New Math in the SON:
Sample, 40 x 10 = 931
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The Process Before 2009
(Design)
• 1 cohort, level 3
• 40 groups (facilitated by faculty and TA’s)
• 10-12 students/grp
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The Process Before 2009
(course design)
• 1-hour large group lecture (experts)
• 2-hour tutorial (faculty/TA facilitated)
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The Process Before 2009
(design & evaluation)
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The Process In 2009
(student distribution)
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The Process In 2009
(student distribution)
2 cohorts, levels 2 and 3
Tues
(Mac)
336
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Wed
(Con)
107
Thurs
(Con)
147
Fri
(Moh)
267
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The Process In 2009
(Design)
• eliminated 40 tutorial groups
• 2 faculty (course planners)
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The Process In 2009
(design & evaluation)
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The Process In 2009
(design & evaluation)
A typical 2 hour class
• housekeeping (5 mins)
• feedback to previous groups (5 mins)
• feedback on quizzes (5 mins)
• group presentations (1.5 hours)
• quiz (15 mins)
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The Process In 2009
(design & evaluation)
Group Presentations (15%)
• students formed own groups (4-6, 14-18)
• we could fit in only 26 topics.
• students chose own topics.
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The Process In 2009
(design & evaluation)
Group Presentations (15%)
• group grade based on:
– creativity
– content
– references
• faculty evaluation form (2)
• peer evaluation forms (931 minus
presenting group)
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The Process In 2009
(design & evaluation)
Presentation Reflections (15%)
• students wrote individual, 2-page reflections
- role in presentation (research, presenter, ppt,
etc.)
- describe one new aspect learned, “aha”
moment.
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The Process In 2009
(design & evaluation)
Weekly Quizzes (30%)
•
•
•
•
3 questions based on readings
T/F, multiple-choice & short answer
11 units of course content
total of 33% (3x11), discarded lowest score
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Issue: in-class quizzes
Environment and Health
2. Name two countries that have entered into the Great Lakes
agreement resulting in cleaner, safer drinking water.
1. _________________
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2. ___________________
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Issue: in-class quizzes
Environment and Health
2. Name two countries that have entered into the Great Lakes
agreement resulting in cleaner, safer drinking water.
1. _________________
2. ___________________
• Canada & Switzerland
• Canada & Iceland
• Canada & Alaska
• Canada & Australia
• California & New York
• UK & Canada
• America & Europe
• England & USA
• USA & India
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The Process In 2009
(design & evaluation)
Registrar Administered Exam (40%)
•
•
•
•
80 questions (T/F, MCQ, Short Ans)
based on readings
similar to quizzes
developed over multiple Tim Hortons
coffees in one afternoon!
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The Challenges In 2009
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Issue: taking responsibility
• in the beginning, some students were
resistant to the idea of group presentations expected faculty to lecture - emailed us with
complaints.
• some students came late, only to write the
quiz (disruptive, disrespectful, devalues effort of
peers, circumvents the learning value of the
presentations).
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Management of the paperwork
• handing out, collecting, and recording
tests and other assignments for 931
students.
• grading 85 reflective papers per week!
• make-up quizzes (for those absent) 5-10%
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Management of distractions
• talking, noise levels
• late arrivals
• early departures
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Diverse background and
preparation of students
• different levels of English,
• Maturity of students
• Capacity for SDL
• Sophistication of content
• range / hierarchy of levels
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Large classes also pose
significant challenges to
learning
• not knowing what is relevant or important information,
• hesitation in asking questions or in other ways
indicating a lack of knowledge
• lack of experience with time management, studying, or
other skills necessary for success in college
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Other Challenges
ELM:
- group sign-up sheets
- disappearing grades
- unreliability of attaching reflections
Illness:
- rescheduling quizzes, presentations, reflection papers
Accommodation during the course (sporting events)
Volume of emails (hundreds/week)
TA strike
Disappearing quizzes (52)
Jimmy Kim – student anonymity, who is in the class
Duplicate Names (3-4)
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The Rewards In 2009
Group Presentations
• created own videos
• interviewed >800 students
• found appropriate YouTube videos
• developed games
• wrote skits
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The Rewards In 2009
Reflections
• profoundly personal
• supported lifelong learning
• opinions challenged and changed
• “from now on I’m going to vote”
• “…going to join the RNAO so I can be a
change agent.”
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The Rewards In 2009
Weekly Quizzes
• social contract
Lesson: quizzes provide incentive for attendance.
Proof: Friday aft - before long weekend - 92% attendance
Attendance rates: 97%, 96%, 95%, 94%, 93%, 92%, 91%, 92%
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The Rewards In 2009
Registrar Administered Exam
• layering of Bloom’s taxonomy (knowledge,
application, synthesis)
• concepts reinforced from readings,
presentations, and other coursework
(pharmacology, pathophysiology, PBL)
• students did exceptionally well.
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The Rewards In 2009
Other (from students’ perspectives)
• wrote an RNAO position paper on gender
issues.
• debated with evidence aboriginal rights with her
family.
• described living through the Chernobyl disaster.
• two students offered to come back next year to
speak to the 2010 cohort.
• personal discussion of mental health issues.
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