Paper Presentations

Workload and Wellbeing: Striking a Delicate Balance for Academic Success in Blended Learning

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Jodie LUU*, Brenda YUEN Pui Lam, Marissa E Kwan Lin, and Misty So-Sum WAI-COOK 

Centre for English Language Communication (CELC), NUS 

*jodieluu@nus.edu.sg 

Luu, T. H. L., Yuen, B. P. L., E, M. K. L., & Wai-Cook, M. S. S. (2024). Workload and wellbeing: Striking a delicate balance for academic success in blended learning [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-jluu-et-al/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Wellbeing

KEYWORDS

perceived workload, blended learning pedagogy, student wellbeing, academic support 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation 

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

Student wellbeing has always been a key consideration of teaching and learning. As a multi-dimensional construct, student wellbeing can be understood as “subjective, emotional and cognitive evaluations of school reality” that is “in favour of positive aspects” (Harsche, 2003, p. 129) of such reality. Growing empirical research has highlighted psychological and emotional distress, depression, and an increased risk of burnout as common wellbeing issues faced by university students (Backhaus et al., 2020; Baik et al., 2019; Larcombe et al., 2016). In Singapore, a mental health survey with undergraduates from five autonomous universities also found that work/study commitments were the top source of stress (89%) (Lim, 2022). Such findings point to workload as a potential factor worth examining given its integral role in curriculum design.  

 

Furthermore, the adoption of blended learning pedagogy to promote active learning in higher education presents students with a different teaching and learning environment that requires more adaptation by students. In theory, a well-calibrated flow between in-person and online activities is desirable to manage the workload for both students and faculty (McGee & Reis, 2012). In practice, while some students may enjoy the flexibility to engage with online learning materials at their own pace (Phillips et al., 2016), others may perceive an increased workload resulting from the lack of work-life balance, amount of assignments, and connectivity/technical issues with devices (Hilliger et al., 2023). This mixed perception of workload in relation to blended learning pedagogy raises a noteworthy question of how to strike a delicate balance between ensuring the academic rigor of the curriculum and offering appropriate academic support without jeopardising student learning. 

 

According to Kyndt et al. (2013), workload has both objective and subjective (or perceived) dimensions. While the former is usually set based on the expected number of hours spent on various course components, the latter is more complex. Defined as “a combination of the demands placed upon the student, and the effect of these demands on the student, such as effort and frustration” (Kyndt et al., 2013, p. 685), perceived workload consists of both quantitative elements such as time and amount of work and qualitative elements such as the nature of assessment, teaching and learning environment, and learners’ personal characteristics. The interplays of these elements may influence how students view their academic workload, which in turn affect their wellbeing. 

 

In this light, this study aims to examine students’ perception of the workload in various blended learning courses offered by the Centre for English Language Communication (CELC) at NUS. A survey questionnaire was administered with students taking 12 CELC courses in Semester 1 of AY2023/24. The quantitative analysis of the six 4-point Likert scale statements (1=Should be implemented but missing to 4=Excellent implementation) related to workload showed a mean score of 3.26 (S.D.=0.66) among 299 students. This suggests that most respondents showed positive perception of workload as the blended course courses demonstrated an appropriate balance of online and in-class learning activities. Furthermore, preliminary sentiment analysis of responses to the open-ended question on students’ attitude about blended learning shows positive sentiment associated with themes such as learning, experience, environment, and practice. These themes echo the teaching and learning environment dimensions of Kyndt et al.’s (2013) conception of perceived workload. Combining these results with insights from follow-up interviews with students who shared about strategies to navigate their study commitments, we argue that a more holistic view of workload that encompasses both quantitative and qualitative perceived dimensions should be adopted in blended learning curriculum design. In so doing, educators would be able to implement appropriate academic support that strikes a delicate balance between academic success and mental wellbeing.

REFERENCES

Backhaus, I., Varela, A. R., Khoo, S., Siefken, K., Crozier, A., Begotaraj, E., Fischer, F., Wiehn, J., Lanning, B., Lin, P., Jan, S., Zaranza Monteiro, L., Al-Shamli, A., La Torre, G., & Kawachi, I. (2020). Associations between social capital and depressive symptoms among college students in 12 countries: Results of a cross-national study. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 644. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00644  

Baik, C., Larcombe, W., & Brooker, A. (2019). How universities can enhance student mental wellbeing: The student perspective. Higher Education Research & Development, 38(4), 674–687. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1576596 

Hascher, T. (2003). Well-being in school—why students need social support. In P. Mayring & C. von Rho ¨neck (Eds.), Learning emotions—the influence of affective factors on classroom learning (pp. 127–142). Bern u.a Lang. 

