[LON-CAPA-cvs] cvs: modules /gerd/roleclicker description.tex
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Index: modules/gerd/roleclicker/description.tex
diff -u modules/gerd/roleclicker/description.tex:1.63 modules/gerd/roleclicker/description.tex:1.64
--- modules/gerd/roleclicker/description.tex:1.63 Wed May 18 15:58:00 2005
+++ modules/gerd/roleclicker/description.tex Wed May 18 16:45:32 2005
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@
\section{Relevant Results from Prior NSF Support}\label{results}
\subsection{MSU Group}\label{priormsu}
-Gerd Kortemeyer is PI on the current NSF-ITR grant {\it Investigation of a Model for Online Resource Creation and Sharing in Educational Settings} (\#0085921, \$2,055,000, September 15, 2000 through July 31, 2005). The project
+Gerd Kortemeyer is PI on the current NSF-ITR grant {\it Investigation of a Model for Online Resource Creation and Sharing in Educational Settings} (\#0085921, \$2,055,000, 09/15/00-07/31/05). The project
developed the cross-institutional learning content management system Learning{\it Online} Network with Computer Assisted Personalized Approach (LON-CAPA) and researched methods to assess the educational impact of
content resources and representations within its shared content pool.
@@ -126,8 +126,7 @@
Both aspects are important for the success of this project: the open-source nature of the system allows researchers to modify and adapt the system in order to address research needs, and the freeware character allows
easier dissemination of results, in particular adaptation and implementation at other universities.
-LON-CAPA is designed around the concept of easy sharing and re-use of learning resources, as well as advanced assessment capabilities in science courses.
-The system started in 1992 as a system to give personalized homework to students in introductory physics courses. ``Personalized" means that each student sees a different version of the same
+The system started in 1992 as a tool to deliver perzonalized homework to students. ``Personalized'' means that each student sees a different version of the same
computer-generated problem: different numbers, choices, graphs, images, simulation parameters, etc, Fig.~\ref{rando}.
Over the years, the system added a learning content management system and standard course management features, such as communications, gradebook, etc., which are comparable to commercial course management systems, such as
@@ -160,19 +159,17 @@
problem type. Solution-oriented discussions are more prominent for multiple-choice style questions, frequently in an effort to short-circuit the conceptual reasoning: it was found that students in this
simple question type use the discussion space to reverse-engineer the randomization process by copying-and-pasting the their correct solutions.
The prominance of conceptual discussions is significantly lower in single-response multiple-choice (the type currently used in Peer Instruction)
-and numerical problems than in the other problem types. In the earlier study by Kashy~\cite{kashyd01}, it was also found that mastery of these same question types does not predict overall performance on the final exam
-as well as other question types. Multiple-choice problems that do not involve numbers are frequently simply called ``conceptual'' questions, but in~\cite{discpaper}, it was found that they do not {\it necessarily} lead to
-conceptual discussions. Ranking questions showed very favorable discussion patterns, but their sample size in~\cite{discpaper} has been too small to make definitive statements.
+and numerical problems than in the other problem types. Ranking questions showed very favorable discussion patterns, but their sample size in~\cite{discpaper} has been too small to make definitive statements.
\newline
{\it Influence of Question Difficulty:} The right panel of Fig.~\ref{fig:gradecorrel} shows the prominance of different discussion contributions as a function of questiondifficulty.
Very easy problems can elicit a high level conceptual discussions, and so can problems of mid-range difficulty. As problems become more difficult, there is no significant gain in conceptual discussions.
-The project developed into a content sharing network of more than 15 institutions of higher education including community colleges and four-year institutions, as well as over 15 middle and high schools. In addition, LON-CAPA houses commercial textbook content from seven major publishing companies, and a commercial service company was established around the product at the end of 2004.
-The shared content pool currently contains over 60,000 learning content resources, including more than 18,000 personalized homework problems.Disciplines include astronomy, biology, business, chemistry, civil engineering, computer science, family and child ecology, geology, human food and nutrition,human medicine, mathematics, medical technology, physics, and psychology.
+LON-CAPA developed into a content sharing network of more than 15 institutions of higher education including community colleges and four-year institutions, as well as over 15 middle and high schools. In addition, LON-CAPA houses commercial textbook content from seven major publishing companies, and a commercial service company was established around the product at the end of 2004.
