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Just-in-Time Teaching

(Usage hints for this presentation)

Computer Structures and Operating Systems 2023
Dr. Jens Lechtenbörger (License Information)

1. Usage hints

2. Motivation

2.1. Initial Problem and Improvement

  • 2016: Classroom response system revealed lack of student understanding
    • Yet, no in-class discussions, leaving me frustrated
      • Waste of our time
  • After introduction of JiTT: Situation improved

Improved Java MX understanding

2.2. General Improvements

Improved understanding compared with traditional lecturing

3. Just-In-Time Teaching (JiTT)

3.1. Overview

  • Teaching and learning strategy based on web-based study assignments (self-learning) and active learner classroom
  • JiTT is an instance of active learning, which leads to improved learning in general [FEM+14]

3.2. Feedback Cycles with JiTT

Feedback cycles with JiTT

Feedback cycles with JiTT” by Jens Lechtenbörger under CC BY-SA 4.0; from GitLab. Includes icons by The Noun Project under CC BY 3.0 US: Meeting by Ainsley Wagoner; knowledge sharing, professor, student, audio lesson, online task, online communication by ProSymbols.

3.3. Benefits

  • Feedback loop: Your out-of-class preparations are visible to me, allow me to offer feedback
  • More structure for out-of-class learning
    • Content and questions, to be tackled at individual learning pace
  • More efficient interaction
    • Identification and correction of misconceptions/misunder-standings/incorrect prior beliefs
    • Valuable shared time is not used for one-way lecturing but for student-student and student-instructor interactions
      • Traditionally, you figure out what’s complicated when you are on your own
      • Now, we discuss once you found out what’s complicated

4. JiTT Organization

4.1. JiTT Assignments

  • Upcoming presentations will contain assignments to be submitted by you via Learnweb
    • Exercises
      • Usual deadlines on Thursdays as in CS part
    • But also voluntary assignments with earlier deadlines
      • Tuesdays at 8am
      • Thursdays at 10am
      • Giving me some time to check solutions ahead of scheduled meetings
      • Voluntary assignments serve as formative assessment; points without impact on grading
      • Voluntary assignments include one task to solicit questions/comments
        • Next slide

4.2. How to obtain Feedback?

  • Each JiTT assignment ends with this task:
    • This slide serves as reminder that I am happy to obtain and provide feedback for course topics and organization. If contents of presentations are confusing, you could describe your current understanding (which might allow us to identify misunderstandings), ask questions that allow us to help you, or suggest improvements (maybe on GitLab). Please use the session’s shared document or MoodleOverflow. Most questions turn out to be of general interest; please do not hesitate to ask and answer where others can benefit. If you created additional original content that might help others (e.g., a new exercise, an experiment, explanations concerning relationships with different courses, …), please share.

4.3. Asking for Help

  • Some students struggle on their own for hours, getting frustrated

    • Asking on so-called social networks where I am not around
      • Why do they do that? Seems inefficient to me.
    • Asking search engines
    • Consulting YouTube (sometimes with faulty explanations)
  • I suggest to ask (and answer) earlier and elsewhere

    • A collaboratively edited document, URL in Learnweb

4.4. Sample Student Feedback

4.4.1. Negative Feedback and my Responses

  • “JiTT destroys our freedom!”
    • Two meetings per week are given, define rhythm
      • You may adopt that rhythm, benefit from my help
      • Or explore alone at your own pace
  • “JiTT tasks are too difficult/open!”
    • CSOS is worth 9CP, almost a third of term’s workload
    • I do not just want you to remember my steps
      • I hope to instruct for independent movement in unfamiliar terrain
      • With challenging (I hope) hurdles and individual feedback
        • Missteps are part of learning
        • I’m here to help
        • If you ask early, you may receive help before deadlines are due

4.4.2. Positive Feedback

  • “JiTT is/was a very good idea and was very helpful to understand the course’s content”
  • “The JiTT-Assignment in combination with the lecture helped to understand the topics a lot!”
  • “Please continue with this type of lecture!”

Bibliography

License Information

This document is part of an Open Educational Resource (OER) course on Operating Systems. Source code and source files are available on GitLab under free licenses.

Except where otherwise noted, the work “Just-in-Time Teaching”, © 2017-2021 Jens Lechtenbörger, is published under the Creative Commons license CC BY-SA 4.0.

No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use.

In particular, trademark rights are not licensed under this license. Thus, rights concerning third party logos (e.g., on the title slide) and other (trade-) marks (e.g., “Creative Commons” itself) remain with their respective holders.