FIN Commons

A.        Zoom-Lens Inquiry: Focusing on Students

 

1)   What data will you gather and analyze on individual students? (e.g. student work, self-reflections, interviews, videotaped think-aloud’s or problem-solving) All the above.

 

2)   How do you imagine this data will help you understand the problem/issue you’re investigating? In other words, how does the data connect to and inform the overall focus of your inquiry?  Some team members feel that we should narrow our focus of basic skills and not include all basic skills, as the scope of basic skills overall is too broad.  If we are to approach this issue in this fashion, then we have to first determine what areas the students are most needy in. 

 

3)   When and how will you collect this data? (e.g. Which classes will you target? Where will you conduct interviews or think-alouds?)  DMECH 15 (Lecture class) DMECH 21B (Lab class).  This semester.

 

4)   When will you analyze this data? (e.g. mid-semester team retreat, after lesson-study session, at the end of the semester; ) Team retreat in June 09.

 

5.) How will you analyze the data? (e.g. analyzing student work with a rubric or analytic frame like Polya’s method for problem-solving or Perry’s scheme for student development; analyzing themes in student self-reflections according to their performance in the class – how did the responses of students who did not pass compare/contrast with students who performed well?) Through analyzing student video interview self-reflection and hands-on performance video’s with student’s using think-aloud’s, we can see what type of learners individuals are.  We will also use multiple intelligences assessment to add additional data. We will be looking for commonalities in order to address the most pressing needs of the student’s. 

 

6)   What questions/concerns do you have about this element of your Inquiry? How can your Inquiry Coach support you in this phase of your Inquiry? To help us formulate questions for student interviews. 

 

B.        Mid-Range Shots: Focusing on the Classroom

1)      Please name ONE specific lesson in a particular course that will give you a good vantage point for observing student learning relevant to your Inquiry. The Chemistry of Combustion 

 

2)   How do you imagine the Lesson Study will help you understand the problem/issue you’re investigating about students and their learning? In other words, how does it connect to and inform the overall focus of your inquiry? This lesson includes vocabulary, reading comprehension, critical thinking and report writing.  This lesson will demonstrate students basic skills in this area.

     

3)   When and how will your team conduct this Lesson Study? Please detail the timeframes and participants for the three parts of the Lesson Study process (collaboratively planning the lesson, teaching/observing the lesson, and debriefing/analyzing videotapes & student work from the lesson). Near the end of this semester; the lesson will be lectured on May 5, 09.  It will be analyzed during the June retreat.

 

 

4)   What kinds of things will the observers be looking/listening for during the lesson? What artifacts of student learning and student experience will the team collect during the lesson? Will you videotape any portion of this process (pre-planning, lesson, debrief)? We will generate an “observation form” so that we all agree on the kind of data we are looking for.  We will each assume a different observation role to ascertain different kinds of data, e.g. math, team skills, critical thinking, language.

 

 

5) What questions/concerns do you have about this element of your Inquiry? How can your Inquiry Coach support you in this phase of your Inquiry? We will look for coaches to help us keep focused on our inquiry and keep moving in the right direction.

 

 

C.        Wide-Angle Lens: Focusing on Larger Trends in Institutional Data

 

1)   What data from your Institutional Research Office will you integrate into your Inquiry? For example, will you look at patterns of student success, defined as grades of CR, A,B C? Retention rates (completion of semester without withdrawl)? Persistence from one semester to the next, or from one course to the next in a sequence? Comparisons of student outcomes disaggregated by race/ethnicity, gender, age? Data from surveys on student engagement? For a sample Inquiry using this kind of data, go to http://facultyinquiry.net and look for the category “Using Institutional Research,” then see the Learning Community Impact study posted there.) We will make an upcoming appointment within the next month to accomplish this goal with our college Institutional Research Specialist.

2)   How do you imagine this data will help you understand the problem/issue you’re investigating? In other words, how does the data connect to and inform the overall focus of your inquiry? It will help us to realize trends that we may not now know.

 

 

3)   What questions/concerns do you have about this element of your Inquiry? How can your Inquiry Coach support you in this phase of your Inquiry? Inquiring of the coach what kind of data was researched at other institutions and may help in determining relevancy for what data we should include or look for.

 

 

D.        Video Footage

We are asking each team to collect at least 10 hours of video footage in the Spring semester.

 

1)   Beyond plans detailed above, please describe any additional footage you intend to gather.

We have already started by gathering video by filming students participating in hands-on projects.  We will continue to do this.  We will also be filming students in interviews and self-reflection exercises while tasking assignments.  We will also record video in team interaction and planning.

 

2)   How will this footage inform the central questions of your Inquiry?

It will be the basis for analyzing our inquiry.

 

 

3)   What questions/concerns do you have about this element of your Inquiry? Is there  any support you’d like from the FIN Leadership Team in this area? How will this video process affect the behavior of participants? I’m sure there will be inquiries from time to time on process and collection.

 

E.         Inclusion of Student Voices

As noted during the Kick-Off Convening, an additional $1,000 will be made available to each team to support making student voices a central part of each Inquiry. We encourage you to be creative and draw upon students as co-inquirers who can provide expertise in helping you understand the problem/issue you are investigating. Please describe how you plan to include student voices in your Inquiry (e.g. hiring students to capture video footage, interview other students, review data from your inquiry and tell you what they see). We feel that we should include one student who is not basic skills challenged and one student who is.  This will help us to determine need and direction for this inquiry as far as basic skills inclusion is concerned.

 

Timeline/Calendar

So that we can visualize how the work will proceed over the next several months, please give a timeline for when the above components will occur. It can be in either calendar or outline format.

 

March: Video -Initial Student Assessment, -Meet with IR Officer

April: Video -Collaborative lesson planning & observation form development

May: Video -Lesson observation & preliminary analysis

June- Video  Retreat & data analysis