+The shared content pool currently contains over 60,000 learning content resources, including more than 18,000 personalized homework problems. Disciplines include astronomy, biology, business, chemistry, civil engineering, computer science, family and child ecology, geology, human food and nutrition,human medicine, mathematics, medical technology, physics, and psychology.
The project maintains a gateway server to the National Science Digital Library, and the LON-CAPA shared resource pool is searchable and accessible from {\tt http://nsdl.org/}.
LON-CAPA is used by approximately 25,000 students every semester.
-Gerd Kortemeyer is Co-PIs on the current NSF-CCLI-ASA grant {\it Diagnostic Question Clusters: Development and Testing in Introductory Geology and Biology} (\#0243126, \$491,606, September 15, 2003 through August 31, 2006) to develop diagnostic questions for college students in both biology and geology. In the ASA project, a pool of peer-reviewed, diagnostic question clusters to assess students' understanding will be developed, including tools for analysis, peer review, and online publication of these question clusters.
+Gerd Kortemeyer is also Co-PIs on the current NSF-CCLI-ASA grant {\it Diagnostic Question Clusters: Development and Testing in Introductory Geology and Biology} (\#0243126, \$491,606, 09/15/03-08/31/06) to develop diagnostic questions for college students in both biology and geology. In the ASA project, a pool of peer-reviewed, diagnostic question clusters to assess students' understanding will be developed, including tools for analysis, peer review, and online publication of these question clusters.
\subsection{Harvard Group}
The group of Eric Mazur has been supported by the National Science Foundation to develop, evaluate, and produce
materials for effective undergraduate science pedagogy and assessment since 1993
@@ -181,10 +178,10 @@
\$223,500,
2/1/93-1/31/96).
-We have applied Peer Instruction in both the calculus-based and the algebra-based introductory physics courses for non-majors at Harvard University.
-Instructors have adopted the method across a variety of disciplines and courses, including senior-level courses, at a large number of institutions nationwide. Substantial gains in
+
+Instructors have adopted method across a variety of disciplines and courses, including senior-level courses, at a large number of institutions nationwide. Substantial gains in
student achievement when comparing courses taught using Peer Instruction to those taught with
-traditional pedagogy have been documented. These gains have been determined by a number of measures,including student
+traditional pedagogy have been documented. These gains have been determined by a number of measures, including student
mastery of content \cite{mref1,mref2,mref3,mref4,mref5,mref6,mref7,mref8,mref9,mref10}.
The trend in improving student understanding proves to be particularly beneficial to female students, whose performance increases substantially, when taught using this
interactive method \cite{mref13}.
@@ -194,8 +191,8 @@
\includegraphics[width=2in]{fcipost}
\end{center}\caption{\small Pre- and post-scores on the Force Concept Inventory of three courses at Harvard.\label{prepostfci}}
\end{figure}
-Our ten years of experience with Peer Instruction, as well as feedback from about 400 other instructors whohave used Peer Instruction~\cite{mref27}, indicate that it is a successful way to actively engage students in large classes.
-Moreover, actively engaging students during class with a method such as Peer Instruction leads to significant gains in conceptual understanding, as measured with standard conceptual instruments. Students in our calculus-based
+
+Actively engaging students during class with a method such as Peer Instruction leads to significant gains in conceptual understanding, as measured with standard conceptual instruments. Students in our calculus-based
introductory physics course achieve Force Concept Inventory gains that are roughly twice those ofstudents in the same course taught traditionally,
a level of improvement typical of a variety of interactive engagement strategies in physics~\cite{mref28}. Students also show comparable or improved quantitative problem-solving
skills, despite a reduced emphasis on problems in class~\cite{mref11,mref12}.
@@ -221,7 +218,9 @@
A simple rights management system allows the instructor to either maintain their copyright or place their material in the public domain.
The ILT is currently in use at a number of institutions nationwide, including Vanderbilt, University of Southern California, University of Massachusetts-Boston, Salem State College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
-Swarthmore College, with a student user base of several thousand students per semester. The Harvard group recently started a collaboration with the group of Bill Junkin at Erskine College (also collaborators on this project),
+Swarthmore College, with a student user base of several thousand students per semester.
+
+The Harvard group recently started a collaboration with the group of Bill Junkin at Erskine College (also collaborators on this project),
which develops the Beyond Question (BQ) system.
BQ collects student responses electronically from various types of consumer devices~\cite{bq1,bq2}. BQ polls
student responses and provides these data immediately for the instructor as needed.
