Malcolm Swannell and Ian Solomonides

Case study 1

Using learning materials to support student-centred learning in year 1 of mechanical engineering courses

Originator: Malcolm Swannell and Ian Solomonides
Reproduced with permission from Course Design for Resource Based Learning - Technology (1994) Fred Percival and Graham Gibbs (Eds).

Background

Resource-based learning (RBL) materials have been developed for use in two courses within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Nottingham Trent University. These are the BEng honours degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Integrated Engineering. The Mechanical Engineering degree is typical of many throughout the UK in that it contains a mixture of analytical subjects, control engineering, computing and project work. Engineering design is used to integrate the various subjects within the course. The Integrated Engineering degree is broadly based, covering mechanical, manufacturing, and electrical and electronic engineering. Computer-aided engineering and software engineering are also significant components of the course. The course relies upon extensive project work to integrate the various engineering disciplines.

A review of courses led to a reduction in the amount of class contact and an increase in independent learning

The introduction of semesters and a modular scheme in 1993 provided the opportunity to review these two courses and their teaching and learning approaches. The review has resulted in a reduction in student contact with academic staff, and the formal introduction into the timetable of the concepts of independent and directed learning. A typical first-year module contains 39% contact time, 17% directed learning time, 43% independent learning time and 1% formal assessment time. There is a gradual shift away from formal contact time towards more independent study in the second and final years. There are six single modules or their equivalent per semester.

Before the introduction of semesters, there was a higher level of staff-student contact. The reduction in contact time and the desire to develop more independence in undergraduates has resulted in a perceived need to provide support for students and staff in the form of resource-based learning materials.

Context

All first year modules are now supported by RBL materials.

To date RBL materials have been provided for all modules in both first-year semesters. The students who enter the course are drawn from a mixture of backgrounds; they come variously from A-level, BTEC, foundation and access courses. The 1993 cohorts contain 41 students for Integrated Engineering and 115 students for Mechanical Engineering. The RBL material is also used by a further 200 students from other departments, studying a common first semester and some common modules within the second semester.

Support for the development of RBL materials has been provided in the form of staff-release time for development, technician and secretarial time, and the use of technology as and when it is needed.

Aims

The aims of the course teams in making the transition to RBL are alluded to in the 'Background' section; specifically they are to provide RBL materials that:

• promote and support active independent study;
• facilitate teaching of larger, more diverse groups;
• provide common resource materials for staff and students;
• promote a coherent teaching approach by a number of individual lecturers delivering discrete modules.

Implementation

Staff were released from teaching to produce materials, funded both centrally and from within the department.

Staff time was released to develop the RBL materials by resources from central staff-development funding and from departmental part-time teaching budgets. Some staff were contracted over and above their normal duties, specifically to produce materials. A Staff Development Release Scheme exists to promote the professional development of teachers and support staff by granting up to £2000 per proposal in any financial year. This provides a mechanism for staff to spend time improving aspects of courses and teaching. The main focus is on improving the quality of the course and teaching.

Materials were prepared throughout the preceding academic year 1992/93. The need for the material was discussed within course teams and general acceptance by individual lecturers was sought. Ownership was then given over to subject specialists and teams, who were able to call on technician and secretarial support when it was needed. In many instances the materials were produced by teams of lecturers and then reviewed and evaluated by subject groups. This encouraged acceptance of the material by all concerned and promoted a more coherent ethos.

Student induction

Students attend 'Learning To Learn' workshops as an introduction to RBL.

All students attend a series of workshops called Learning to Learn. These do not explicitly address the use of RBL, but are seen as a useful means of introducing students to the type of work expected in independent undergraduate study The workshops are intended to promote:

• appropriate educational orientation;
• appropriate concepts of learning;
• appropriate study strategies.

The emphasis is on generating in the student the intention to interact effectively with all materials, and, in particular, to develop a sense of independence and responsibility for learning. The Learning to Learn materials have been designed within an RBL framework and are now available for students in the form of a self- teaching, computer-based pack.

The RBL course materials are embedded within the subject areas and students are therefore introduced to them as a natural part of their study activities. Students come to accept RBL as being part of the normal teaching and learning medium.

Resources

Resource materials vary and are being developed and added to over time.

In the main the materials are text-based, with supporting computer-based and audiovisual learning material where appropriate. Typically they consist of supporting notes for lectures, worked examples, tutorial problems and assignments. In addition, teaching packs include teaching material such as OHPs. Study guides covering the objectives, learning outcomes and assessment methods will be included at a later date.

To a large extent, these are self-contained packs, but they often contain references to and direct students towards set textbooks.

Operation

Students are assessed on their performance on problems and assignments in the resource materials.

Resources are used on a day-to-day basis by students, and support teaching in all areas of the module. Students engage with the materials because they are seen as part of the normal scheme of work. Any additional support is provided through the usual seminar and tutorial system. The effectiveness of the materials is monitored by assessing student performance on examples, tutorial problems and assignments contained in the RBL materials. Students are able to evaluate their own performance, and academic staff monitor progress as part of their normal teaching strategies. This is part of the accepted teaching and learning practice, established over a number of years, and the system does not therefore impose additional requirements on academic staff or students.

In using and promoting RBL, tutors carry out many of their normal duties and functions - namely, providing lectures, running seminars and giving individual tuition. In essence, RBL has helped to maintain effective teaching and learning within a context of diminishing teaching resources.

Costs

Development costs have been estimated at £2500 per module. Economies of scale obviously come with the widespread use of RBL materials designed into normal course delivery. At the moment students receive materials free of charge but the intention is to introduce a minimal charge to cover reprographic costs.

Evaluation

Students' approach to RBL is being thoroughly researched in addition to routine student feedback and monitoring.

RBL materials were used for the first time in 1993/94. As part of quality control, it was decided that all materials would be reviewed at the end of the first year. This review is to be carried out by subject groups and will incorporate the comments of academic staff and students. The academic performance of students has been closely monitored.

Student dispositions are studied as part of an ongoing research project into approaches to study, and the students using RBL materials will be included in this research. Student views will also be actively canvassed using the normal feedback process, including questionnaires, formal discussions at feedback sessions and course committee meetings.

Developments

It is planned to extend RBL to many parts of the course, especially to project based work.

On the basis of the experience gained in operating RBL over two semesters and a full evaluation of its results, consideration will be given to introducing RBL to other appropriate areas of the curriculum in future years. Because of the nature of teaching and learning in engineering, it is not envisaged that a whole course will be turned over to RBL. However, it is planned that in future years, the teaching of some modules that are project-based or in the area of computer-aided engineering will be entirely supported by RBL.

Conclusion

The department feel that the use of RBL in engineering is at its best when integrated into the normal teaching and learning environment. They consider that, while RBL offers students a more flexible mode of study, it is unlikely to become the major teaching medium on the courses described above. This may be because of a perception that engineering has unique content and workload implications, and the need to cover a very wide knowledge base limits the potential of what is often a time-consuming approach. It may be desirable to reduce the content in order to encourage deeper learning, but there is a reluctance on the part of individual subject specialists to reduce the content of their course components. There may also be implications for accreditation by professional bodies, which often serves to constrain teaching and learning approaches.