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Mark Oliver Coventry University Senior Lecturer and Open University SCORE Fellow

Use of Open Educational Resources for National Support of Teaching in Advanced Technological Areas. Mark Oliver Coventry University Senior Lecturer and Open University SCORE Fellow. Abstract.

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Mark Oliver Coventry University Senior Lecturer and Open University SCORE Fellow

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  1. Use of Open Educational Resources for National Support of Teaching in Advanced Technological Areas Mark Oliver Coventry University Senior Lecturer and Open University SCORE Fellow M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  2. Abstract Academics across the United Kingdom are writing material in advanced technological areas, for example post-graduate and post-experience courses. This work describes an Open Educational Resource Approach to generating this kind of material. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  3. Methodology • A case study project, the Wavelet Toolbox Guided Learning Handbook (WTGLH), has been studied to help develop this strategy. • The Wavelet Toolbox, part of the mathematical language Matlab, presents a challenge to students, due to the collision of heavy mathematics, abstract signal processing ideas and programming challenges. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  4. Post-graduate / post-experience courses • The normal range of PGCert, M.Sc., M. Phil., Ph.D. and D.Sc. Students. • The industrial short course market, where training is given to participants in advanced concepts and practise. • M.Sc. Modules can become short courses. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  5. Industrial background in electronic system design. Mainly teaching B.Sc. and M.Sc. Modules in Signal Processing. A signal processing system that takes a signal and changes into another signal for an information-processing purpose. Author’s Professional Context M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  6. WTGLH Case Study M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  7. Digital Signal Processing • Take one application. A gawky adolescent becomes famous for their singing and their cute looks. • However there is a problem with pitch control. A signal processing program can be used to move the voice back onto the desired note. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  8. DSP in the Electronics Laboratory • DSP methods can be implemented perfectly well on PCs but sometimes there is a time delay called latency. • By off-loading some of the processing effort to a dedicated DSP processor this latency can be reduced. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  9. Wavelets Wibbered into Position • We paddle by the sea, dangling our feet in the wavelets. • How does this relate to signal processing ? • Well one of the signal processing techniques is representing one signal as a group of other signals (moving into another domain). M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  10. Functional Representational Methods • They are a group of functional representational methods including Fourier, Walsh and Wavelet methods. • Wavelets can have finite length so lend themselves to representation of finite length or time-changing signals. • They can be used in compression or other processing of speech, music images. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  11. Predecessor Project • SIGMA (Loughborough-Mathematics CETL) provided funding for Wavelet toolbox software, an add-on to Matlab. • Purpose: development of the Wavelet Toolbox Guided Learning Handbook, a web-based tool in a VLE. • The initial client group for this project was a small Coventry University M.Sc. Class. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  12. SCORE Project Plans • To develop the International Wavelet Toolbox Guided Learning Handbook. • To develop from this a policy for the OER-based support of software in general. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  13. Student Survey • An M.Sc. class was doing an assignment using wavelets. • Ethical permission was obtained for use of a student survey. • This survey was to gauge the usefulness of the GLH in helping them do the assignment. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  14. Assignment Purpose • Design, implementation and evaluation of a multi-level perfect reconstruction filter bank (all filters wavelet-based). • Analysis filter bank splits signal into multiple sub-signals. • Reconstruction filter bank puts original signal back together again. • Student measure accuracy of reconstruction. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  15. WTGLH Demonstration • Live site: www.tinyurl.com/iwtglh. Use only Internet Explorer and Guest access. • Due to unknown issues, this does not always work. Sometimes it is necessary to try again in a few minutes. Quite a lot goes on with University servers at the end of the teaching year … M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  16. Survey prompts used • The wavelet transform guided learning handbook generally helped me to do my assignment work. • The theory section including the downloadable document was useful to me in planning theory work in the assignment. • The section ‘Action to wavelet toolbox software was useful’ in ensuring I was able to use the software. • I did the exercises in the ‘Sound Workshop’. • The exercises in the ‘Sound Workshop’ helped me to understand wavelets more. • I looked at some of the references in the bibliography. • Is the handbook too theoretical ? • What part of the guided learning handbook was most useful to you. • How could the guided learning handbook be improved ? M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  17. Survey Issues • The observant will note that Question 3 should read ‘Access to’ and that Question 7 would have been better as ‘The handbook is too theoretical.’. However the questionnaire was run using paper copies in a classroom setting in a situation where clarification was possible. • For the quantitative questions 1-7 the students had to indicate the level with which they agreed to the statements with 1 meaning ‘I strongly disagree’ and 5 meaning ‘I strongly agree’. • 8 responses were received. This was virtually the whole class. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  18. