What Does and Doesn’t Work in the Classroom?

1. What Does and Doesn’t Work in the Classroom? Jeffrey Henriques Department of Psychology September 24, 2010

2. With thanks to the following undergraduate students • LyrissaKusse • Jocelyn Kressler • IoanaBaiu • Wei Wen • NehaSehgal

3. Innovation in the Classroom

4. Questions About Classroom Innovation • How do we measure change? • Instructor intuition • Student self-report • Test performance

5. Student Self-Report • 1471 Students Enrolled Across 5 Sections of Intro Psych completed the SALG at the end of each semester (Fall 2008 – Spring 2010)

6. Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) www.salgsite.org

7. Student Rated Utility

8. Examining Unique Contributions • Hierarchical forward regression techniques to examine unique variance associated with student learning, learning gains, and expected grade

9. Predicting Average Learning Excluded were: Class Discussion, Assignments, Review Quizzes, Demonstrations

10. Self-Report of Learning • Traditional instructional variables are more important than technological innovations • However, students aren’t very good judges of what they know and don’t know • Henriques & Wen (2010) – students’ evaluations of required quizzes

12. Examining Student Test Performance

13. Innovation in Psych 202 • Assignments – started Fall 2000 • Brief Textbook – first used Fall 2000, some semesters since then have used comprehensive textbook • Lecture Outlines – started Fall 2001 • Additional Readings – used 2002 - 2007 • Posted Lecture Slides – started Fall 2004

14. Innovation (continued) • Review Sessions – started Spring 2004, stopped Fall 2006, resumed Spring 2009 • Clickers – started Fall 2004 but not used in Fall 2006 semester • Online Review Quizzes • Podcasts – began using Fall 2006

15. Success or Failure • Are improvements in student performance the result of our innovation, the general improvement in our teaching, or the cumulative effect of prior innovations? • Are declines in performance a reflection of poor innovation or a reflection of our own learning curve? • Regression techniques can provide clues

16. Linear Regression Model • Predicting average test grade

17. Data from 7915 students across 25 sections • Majority freshman (68.4%), female (60%), and white (84%)

18. Results

19. Conclusion • Improved test performance associated with • brief textbook • challenging review quizzes • clicker questions • lecture outlines • Decreases in test performance associated with • Online lecture slides • Podcasts • Out of class assignments • Required readings

20. Summary We aren’t doing favors for students by making class easier Online lecture slides and podcasts result in significant declines in test performance Using assignments to reduce stress of exam points leads to declines in points earned Students need help figuring out what to focus on Comprehensive textbooks and additional readings hurt performance

21. Summary Good teaching and high expectations matter Teacher and Lecture contribute significantly to student learning Mental stretch required by exams Challenging review quizzes Clicker questions