TechLogic 2014 Keynote on Inverting an Algorithms Class (Extended Version)

transcript

Putting Learning in its Place: Design of an Inverted Technical

Course

Dan Suthers, Dept. of ICS

ICS 311 Algorithms

Understand, design and analyze the abstract computational procedures that computer programs are instances of

!  Central in CS prerequisite structure !  Convergence of discrete math, programming (2 semesters each prerequisite)

!  Difficult, fast paced (2 chapters/week of CLRS) !  High repeat rate: graduation bottleneck Not my area!

From Professing to Inverting

The transition !  Lectured to learn ... !  Predisposition: “I’m a hypocrite!” !  Carrot: course release to invert !  Opportunity: Webster 101 became available Redesign drew on !  Prior experience teaching !  Learning Science, CSCL, TEL research !  Leslie's suggestions

Multidimensionality of Learning

Various theories capture multidimensionality !  Bloom's taxonomy: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create

!  Merrill's Component Display Theory: remember/use/find a fact/concept/procedure/principle

Suthers' Taxonomy: Learning in Social Settings !  Agent: Individual, Group, Network/Community !  Processes: Acquisition, Intersubjective Meaning-Making (Argumentation, Co-construction, Negotiation), Creation of Cultural Capital, Identity and Participation ...

Student Learning Objectives

!  Familiarity with core concepts, notations, issues, results

!  Procedural skill in tracing algorithms, proving properties (correctness), analyzing complexity

!  Reasoning about conceptual issues and abstracting to principles

!  Creating and analyzing new algorithms for applications

!  Collaborative skills and ability to work on teams

What is the place for each aspect of learning?

Technologies and associated modes of interaction differ in affordances for activities

!  What is the proper “place” for each learning activity?

Classroom is our unique resource !  Many things can be done in a classroom: what can be done best there?

!  Important to viability of "brick & mortar" setting (we aren't supposed to be here!)

Motivating the Inverted Classroom

Claim: classrooms are uniquely suited to collaborative learning and problem solving with support of educators and peers

Theory: Vygotskian ZPD/internalization !  Before class, self-study to prepare for the intensive class experience

!  In class, student achieves more than s/he can alone, with assistance of instructor and TA and in social interaction with others

!  Out of class, practice to internalize what was learned in the social setting.

Inverted classroom is designed to maximize use of class by using other technologies as the "place" for other

learning activities

Putting Learning in its Place

Design of Inverted Class: Overview Weekly Cycle: !  Weekend-Monday & Wednesday: video lecture,

textbook, and/or web notes !  By Tuesday & Thursday Class: take quiz before

class on this material !  In Tuesday & Thursday Class: collaborate with

peers on problems that expose essential issues, with help of instructor and TA

!  Friday-Monday: Individual homework problems

Semester Events: !  Exam every 5 weeks !  Three programming and analysis projects

Self Study:

Familiarity with core concepts, notations, issues, results

Design of Inverted Class: Video Lectures

Familiarity with core concepts, notations, issues, results

Motivate preparation for group work

Design of Inverted Class: Quizzes

Social Learning:

Procedural skill in tracing algorithm, analysis, proving properties

Reasoning about conceptual issues and principles

Collaborative skills and ability to work on teams

Design of Inverted Class: Schedule

15-20 minutes: !  Solutions to prior HW, quiz !  Introduction to day's topic 45 minutes: Small group problem solving !  Problems chosen to require conceptual work that will drive group discussion

5-10 minutes: !  Problem solutions and future plans

Design of Inverted Class: Webster 101

Design of Inverted Class: Groups

16 groups of 3-4 (2/table in Webster 101) Random Groups for first 5 weeks !  Prevent dysfunctional relationships (freeloaders, suckers) from sticking

!  Students like chance to get to know peers Voluntary groups thereafter: less than half opt for this

Design of Inverted Class: Google Docs

Create a Google Doc for each student group !  Template makes response format clearer and grading easier

!  Multiple students can edit a Google Doc at once, supporting collaboration

!  Group solutions uploaded as PDF to Laulima 10 minutes before end of class.

Design of Inverted Class: Google Docs

Design of Inverted Class: Observations !  Writeable screen plays important role

!  Students work hard for 0.5% of grade!

!  More interaction with students about substantial issues in one week than I had in an entire semester in the lecture model!

!  … and much more than I have time for …

Design of Inverted Class: Homework Weekly Cycle: !  Weekend-Monday & Wednesday: video lecture,

Internalizing:

Procedural skill in tracing algorithm, analysis, proving properties

Reasoning about conceptual issues and principles

Homework 1

Homework 2

Homework 3

Design of Inverted Class: Exams Weekly Cycle: !  Weekend-Monday & Wednesday: video lecture,

Individual proctored assessment

Review understanding and skills

Design of Inverted Class: Projects Weekly Cycle: !  Weekend-Monday & Wednesday: video lecture,

Creating and analyzing new algorithms for applications

Design of Inverted Class: Projects

Avoid academic hoop jumping; progress towards skills needed in work settings

Progression of responsibility: !  “I tell you what to do”

!  Find OSS for Dynamic Sets; empirically test performance against theoretical predictions

!  “You make some decisions” !  Implement the Graph ADT against an interface specification

!  “Your boss wants you to solve a problem” !  Analyze some graphs with metrics from network analysis literature: you figure out algorithms

Does it work?

Anecdotally !  Students: yes! !  Instructor: yes! By Outcomes Fall 2012 (lecture) " Fall 2013 (inverted): !  Average % points earned: 62% " 77% !  Average % on final exam: 48% " 68% !  Ratios of students who did not pass (C or less): 17/40 " 9/56

!  7/7 who were repeats from my fall 2011 & 2012 passed in 2013

Number of Women Enrolled

A curious trend !  Fall 2012: 5/40 !  Fall 2013: 10/56 !  Spring 2014: 12/51

Caveats

Faculty/TA Workload !  Lecture videos are a summer project !  Generates more material to grade !  Make sure your department understands the workload and supports you and your TA

Student Workload !  Should be at least 90 minutes per class !  PCC approved increase to 4 credits !  The rest of the workload is "germane", student complaints notwithstanding!

Infrastructure

!  Tendency to get lost in their own devices !  Encourage paper: phone camera to record !  Design table/screen for groups of 2-4 !  Touch screen would be nice Need a coordinated campus-level effort to support conversions to inverted format

!  Continue building "innovative classrooms" with faculty co-designers

!  Course release and media staff support for video production

!  Increase TA allocation to early adopters

Mahalo!

Dan Suthers, Dept. of ICS suthers@hawaii.edu Lilt.ics.hawaii.edu

TechLogic 2014 Keynote on Inverting an Algorithms Class (Extended Version)

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