Blackboard Based Learning and Assessment Tom Rippeth School of Ocean Sciences Bangor University.

Blackboard Based Learning and Assessment

Tom Rippeth

School of Ocean Sciences

Bangor University

Background

• January 2007: Restructuring.

• Cut staff contact hours by half.

• Maintain student work load by introducing (additional) directed learning.

• Outline my attempts

• What is directed learning?

• And how it is assessed?

Examples of Assessment

• Pre-practical Test:

Aim: To introduce student to concepts and skills to be used in subsequent practical.

• Virtual Practical:

Aim: To assess directed learning exercise.

• Tutorial Supplement:

Aim: Test understanding of concepts and skills communicated in different ways.

Pre-practical Test

Year 1Aim: Introduce the student to the

concepts they will cover in the practical.

OSX1005: Sea Level Practical• Aim of the test• Introduce the students to the

concepts to be used in the prac.

• Prepare the students for IPCC research element of the prac.

• 10 MCQs. • 1 week to complete• DEADLINE: Eve of Prac. • 93% participation rate.• (96% handed in lab. report).• Average mark = 68.8±15.5%• Lab Report = 60±19%.

Lab. based practical in which the students calculate the impact of thermal expansion, and melting land based ice, on global sea level (past and present).

Tutorial Supplements

Aim: to get students to identify key scientific results and find

supporting evidence.

1) aninconvenienttruth

Following the decision by the Government to send a copy of Al Gore’s film to every school in the UK ……..a UK High Court judge ruled that although the underlying scientific case was correct, the film contains nine scientific “errors”.

OSX2000: Tutorial Module

Force student to focus on identifying key scientific results and find supporting evidence.

Al Gore: Learning Tools

• A copy of the film.• A copy of the relevant

Times Law Report.• Web-links to a range of

newspapers.• A range of peer-review

papers covering some aspects of the film criticized by the judge

GORE FILM IS ‘BIASED’

Schools must warn of GORE climate film bias

Gores ‘nine Inconvenient

Untruths’

Discriminatory Questions

• MCQs based only on watching the film.

• MCOs based on comparing newspaper reports and film.

• MCQs requiring the student to do research using peer reviewed literature.

• Short Answer Qs requiring the student to update evidence in the film (eg. Paper reference).

Participation Rate• 2008• 106 of 114 students completed test (93%).• Average mark = 81.75± 13.65• Only 4 got marks < 50%.• Of those who didn’t complete 80% failed module

completely (ie. essay/ presentation components). • 2009• 100 of 110 completed (91%).• Average mark = 77.73± 17.39• 9 got < 50%• Difference. More discriminatory questions requiring

students to read more scientific literature.• (Also worth less marks due to the introduction of a new

test!).

2) Research to Media: Key results

We’ll lose vital defence against climate change’

Siberian climate

linked to climate in

the UK

14/1/09 Daily Post

Virtual Practical

Aim: to introduce students to new concepts using multi-media

presentations.

Osx1005: Virtual Practical

• Topic: Ocean circulation and Climate• Focusing on:- Potential impact of climate change on oceanic meridional overturning circulation.- And feedback of change on European climate. • Background to practical• The meridional overturning circulation has been covered in lecture• The students will have seen a physical model of the vertical component of the meridional circulation.

• Meridional Overturning CirculationThe global ocean circulation that

gives the UK warm winters

Virtual Practical: Learning Tools

The Big Chill

• Recording of the Programme downloadable from Blackboard• Transcript of the programme downloadable from the web (web-address given)• 2 Nature papers on which the relevant part of the programme is based, downloadable via Library website (Refs given)Dr Bill Turrell, Bangor Graduate

Types of Questions• Multiple choice. Randomise answers• Short Questions. (require marking!)• eg. Can you find a more recent paper (than

2002) in either of the journals Nature or Science which presents more evidence about the state of the conveyor circulation? Provide the reference.

• Marks for (i) relevance and (ii) complete + correct format reference.

• MCQs requiring the student to have understood key results/ methodology reported in peer-review journal.

Participation and Assessment• OSX1005 Introducing the Ocean 07/08 Assessments.• 120 students. • Physical (first 3) and Chemical oceanography (last 3)• Varity of assessment types and weightings.

0102030405060708090

100

PO Test:13%

OceanC: 4.5%

Sealevel: 9%

PO4:4%

Nut+O2:4%

Biogeo:5.2%

% participation

% average mark

Semester 1 ------- Semester 2

SD to show mark distribution

weighting

Tests 1 & 2

Increase in average mark

of 10% between

2008 and 9!!!!

Test 310% drop!

Student Feedback• Did you enjoy the module: 2.3• Do you think module is useful for your degree: 1.7• How difficult was the module: 2.6• Did you come across new ideas and concepts: 1.5• Well organised: 1.8/ Staff helpful: 1.8

• Individual Comments• “Use of blackboard was very helpful”• “Best module of the year”• “liked assignments especially the virtual prac.”• “my favourite module of the year”• “lectures well planned with their content relating it to pracs and

online tests”• “I found this module as a breath of fresh air from the biological side

of my course”

1 – very positive. 5 – very negative

Nature and frequency of assessment

And Participation rate …..

Test frequency and assessment• OSX2007 Prince Madog Practical. 92 students• OSX1004. Earth Processes. 62 students

0102030405060708090

100

1 2 3 4 5 6

Test Number

% P

arti

cip

atio

nOSX1004 assessedwork

OSX1004 non-assessed online selftests

OSX2007 assessedon-line tests

• Weekly online tests (Green and Red)

• Student participation declines week by week.

• Take up of non-assessed (red) is low compared to assessed work (blue).

• Impact of none-assessed tests on learning?

• Average mark of those doing tests is 3% above class average.