1. Learning So Fast You’ll Freak: The Effect of Immersion on Online Learning Success
Official Sponsor:
Unofficial Sponsor:
Dr. Mike Brudzinski (1)
Dr. Stefany Sit (2)
(1) Miami University (Ohio)
(2) University of Illinois - Chicago

2. Immersion Education
Immersion education often describes when elementary students are taught in a second language, which is more successful than a single daily class (e.g., Johnson and Swain, 1997)
Immersion style is also common for undergraduate geology, typically in a “field camp” intensive ~5 week field immersion (Whitmeyer and Mogk, 2009)
Intro geology courses taught as compressed field immersions result in higher conceptual understanding than classroom-based courses (e.g., Elkins and Elkins, 2007)
Yet field immersions are logistically difficult and essentially impossible for large enrollment service courses
Can online environments be used for immersion education?

3. Course Summary Introduction to Environmental Geology
Focus on Natural Disasters
Introductory course that fulfills physical science requirement of liberal ed plan
Traditional, Active-learning, Hybrid, Online
15 weeks (semester) or 3 weeks (winter term)
50-90 students
Online discussion groups of ~10

4. Student Learning Outcomes
Select and/or generate possible answers (hypotheses) to key questions
Collect and analyze data
Place the results of data analysis in context of other experiments
Evaluate hypotheses based on results
Disseminate conclusions to peers
Convey the scientific information to the general public

5. Evaluation with the GCI
Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI)
Set of conceptually based questions developed by geosciences education researchers (Libarkin and Anderson, 2005)
Evaluated and validated using item analysis techniques from both classical test theory and item response theory
The same set of 25 questions employed online in all cases (most intro geology courses in our department since 2007)

6. Evaluation with the GCI
Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI)
Impact of course on student performance is estimated by calculating normalized improvement
Compare end of course GCI scores with start of course GCI scores for each student
Uncertainties calculated with jackknife resampling (Kunsch, 1989)

7. Student Performance Gains
Traditional Lecture-Based
Active-Learning Revision
Active
E-Learning
GCIGAIN
9.2 ± 1.0%
17.2 ± 0.8%
24.5 ± 2.0%
# Students
441
1121
207

8. Interpretation
Traditional to Active-Learning improvements were interpreted as due to purposeful re-design to focus more on student engagement [Brudzinski and Sikorski, 2011]
In-Class to Online improvements were interpreted as due to more authentic scientific investigations with more practice & immediate feedback [Sit and Brudzinski, in revision]

9. Online Class Format 10-20 minute video lectures
Summarize key points and integrate activities with broader concepts
Primarily Voice Over PowerPoint
Some computer skill walk-throughs too

10. Online Class Format Moodle Assignment (30-50 questions)
Multiple choice, multiple answer, numerical, short answer questions
Immediate feedback, re-answer for partial credit
Can retake entire assignment (scores averaged)
Encouraged to ask questions and discuss with other students through discussion boards
Require use Google Earth, Excel, web databases

11. How steep is this volcano?
Flat: small (< 10%) average slope and small (< 10%) maximum slope
Gentle: small (< 10%) average slope but moderate (10-50%) maximum slope
Irregular: small (< 10%) average slope but large (> 50%) maximum slope
Moderate: moderate (10-50%) average slope and moderate (10-50%) maximum slope
Steep: moderate (10-50%) average slope but large (> 50%) maximum slope
Math? Really?!?!

12. Effect of Immersion Online
Opportunity to isolate the impact of immersion in these courses:
Fully online versions offered in both a traditional 15-week semester and a 3-week winter term
Essentially no change in course design other than the time frame
About 6-9 hours coursework/day, 5 days/week
15 weeks
3 weeks

13. Student Performance Gains
15 Week Hybrid
15 Week Online
3 Week
Online
GCIGAIN
19.4 ± 2.8%
19.7 ± 3.6%
30.3 ± 3.6%
# Students 83 73 51

14. Interpretation
Intro geology courses taught as compressed field immersions result in higher GCI scores than classroom-based courses (e.g., Elkins and Elkins, 2007)
3-week Winter Term course has no field component, which implies the compression and intensiveness are the key to creating immersion that improves student conceptual understanding
This is reminiscent of the improved outcomes from being taught in second language all day – the intensity results in immersion

15. Implication: Target Outside of Fall or Spring
Institutions should consider focusing online efforts outside traditional 15-week semesters
When compressed, immersive courses can be offered more readily
When residential students seek online courses because they are typically away from campus

16. Conclusion
A compressed, immersive format improves student learning in online courses based on validated measures of learning outcomes
15 weeks
3 weeks