Goals

  • for students to identify how they can help improve their own learning
  • for students to identify how they can help their group learn
  • for the professor to identify how he can help students learn

Activity

We discuss the feedback from the mid-term survey conducted by DCAL and the Instructional team. Below are a few of the themes that came through loud and clear:

Things we do well

  • we compliment each other; we respect each other
  • we work together to learn together
  • we all contribute to understanding the task, understanding the material, and devising a solution
  • we rotate partners and the ‘point person’ on activities
  • we explain difficult concepts to others in our group
  • we ask each other questions when we need help
  • we ask questions to help guide others toward understanding
  • we ask our Learning Fellow when we get stuck
  • where we have different levels of experience, the more-experienced help the less-experienced.

Things students can do

  • I can pay more attention in lecture, and be ready to engage with the group activity
  • I can attend regularly - and be part of my group
  • I can participate more in my group activity
  • I can encourage my group to work together rather than independently
  • I can encourage each member to actively contribute
  • I can rotate partners with whom I work
  • I can encourage my group to rotate the ‘point person’ on activities
  • I can ask more questions to help others understand the activity or the material
  • I can make sure everyone’s voice is heard
  • I can create a groupme, slack, or other chat group to encourage group communication outside class
  • I can get to know my team better - get together outside class
  • I can read the lecture notes and labs more carefully
  • I can help everyone by contributing answers on Piazza

Things the professor can do

  • he can clarify opportunities for help outside class
  • he can vary how he conveys concepts in lecture: whiteboard work, live-coding programs, finished programs, in-class activities
  • he can choose better (more interesting) examples
  • he can explain pointers more clearly
  • he can slow down the pace
  • he can speed up the pace
  • he can spend more time on in-class activities
  • he can spend less time on in-class activities
  • he can provide solutions to in-class activities
  • he can ensure the lectures (and notes) cover everything needed for the labs
  • he can streamline the lecture material - avoid ‘lecture extras’
  • he can clarify the expectations for each lab
  • he can ensure faster turnaround on lab grades/feedback
  • he can ensure section leaders are better prepared for sections
  • he can reconsider the policies on attendance and assigned seating
  • he can reconsider the assigment of groups at start of term

Other observations

  • the classroom furniture arrangement is not conducive to lecture
  • in-class activities are helpful to some students
  • out-of-class coding is how students learn best