Hilliger, I., Astudillo, G., & Baier, J. (2023). Lacking time: A case study of student and faculty perceptions of academic workload in the COVID‐19 pandemic. Journal of Engineering Education, 112(3), 796–815. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20525 

Kyndt, E., Berghmans, I., Dochy, F., & Bulckens, L. (2013). ‘Time is not enough.’ Workload in higher education: a student perspective. Higher Education Research and Development, 33(4), 684–698. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2013.863839   

Larcombe, W., Finch, S., Sore, R., Murray, C. M., Kentish, S., Mulder, R. A., Williams, D. (2016). Prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of psychological distress among students at an Australian university. Studies in Higher Education, 41, 1074–1091. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2014.966072

Lim, K. (2022, June 21). Large-scale survey of Singapore undergrads finds work and study commitments as main stressors, desire for academic “grace days.” TODAY. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/survey-singapore-undergrads-work-study-stress-academic-grace-days-1929776  

McGee, P., & Reis, A. (2012). Blended course design: A synthesis of best practices. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 16(4), 7–22. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v16i4.239 

Phillips, J. A., Schumacher, C., & Arif, S. (2016). Time spent, workload, and student and faculty perceptions in a blended learning environment. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 80(6), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe806102  ​ 

Enhancing Interdisciplinary Learning: The Impact Of Jigsaw-based Pedagogy In Integrative Health Education

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Amanda Huee-Ping WONG*, Swapna Haresh Teckwani, and Ivan Cherh Chiet LOW* 

Department of Physiology
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSOM), NUS  

*phswhpa@nus.edu.sg; phsilcc@nus.edu.sg 

Wong, A., Teckwani, S. H., & Low, I. C. C. (2024). Enhancing interdisciplinary learning: The impact of Jigsaw-based pedagogy in integrative health education [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-ahpwong-et-al/

SUB-THEME

Others 

KEYWORDS

Interdisciplinary learning, jigsaw method, collaborative learning, soft skills, integrative health. 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation 

INTRODUCTION

Addressing the multifaceted challenges in the modern workforce, including silo-thinking and integrating diverse disciplines (Smye & Frangi, 2021), requires educational strategies that emphasise interdisciplinary learning. A prime opportunity to implement innovative approaches is the course MIH1101 “What Impacts Health?”, part of the new Minor in Integrative Health Programme. This programme provides students from diverse backgrounds a foundation in integrating discipline-specific expertise to address various health-related challenges. The course employs a webbed curriculum framework with multidisciplinary, health-centric lectures and small-group tutorials that immerse students in real-world cases. This approach fosters a collaborative and conducive environment for open discussions to evaluate health determinants and conceptualise solutions. Effective group learning must navigate the complexities of collaboration and conflict management while fostering a balance of sharing and co-construction to integrate diverse perspectives (Decuyper et al., 2010). Therefore, the jigsaw method, known for fostering responsibility, collaboration, and teamwork skills (Shaaban, 2006), was introduced alongside conventional tutorials in this study. We compared the effectiveness of the jigsaw method with conventional tutorials in promoting interdisciplinary learning and collaboration, aiming to enhance understanding of complex health issues and to prepare them for contemporary healthcare challenges.  

METHODS

This study employed a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the effectiveness of the jigsaw compared to conventional tutorials in enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration and learning. In the jigsaw-based tutorial, students were initially grouped by discipline for the first task, then reshuffled into interdisciplinary groups for the second task. Conventional tutorials involved groups of similar-disciplined students for both tasks. Data was collected from a survey adapted from the Interdisciplinary Understanding Questionnaire (IUQ) (Schijf et al., 2023), assignment scoring based on the rubric developed according to the Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) Taxonomy (Biggs & Collis, 2014), and semi-structured interviews developed from the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (McFadyen et al., 2007). 

RESULTS

Quantitative analysis of questionnaire responses (n=16) revealed an improvement in students’ perceived achievement of learning outcomes for the jigsaw tutorial (4.06±0.86) compared to the conventional tutorial (4.02±0.86, p=0.018), with knowledge of interdisciplinarity significantly enhanced (p=0.003). The jigsaw tutorial also demonstrated slight improvements in the multidisciplinary (Figure 1) and interdisciplinary (Figure 2) learning domains, albeit not statistically significant, and was comparable in transdisciplinary learning (n=17-18).  

Figure 1. Distribution curve comparing student assignment scores from conventional and jigsaw tutorials for the multidisciplinary learning domain.

 

Figure 2. Distribution curve comparing student assignment scores from conventional and jigsaw tutorials for the interdisciplinary learning domain.

