An investigation into the impact of visual teaching and learning strategies on undergraduate student's self-reported experience of quantitative resear

该项目标志着拉夫堡大学社会、地理和政治科学学院致力于响应ERSC发展重点和ERSC定量方法战略顾问最近的呼吁，即在本科社会科学课程中加强定量方法教学的形象、覆盖面和影响。这个为期两年的项目的目的是帮助拉夫堡大学社会学和犯罪学一年级本科生采用地理信息系统（GIS）的定量教学模块进行基于证据的开发和以学生为中心的评估。该项目旨在提高学生的教育经验，研究技能和如何使用二手数据进行描述性和推断性定量统计分析的实际理解。该项目的长期影响包括开发便携式教学资源、质量保证和提高工具，以及建立一个“地图网络空间”，以以学习者为中心的方式提供定量教学。最初，该项目将雇用一名研究助理，负责对相关出版材料和数据来源进行文献审查，同时对高等教育部门的本科教学进行调查，其中包括绘图技术，以确定核心课程内容、良好的教学实践以及质量控制和提高框架。为了实现这一目标，还必须与教育、法律、工业和第三部门伙伴建立网络和伙伴关系，这些伙伴对将地理信息系统应用于复杂的社会问题和问题感兴趣。这项工作将在项目的前九个月完成，并为“犯罪和社会地图”定量教学模块的后续开发、交付和评估提供信息，该模块将于2013-14学年实施，并将得到“地图网络空间”的支持，该空间包含教学材料以及相关信息和资源，供学生使用。首席研究员将提供拟议的教学模块，并在联合研究员的协助下，使用学生反馈问卷和焦点小组数据的混合方法，评估其对学生自我报告的经验和参与统计数据和定量方法教学的影响。数据收集工具将由研究助理开发，并将在学生志愿者中试用。本项目将采用学习者主导的影响评价模式。在一年级学生开始该模块之前，将通过调查问卷收集他们对统计和定量研究的看法的基线数据。比较数据将通过问卷调查和焦点小组从同一学生收集后，他们已经完成了模块。指导该项目的两个广泛的研究问题是：1。犯罪学和社会学一年级学生在开始学习时对统计学和定量研究方法的经验和看法是什么？犯罪学和社会学一年级学生在完成了包含测绘技术的定量教学模块后，对定量研究方法的看法是什么？回答这两个问题将使该项目有助于当前对学生学习定量方法经验的学术理解，并探索GIS制图技术在增强教育经验和学生参与方面可能发挥的作用。该项目将遵循形成性的以学习者为中心的结果评估模式，以确保为加强定量教学而引入的变化能够长期嵌入课程中。这包括与学生和外部考官充分协商。

This project signals the commitment of the School of Social, Geographical and Political Sciences at Loughborough University to respond to ERSC developmental priorities and a recent call by the ERSC Strategic Advisor for Quantitative Methods to enhance the profile, coverage and impact of quantitative methods teaching within undergraduate social science curricula. The purpose of this two year project is to assist the evidenced-based development and student-centred evaluation of a quantitative teaching module incorporating Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for first-year undergraduate sociology and criminology students at Loughborough University. The project aims to enhance student's educational experience, research skills and practical understanding of how to conduct descriptive and inferential quantitative statistical analysis using secondary data. The long-term impacts of the project include the development of portable teaching resources and quality assurance and enhancement tools alongside the establishment of a 'mapping webspace' to host the delivery of quantitative teaching in a learner-centred manner.Initially, the project will employ a research assistant whose role it will be to undertake a literature review of relevant published material and data sources, alongside conducting a survey of higher education sector undergraduate teaching provision which incorporates mapping technology, in order to identify core curricula content, good pedagogic practice, and quality control and enhancement frameworks. In achieving this goal it will be necessary to also establish networks and partnerships with educational, statutory, industry and third sector partners who share an interest in the application of GIS to complex social issues and problems. This work will be completed in the first nine months of the project and inform the subsequent development, delivery and evaluation of a 'crime and social mapping' quantitative teaching module, for implementation in 2013-14 academic year, which will be supported by a 'mapping webspace' containing pedagogic materials along with relevant information and resources for students.The principal investigator will deliver the proposed teaching module and with the assistance of the co-investigator evaluate its impact on students' self-reported experience of, and engagement with, statistical data and quantitative methods teaching using a mixture of student feedback questionnaires and focus group data. Data collection instruments will be developed by the research assistant and will be piloted with student volunteers. A learner-led model of impact evaluation will be used by the project. Baseline data will be collected from first-year students via a questionnaire concerning their perception of statistics and quantitative research before they start the module. Comparative data will be collected from the same students via a questionnaire and focus group after they have completed the module. The two broad research questions guiding the project are:1.What are first year criminology and sociology student's experience of, and perceptions toward, statistics and quantitative research methods as they begin their studies?2.What are first year criminology and sociology student's perception of quantitative research methods after completing a quantitative teaching module which incorporates mapping technology?Answering these two questions will enable the project to contribute to current academic understanding of the student experience of learning quantitative methods as well as explore the role GIS mapping technology may play in enhancing the educational experience and student engagement. The project will follow a formative learner-centred outcome evaluation model to ensure the changes introduced to enhance quantitative teaching provision embed long-term within the curriculum.This involves full consultation with students and external examiners.