Project team members:
Andrew Laing, Kinesiology
Justin Yates, Kinesiology
Christine Zaza, Centre for Teaching Excellence
Kelly Anthony, School of Public Health and Health Systems
**Emily Lehan
**Undergraduate student Research Assistant
Pictured L-R (Justin, Emily, Andrew, Kelly)
(Project timeline: May 2014 - April 2015)
Project Summary
This pilot study investigated the effects of blended learning on student knowledge and application of basic physics concepts in an introductory biomechanics course. It was undertaken in response to the University of Waterloo’s strategic mandate to be a leading provider of technology enabled learning opportunities. Results indicated that the majority of students accessed the four online modules, enjoyed them, and that they would like additional modules of this type in this specific biomechanics course, and in other Kinesiology courses. We observed a trend of increasing marks as a function of the number of modules viewed. As the capstone of the project, we created an E-Learning module on the development blended learning courses which can be accessed by faculty members across campus
Questions Investigated
Short Term Goals: Our goals were to develop, implement and evaluate a pilot-level modifiable template for creating E-Learning Modules. These modules served to introduce a blended learning experience in undergraduate courses in the Kinesiology Department. The pilot course for the E-Learning module implementation will be the KIN 121 Introduction to Biomechanics course.
Intermediate Goals: To disseminate the findings of our research, and the template we have developed within the Department of Kinesiology, to other university faculties interested in teaching excellence.
Findings and Insights
Post Survey Results: The majority of the students (82/126) indicated that they felt the modules were useful / very useful in improving their understanding of key biomechanics concepts while 75 / 139 students indicated that they felt the modules helped to improve marks in the course. The students were supportive of the development of more modules in the course with 68 / 120 and 40 / 120 students indicated that they may like more modules (largely dependent on what concepts the modules would cover). The students were also supportive of module development for other courses with 111 / 120 students indicating they would like or may like modules in other courses.
Links with Grades: 72% of the students in the course viewed at least 1 module, and students that viewed at least 1 module had higher overall course grades by 2.2 % compared to those students that did not view any of the modules. A small dose response relationship between number of modules viewed and final course grade existed with a 0.6% increase for each module. Effects were larger for targeted exam questions with students that completed the module on key concepts scoring higher (Question 1; 64.72 %, Question 2; 84.65 %) than those that did not complete the module (Question 1; 60.04 %, Question 2; 79.93 %) on exam questions targeting the same key concepts.
Dissemination and Impact
- At the individual level: The results of this project demonstrated that the students enjoyed the web modules, felt they added to their understanding of the course materials, and that they wanted more resources of this type. There were trends indicating a dose-response relationship between numbers of web modules viewed and course grades. Based on these benefits at the student level, the investigators feel they have sufficient evidence to support the continued use of these specific resources, and the general blended learning approach, in upcoming offerings of this course.
- At the Department/School and/or Faculty/Unit levels: The results of this project were shared at the Department of Kinesiology’s Department Council on several occasions. Specifically, a description of the general results, and during a second meeting, a demonstration of how online modules can be quickly and easily developed and incorporated into the Learn environment using Camtasia software. We also presented the web module about ‘how to create a web module’ during the latter presentation. It has become a very helpful internal resource. Justin Yates (co-applicant) has walked through it several times with other senior lab demonstrators who wanted to incorporate web modules into the courses they were teaching. Based on the success of this project, the PI (Laing) was granted teaching relief in the Winter 2015 to develop a web-based repository for online learning resources that would support the entire Department of Kinesiology including students, staff, and faculty members.
- At the institutional (uWaterloo) level: The results of this seed grant project were presented at a CTE Blended Learning Community group meeting on Friday, March 27th. In addition, the data were presented at the 2015 OND conference at Thursday April 30 (see presentation slides). Finally, the capstone web module explaining how to use Camtasia to create modules that are compatible with Learn has been uploaded to the CTE YouTube channel.
References
Sana, F., Fenesi, B., & Kim, J.A. (2011). Blended learning. A case study at McMaster University. Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 2(1).
Butler, A. C., Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L., III (2008). Correcting a meta-cognitive error: Feedback enhances retention of low confidence correct responses. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 34, 918-928.
Edginton, Andrea, and Jane Holbrook. "A Blended Learning Approach to Teaching Basic Pharmacokinetics and the Significance of Face-to-Face Interaction." American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education 74.5 (2010): 88. Print.