Mid-week questions and issues

After the first days of working on new concepts and a new problem, each student should submit topics they want to learn more about. These could be interesting topics or difficult topics, within or outside the core of the course. This feedback is then used to plan the next session and to organize a lecture-on-demand. Submit your favorite topics in Moodle by Wed 3 pm.

Debriefing

At the end of each problem, studies and results will be reported and discussed before the case is closed. The forms vary from problem to problem, but they always include a brief group report and a personal learning journal (see below). In addition, the work may be presented with slides, as a poster or as a demo, between groups or to the whole class. This may include peer evaluation.

If desired, a small test can also be organized so students can evaluate how learning objectives were reached, and also as a way of learning missing pieces. These tests would not be graded. Students evaluate them themselves and work out issues in groups.

Group report

Group work for the problems may be reported and presented in various forms (presentations, posters, etc) during the course, depending on the problem. For every problem, each group also submits a brief written report in Moodle. Where appropriate, the group report should cover aspects such as:

0. Identification of group and problem

1. Substance

• How did you formulate the problem? (What kind of choices did you make and why?)
• How did you try to solve it? (What kind of choices did you make and why?)
• What kind of results did you get?
• What kind of difficulties did you face?
• How do you now think the problem could be approached and what kind of open issues would still remain?

Remember that many of the problems are open and no perfect or right solutions exist, so do not try to find one. Instead, try to understand and describe what the methods you consider can do and what not. Propose ideas that could perhaps be helpful in solving the remaining issues.

2. Group learning:

• What did you set as your learning objectives for this problem?
• How did you study and learn as a group?
• How did you divide and organize work in the group?

3. Group self evaluation:

• Did the group work well together? Why?
• Did all group members contribute at least satisfactorily?
• How will you improve the way your group works?

4. Evaluation of the problem and teaching:

• Was the problem too large or too small? Was it too difficult or too easy? Too specific or too vague?
• Did you have, as a group, suitable background to work on the problem?
• How could the problem description be improved (for the next course of later problems in this course)?
• How could teaching be improved?

5. Other comments, ideas, observations, feedback?

Personal learning journal

A personal learning journal is submitted after each problem has been closed. The journal is submitted as a file in Moodle.

In you journal, briefly report on issues such as:

• What were your personal learning objectives and how did you set them?
• How and what did you study? List the material you used.
• What did you learn and how does that compare to the objectives you had?
• Describe your personal experience, e.g., what was exciting, surprising, or boring to you, how do the things your learned here relate to what you knew before, what kind of questions and ideas your learning raised.
• Which study techniques worked best? What could you do differently next time to improve your learning?

Avoid repeating course material, focus on your personal learning experience and the insight you gained.

For more advice on how to keep a learning journal see, e.g., http://www.audiencedialogue.net/journal.html .