The Document Options is a new inquiry-based learning module in the second year that the History department ran for the first time this year. The CILASS student ambassadors were asked to evaluate this module and Lottie and myself agreed to host a focus group. For this module, there were eight documents to choose from, all dealing with a different topic in history. This module allowed students to research in depth, a topic of interest to them. It appears to be a very interesting and worthwhile module that engages students with primary sources. As a History student, it is an important skill to develop and the overall view was that it was an excellent module for preparing students for course assignments and the dissertation. The students found that the skills they gained from this module helped them with other modules and they enjoyed doing work for this module because it was on a topic that they were interested in.

The aims of the module e.g. to develop independent learning skills appeared to have been met with only a few minor hiccups. The turnout for the focus group was not great; in the end only three students could make it but the feedback was still very useful for the History department and the student perspective of the module was captured.

Kamal & Lottie

Hey everyone here is a quick rundown of what was discussed in our first IBL mock Focus Group. As you you can see it took place on the 24th Nov (sorry it’s taken so long to blog it!).Basically for those who don’t really understand…one of our methods of evaluation for the IBL modules is through the use of Focus groups and before we get going doing the real thing it was decided a mock version would be needed. So Sabine got together some nice willing lecturers and Bob, who then all acted as our Focus Group and we set about pestering them with questions about CILASS and IBL type stuff. It was all very successful and good fun! So here is some of what was discussed…a bit more will follow soon once we have collaborated more info. Hope it’s all clear. See you all soon (at the meeting tuesday no doubt)

judith   

1. How are you planning to successfully integrate IBL into your courses? 

Dissemination of material and increased sharing of ideas between colleagues, both within individual departments and across the university.

 

More discussion between staff and students, in order to increase student feedback and use their ideas.

Analysis, evaluation and feedback.

Sharing of teaching methods.

2. How will the students be participating? 

First year modules will be adapted in one department.

 

Group work, individual inquiry based projects.

An effort should be made to focus much more on the processes of learning and on the skills learned during education. It should not just be about content and the end product.

3. Will it be for undergraduates, postgraduates or a mixture? 

Mainly directed at undergraduates or it is them who are already involved anyway.

4. Are you planning to use existing modules, which you will add to and adapt, or make completely new modules? 

It seems much more useful to staff and students if IBL is incorporated into existing modules. A process of adapting them, building on them and slowly infiltrating the IBL approaches seems more effective than making new modules.

 

The idea of making such modules compulsory was discussed but we agreed this is usually not a productive approach.

Extra Points discussed:

• Web CT was discussed and the following was mentioned: 
• Successfully participating in Web CT and Blogs depends on the confidence of the student.
• There is often a stigma attached to posting your opinion on a blog.
• Should it be anonymous?
• Is it successful or not?
• Is it simply used because it is there, i.e. for the sake of it?
• In some cases it might be useful as an addition to the module but not as the main method of teaching and learning.

It was also agreed that when doing Focus Groups with students in the future the following would be done:

• A brief introduction by us and them.
• Explain the structure of the Focus Group
• Beware of troublesome students (the quiet/talkative ones)
• Have confidence to control the group and keep it on track
• Ask them if they have any questions or topics to discuss that we missed

To finish we asked the staff members how they would like to be evaluated by us in the future? The answered with the following:

• Not (only) with tick-box questionnaires
• In a more continuous, regular and reflective way (3 to 4 times a year).
• Through adaptable, both specific and open, questions.
• Using both focus groups and observation techniques.