Expansion of "How People Learn" Metrics in Engineering Classrooms

该工程教育研究项目的重点是开发和试点教育环境中的教育学观察（OPEE）仪器，这是一种直接观察仪器，可收集有关实施“人们如何学习”（HPL）框架原则的实时数据。PI将从VaNTH观测系统的一部分开发OPEE仪器。 OPEE将用于记录和量化课堂活动的频率和顺序，这些活动将HPL框架的维度纳入工程教室。PI计划从普渡大学创新一年级实验室的研究生助教（GTA）教学中收集数据。 该研究将使用HPL指数，让观察GTA的反馈意见的观察到的情况下，传统的（nonHPL）教学法，HPL为导向的教学法，和课堂组织是目前在他们的实验室。还将询问与GTA在实施开放式问题（称为模型引发活动（MEA））、实验室内的障碍或限制、GTA对实施HPL框架原则的舒适度以及GTA未来使用HPL原则的意图有关的定性问题。这种定量和定性的反馈是必要的，因为接受培训、指导、和反馈教师对他们的教学已经发现，表现出更高的自尊心，在他们的教学能力，并已报告提供更高质量的教学在本科课程。PI预计，本科学生谁是由OPEE-观察到的GTA将有更高的学习水平，从他们的实验室成绩和他们的个人和团队的解决方案，以开放，结束实验室的问题比本科生谁是由GTA教授，没有收到关于他们的教学正式反馈。此外，他们预计，GTA谁收到基于HPL的形成性反馈的教学在学期期间更有可能表现出“专家教师”的特点，因为他们的教学和工程内容的知识与GTA谁没有收到形成性反馈的整合。

The focus of this engineering education research project is to develop and to pilot the Observations of Pedagogy in Educational Environments (OPEE) instrument, a direct observation instrument that collects real-time data about the implementation of "How People Learn" (HPL) framework principles within observed engineering courses. The PIs will develop the OPEE instrument from portions of VaNTH Observation System. The OPEE will be used to record and quantify the frequency and sequence of classroom activities that incorporate dimensions of the HPL framework within engineering classrooms. The PIs plan to collect data from graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) teaching in innovative first-year laboratories at Purdue University. The study will use an HPL Index to give observed GTAs feedback on the observed instances of traditional (nonHPL) pedagogy, HPL-oriented pedagogy, and classroom organization that are present within their laboratories. Qualitative questions related to the GTAs' ease in implementing open-ended problems called model-eliciting activities (MEAs), barriers or constraints within laboratories, GTAs' comfort with implementing HPL framework principles, and GTAs' intentions to use HPL principles in the future will be asked as well. Such quantitative and qualitative feedback is needed since GTAs who receive training, mentoring, and feedback from faculty about their teaching have been found to demonstrate higher self-esteem in their teaching abilities and have been reported to provide higher quality instruction within undergraduate courses.The PIs anticipate that undergraduate students who are taught by OPEE-observed GTAs will have higher levels of learning as demonstrated from their laboratory grades and their individual and team solutions to open-ended laboratory problems than undergraduate students within who are taught by GTAs that receive no formal feedback about their teaching. In addition, they anticipate that GTAs who receive HPL-based formative feedback about teaching during the semester are more likely to demonstrate the traits of "expert teachers" as seen by their integration of both pedagogical and engineering content knowledge versus GTAs who receive no formative feedback.