I applied a digital teaching and assessment strategy to the ICT part of the Learning and Innovation Skills (LIS) module for year 1 Biomedical Engineers. This part of the module, worth 20% of the overall grade, focusses on Microsoft Excel and the main tools within the programme to support engineering work for the undergraduates and their future careers, primarily in the areas of functions, formulae and chart design. It is delivered in a blended environment with 3 digital laboratories of increasing complexity and level of assessment.
The digital teaching and assessment strategy used in this module is influenced by constructivism and active theory. The role of the instructor is to assist the learner in the Zone of Proximal Development in the first two labs and support them in their assignment outside of their Zone of Proximal Development. The digital labs are designed with intersubjectivity, scaffolding and guided participation at the forefront. Each digital lab uses guided participation and scaffolding. Guided participation is the shared interaction between instructor and student via interactive H5P videos. Scaffolding is the overall term for when the instructor supports the learners in their gradual understanding of the programme and be on hand to provide feedback to the learners, in this case via Moodle, Padlet. Lab 3 and the associated assignment employs intersubjectivity, where students share their previous experience with Excel through blog posts on their E Portfolios. The Digital Artefacts used in this redesigned Moodle page for LIS are: Personal E Portfolio, Interactive videos using H5P and Image Hotspot using H5P. The ICT part of the LIS module was flipped to a blended style as per the H5P framework reported by Wehling et al. (2021). I recorded three screencasts using Camtasia and exported them to YouTube. Interactivity was included in 2 of these videos using H5P interactive tools via Moodle LMS. In the blended labs students autonomously prepare by learning basic knowledge on Excel using these videos at home (guided participation), and they subsequently meet with the lecturer to gain deeper insights and participate in problem-solving exercises onsite (scaffolding). There is one MCQ used in this module redesign. I found the most useful aspect of using MCQs is the time saving benefit as they provide efficient methods to replace conventional assessments. The easily attainable Moodle statistics help inform decisions while revising the quizzes and making assessments more autonomous (Gamage 2019). The Module has a class Padlet that requires the students to upload their Excel charts created for their Excel assignment. These are then discussed openly in the onsite lab and/or online in the virtual noticeboard. I find Padlet a really great digital tool for students to contribute and learn from one another. All voices can be heard on the digital wall, which as Fuchs (2014) states is an idea that strikes right at the heart of our profession. As part of LIS each biomedical engineering student will have developed their own E Portfolio prior to beginning the Excel part of the course. E-portfolios are digital representations of students’ work along with reflections on their learning (Reynolds et al, 2014). They offer students many opportunities to demonstrate and reflect on their learning through a variety of media. They enable students to make connections, achieve greater success, and improve both their leadership skills and future employability (Eynon & Gambino, 2017; Haave, 2016; Yueh, 2016; Weber, 2018). Discussing and reflecting upon Excel in the greater context of their engineering course and further again to the profession of engineering follows social constructivist theory that learning is not just the assimilation of new knowledge but that behaviour modification can occur when the individual can relate the knowledge to their experiences (Bates 2016). Keeping the educational material up to date and interesting is important for student engagement and reflection. I find doing modules such as the Digital Teaching and Learning module really helpful in creating opportunities for collaboration. Creating suitable e-learning resources and embedding them in well-designed learning activities can be both challenging and time consuming. Sharing and adapting effective designs and solutions is both a stimulant and a time saver. I was able to use experimental data from my own research to create some educational resources that can be used across a range of modules. I communicated a lot with my colleague Dr Aoife O Brien in combining learning MS Excel skills with mathematics for engineering. The reusability of content is key to establishing connection between modules which is sometimes lacking in the subject of engineering. It is often found that students fail to connect the dots so to speak with their modules. By using real world mathematical problems or engineering problems, students can relate with the content quicker and encourages application of theoretical content. Students can share what they have learned with their peers, and we too can learn from them. An area