Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference
Teaching, Learning, & Technology
The Connected Classroom
April 7-9, 2002
Using Student-Centered Instruction and Technology to Improve Student Outcomes
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By: Jim Formosa |
Abstract
This presentation details and demonstrates techniques that have been developed over a seven year period that have resulted in a significant improvement in grade distributions in the first two accounting courses. The courses have been transformed from an instructor-centric to a student-centered format. Grades have improved steadily over this period of time with failure rates averaging less than 10% from term-to-term. In this presentation, the online materials as well as classroom lecture materials will be demonstrated.
Description
This presentation describes an evolutionary process that has occurred over the past seven years in my principles of accounting courses. It will be supplemented with handouts, a PowerPoint presentation, and a demonstration of Web sites that are used to support and supplement traditional classroom instruction. The PowerPoint presentation will itself be used to demonstrate techniques that are used in the classroom in that participants will be given incomplete handouts and they will see how it is desirable to limit the amount of note taking.
The power of using current practices in cognitive psychology will be discussed. In addition, I will discuss findings from limited research into what seems to work for individual students including regular progress checks and solved problems. The necessity for teaching students how to think like professionals in their individual disciples will also be detailed.
The actual support sites that are available to students will be demonstrated. I will discuss the tools used to develop the sites briefly so that persons who come to the presentation are not overwhelmed with the prospects of developing similar sites.
The style of presentation can best be described as interactive with questions and comments being encouraged throughout the presentation.
I would hope that persons who attend this presentation would go away with an understanding of exactly what student-centered instruction is and how it can be used to improve student performance.
I will provide several handouts including the PowerPoint presentation as well as other resources. There are a couple of handouts that deal with student learning that I have used at other presentations that have met with general approval.