Turning Homework on its Head –

Deeper Learning by

Putting Students in Charge

Michael BieberWith help from Erick Sanchez, Ye Xiong, and many others…

Information Systems Department

College of Computing Sciences

New Jersey Institute of Technologyhttp://web.njit.edu/~bieber

March 2014

Outline• Motivation

• CLASS concept

- collaborative learning through assessment

• Interesting issues

• How could this work in high schools?

• Looking for high school students to help

• Looking for collaboration with teachers

Motivation• Deeper Learning & Interest in subjects

• Learning through active engagement– involve students as active participants

• How?– give students ownership of entire problem life cycle– online system to streamline management

Grade solutions

Make up problems

Solveproblems

Learning from doing the CLASS activities

Dispute grade

Make up problems

Solveproblems

Grade solutions1 2

Learning from doing the CLASS activities

Dispute grade

Inquiry-based Learning

Domain Learning

Peer Assessment

Self Assessment

Make up problems

Read- other problems- other solutions

- grade justifications- disputes

Solveproblems

Learning from doing the CLASS activities

Grade solutions1 2

learning from reading everything peers write

Dispute grade

Make up problems

Students canread everything

Solveproblems

Grade solution1 2

Edit problems

Dispute gradeResolve gradedisagreement Resolve dispute

Students perform

Teachers or studentsperform

Make up problems

Students canread everything

Solveproblems

Grade solution1 2

Edit problems

Dispute gradeResolve gradedisagreement Resolve dispute

Students perform

Teachers or studentsperform

Problem Rubric

GradingRubric

Outline

• Motivation

• CLASS concept

- collaborative learning through assessment

• Interesting issues

• How could this work in high schools?

• Looking for high school students to help

• Looking for collaboration with teachers

Experiment with Essay Exams

• Experimental results:– Students felt they learned more

– Students enjoyed the exam more

– Students recommend it for future classes

• What students liked best– Active involvement in the (exam) process

– Flexibility to use any resources

– Reduction in tension

Issues• Issues for students

– Timing: drawn-out (2.5 weeks)– Learning curve to create problems, grade and dispute– Learning to use rubrics– Anonymity within online system– Trusting peers (good faith effort; good job)

• Trade-offs for teachers– Fewer solutions to evaluate, but each is different– Fitting into school schedule

Extending Scope• Which problem types?

– so far: short and long essay questions– what about: multiple choice, short answer, computer

programs, semester projects

• Which activities?– so far: exams, online discussion short essays– what about: quizzes, homeworks, larger projects, in-class

projects, other types of exams

• Which subjects?

• Team involvement in each CLASS stage

Make up problems

Students canread everything

Solveproblems

Grade solution1 2

Edit problems

Dispute gradeResolve gradedisagreement Resolve dispute

Problem Rubric

GradingRubric

CLASS in your school?

What would it take?

Invitation• Looking for high school students to help test CLASS this

summer

• Looking for collaboration with teachers to try out CLASS

and help refine it

Michael Bieber bieber@njit.edu

web.njit.edu/~bieber