„Inovace výstupů, obsahu a metod bakalářských programů vysokých škol

neuniverzitního typu.“CZ.1.07/2.2.00/28.0115

A New Way of Organizing the Teaching and Its Influence on Students‘ Success

Johann Haag & Paul TavolatoUniversity of Applied Sciences St.Pölten

Department IT Security

AgendaAgenda• The Teaching Experiment and Why We Did It• How We Did It• Evaluation

– Students‘ Time Management– Students‘ Success

• Personal Experience

Who Are We?Who Are We?

Johann Haag

8 years professional experience

Prof. at FH St.Pölten

Head of degree programmes

BSc and MSC IT Security

Lecturing on Computer Networks

Paul Tavolato

Experience in industry and university

Prof. at FH St.Pölten

Lecturing on Software Engineering,

Malware Analysis, Database Systems

Theoretical Computer Science

BSc IT Security – the Study ProgrammeBSc IT Security – the Study Programme

Core areas of study– Computer networks– IT operations– Security technologies– Security management

„Integral view on IT security“

Why Did We Change Our Teaching?Why Did We Change Our Teaching? Dissatisfaction about the students‘ self-study abilities

Students study only for exams

Students study less than they intend to

The battle for the „ressource“ student Every lecturer tries to grab as much of the students‘ time as possible

The students study behaviour is mainly exam oriented

Planned/estimated workload does not match the real workload

Learning outcomes do not always meet the intentions

What Did We Change?What Did We Change?• Teaching is organized blockwise• Every lecture was assigned time calculated

from the ECTS points

• The time for a lecture was subdivided between actual lecturing and self-study

• Exams are at the end of each block

The ProjectThe Project

• In 2011/2012 we carried out a pilot project with the first and second semester

• This pilot project was evaluated scientifically by a team of pedagogics researchers from Hamburg University (R. Schulmeister, C. Metzger)

• Based on the positive results of the evaluation we have decided to change the teaching in both study courses (BSc and MSc) from this year on

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Accompanying MeasuresAccompanying Measures• Pedagogic workshops by external

experts for the lecturers• Tutoring by an advanced student for

students having troubles (missing lectures due to illness etc.)

• Measuring students‘ workload

Example:Example:

Introduction to Computer Networks and Distributed Systems (by J. Haag)

4 weekly hours of lecture, 5 ECTS

5 * 25 = 125 hours workload

3 consecutive weeks

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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Weekend

Self study

TheoryTheory

Individual exercise

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Weekend

Individual exerciseProtocol +

Analysis

Group

exercise

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Weekend

Exam

StudyStudy

Evaluation Evaluation WorkloadWorkload

MathMath Programming Programming 11

Networks & Networks & distrbuteddistrbutedsystemssystems

OperatiOperating ng

SystemSystemss

WindowWindowss

OperatinOperating g

Systems Systems UnixUnix

..

Law

Law

Law

Law

Christmas Holydays

MathMath Programming Programming 11

Networks & Networks & distrbuteddistrbutedsystemssystems

OperatinOperating g

SystemsSystemsWindo.Windo.

OperatinOperating g

Systems Systems UnixUnix

Law

Law

Law

Law

EvaluationEvaluationExam ResultsExam Results

Results – Mean ValueResults – Mean Value

Results - FailuresResults - Failures

Grades for Introduction to NetworksGrades for Introduction to Networks

Grades for MathematicsGrades for Mathematics

Grades for ProgrammingGrades for Programming

Lecturers‘ FeedbackLecturers‘ Feedback Over-motivated students

Very high commitment of the students Concentration on teaching improves my personal teaching

performance

Workload (for the teacher) is heavier than before

Students’ results are evidently better than before

Students‘ FeedbackStudents‘ Feedback• I never could go back to normal study organisation.

Blockwise teaching makes many things so much easier and the knowledge is really consolidated. I think I would not have passed this semester without failed exams otherwise.

• The workload in Operating Systems was enormous – but an awesome experience

• The best system I know. You can concentrate on one topic at a time and you really learn a lot. Thumbs up !

Do you want to continue this system?

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My Personal ExperienceMy Personal Experience I had experience from vocational trainings in companies. Exercise-oriented subjects such as Programming are easy

to transform to the new organization. More theory-based subjects need a complete didactic

restructuring. You have to be prepared for the whole course on the first

day (afterwards there is no more time for it). You have to change your time management (with regard to

work other than teaching, eg research.

??Questions??