Executive Summary of Results

Although this program helps students learn several critical thinking skills, it is especially useful in teaching them to apply course concepts to real life examples. Pedagogically, the program provides students feedback on their performance, compares it with other students,
recognizes outstanding accomplishments, varies the level of difficulty based on performance, and keeps detailed data on use and learning.

Need for the Project

Approximately two-thirds of college students live in an urban setting near their home, work part-time, and commute to school. These students have two learning environments, on-campus and off-campus. In both of these environments, students need to engage other students in person-to-person conversations, interact with their instructor, and work with course materials. Universities need to provide academic supports for these students which are accessible off-campus and available at a variety of times on campus to meet the needs of their demanding lives.

The teaching approach was to develop an interactive, Web-based computer program that motivates students to learn and can be used from any Internet site.

Use of Technology

This program may be the first interactive computer program to help students apply psychological examples to real life situations. In addition, the program attempts to motivate the students to use the activity by obtaining information from the student that is used throughout the program, developing a computer whiz who interacts with the students, using a variety of interactive exercises, and providing students with humorous feedback about their performance.

Instructional Design Plan

Describe how the use of technology used supported your teaching approach:

• What student learning outcomes were expected?
• How did your teaching plan encourage active learning, provide feedback, address respective learning styles, and build collaboration?
• What resources were used? (campus technology support services, etc.)
• Would your project be easily understood and executed by other faculty?

1. Improved ability to apply psychological concepts to real life examples and increased motivation to learn psychology.
2. Students must actively work with the computer program in a variety of ways and students are provided with immediate feedback on their work and are given normative data on their responses at the end of each level.
3. We have had weekly meetings with 3-4 staff persons from UITS.

The design and use of the program is transparent. Interested faculty could also use the shell to imbed their own course material in the program.

Potential to Impact Student Learning

Clearly define how your project improved student learning - include specific examples of how your project:

• Fostered depth of learning
• Supported efforts to improve retention
• Fostered the learning of large numbers of students
• Has broader applications that will affect learning K-12 or community environments?

1. The focus is on application of psychological concepts to real life examples. This is a higher order learning skill and at the 3rd level in Bloom’s taxonomy.
2. Retention in the introductory psychology course is directly related to passing the course. The primary reason for not passing the course is the failure to complete basic course homework. The emphasis of this project on applying psychology and the intrinsic motivational aspects of the program may increase students’ motivation to complete course work.
3. Because this activity uses an SQL database, it will not only be available to all 1500 introductory psychology students, but the system will also be able to handle this amount of traffic.

Any person in the world can sign in as a guest and use this program

Assessment Plan

Briefly explain the effectiveness of your assessment plan:

• What measure of assessment was used?
• How did your approach obtain measures of performance?
• Did you feel your measurement was accurate and effective?

1. In Spring 01, students used this program and gave us feedback, and the program was modified to make it easier to run.
2. In summer session 1, 2001, students responded to self-report measures on satisfaction with the exercise.
   • Students liked the application focus
   • Students stated that it helped them learn how to apply psychology concepts
   • Some students had difficulty downloading Flash onto their computer
   • Some students stated that the “interesting” features of the exercise should be reduced so that they could get right to the work for the course.

Plan for Colleague Development

Describe your role and activities as a mentor:

• What mentoring activities were implemented to assist colleagues?
• How did you help to develop colleague's instructional technology skills?
• How do you think your contributions to the Knowledge Base will help colleagues planning similar projects?
• Is your project approach potentially applicable to other contexts or disciplines?
• What tips would you offer?

1. No mentoring of other faculty has yet occurred. I am willing but no referrals have come my way.
2. Tip 1: Don’t expect your project to go the way you planned. Be open to new possibilities.
3. Tip 2: Don’t be afraid to take risks both in the execution of the project and also in who you give responsibility for project work.
4. Tip 3: Be prepared to obtain additional funds to get the project where you want it.
5. Tip 4: Be creative and have fun. These are the positives that will carry you through the numerous hassles of doing something new and different.
6. Tip 5: Be prepared to make compromises between what you really would like to do and what you can actually pull off.
7. Tip 6: Remember that students are very different. They have different interests and values. Thus, one exercise, no matter how good, will not meet the needs of all students

Final Comments on Project Results

• Do you think you met the goals of your project?
• What, if anything,would you do differently?
• Did you have any unexpected outcomes? (positive or negative)
• Would you recommend this teaching approach to colleagues?
• What other comments or suggestions would you offer to complete this report?

1. We have definitely met the goals of the project and then some. Recently, a technology developer from a book company said that our program was ahead of the curve and definitely ahead of where their company was at in providing interactive programs for students. He even tried to hire Jennie, the writer and Flash developer.
2. Spent more time up front learning about those components of the project about which I was not very knowledgeable. This “learning” component should be built into every project.
3. We now know what we would really like to do. It was more fun than I thought. Working with Scott and Jennie has been one of the real delights of my academic career.
4 May, 2007r with students and staff to develop an innovative teaching program. This approach has been fantastic. It is a great model. I think the specific program that we developed is also good but does not meet the learning needs of all students.
4. The problems downloading Flash and QuickTime are more problematic for students than I had anticipated. We have made plain, text versions of all our computer exercises.
5. Differing student learning interests and student difficulty with various programs caused us to develop 5 computer, learning tools and to let students choose from among them for class assignments. This strategy has worked well this (Fall 02) semester.
6. Out of 150 students, we only have a couple who are not able to access a computer to do the Web-computer assignments. We permit them to do paper and pencil homework.
7. I have hired a student assistant to answer student questions and to solve some of the recording problems that arise with any new work.
8. Some students inappropriately blame the computer when they do not complete their assignments. The student assistant checks these requests for accuracy and very nicely responds to the students.
9. To gain student acceptance of the computer exercises, prompt and understanding replies to their issues and concerns is very important

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Last updated: 18 May, 2007

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