Computer Modeling for Curricular Integration
Mark Guzdial,Matthew Realff, Pete Ludovice, Tom Morley
Georgia Institute of Technology
Core Idea
What happened
We teach computer modeling in
many different classes, changing
the language, topics, and
examples each time.
Students didn’t participate. They
actively resisted participating. We
investigated why and found:
We could use collaboration
technologies to help students in
these classes talk to one another
and provide extra-curricular
support to integrate topics across
course boundaries.
We set up multiple CoWebs (our
easy-to-use collaboration tool that
has had much success in
Architecture, English, Computer
Science and elsewhere) to
encourage discussion in
Engineering, Math, and Computer
Science courses.
• Rational behavior in the face of
competitive classes.
• “Learned helplessness”
• A lack of models for
collaboration
• In some cases, faculty resistance
Anecdotes:
• On a mandatory assignment
involving a math class studying
results from Engineering students’
simulations, 40% of math
students accepted a zero rather
than collaborate with engineers.
• We provided an Equation Editor
in the CoWeb for an Engineering
and a Math course to facilitate
talking about equations. Not a
single student even tried the
Editor.
Quotes from Students:
Student responses to “Why didn’t you
participate in CoWeb?”
On Competition:
“1) didn't want to get railed 2) with the
curve it is better when your peers do badly”
“since it is a curved class most people don’t
want others to do well”
(Note: Students claimed that the course
grades were “curved” even when there was
none!)
On Learned Helplessness:
“I haven't posted about questions because I
am confident that my answers are wrong.”
“I thought I was the only one having
problem understanding what was asked in
the exam.”
“Who am I to post answers?”
“The overall environment for [this class]
isn't a very help-oriented environment.”
Faculty Attitudes and
Models
• Faculty attitudes: Quote from an
Eng Faculty, “Collaboration isn’t
important…just for ABET
accreditation.”
• Students don’t see models of
collaboration: Few crosslisted/team-taught courses, few
cross-disciplinary references
Study in English Composition
• In a comparative study, students using the CoWeb did better on posttest performance and surveys toward collaboration than a comparison
class, with very low additional cost.
Findings on final essays:
Close Reading Activity:
Findings on attitude surveys: