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Using an on-line tool to better prepare students for class —
Feirong Yuan

Professor Feirong Yuan

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Background

Management 310 (MGMT 310) is a required business course on organizational behavior. When I first taught the course in Fall 2005, one of my observations was that many students failed to understand required readings before arriving at class. I had assumed that students would come prepared but found that I was covering basic material and not having enough time for applications.

I was interested in finding a tool to make sure students would come to class well-prepared, having mastered readings which would enable me to cover more complex materials and give students more opportunities to apply their knowledge to real life settings. I learned that EDU, a web based computer software program, allows instructors to create before-class mastery-oriented on-line reading consideration questions. The program essentially requires students to read assigned material and then answer the on-line reading consideration questions to check their understanding of it before they come to class.

| Implementation

Implementation

For the EDU system, I post multiple choice questions for each reading, which I refer to as reading consideration questions. These questions are posted approximately one week before we’ll apply a reading in class, and they cover basic, important material that I expect students to understand. Students need to correctly answer a specific number of questions for each section to demonstrate mastery of the material. There is no time limit, and they do not have to finish a section in one sitting.

The program is set up so that instructors can get feedback on how many students have completed an assignment and how many times it took for each student to complete it. I briefly review EDU reports before class. If I see that lots of students had numerous tries on one concept, I have more class discussion on that concept. But this does not happen very often. Most questions in my assignments can be answered relatively easily if students understand the readings. Also, because I provide comments to help students with the questions they miss, they rarely spend an enormous amount of time on any one question.

| Student Performance

Student Performance

So far I have been witnessing great results. About 98% of my students read all the assigned chapters and master the on-line reading questions before they come to each class. I now ask more application and analysis questions on course exams as a result of covering more advanced material in class, but find that students’ grades are similar. I am able to ask more difficult questions than in the past because EDU enables me to use class time more effectively and students are able to reach a higher level of learning. Most students grasp the readings before class, so class time is now used for activities designed for deeper understanding, such as case analyses, group discussions, and exercises. I’ve also noticed that discussions and exercises are higher quality and more effective since students are better prepared for class.

| Reflections

Reflections

I have had a lot of success using the EDU system. Students are actively involved with the course material outside of class, and their participation is enhanced by coming to class prepared. Furthermore, class time has profoundly improved because virtually everyone comes better prepared. Using EDU, students learn to master the material rather than being quizzed. I am also able to provide immediate, detailed feedback outside of class when students are missing core concepts.

The process of designing on-line reading consideration questions has led me to reflect on my own teaching philosophy. I now assume that students are intrinsically motivated and interested in learning, whereas in the past I assumed students were extrinsically motivated. In the past, I also needed more control and overemphasized accuracy, whereas now I see the value of mastery learning.

| Summary

Project Summary

Developing reading consideration questions with the on-line tool EDU improves student preparation before class, fosters an active learning atmosphere, and helps students reach a higher level of learning than in previous course offerings.

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