(PREP)ARE: A Student-centered Approach to Provide Scaffolding in a Flipped Classroom Environment

This complete Evidence-based Practice paper will detail the implementation of scaffolding to support learning in a flipped-classroom environment. Promoting problem solving skill development is a major focus of the General Engineering (GE) Program at Clemson University, as problem solving is a critical skill required by practicing engineers. The GE Program has utilized a SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Activities for Large-Enrollment Undergraduate Programs) environment for over a decade. SCALE-UP is a highly collaborative, hands-on classroom format where the primary emphasis is on learning by guided inquiry rather than by traditional lecturing. The SCALE-UP learning environments is a natural "semi-flipped" classroom by the nature of the program. When used within a large enrollment program that utilizes several instructors in a single semester, the amount of "flip" will vary with each instructor providing various levels of lecture and activities. The largest hurdle with using a "flipped" environment is getting the students to prepare adequately for class to allow for meaningful classroom discussion. The first course in the GE sequence is composed of more than 90% first time freshman, most of whom have yet to develop a mental model of what preparing for a college course entails. In Fall 2015, the first-year sequence adopted the (PREP)ARE model to assist students in understanding the expectations for each class. The model was presented in a standard course management system across all sections of our first semester problem solving (aka. ENGR 1) and second semester programming (aka. ENGR 2) courses. Each course was divided into learning modules that build off the knowledge and skills developed in prior modules. For each module, students were instructed to PREP: Preview the material; get Ready for class; Expand their knowledge; and then Prove it by completing the homework. Prior to each exam, students were asked "ARE you ready?" and encouraged to answer this question by Assessing their performance on each module by analyzing mistakes made on assignments and asking questions of the instructor for further clarification; Reviewing any topics not mastered; then taking the Exam. This work will discuss the (PREP)ARE model in detail, giving examples of activities for each stage to illustrate the breadth of applicability to first-year course material. Examination results, student/instructor attitudes, and course DFW rates will be compared between courses using this method to prior courses. Background The major focus of the General Engineering (GE) Program at Clemson University is to teach students how to think like an engineer in preparation for entrance to their chosen discipline of engineering major. Program achievement metrics evaluate student-learning gains across four domains: 1) Problem Solving, 2) Digital Literacy, 3) Communication, and 4) Self-awareness. Students enter the program from a wide range of academic backgrounds and exposure to technology. In an effort to manage this variance, GE has implemented a flipped classroom using SCALE-UP activities in class to strengthen student performance on problem solving activities. The GE Program has utilized a SCALE-UP (Student-Centered Activities for Large-Enrollment Undergraduate Programs) environment for over a decade; breaking from the orthodoxy of traditional lecture to incorporate a highly collaborative, hands-on format where the primary emphasis is on learning by guided inquiry. This essentially shifts content delivery of basic foundational knowledge to time outside of the classroom; utilizing class time for supervised skill development and tips from instructors’ professional experiences. Using SCALE-UP facilitates real-time assistance from instructors or teaching assistants, helping students overcome hurdles with lessened frustration than if they were completing the exercise alone. SCALE-UP is a highly collaborative, hands-on classroom format where the primary emphasis is on learning by guided inquiry rather than by traditional lecturing [1, 2, 3, 4]. While SCALE-UP affords a natural "semi-flipped" classroom environment, when used within a large enrollment program that utilizes several instructors in a single semester, the amount of "flip" will vary with each instructor providing various levels of lecture and activities. This is an issue especially in large-enrollment programs, such as Clemson GE. In Fall 2017, the firstsemester course (Engineering I) was conducted with 1173 students, 26 sections, and 11 instructors. The (PREP)ARE module structure mitigates the consequences of variation in teaching styles across instructors when implemented for all sections. By using a basic course outline for the template for all sections of the course, instructors begin with a setup that would already be sufficient for students to achieve course-learning outcomes. This frees up class time for instructors to spend more time focused on resolving individual student questions. Students still have access to the same content and problem solving assignments, just with an innovative learning environment that allows for, in our opinion, a better utilization of time resources. (PREP)ARE Modular Structure The largest hurdle we experience with a "flipped" environment is getting students to prepare adequately for class. The (PREP)ARE module structure, shown in Figure 1, was developed as a way to manage the presentation of content, clarify course objectives and expectations, and enable personalized learning opportunities needed to level the playing field between students so that all students can engage in interactive activities with a sense of confidence and autonomy. This program was based on a concept called GEARSET (General Engineering Assessment Record Self-Evaluation Tool), previously utilized at Clemson University [5]. Modules break the course into manageable units, where each subsequent learning module builds off the knowledge and skills developed in prior modules. Ideally, modules contain one week’s worth of related content. The (PREP)ARE structure works similarly to trail markers, guiding students through the content, setting pace, providing direction, and ensuring access to information for all users. For each module, students were instructed to PREP: Preview the material; Ready yourself for class; Expand your understanding; and Prove it by completing the homework. The module starts by exposing students to the content and assessing they performed the activity. The “Preview” activities were either scored but not included in the course grade, graded on participation, or graded with another form of holistic rubric. These micro assessments promote self-awareness of knowledge or skills deficiencies, a critical step to learning. Next students have an opportunity to evaluate their conceptual understanding. Typical “Ready” assessments came in the form of reading quizzes or comprehension check problem sets where students are provided immediate feedback on accuracy. Opportunities to “Expand” understanding typically took place as activities, ranging from problem sets, to experiments, to memos on research. This is the area where the instructor has the most influence on content delivery and determination of graded components. Meanwhile, students are guaranteed to be presented with at least the basic material that has been standardized and assigned in the first two steps of the PREP cycle. The final step has students demonstrate what they have learned, or “Prove it”. This assignment, usually in the form of homework, was essentially how students would have received feedback before the implementation of PREP. Figure 1: (PREP)ARE modular course structure In general, students would progress through three or four modules of related content and then have an exam. With (PREP)ARE, we worked to model good study practices and emphasize student self-regulation skills by helping them discover deficiencies before the exam, giving students one more opportunity to self-correct before the major assessment point. Prior to each exam, students were asked "ARE you ready?" Assess your performance on each module by analyzing mistakes made on assignments and asking questions of the instructor for further clarification; Review any topics not mastered; Exam as a final assessment of learning. Implementation of (PREP)ARE modules The (PREP)ARE module structure was created in Summer 2015 as part of an effort to improve the content delivery for online sections of our courses. The model was iteratively refined over the course of three mini-terms and implemented for both ENGR 1 and ENGR 2 courses in Fall 2015. The model was provided in a standard presentation to instructors in a template through the course management system and was rolled out to all sections of a course. An example of the overview of a module on units and dimensions from ENGR 1 is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2: An example (PREP) Module Overview for Engineering I. There are more leaning objectives for the module; only the first chapter section is shown for space considerations. MyEngineeringLab (MEL), a web-based homework management system accessed by students as a companion site to the course textbook was used as a tool for managing the progression of students from one assignment to the next, providing pre-requisite checking and real time assessment [6]. MyEngineeringLab is part of the MyLab and Mastering suite of products operated by Pearson Higher Education [7]. These features allowed instructors to personalize requirements by allowing students to skip "expanding" on the material and proceed straight to the homework if they proved mastery on the preview material by meeting a threshold performance level on the “Preview” timed quiz. For the programming course, instead of prequizzes, students work through a "Preview" coding activity with basic content in preparation for class. Students must decide on their own whether they need to complete the “expand” step