I would like to improve upon in the future is extending the digital teaching and learning strategy to other areas of the course such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, the other ICT skills exercised in this module. The same format of 2 digitally enhanced labs and an assignment would create a continuity between each part of the module and support the work of the student. I also want to improve on the idea of digital group work. Dr Aoife O Brien is an expert in peer assessment using Moodle Workshop and this is something I want to employ for future assessments in this module. References Bates, Bob. (2016). Learning Theories Simplified: and how to apply them to teaching Los Angeles SAGE Publications. Eynon, B., & Gambino, L. M. (2017). High-impact ePortfolio practice: A catalyst for student, faculty, and institutional learning. Stylus Publishing, LLC. Fuchs, B. (2014) "The Writing is on the Wall: Using Padlet for Whole-Class Engagement" Library Faculty and Staff Publications. 240. Gamage, S.H.P.W., Ayres, J.R., Behrend, M.B. et al. (2019) Optimising Moodle quizzes for online assessments. IJ STEM Ed 6, 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-019-0181-4 Haave, N. (2016). E-Portfolios Rescue Biology Students from a Poorer Final Exam Result. Bioscene, 42(1), 8-15. Reynolds, C., & Patton, J. (2015). Leveraging the ePortfolio for integrative learning: A faculty guide to classroom practices for transforming student learning. Stylus Publishing, LLC. Weber, K. (2018). Employer Perceptions of an Engineering Student’s Electronic Portfolio. IJeP, 8(1), 57-71. Wehling, J., Volkenstein, S., Dazert, S. (2021) Fast-track flipping: flipped classroom framework development with open-source H5P interactive tools. BMC Med Educ 21, 351. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02784-8 Yueh, H. (2013). Engineering students’ perceptions of and reflections on portfolio practice in leadership development. Int J Eng Educ, 29(1), 99-106
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When I signed up to the Teaching and Learning (T&L) certificate, I didn't realise fully the impact it would have on me as a person as well as an educator. I signed up for it thinking about how this would benefit me practically in the strange new world of online third level education, which we were thrust into as a result of the global pandemic. Scrambling for new ideas in the latter half of the previous year as we moved to online platforms, the modules in this certificate in the areas of digital teaching and assessment strategies were ones that I thought would be necessary to have going forward into the new academic year of unknowns. If anything it was a place whereby if I had a technical problem, I would find my answer on this certificate.
The certificate was a whole array of new information on online teaching. I was able to take my online classroom to interactivity levels I never knew were possible through Moodle. Videos and h5p allowed me to bring practical labs to student laptops, changing up assessment strategies removed the stress attempting to cater for onsite exams and my skills at using Microsoft Teams improved dramatically. This all made the transition to online teaching much easier for my students and I. However, surprisingly it was in the areas of philosophy and reflection that I enjoyed and learned the most. I had never any formal educational training, so learning about where I fit into varying philosophies of teaching was incredibly interesting. Reflecting on my classes has now become part of my daily routine and helps me build and improve my teaching practice bit by bit each day. I think my favourite part of the certificate was the peer observations and working with colleagues outside of my department. I learned so much by watching and listening to others and applying these new ideas in my own classroom. I think the most important tool I take away from the T&L certificate is the connection that I have made with others, in a time where we were all working remotely, we were still able to work together. Going forward, I plan to take the Digital Teaching and Learning module starting in May. I know it has been a busy year and will only get busier, but I think I have found that I learn better by doing and keeping the momentum going. I also like the accountability of these courses. I feel like I am always improving. As my favourite quote by Charlie Munger goes: "Step by step we get ahead not necessarily in fast spurts" and in the for the unchartered waters we are entering post-pandemic, it's all we can hope for. Next Gen Fem, or Next Generation Female, is a new Irish podcast co-hosted by Leah Barbour, a professional videographer and director and founder of pennyproductions.ie, and myself, Dr Fiona Malone. The podcast is dedicated to celebrating women’s achievements and stories. Leah and I speak to women who have persevered through many ups and downs to pursue their passions and goals, be it in business or sport, the arts or science, education or politics. These interviews are with real life trailblazers, who won’t let anything get in their way!
