Lessons learnt and changed understanding: Can Machine Dynamics students survive without my lectures? Ian Howard Mechanical Engineering

Presentation Overview My Teaching Style Intro to Machine Dynamics 231 Flipping the Classroom Experience Overview of Outcomes from S1, 2013 Lessons Learnt Future Modifications Conclusions

My Teaching Style Content & resources provided – Full lecture notes – iLectures from previous years – Current iLectures – All Tutorials provided from week 1 Interactive explanation of material – Annotation using graphics tablet – Group discussion in lecture as appropriate – Worked examples Tutorials – Focus on problem solving

Intro to Machine Dynamics students (Max has been 270) Runs concurrently in MIRI (~100 students) Last major unit change in 2004 Technically Focused Fundamentals of Dynamics and Applications Introduction to Machine components Students struggle with concepts/visualisation

Flipping the Classroom Experience What changes were made for 2013? Machine Dynamics Number of students Assessment Weighting 50 % exam, 20% group assign, 20 % test, 10 % lab 50 % exam, 20% group assign, 20 % tute activity, 10 % lab Lecture Hours per week31 Tutorial Hours per week11 Tutorial size 9 classes, 20 – 30 students each 6 classes, 30 – 40 students each Tutorial VenueBuilding 300 classroom style. Working alone Building 216 new teaching space. Assembled in groups of 4-6

Flipping the Classroom Experience Rationale for reducing lecture time (suck it and see) AdvantagesDisadvantages Free up timeLess time for interaction Less emphasis on contentLess able to convey myself to the students More focus on core materialLess time for ‘jokes’ … Increase responsibility of students to be engaged Less time to tell them … Frustration – how else will they know?? More expensive overall ??

Flipping the Classroom Experience Tutorial Activities Replaces mid semester test 20 % weighting 10 activities submitted, marked and returned 1 activity per week over 10 weeks Cost 5 hrs per week in marking Designed to engage students every week

Overview of Outcomes Tutorial Activity Results

Overview of Outcomes Unit mean mark improved 58 % - 65 % (2012/13) Exam mean mark improved 46 % - 55 %(2012/13) Mean tutorial mark of 63 % Attendance at the 1 hr lecture improved Tutorial attendance (compulsory) improved Tutorial activities forced students to engage with material weekly

Lessons Learnt eValuate Outcomes Unit Name: Machine Dynamics 231 Unit Number: Response Rate: % 2012 – 2013 results 1. The learning outcomes in this unit are clearly identified The learning experiences in this unit help me to achieve the learning outcomes The learning resources in this unit help me to achieve the learning outcomes The assessment tasks in this unit evaluate my achievement of the learning outcomes Feedback on my work in this unit helps me to achieve the learning outcomes The workload in this unit is appropriate to achievement of the learning outcomes The quality of teaching in this unit helps me to achieve the learning outcomes I am motivated to achieve the learning outcomes in this unit I make best use of the learning experiences in this unit I think about how I can learn more effectively in this unit Overall, I am satisfied with this unit

Lessons Learnt eValuate Comments – As expected – the good, bad and ugly Some Good comments – The weekly tutorial activities are a great way for us to refresh and study the content learned in the lecture. – the tutorials activities were for me the best way to learn the concerned subject each time. – The videos from the past years was really useful in helping me understand certain topics better. – The short revised lectures were helpful, with the addition of more detailed lectures available on blackboard. – Where diagrams and movies are presented, make it much easier to visualise the systems we are studying. Technical drawings are not very good at helping see what it is we are supposed to be seeing – The tutorials are the most helpful bycovering the practical aspect of the subject that are tought. – good lecturer and lots of notes available

Lessons Learnt Some Poor comments – I found that the lectrues mostly focused on deriving equations and not enough time was spent on worked examples. I found the quality of the lecture notes poor and I also had a tutor that was not only extremely difficult to understand, but his hand writing was also unreadable making coming to the tutorials almost pointless. The fact that every member in the group assignment had to attempt all questions was frustrating as well. – The lectures were generally unhelpful and the tutorials were similar. The labs were also unhelpful in understanding content especially as it had not yet been studied in most cases

Lessons Learnt Student comments for improvements – Increase tutorial time to 2 hrs – Improve quality of tutorial sessions – Increase time between lecture and tutorial

Future Modifications Increase tutorial time to 2 hrs Improve quality of tutorial sessions Increase time between lecture and tutorial Try out some in-class tutorial assessments Try out some on-line quizzes

Conclusions Reducing lecture time appeared to have little bearing on student engagement Student engagement can be increased using compulsory tutorial activities Overall student grades improved giving encouragement for further developments in 2014