecturer involvement in the teaching and learning activities (Jackson and Prosser, 1989). This also applies in the accounting area; for example, Brooks and Oliver (2004) in their postcard from the podium state:…”

Section: Case-based Teaching In Large Class Settingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Case Studies in Large and Small Classes: Common Approaches, Different Responses

Doran

Healy

McCutcheon

et al. 2011

Accounting, Finance &Amp; Governance Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

T his paper explores the case study experience in large and small undergraduate classes, with a view to identifying and comparing the challenges which exist in each setting. Using open-ended student surveys and lecturer refl ections, the study compares how students in large and small classes, drawn from similar backgrounds, experienced two case events. Contrary to expectations, positive responses were reported in the large class setting as well as in the small class setting. However, managerial factors dominated in the large classes, reducing opportunities for engagement. Different class dynamics were also observed in each setting. Signifi cant differences in expectations were identifi ed between students in large and small class settings regarding participation and interaction. Raising the expectations of students in large classes emerged as a challenge to educators.

show abstract

“…Introductory engineering and science courses are notorious for their high attrition rates, which are usually attributed to deficiencies in students' knowledge (Moss and McMillen, 1980;Hundhausen et al, 2011;Parker Siburt et al, 2011). Chemistry, specifically, is a challenging science because it requires good understanding of several concepts and the ability to transition between micro, macro, and symbolic representations (Hoffmann and Laszlo, 1991;Johnstone, 1993Johnstone, , 2006Gabel, 1998;Pinarbasi and Canpolat, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determining what our students need most: exploring student perceptions and comparing difficulty ratings of students and faculty

Gulacar

Bowman

2014

Chem. Educ. Res. Pract.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

If the goal of teaching is to help students understand a subject, teaching cannot begin until student difficulties with a subject are understood. In order to create a guide for assessing student difficulties with chemistry material, students were asked to rate exam questions on three factors: problem difficulty, familiarity, and self-confidence. These surveys were then compared to difficulty ratings of the same questions as determined by chemistry professors. Students' ratings of problem difficulty, problem familiarity, and self-confidence correlated, as expected, with their success on exam problems. There was also some agreement between students and faculty on the difficulty of exam problems, though students were much more accurate of judging problem difficulty than were chemistry professors. Students were surveyed in two separate cohorts to test year-to-year reliability.

show abstract

A strategy for developing problem-solving skills in large undergraduate classes

Cited by 13 publications

References 6 publications

Challenging the Pedagogy of Tertiary Level Horticulture

Challenging the Pedagogy of Tertiary Level Horticulture

Case Studies in Large and Small Classes: Common Approaches, Different Responses

Determining what our students need most: exploring student perceptions and comparing difficulty ratings of students and faculty

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About