Instructional module in Fourier spectral analysis, based on principles of "how people learn"

Journal of Engineering Education, Apr 2003 by Greenberg, Julie E, Smith, Natalie T, Newman, John H

B. Student Reaction to Module

Subjective student responses indicate general approval for the novel computer-based exercises used during Research and Revise. Students reported that they found the tutorial and demonstration useful, returned to use them later in the term for review, and wanted similar exercises for other material. Some students provided specific constructive criticisms that suggest ways to improve the tutorial and demonstration in the future.

A minority of students did not like the tutorial; they found it tedious and/or repetitious. We speculate that these complaints came from students with stronger backgrounds in the subject matter. Students who are initially more knowledgeable with regard to spectral analysis may not need the incremental presentation of the individual concepts used in the tutorial and may find the repetition tedious. However, other students commented on the repetition as a positive feature of the tutorial. These conflicting comments indicate the need for a more adaptive tutor, capable of providing a different sequence of questions depending on the student's demonstrated abilities. This is a trait of intelligent tutoring systems. Such systems include both a student model, reflecting the current state of the students' knowledge, and an instructional model, adjusting pedagogical strategies in response to the student model [7].

Although not truly adaptive, the current tutorial implementation did attempt to address differences in students' need for guidance by providing optional tips and hints associated with each question. We believe this approach may have been effective for students with weaker backgrounds by making additional help readily available. Of course it did not address the needs of more knowledgeable students, who would have preferred to cover the material more quickly.

C. HPL Framework

Evidence suggests that students (and teaching staff) reacted favorably to the HPL-informed aspects of the module. The basic principles of HPL represent a theoretical framework for designing successful learning environments, while the Legacy cycle provides one practical implementation of HPL that is related to problem-based and collaborative learning. Together, they can expedite the design of new instructional material or the improvement of existing materials. As evidenced by the current study, this HPL framework is also useful as a checklist for pedagogical problem solving. The traditional methods of teaching used in HST582J were acceptable by many standards (for example, generally positive responses on student course evaluations), yet many students struggled with the fundamentals of spectral analysis. Applying HPL was an effective way to "hone in" on the particular area where students were struggling and apply specific guidelines to improve the quality of instruction.

In our experience, HPL is particularly useful because it explicitly addresses many pedagogical issues that successful, experienced educators intuitively and implicitly incorporate in their instructional designs. In particular, the Legacy cycle employed here includes components explicitly aimed at providing context and motivation, facilitating exploration, developing in-depth understanding, and incorporating opportunities for self-assessment. Clearly any successful learning environment, whether HPL-based or not, should include these attributes. However, in traditional instructional design, these attributes are often ad hoc and consequently are delivered less effectively. The value of the HPL framework is that it makes explicit provisions for the elements of instruction that effective educators incorporate intuitively.