CEG-IST
USING THE LAMM CLASSROOM OBSERVATION
SYSTEM TO FACILITATE THE ADOPTION OF ACTIVE
LEARNING METHODOLOGIES
Bill Williams
Polytechnic Institute of Setubal,
CEG-IST, Lisbon
SIPAR 2015
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Outline
Engineering Education Research issues
Classroom strategy
Data collected
Conclusions
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Engineering Education Research
(EER) and Quality of Learning
Why?
What?
How?
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Medical Research
Longitudinal studies
Meta-studies
Use a proxy e.g. cholesterol levels for heart
and artery condition
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Active Learning
Felder, Learning and Teaching Styles in
Engineering Education, 1988
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Active Learning
Felder, Learning and Teaching Styles in
Engineering Education, 1988
“mismatch between most engineering
education and the learning styles of most
engineering students”
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Active Learning
Longitudinal Study of Engineering Student
Performance and Retention,
(comparisons with traditionally-taught students)
Felder, RM, Felder, GN and Deitz E J. A
J. Engineering Education, 87(4), 469-480, 1998
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Active Learning - meta study
Results from > 30 quantitive studies (167 published
papers)
"Effects of cooperative learning on undergraduates in
science, mathematics, engineering, and technology: A
meta-analysis.”
Springer, L., Stanne, M. E., and Donovan, S. (1998).
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McKinsey Report on world’s best
school systems (OECD, 2008)
• what did best quality systems have in
common?
• based on OECD data (PISA)
• “teachers regularly invite each other into
each other's classes to observe and coach”
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EFFECTIVE TEACHING WORKSHOP
Richard Felder, Emeritus Professor, North Carolina State University
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Activity Banks
D.R. Paulson & Faust J L, Active Learning for the
College Classroom,
http://www.calstatela.edu/dept/chem/chem2/Active/
R. M. Felder & R. Brent, Active Learning.
www.uwf.edu/cutla/workshops/Active%20Handout.
pdf
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Activity examples
Think-PairShare
Student
Summary
Students create
quizzes
Active Review
Sessions
Lists
Jig-saw group
activities
Puzzles/paradox Reciprocal pair
es
questioning
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Muddiest point
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Self /Peer Observation
Observer – peer or trained student assistant
Video – self, peer or student assistant
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Measure …
learner activity
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Measure …
learner activity
learner participation
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Measure …
learner activity
learner participation
Learner Activity Monitoring Matrix: LAMM
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Activity Index values
Observation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Lecturer 1
30
28
44
30
38
35
35
31
48
66
35
53
68
48
34
54
Lecturer 2
30
37
30
30
35
33
51
30
70
35
41
30
Lecturer 3
30
30
30
37
42
30
75
80
86
81
40
39
34
34
81
Lecturer 4
30
56
50
37
57
38
37
37
50
54
38
39
Lecturer 5
48
64
76
72
57
54
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Measuring participation
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LAMM data for an individual
instructor
AI 30 50 37 57 37 38 37 50 54 30 30 38 55 33 32 38 35 31 52 56 33 31
PP na 3
8 11 7 8 25 29 17 16 11 12 18 21 22 16 27 13 0 0 14 13
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Comparison of Instructors
LAMM Results
Instructors
AL-oriented (n = 92)
Traditional (n = 15)
Activity index
45,39
30,2
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Participation
parameter
17,1
9,5
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Comparison of Instructors
LAMM Results
Instructors
AL-oriented (n = 92 observed classes)
Traditional (n = 15 observed classes)
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% lecture time
62
93
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Comparison of Instructors - US
Study
VOS Results
Instructors
HPL-oriented (n = 17 observed courses)
Traditional (n = 11 observed courses)
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% lecture time
48.4
52.9
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In conclusion
 Learner activity is a useful proxy for
learning in lecture classes
 LAMM measurement of Learner Activity…
is flexible and easy to introduce
 encourages peer observation and exchange
 provides data

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CEG-IST
USING THE LAMM CLASSROOM OBSERVATION
SYSTEM TO FACILITATE THE ADOPTION OF ACTIVE
LEARNING METHODOLOGIES
Bill Williams
Polytechnic Institute of Setubal, CEG-IST, Lisbon
SIPAR 2015
28