APPLICATION FOR STUDENT-NOMINATED TEACHING AWARD 2012
QUB TEACHING AWARDS
APPLICATION FOR STUDENT-NOMINATED TEACHING AWARD 2012
Name (including title): Dr. John McAllisterSchool/Department: Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EEECS)
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APPLICATION FOR STUDENT-NOMINATED TEACHING AWARD 2012
1. CONTEXT FOR THE APPLICATION (300 words maximum)
Please provide a context for your application. This should consist of an introductory statement about your contribution to learning and teaching/learning support to date. Examples of the information you might include are; the subject you teach or the area of learning support you work in, the type of learning and teaching/learning support activities you are involved in, how many learners are involved, your particular learning and teaching/learning support interests and an outline of your overall teaching/learning support philosophy?
Personal Context
I currently hold three major roles in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EEECS):
· Module Owner:
o ELE1012: Mathematics 1 (Stage 1, MEng/BEng Electrical & Electronic Engineering, (EEE) Software and Electronic Systems Engineering (SESE))
o ELE4013/ELE8076: Real Time DSP (4) (Stage 4, MEng EEE, MScs in Telecommunications, Electronics, Advanced Wireless Comms.)
o Foundation Mathematics (International Joint Foundation Programme, Shenzhen University)
· Tutoring:
o ELE3001/ELE4001, ELE8060: Final Year/MSc Projects
o PhD Tutor
· Learning Support:
o Stage 1 Coordinator: BEng/MEng EEE
The learners involved vary widely – a cohort of 65 early-stage undergraduates as Stage 1 coordinator and module owner, through a group of 12 masters-level students in ELE4013/ELE8076, to individual support on project modules ELE3001/ELE4001 and ELE8060 and PhD supervision.
Interests & Philosophy
My personal interests are in the areas of computational engineering and embedded computer architecture, in particular for wireless communications systems; I seek to support learners and diversify their makeup and curriculum at all times, both within my field of personal interest and across the wider curriculum, as demanded in my role as Stage 1 coordinator. Three examples of how this has aligned with aims of the University’s Education Strategy 2011-2016 are given by:
(i). Innovation/Enrichment of Teaching and Support: I led a major redesign of Stage 1 of the EEE pathways in 2009/2010, to enrich the student experience. See 2 (b) for further details.
(ii). Dynamic and Relevant Curriculum: In ELE4013/ELE8076 modules, MSc projects and PhD student supervision, I employ research-informed teaching along with innovative assessment using state-of-the art technologies. See 2 (a) & 2 (c) for further details.
(iii). Student Profile: I have been active in diversifying the profile of the student body, including participating in the Shenzhen Joint Foundation Programme in 2011 and 2012 (see 2(b)).
Regardless of the level, however, I promote three key learning themes:
· Learner ownership of their own learning process
· Satisfaction throughout the learning process
· Diverse assessment techniques with tightly integrated feedback mechanisms.
These themes are elaborated upon in Section 2.
2. DISCUSSION
You should illustrate your discussion throughout with reference to specific learning and teaching/learning support activities. You should also provide examples of the influence of learner feedback on your learning and teaching/learning support practice.
(a) Promoting and enhancing the learners’ experience (1000 words maximum)
I seek to enhance the learner experience in three key areas:
· The Learning Process
· Resources
· Assessment and Feedback
i. Learning Process
Module Design
I endeavour to enrich the learners’ experience by enhancing their engagement in the learning process, and inspiring them to learn. To do this I employ two key principles:
· Balanced Learning Styles
· Learner-driven Learning
To illustrate, consider the learning process in ELE1012 (Mathematics 1) and ELE4013/ELE8076 (Real Time DSP). I typically facilitate learners in a four stage process.
a) I initiate a discussion which leads the learners to identify limitations in their own knowledge.
b) A principle overcoming the limitation is introduced.
c) I facilitate a discussion regarding the use and implications of the principle introduced.
d) The learners apply the principle.
This process is facilitated by presentation materials (typically pictures, short texts, worked examples). Two characteristics of this process engage the learners:
· Ownership: Learners identify the gaps in their own knowledge in (i) to foster ownership of the solution.
· Balance: Four key learning styles are involved – visual (the presentation), aural (discussion), reading (presentation, specifically in a definition of the principle in (ii)) and kinematic (in (iv)).
This general framework supports a learning process and may be adapted to suit the needs of the learners. For instance, I assist early-stage undergraduate cohort studying foundation material in ELE1012, and master-level students studying research-informed material in ELE4013/ELE8076 within the same framework by adapting it in two ways:
a) More effort may be required in stages b) and c) in ELE1012, as opposed to ELE4013
b) More substantive learning gaps may be bridged in ELE4013 within the same period and the same number of steps as in ELE1012
The effectiveness of this approach in engaging and stimulating the learners is apparent in the Teaching Evaluation Questionnaire Results (TEQ) responses in 2010/2011, as summarised below.
Question / ELE4013 (/5) / ELE8076 (/5) / ELE1012 (/5)The lecture stimulates an interest in the subject / 5 / 5 / 4.5
Curriculum Design
In 2009/2010, motivated by persistent feedback from students that they had not been sufficiently engaged in ‘hands-on engineering’, I led a comprehensive review of the syllabus and structure of Stage 1 of the EEE/SESE pathways with the aim of refocusing and enhancing the learner experience around practical design and test of simple electrical/electronic devices and systems. This redesign is aligned with the goals of the University’s Education Strategy 2011-2016 in two ways:
· Dynamic and Relevant Curriculum: It is an example of ‘..a core curriculum that is dynamic and attuned to the needs of students’
· Innovation/Enrichment of Teaching and Support: It promotes ‘…active, interactive and collaborative..’ learning due to its practical learning style and group-work context
More details on this initiative are provided in 2 (c).
ii. Resources
The learning process outlined in 2 (a) (i) is supported by a comprehensive array of materials of two types:
· Materials presented during contact sessions
· Substantive backup materials provided to learners for their own individual learning
In the former, the materials facilitate the identification of learning limitations and the derivation and application of new techniques. These materials have two key features:
· Gapped: They are gapped at key points, such that these points may be reinforced as learning progresses by completing the materials.
· Applicative: There is copious space left to the students for application of the principles learned in the same resource.
The backup materials are more comprehensive, providing self-contained descriptions and applications of the material covered during contact sessions. In addition, tutorial materials are provided; these have two main defining characteristics:
· Applicative: These are entirely applicative, taking the form of worked problems and answers.
· Solutions: Comprehensive solutions to the problems are provided, but only some time afterward; this encourages students to engage with their peers and module learning support allowing effective identification and resolution of any learning gaps.
Learners themselves verify the effectiveness of these materials in their TEQ scores for ELE1012, ELE4013 and ELE8076 from 2010/2011.
Question / ELE4013 (/5) / ELE8076 (/5) / ELE1012 (/5)The lecture material is presented clearly and logically / 4.8 / 4.0 / 4.7
The lecture makes effective use of handouts, overhead projector and visual aids / 4.8 / 4.5 / 4.8
iii. Assessment and Feedback
Regardless of level, I employ robust formative assessment and feedback schemes. In ELE1012, four formative assessments, of two different types, are undertaken:
· Short Tests: Two 1 hour class tests. These test the learners’ abilities to solve fundamental problems in specific topic areas, encouraging self-reliance to recall and apply techniques to problems of moderate difficulty.
· Assignments: Two longer, more involved mathematical investigations spanning the breadth of course material. These require exploitation of a variety of techniques to solve each problem, exercising the learner’s critical judgement in identifying and combining individual techniques.
In ELE4013/ELE8076, the major formative assessment takes the shape of an open design problem involving state-of-the-art computer software; this demands a differentiated assessment strategy for these masters-level learners, specifically testing their ability to adopt new programming techniques to complex problems.
This regime enables an effective two-way feedback mechanism; I may quickly gauge the learners’ grasp of the material and diagnose any parts of the module’s subject matter with which they are struggling. Furthermore, they allow the learners a channel by which to feedback their thoughts on the material to me on an anonymous basis, via minute-paper feedback forms distributed with each assessment.
