the great history conundrum
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The Great History Conundrum. Alex Moseley University of Leicester. In 2007…. Student Learning Outcomes. K now where and how to search for a variety of historical resources on and off line - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
TheGreatHistoryConundrum
Alex MoseleyUniversity of Leicester
In 2007…
Student Learning Outcomes
• Know where and how to search for a variety of historical
resources on and off line
• Be able to critically analyse internet resources to
determine their suitability for academic purposes
• Have engaged in collaborative activity online to arrive
at a shared consensus
• Obtain a number of transferable skills
(problem solving, numeracy, team working, IT skills)
A Conundrum of your own
Each group has 12 cards
Match the 6 descriptions with the 6 sources
I’m looking for a Number
The first group to stand up and give the
correct answer wins…
A Conundrum of your own!
Problem solving
Communal working
Competition / prize
Engagement/Motivation
Key Features: ARGs for Higher Education
1. Problem solving at varying levels (graded challenge)
2. Progress and rewards (leaderboard, grand prize)
3. Narrative devices (characters/plot/story)
4. Influence on outcomes
5. Regular delivery of new problems/events
6. Potential for large, active community
7. Based on simple, existing technologies/media
Introducing ARG Features
1. Problem solving at varying levels (graded challenge)
2. Progress and rewards (leaderboard, grand prize)
3. Narrative devices (characters/plot/story)
4. Influence on outcomes
5. Regular delivery of new problems/events
6. Potential for large, active community
7. Based on simple, existing technologies/media
Puzzles/Problem Examples
Basic / non-cryptic Narrative / cryptic
Puzzles/Problem Examples
Communal (minor) Communal (mass)
Motivation: Automated Marking and Return
354 Gracechurch St.
Motivation: Leaderboard
Online Assessment
• Innovative approach: continuous, visible assessment to
maintain and encourage engagement
• High student numbers: needed manageable methods - tutors
used to marking one 1000 word essay
• Used three methods matched to three stages:
1. Automated marking of puzzles
2. Moderator marking of discussion posts
3. Tutor marking of group project
• Students could specialise in one or more stages - allow for
different skill sets
Assessment: Discussion posts
Community/Collaboration: WIKI
Results
• 190/200 students took part over 4 weeks
• They solved 3301 puzzles (average 17 each)
• They posted 4387 messages in the forums
(average 23 each)
• Visited over 50 online/offline resources, covered wide
range of topics during discussions
• 181 passed the course (90%), 92 achieved 60%+
Activity
• Over the four weeks
• By hour of day
Student Feedback: Motivation
“our moderator was excellent, he provided really helpful pointers in
how to improve our posts and sent really motivating e-mails to get
us all working on it!”
“the faceless nature of a solely online activity meaning a group Wiki
was haphazardly put together with some contributing a lot and
others very little”
Student Feedback: Assessment
Student Feedback: Community
63% claimed to know more people on their course as a result of the GHC
“the forums… were highly collaborative and encouraged people to help
others. I certainly got a lot out of [them] both when I was stuck and
when I was able to help others.”
Student Feedback: Skills
“it introduced me to a variety of new resources [and] a new
way of learning about the past; a way I’d not thought of
before”
“It taught me a lot of skills that I probably wouldn't have
learnt in lectures, for example the actual processes involved
with research on a practical level, rather than being told
about them”
“We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the
bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness
and travel and explore and tell the world the
glories of our journey.”
John Hope Franklin (US Historian researching Black American history).
Alex Moseley
Faculty of Arts • University of Leicester
moerg.wordpress.com