@@ -259,11 +258,10 @@
Any content material contributed to the pool is immediately available and ready-to-use within the system at all participating sites, thus facilitating dissemination of curricular development efforts.
A large fraction of these resources are also available through the gateway to the National Science Digital Library (NSDL).
-The ConcepTest library will be ported to the LON-CAPA, which offers scalable cross-institutional content and rights management features. Where appropriate, gateways will be established to have different
+The ConcepTest library will be ported to LON-CAPA, which offers scalable cross-institutional content and rights management features. Where appropriate, gateways will be established to have different
system components access the same original content. The LT3 will be enabled to search the LON-CAPA CT resource pool and to render a static or randomized version into the LT3 environment. This will enable the LT3 as
well as the LON-CAPA community to access the most recent version of each ConcepTest, as well as to track any changes which have been made by the individual authors. The common content pool
allows us to carry out the proposed study with a minimum of logistical or technological challenges caused by the involvement of three different institutions.
-
\subsection{Computer-Guided Group Formation} \label{groupform}
The goal of computer-guided group formation is to generate student groups with differing initial responses.
Group formation is limited by seating arrangements in a the lecture hall, unless time can be afforded for students to get up and walk around the lecture hall.
@@ -303,7 +301,7 @@
on the right is rank-response.\label{reprecoll}}
\end{figure}
-In addition, we consider the following features, which may or may not apply to any question type (adapted from Redish~\cite{redish}):
+In addition, we consider the following feature (adapted from Redish~\cite{redish}):
\noindent{\it Representation-Translation:} This type of surprisingly challenging~\cite{mcdermott,beichner} problem requires a student to translate between different representations of the same
situation, for example from a graphical to a numerical or textual representation. The answer might be required in different formats, see for example Fig.~\ref{repre}.
@@ -315,12 +313,12 @@
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{emfRand1}\includegraphics[width=8cm]{emfRand3}
\includegraphics[width=8cm]{collRand2}\includegraphics[width=8cm]{collRand3}
\caption{\footnotesize Three randomized variations of the problems in Fig.~\ref{repre} and \ref{reprecoll}. The graphs in the emf problem are dynamically generated on-the-fly, the cars and the brickwall in the
-collision problem are randomly selected images. Each randomization leads to different answersfor different students. It should be noted that in this particular example, the collision problem became more
+collision problem are randomly selected images. Each randomization leads to different answers for different students. It should be noted that in this particular example, the collision problem became more
difficult if the learner realized early on that in all combinations of Fig.~\ref{reprecoll},
the combined object after the collision will be at rest-- the corresponding constraints could have been implemented in the randomizing problem.\label{rando}}
\end{figure}
The LON-CAPA system is already capable of randomizing questions with a wide range of options and also provides statistical
-tools for the de-randomized analysis of responses.
+tools for the de-randomized analysis of responses (for an example see Fig.~\ref{randomques}).
For classroom use, specialized tools similar to the existing ILT functionality need to be developed to provide theinstructor with a quick and
comprehensive overview of response patterns of the more complex randomizing question types.
@@ -329,7 +327,8 @@
\begin{itemize}\item Computer-Guided Group Formation\item Different question types\item Randomized questions\end{itemize}
These will be evaluated both with focus on process and on learning outcomes.
-\subsection{Pre-Tests and Assessment Instruments}
+\subsection{Pre-Tests and Assessment Instrument
+s}
\label{inventories}
The project involves three academic institutions of very different character. In order to compare and contrast results gathered across these institutions,
it is important to assess attitutides and prior subject knowledge of the different student populations in order to compare and contrast research findings.
@@ -388,7 +387,7 @@
\end{tabular}
\end{table}
-Student helpers will be trained and assigned to student groups during lecture to document the discussions using this coding scheme, see Table~\ref{table:example}.
+Student helpers will be trained and assigned to student groups during lecture to document the discussions using this coding scheme, see Table~\ref{table:examples}.
As in an earlier study carried out at MSU, helpers will be provided with worksheets to quickly tabulate contributions using tickmarks. While we expect that early in the semester, their presence will influence the discussion process, in a later phase, students get used to their presence. Results will be stored in conjunction with the statistical data gathered from each question, and the analysis will be carried out as described in \ref{priormsu}.
We will interview focus groups of students regarding their experiences and perceived relative helpfulness of the different problem types, and ask them to also reflect on how they perceived these question types were influencing their problem-solving strategies. Pascarella~\cite{pascarella02} developed some frameworks for these interviews, which can be built upon.
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