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  19. Quantitative Analysis (higher means) • Mean 4.25/5 on access information, students could find the software. Low standard deviation 0.71. • Mean 4/5 on usefulness of theory areas. Low standard deviation 0.76. • Mean 3.75/5 on ‘WTGLH generally helped’. This was gratifying with a low standard deviation of 0.71. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  20. Quantitative analysis (lower means) • Mean 3.5 on ‘references consulted’. Standard deviation 1.69 (the highest). Probably because some of the references are relatively research-related and not directly useful to assignment. • Mean 2.875 on ‘too theoretical’. This indicates that the material could be expanded in this area. • Mean 3.375 on ‘sound exercises useful’. Standard deviation 1.06. Gratifying. • Mean 3.125 on ‘sound exercises done’. Lower than expected – perhaps classroom demonstration of exercises had reduced student enthusiasm. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  21. Qualitative analysis 1(they liked sections on) • Theory • Matlab/Simulink • Wavelet delay calculations (this was supplied separately to the WTGLH but has now been included) • Bibliography M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  22. Qualitative Analysis 2 (they wanted more of) • Theory about wavelets • Denoising • Applicability of different wavelets • How to obtain information from a wavelet plot • Filter banks and relationship between filter banks and wavelets • Interactive web presentation • Easy loading of Matlab on machines M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  23. Solutions provided (thus far) • Wavelet denoising. A reference to my paper with Simulink model file and presentation, about teaching a real-time wavelet application is an interim solution (Oliver 2012). Postgraduate students have shown themselves to be surprisingly willing to read papers (particularly if written by an academic they know or written/recommended by a website author). M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  24. Theory: well covered by textbooks, not part of the purpose of the WTGLH. Bibliography will be grouped to highlight theory and application. • Applicability of different wavelets: a study on ‘How to choose a wavelet for an application’ has been written and will be released when edited. • Obtaining information from wavelet plots: a link to a PDF version of my poster paper on analysing musical plots will be used. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  25. Wavelets and filter banks: MIT OpenCourseWare have released some excellent material so a link to this is provided, indicating which areas are most relevant (MIT 2012). • Web-based tutorial: reference is made to the relevant part of Amara’s site (Amara 2008). • Easy loading of Matlab machines: this Coventry-local issue is being dealt with as part of our new Faculty of Engineering and Computing Building. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  26. Staff Evaluation • Survey questions are being formulated and potential survey respondents approached. Due to the very technical nature of the material this is not straightforward. There will be more of an emphasis on qualitatitive developmental information to help the resource move forward. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  27. Lessons learnt from Case Study • An OER is part of the solution to a general teaching problem. My Cambridge paper (2012) indicates that identifying the learning problem is critical and in my case I identified a particular theory-practice learning gap. • If we show enthusiasm in a particular area students will take what we have given them and advance further with it. I think particularly of two M.Sc. students this year. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  28. An OER sits within an educational framework and those who support students using the OER will be differently talented than the author. They may not be academics. In engineering at Coventry we have development officers, teaching assistants and technicians who will help students in the lab. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  29. Conclusions • An OER is not a panacea. • It sits within an educational framework. • It is critical that an OER needs to target a particular learning gap. • Continuity of funding is needed, as well as an updating of content in relationship to learner need. • There are reasons to investigate learning styles during a project, particularly those relating to threshold concepts (Macdougall 2011) M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  30. A teaching resource, particularly one that is used nationally needs continuous funding. • Research project funding is normally for the new development. It is never for site maintenance. • An evaluation cycle is important, both with staff and students. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  31. Author References (pre-project) • Oliver, M. V. (2008). Wavelet toolbox guided learning handbook. Proceedings of the ELATE08 10th Anniversary Conference and Exhibition, ‘Enhancing our Learning & Teaching Environment – Looking Beyond 2010.’ Held 24 June 2008. Coventry University. • Oliver, M. V. (2010). Wavelet toolbox guided learning handbook: Music technology illustrations. MSOR Connections, 9(4) M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  32. Author References (project) • Oliver, M. (2012). Proposed strategy to decrease the learning gap between academic course materials and software supplier support documentation. In Proceedings of OpenCourseWare Consortium Global 2012: Innovation and Impact - Openly Collaborating to Enhance Education. Cambridge, England • Oliver, M. V. (2012). Teaching of mathematical content in a real-time wavelet application. Proceedings of the CETL-MSOR Conference 2011, ‘Preparing for student-led education’. Held 5-6 September 2011. Coventry University. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

  33. Other references • Graps, A. (2008). The web of Amara Graps. Available from http://www.amara.com/. • Macdougall, M (2010). Threshold concepts in statistics and online discussion as a basis for curriculum innovation in undergraduate medicine. MSOR Connections, 10 (3). • Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2012). MITOpenCourseware. Available from http://ocw.mit.edu. M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012

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