Self-paced Response-adaptive Instructional Design for Non-face-to-face Learning and Teaching with Hands-on Components – Learning and Teaching Initiatives funded by the UGC

Abstract:

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, all courses regardless of their nature at the EdUHK are delivered online, and courses involving hands-on components such as science experiments, STEM activities, handcraft and coding face tremendous challenges. Contents in these courses have to be adjusted to comply with the online mode, and hands-on components may have to be postponed or even cancelled. These suggest that the non-face-to-face course delivery mode has significantly larger impact on students’ learning in courses with hands-on components compared to other courses.
In the proposed project, we will identify platforms and mechanism and establish a framework for non-face-to-face instructional design with hands-on components. Instead of showing the hands-on components sequentially, our proposed instruction design will react to learners’ responses with suitable videos or learning materials according to their learning pace or queries, constituting an independent and adaptive learning path for each individual learner. Professional development on this innovative instructional design will be provided for course instructors at the EdUHK, leading to positive impact on students learning hands-on components online. In addition to future non-face-to-face teaching period, our findings will also be relevant to the flipped-classroom approaches, self-directed online learning, and online offering of programmes, enhancing and diversifying learning and teaching.

Code:

T0237

Principal Project Supervisors:

Keywords provided by authors:

Start Date:

07 Sep 2020

End Date:

06 Sep 2022

Status:

Completed

Result:

In this project, we have attempted to achieve the goal of self-paced response-adaptive learning and teaching of hands-on components using four different approaches, which include (1) virtual reality (VR) laboratories where users can freely explore and go to different section of the lab and interact with the lab equipment using VR, (2) portable experimental sensors distributed to students together with videos filled with clear instructions, for students to conduct take-home advanced science experiment, (3) guiding videos on hands-on tasks which allow users to jump, side-track or backtrack to different sections of the video according to their progress and problems encountered, and (4) simulated science experiments where students can conduct scientific investigations through varying parameters and playing with labware in the simulation platforms. Two sets of questionnaires have been used for measuring students’ perception of the difficulties they encountered during online learning of hands-on components, as well as the effectiveness of the proposed approaches online hands-on lessons.

Impact:

The project has explored innovative new approaches to guide students through hands-on components online. As the development of COVID-19 remains uncertain despite the presence of vaccines, it is also uncertain regarding the full resumption of face-to-face lessons, since students are free to choose to study online in this period. As a result, it becomes more essential to have practical approaches to guide students through hands-on components including science experiments, STEM, coding and handcraft activities in online courses. The new approaches developed in the project which aim at self-paced response-adaptive online learning of hands-on components will set up pioneer frameworks to achieve the goal and solve problems faced by many instructors at EdUHK, other universities or even primary or secondary schools and thus has an extensive impact on online learning.

Deliverables:

Seminars/Presentations/Sharing Sessions

Lam, W. M. W. (2022, August 23). Using Adaptive Online Learning in Lego Mindstorms Workshop Seminar presentation at the online talk entitled “How to conduct online hand-on lesson. The Education University of Hong Kong. (Number of participants: 42) (https://www.eduhk.hk/ses/web/news_detail.php?id=304) (https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/using-adaptive-online-learning-in-lego-mindstorms-workshop)
Au, K. M. V. (2022, August 23). Learning Lab Safety with Virtual Reality (VR) Seminar presentation at the online talk entitled “How to conduct online hand-on lesson. The Education University of Hong Kong. (Number of participants: 42) (https://www.eduhk.hk/ses/web/news_detail.php?id=304) (https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/learning-lab-safety-with-virtual-reality-vr)
Chui, H. L. M. (2022, August 23). 3D modelling and 3D printing basics for STEAM projects. Seminar presentation at the online talk entitled “How to conduct online hand-on lesson. The Education University of Hong Kong. (Number of participants: 42) (https://www.eduhk.hk/virtualstem/view.php?m=54986&secid=54988) (https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/3d-modelling-and-3d-printing-basics-for-steam-projects)
Leung, C. F. (2022, August 23). Take-home Chemistry Experiments. Seminar presentation at the online talk entitled “How to conduct online hand-on lesson. The Education University of Hong Kong. (Number of participants: 42) (https://www.eduhk.hk/ses/web/news_detail.php?id=304) (https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/take-home-chemistry-experiments)
Yeung, C. H. B. (2022, August 23). Using simulations for students' online science experiments. Seminar presentation at the online talk entitled “How to conduct online hand-on lesson. The Education University of Hong Kong. (Number of participants: 42) (https://www.eduhk.hk/virtualstem/view.php?m=54986&secid=54988) (https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/using-simulations-for-students-online-science-experiments)
Yeung, C. H. B. (2022, August 23). How to create my own simulated science experiment. Workshop presentation at the online talk entitled “How to conduct online hand-on lesson. The Education University of Hong Kong. (Number of participants: 42) (https://www.eduhk.hk/ses/web/news_detail.php?id=304) (https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/how-to-create-my-own-simulated-science-experiments)
Chan, H. Y. V. (2022, August 23). Using CoSpaces for virtual learning tour and virtual environment construction. Workshop presentation at the online talk entitled “How to conduct online hand-on lesson?”. The Education University of Hong Kong. (Number of participants: 42) (https://www.eduhk.hk/ses/web/news_detail.php?id=304) (https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/using-cospaces-for-virtual-learning-tour-and-virtual-environment-)

Teaching and Learning Resources/ Materials (including online resources)

Response-adaptive instructional teaching packages with hands-on components (https://www.eduhk.hk/virtualstem/view.php?secid=54987&u=u)

Three modules on science experiments in virtual reality laboratories using CoSpaces
Two modules on science experiments with “Go Direct” portable experimental sensors distributed to students accompanied by description videos developed
One module with STEM and coding activities
Five modules of simulated science experiments (https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/response-adaptive-instructional-teaching-packages-with-hands-on-c)

Project website Self-paced Response-adaptive Instructional Design for Non-face-to-face Learning and Teaching with Hands-on Components (2022). (https://www.eduhk.hk/virtualstem/) (https://repository.eduhk.hk/en/publications/project-website-self-paced-response-adaptive-instructional-design)

Financial Year:

2020-21

Type:

TDG