Motivating Students for Learning using Scaffolding and a Variety of Assignments and Activities

This paper discusses the impacts of various course assignments and activities that were used to increase student motivation and learning. The courses selected for the study are Quality Analysis and Design of Experiments courses, which are offered as required courses in the industrial engineering graduate program at the University of New Haven. The assignments and activities include term project, term paper, homework, in-class exercises, quizzes, exams, library training and factory visit. In an earlier pilot study in the Quality Analysis course, scaffolding -an instructional strategy that enables students to build on prior experience and knowledge as they work towards mastering higher level skillswas employed using these activities and assignments, and the impact on student motivation and learning was analyzed. The results supported the hypothesis that scaffolding is effective in motivating and engaging students in learning. In the following semesters, the same scaffolding structure was used in a Design of Experiments course in addition to the Quality Analysis course, and data in the form of responses from student feedback surveys, student work and course grades were collected and analyzed. The focus of the analysis was on the following items: What type of activities and assignments do students value the most? Which activities and assignments enhance motivation for learning and contribute to learning?, and Does scaffolding have positive impacts on student outcomes? The sample size was 68, which was generated from three courses offered in fall 2016 and fall 2017. The results reviewed as a whole and individually provided insights on student preferences, engagement and learning particularly from the perspectives of the two courses, Quality Analysis and Design of Experiments, which have substantial practical applications within the Industrial Engineering discipline. Introduction Scaffolding is an instructional strategy that is based on L. Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The range between the ability level of a person achieved by individual efforts versus under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers denotes ZPD [1]. With scaffolding, the materials that the learner has to absorb are broken down into smaller components so that the amount of cognitive efforts that the learner has to make at a given time is reduced. Instructional scaffolding can be accomplished in multiple ways [2]. A large assignment can be broken down into several smaller assignments; a concept, principle or procedure can be introduced multiple times with increasing difficulty at each time; or a single assignment can be structured in a way that provides guidelines to the learner on how and/or in which sequence to tackle the assignment tasks. Another approach in breaking down the materials is using the level of learning based on learning outcomes, and give different types of assignments that lead to more complex assignments at each step. This type of scaffolding is known as critical thinking scaffolding, which is the approach used in this study. The aim was to help students with acquiring information and knowledge through various activities and assignments and connecting this material for use in a more complex assignment to gain higher level of learning skills. Literature supports scaffolding as an effective instructional strategy. In order to accomplish the desired results when scaffolding using any of the approaches listed above, it is important to consider the factors that effect student motivation and learning. The factors that were considered in this study were based on the MUSIC model developed by Brett D. Jones. In this model, empowerment, usefulness, success, interest and caring are the main components that are considered critical to student motivation. The MUSIC model furthermore proposes that increased student motivation leads to increased student learning [3]. In an earlier study, the focus was on developing scaffolding with course assignments with the goal of helping students to acquire higher level of learning skills, namely apply, analyze, evaluate and create in Bloom’s taxonomy, by the end of the course [4]. As the scaffolding structure was refined in each course offering, increasing emphasis was placed on the five factors that were listed earlier. The type of activities and assignments students value the most, activities and assignments enhance motivation for learning and contribute to learning in general, and the impact of scaffolding on student outcomes were studied using data from student feedback surveys, quality of student work and course grades. Background The two courses included in this study are “Quality Analysis” (QA) and “Design of Experiments” (DOE). Both are required courses in the Industrial Engineering master’s program at the University of New Haven. The main topics covered in the QA course are principles of quality control systems, control charts for variables and attributes, process capability analysis, measurement system analysis, and acceptance sampling plans whereas the DOE course introduces students to fundamental concepts in planning, designing and conducting experiments and covers various designs such as factorial design, response surface methodology, nested and split-plot designs. The course assignments and activities have the same structure and format in both courses, and include homework, quizzes, term paper, term project, in class exercises and discussions, two exams (midterm and final), library training and factory visit. A brief description of each course component is shown in Table 1. Implementation The overarching goal in using scaffolding in both of these courses is to help students in achieving higher level of course objectives. The scaffolding strategy is built on the library training, factory visit, term paper and term project assignments. The remaining course activities and assignments are not explicitly included in the scaffolding structure but are used as supporting materials throughout the courses. The details of the scaffolding structure, its implementation and the assessment of its impact have been the focus of a prior paper [4]. The implementation of scaffolding was limited to one course at the time, QA; it has since been used in another course to examine its effectiveness independent of course topic, and furthermore the data collected from all implementations allowed impact analysis of different assignments and activities both from students’ perspective and from the results of direct assessment of student work. Student feedback was collected using a survey which was administered at the end of the last class session of the semester. The timing of the survey administration is important as the survey includes questions about the impact of term project presentation on student motivation and learning. In this last session, the students present their projects to the class. A 7-minute question and answer period is held after each presentation and the students are expected to carry out discussions about the project presented. Therefore, the survey is conducted after the presentation period is completed. Table 1 Course Assignments/Activities Assignment /Activity Description Homework Homework assignments are individual assignments and include case studies, quantitative problems and/or conceptual short answer questions. Students are allowed to work on the questions together; however, an individual report from each student is required. Students usually have a week to complete and handin the homework assignment. Quizzes The quizzes are brief 5-10 minute unannounced tests or in-class exercises or short take-home assignments in various forms targeting students to learn a key concept through self-study. Term Paper The term paper assignment is a literature review study focusing on applications of the course topic in an industry setting. The students are asked to do a literature review to find peer-reviewed articles that presents a practical application example of QA or DOE. They first summarize then analyze and interpret the article within the context of their course. Their work is evaluated on the following criteria and the quality of their writing: Problem Statementall study questions are listed and discussed?; Methodology-explained clearly and concisely?; Finding/Results-presented completely?; and Synthesisconnection between theory and real world practice provided?. Term Project The term project assignment is conducted in teams. It involves selection of a problem and then using the methods and tools covered in class solving the problem and presenting the results. In DOE, conducting a physical experiment as part of project work is required. Midterm/ Final Exam Exams are closed book and given in-class. The students are allowed to bring a reference sheet, one page for the midterm exam and two pages for the final exam. The reference sheets can contain only formulas, and must be handwritten and prepared by the student. In class exercises Both courses are run in a computer lab and a typical class session consists of lecture and exercises solved by hand and by computer. In class discussions These are short discussion periods on any course topic steered by student questions, instructor guidance, and/or in class exercises. Library Training This is an in-class training provided by a library staff. The training tailored for the courses in this study includes a class presentation with an interactive hands-on search practice. The term paper assignment is used as a guide to conduct the search practice. Factory Visit This is a tour of a manufacturing company. The aim is to select a plant in which the students can observe QA or DOE methods in practice. There were 39 survey questions. 5 questions were designed to collect demographical data and another 6 targeted to gather student perception about the course content and the instructor. The remaining questions were a combination of multiple