Application of Workshop-based Instruction to Guide Project-based Research Learning on Environmental Problems

Application of Workshop-based Instruction !
to Guide Project-based Research Learning !
on Environmental Problems
Susumu Yamazaki , Tsukasa Morimoto, !
Tohru Futawatari, Atsushi Nogami (University of Kitakyushu),!
Taku Jiromaru (OME) and Masafumi Iwano (NEOZEST)
Copyright © Susumu Yamazaki, All Rights Reserved.
1

Question?
• This Slide will be published at SlideShare
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• Please contact me:"
• by e-mail: zacky@kitakyu-u.ac.jp"
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• My blog:
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(Sorry, written in Japanese ... )
2
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Summary
• We apply workshop-based instruction to a tutorial
• on project-based research learning on environmental problems
• for approximately 280 first-year undergraduate students.
• Its instructional design is
1. to read the manuals and record activities and issues;
2. to categorize them according to the eight essential points of
project-based learning; and
3. to share the results with teams nearby.
• Assessment results show this workshop is effective for team project-based
research learning.
3

Outline
1. Background of Our Course
2. Two Problems
3. Approach: Applying Workshop
4. Instructional Design
5. Assessment
4

Outline
2. Two Problems
5. Assessment
5

Copyright © Susumu Yamazaki, All Rights Reserved
Background
• Kitakyushu City has much
experience in solving serious
pollution problems, and has been
designated an Eco-Model City (EMC)
by the Japanese government.
• The University of Kitakyushu has
also been teaching about the
environment and established the
Faculty of Environmental
Engineering in 2001 to train students
as environmental engineers.
• We have conducted or been involved
in project-based research learning,
called Case Studies of
Environmental Issues, which teaches
upwards of 250 first-year
undergraduate students in the
Faculty of Environmental Engineering.
6

Two Problems
• The 25 tutors vary in terms of skills and motivation
• because they have not been trained.
• Instruction of students on the tutorial has been ineffective
• because they are bored by its lecture-style format.
7

Approach: Applying Workshop
• The 25 tutors vary in terms of skills and motivation
• because they have not been trained.
• Instruction of students on the tutorial has been ineffective
• because they are bored by its lecture-style format.
"
➡ We have tried to instruct tutors and students
• in the use of a workshop style of instruction in this course.
8

Outline
2. Two Problems
5. Assessment
9

Instructional Design: Approaches
• We analyzed existing instruction manuals for student participation in this
course, and found out that this course has two features:
1. Research Learning
2. Team Project
• We list the features of them, and call these
• The Eight Essential Points of Project-Based Research Learning
1. Research Learning
• Web-based surveys; Bibliographic surveys; Interviews; and
Presentations.
2. Team Project
• Team building; The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle;
Team communication: reporting, contacting and consulting;
and Reflection.
10

Instructional Design: Gagne’s Principles
11
copyright © 北大路書房
photo by © Amazon
copyright © Wadsworth Pub.
photo by © Amazon

Instructional Design: Objectives
• We define the instructional objectives of this guide: Students will
• O1: state the eight essential points of project-based research
learning (verbal information)
• O2: state the activities that should be conducted in this course and
issues for each activity (verbal information)
• O3: classify items listed in O2 according to the eight points of O1
(intellectual skills, defined concepts)
• O4: choose to cooperate as a team to conduct a project-based study
(attitude)
• These are multiple integrated instructional objectives or enterprises
to achieve the final objective of “conducting project-based research.”
12

Instructional Design: Strategies
• Following the objectives, we define instructional strategies of this guide:
1. For O4 (choose to cooperate as a team), we adopt team
workshop-based instruction.
2. For O2 (state activities and issues), the students will read the
manuals and list activities and issues on sticky notes.
3. For O1 (state the eight essential points), the students will prepare
two papers on the eight essential points of project-based learning.
4. According to O3 (classify items), the students will categorize each
sticky note in step 2 into the eight points in step 3.
5. For greater effectiveness, the students will share the results of step
4 with near by teams.
13

Instructional Design: Implementation
14

Outline
2. Two Problems
5. Assessment
15

Assessment: Questionnaire
• Did you feel anxiety before this course?
• What caused you anxiety before this course? (Choice and open question)
• Did you contribute to your team?
• Did your team perform well?
• Which task did your team do well?
• Specifically, what did your team do well? (Open question)
• Which task did your team do badly?
• Specifically what did your team do badly? (Open question)
• Do you have any ideas as to why your team was unsuccessful in these areas? (Open
question)
• Did you understand the overview of this course?
• Was the instruction provided in the guide of this course useful for understanding of the
overview?
• Describe any suggestions to improve the instruction provided in the guide. (Open
question)
16

Assessment: Results
• We receive 76 valid responses.
• From this survey, we found:
1.This workshop is effective.
2.Satisfaction with the workshop was high.
3.This workshop is effective in reducing the anxiety.
4.This workshop encouraged each student to participate in group
work.
5.Some problems on this course are suggested in open questions.
17

Assessment:
Effectiveness of the Workshop
• This workshop is effective
in usefulness for
understanding the overview of
the course.
• Sixty-one reported that the
instruction was useful.
• In particular, 34 students
answered that it was nice to
understand the research
process.
18

Assessment:
Satisfaction with the Workshop was High
• Satisfaction with the
workshop was high
• because this workshop helped
each student
• understand the course
process
• and become conscious of
his/her role in the team.
19

Assessment:
Effectiveness in Reducing Anxiety
• This workshop is effective in reducing the anxiety that students feel
about group work and the process of course.
• Sixty-two of the 76 students felt anxiety before the workshop.
• Fifty-seven (and 70 of the total of 76 respondents) answered that their
teams performed well.
20

Assessment:
Effectiveness in Reducing Anxiety
• This workshop is effective in reducing the anxiety that students feel
about group work and the process of course.
• In particular, 49 students reported anxiety about team building,
• and 31 reported anxiety before the workshop,
• but performed well thereafter. (as well as about presentation)
21

Assessment:
Encouragement to Participate
• This workshop encouraged each student to participate in group work.
• and 55 students answered that they had experience of solving problems
through group work.
22

Summary
• We apply workshop-based instruction to a tutorial
• on project-based research learning on environmental problems
• for approximately 280 first-year undergraduate students.
• Its instructional design is
1. to read the manuals and record activities and issues;
2. to categorize them according to the eight essential points of
project-based learning; and
3. to share the results with teams nearby.
• Assessment results show this workshop is effective for team project-based
research learning.
23

Question?
• This Slide will be published at SlideShare
　http://www.slideshare.net/zacky1972/"
• Please contact me:"
• by e-mail: zacky@kitakyu-u.ac.jp"
• by
(Please send me a message if you want to be my friend on Facebook!) "
• My blog:
ZACKY’s Software Education Laboratory http://zacky-sel.blogspot.jp
(Sorry, written in Japanese ... )
24
zacky1972

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