Under this mechanism, both modules balance their assessment in line with the University’s stated objective on a ‘Dynamic and Relevant Curriculum’ in the Education Strategy 2011-2016, specifically in that they provide a ‘balanced and effective assessment strategy which will support student through greater focus on formative assessment and effective and timely feedback to students.’ Their effectiveness is relayed by the learners themselves in the scores from the 2010/2011 TEQ survey, given below.
Question / ELE4013 (/5) / ELE8076 (/5) / ELE1012 (/5)The coursework complements the module effectively / 4.3 / 4.0 / 4.3
The coursework is stimulating and challenging / 4.5 / 4.5 / 4.4
Adequate feedback is provided / 4.3 / 4.5 / 3.6
(b) Supporting colleagues and influencing support for student learning (350 words maximum)
My roles as module leader for ELE1012 and Stage 1 coordinator for EEE/SESE pathways have given me the rare opportunity to contribute to a number of institutional, regional, national and international initiatives. Two prominent examples are outlined below.
Institutional/Regional: STEM Initiative
The ongoing QUB/NI Executive and UK government STEM initiatives helped motivate a thorough examination of the EEECS EEE/SESE pathways in 2009/2010; this lead to a radical revamp, with the aim of increasing their appeal via modernisation and refocusing on practical design and test of simple electrical/electronic devices and systems. In my role as Stage 1 coordinator, I was afforded a unique opportunity to contribute to this initiative.
I made three key contributions:
· I supported my colleagues, the module leaders, in developing their new modules, in terms of both module syllabus design and in time, location and equipment resourcing.
· I identified a single piece of equipment to serve the needs of all the modules (the National Instruments ELVIS platform) and I supported the module leaders in understanding how this equipment could satisfy their specific modules’ needs.
· I solicited financial support from the School of EEECS to purchase 40 ELVIS units; this lead to a £100,000 investment by the School of EEECS to equip a new laboratory with this equipment, and develop a series of learning resources for the Stage 1 learners.
Institutional/International: Shenzhen Joint Foundation Programme
The QUB/Shenzhen College (China) Shenzhen Joint Foundation Programme is an important part of the University’s internationalisation effort; in my role as module leader for ELE1012 (Mathematics 1), I was offered the chance to contribute to this programme in both January 2011 and January 2012.
· I facilitated a 10-day course on Foundation Mathematics in Shenzhen Normal College in January 2011. This excellent opportunity allowed me to apply and test my learning techniques in an unfamiliar setting; I was happy to accept.
· In January 2012 I assist my colleague, Prof. Kang Li, as he undertook this duty – in particular I was able to aid him with resources and in identifying effective learning techniques.
(c) Ongoing professional development (350 words maximum)
My Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Teaching (PGCHET), undertaken in 2005/2006 has had at least two major impacts on the learners I assist.
My Role
The PGCHET allowed me to understand the role I play for the learners I assist, and specifically how to differentiate these roles.
The early-stage undergraduates in module ELE1012 typically have relatively uniform levels of capability and are capable of recognising the gaps in their current knowledge, are capable of recognising gaps in their current knowledge when presented to them, and adept at application of conceptual material to problem-solving; my role in their learning typically then involves coaching their recognition of their shortcomings, mentoring them in the solution and coaching the application of the solution.
In the later-stage learners, such as the MSc and PhD students I assist, the situation is different. Their widely varying background but later learning stages means that the learner must (and is capable of) leading the learning process of identifying the specific technical challenges and solving them. Hence, here my role is as a coach, to facilitate them as they identify and solve problems themselves.
The effect of this clarification of my role has led to a high appreciation of the interest I stimulate in learners, as described in 2 (a)(i).
Feedback
Since my PGCHET course, feedback has played a major role in my learning facilitation, in particular in the modules ELE4013/ELE8076. Since I created it in 2005, its evolution is almost entirely driven by learner feedback. This has resulted in two major changes:
· Assessment: Whilst assessment in early incarnations of this module was heavily weighted towards summative examination, it currently stands at 60% summative, 40% formative. This shift has been motivated entirely by learner feedback.
· Module Content: This module has had two major topical additions in 4 years, specifically as a result of learner feedback on the lack of applicative learning material.
As described in 2 (a)(i) and 2 (a)(ii), this has created a module and assessment regime which learners now find highly stimulating.
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