Guests that have had a cup of tea and a chat with the us include Galwegian artist and entrepreneur, Aisling Kearney Burke of Paintclub, Irish sporting legend and Cork ladies’ football and camogie All Star, Rena Buckley and former Rose of Tralee and current MEP, Maria Walsh. Guests talk about how they came to their respective careers and what has kept them going when times get tough, with lots of giggles along the way. We keep the conversation light and fun while also discussing more serious issues like the treatment of women’s sport in Ireland, with international soccer superstar, Karen Duggan, and Irish rugby powerhouse, Michelle Claffey. The podcast may also be of keen interest to second level students who want to listen to women who have taken the road less travelled in terms of their careers, like Ciara King, author of Ciara’s Diary and co-host of Chris and Ciara on 2fm, Anne Griffin, author of When All is Said and Kayte O Malley, broadcaster and presenter on Flirt FM, iRadio and Spin Southwest. In some episodes, we focus on the stories of Women in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM). For these episodes, Next Gen Fem is proudly supported by Famelab, the world's leading science communication competition. Famelab is designed to inspire, motivate and develop scientists and engineers to actively engage with the public. Created by the Cheltenham Science Festival in the UK, in Ireland the competition is funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and managed by the British Council in partnership with universities and science research centres across the country. Interviews with Women in STEM include physicist and activist Dr Niamh Kavanagh, science communicator and women’s health expert, Ana Panigassi, and recent zoology graduate and David Attenborough wannabe, Cora Lambert. As a result of Covid 19 restrictions, we have made the best of the situation and recorded many interviews in isolation. As such Next Gen Fem have plenty more episodes in the pipeline for you to hear. Stay tuned for future episodes, including interviews with world Brazillian Jiu Jitszu champion Olga Lyashevska, author of ‘Relentless – The Inside Story of the Cork Ladies Footballers’, Mary White and entrepreneur and founder of sunnynumbers.com, Cleidi Hearn. The podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, Anchor and anywhere else you get your podcasts, so be sure to subscribe to hear us and the wonderful stories of these incredible women. After all, the future is female! The Women’s Leadership Network at Analog Devices are hosting a series of WiSTEM Virtual Sessions for students at GMIT. The virtual event format includes inspiring talks, panel discussions and networking with a top graduate employer, coop students and graduates.
These sessions are being held by the WLN Employee Network for all women in engineering students in Ireland. The first session in GMIT kicked off in November with tips and tricks on adapting to learning at home including panel member experiences of onboarding during lock down, WFH transition and remote study. I would like to take this opportunity to thank past GMIT pupil, Louise Rock, and all the team at the WLN for their time and great conversation on the night. Our students really found it beneficial to hear from incredible women working in industry during this strange time. I look forward to working with you all again for the next event! I found the showcase to be a lovely compilation of ideas as we rapidly shift to online teaching as a result of the pandemic. We have all been forced to rethink the way we design learning experiences for students using the technologies available. A learning design approach to online and blended learning, provides a solution that I never really considered was possible for my practical subjects but listening to all the speakers has really shed a new light for me on the possibilities of what we can achieve with the tools we have now. I really liked listening to the past T&L Cert students as you can see how much they enjoyed incorporating everything they learned into their classroom and how helpful all this work has been to them and has motivated me to do the same.
Case Study D – A framework for assessed group work
Assessed group work is used a lot in engineering and as a past student and now lecturer I can say whole heartedly I understand the positives and negative experiences associated with group work described in this case study. A major concern of mine is the sheer amount of groups a student can be involved with at any one time and the impact that has on other subjects. Addressing this at PB can inform the nature of the group work, where it sits in the curriculum, how it is introduced and how the skills are developed over time. I think this would encourage a more positive learning experiences for both students and lecturers. The students recalled that they learned most from assignments and CAs as opposed to final exams or MCQs, which I am not surprised by. The general consensus from the video is that if a student enjoys an activity or sees a real world application of the subject, they learn more from it. I think it is important that there is a mixture of assessment depending on the subject and that having students codevelop an assessment may encourage a better understanding of what we assess, why we assess it and how we assess it.
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AuthorFiona is a biomedical engineer, lecturer and science communicator in the west of Ireland Archives
January 2022
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