 

The most frequent theme identified from the semi-structured interviews (n=10) with regards to strengths of the jigsaw tutorial was enhanced soft skills. This comprised the sub-themes of ‘confidence’, ‘communication’, ‘conflict management’ and ‘collaboration’. This was closely followed by hones analytical thinking skills, which comprised the sub-themes of ‘creativity’, ‘critical thinking’ and ‘problem-solving’. For themes related to negative experiences, the most frequent emerging theme for jigsaw was ‘lacking depth in content’ and ‘experienced discomfort during collaboration’, while for the conventional tutorial, it was ‘restrictive in creating new ideas’ (Figure 3). 

Figure 3. Themes identified from the semi-structured interviews on the positive (black text) and negative (red text) experiences for the jigsaw and conventional tutorials respectively.

CONCLUSION

The jigsaw method demonstrated improvements in students’ perceived achievement of learning outcomes, particularly in interdisciplinarity, compared to conventional learning models. Thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews highlighted that the jigsaw method enhanced soft skills such as confidence, communication, conflict management, and collaboration. Despite some negative feedback regarding content depth and discomfort during collaboration, the overall positive impact underscores the potential of the jigsaw method as a valuable pedagogical tool, preparing students to navigate the complexities of their future collaborative endeavours. 

REFERENCES

Biggs, J. B., & Collis, K. F. (2014). Evaluating the quality of learning: The SOLO taxonomy (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome). Academic Press.  

Decuyper, S., Dochy, F., & Van den Bossche, P. (2010). Grasping the dynamic complexity of team learning: An integrative model for effective team learning in organisations. Educational Research Review, 5(2), 111-133. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2010.02.002  

McFadyen, A. K., Maclaren, W. M., & Webster, V. S. (2007). The interdisciplinary education perception scale (IEPS): an alternative remodelled sub-scale structure and its reliability. J Interprof Care, 21(4), 433-443. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820701352531  

Schijf, J. E., van der Werf, G. P. C., & Jansen, E. P. W. A. (2023). Measuring interdisciplinary understanding in higher education. European Journal of Higher Education, 13(4), 429-447. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2022.2058045  

Shaaban, K. (2006). An initial study of the effects of cooperative learning on reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and motivation to read. Reading Psychology, 27(5), 377-403. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702710600846613  

Smye, S. W., & Frangi, A. F. (2021). Interdisciplinary research: shaping the healthcare of the future. Future Healthcare Journal, 8(2), e218-e223. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.7861/fhj.2021-0025  

 

Architectural Site-specificity Through Programmatic Sculpture: A Design Studio Pedagogy Based On Pure Geometric Forms

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François BLANCIAK 

Department of Architecture (DOA)
College of Design and Engineering (CDE), NUS 

f.blanciak@nus.edu.sg 

Blanciak, F. (2024). Architectural site-specificity through programmatic sculpture: A design studio pedagogy based on pure geometric forms [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-fblanciak/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Engaging Communities 

KEYWORDS

Architecture, Urban Design, Site-specificity, Geometry, Community 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation 

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

Large-scale architectural interventions are often perceived as intrusive and uncontextualised by the communities in which such projects are built. Residents often complain that such large buildings lack site-specificity, miss human scale, and fail to relate to their respective urban contexts. Indeed, such projects often obstruct views, block existing thoroughfares, and supplant green spaces, which often threatens the life of existing communities. 

 

How to better relate large architectural projects to their surroundings is the topic of a design studio called “Programmatic Sculpture,” taught at the Department of Architecture (DOA) of NUS over the last three years. This design studio proposes a novel approach to the contextualisation of large-scale architectural projects by predetermining the form of the building from the outset, using a simple—or “pure”—geometric form (such as a cube, a sphere, or a tetrahedron) with fixed dimensions on a given site as a basis for design investigations across the semester.

 

During the Academic Year 2022/23, for example, the students dealt with a tetrahedron of 130x130x130m located in Bukit Batok. Following the urban analysis of the site and its greater surroundings, students are asked to define their own building programme in response to the demands of the community. The design exercise then consists of adapting this prescribed, constraining form to its given site and chosen programme, in a process that can be referred to as an act of programmatic sculpture, involving the erosion of the initial form with the projected programme, and using the malleability of the void to adapt this initial form to the specific demands of the site. 

 

Despite the imposition of a strict constraint, this design exercise leaves students with a high degree of flexibility in the interpretation of the given form, turning the project into a tool to foster social responsibility in them. In accordance with their chosen programme, this initial basic form can be fragmented, distorted, rotated, or affected by any other transformative operation deemed meaningful for the community surrounding the project. 

 

Constraint has recently been viewed as a trigger for creativity in design pedagogy, a theory which appears to be confirmed by this design exercise. Reviewing students’ projects as well as established scholarship on the topic, this paper proposes a quantitative approach to the evaluation of architectural site-specificity, describing the particular criteria taken into account in assessing the students’ projects. It also demonstrates the benefits of this pedagogy for the surrounding communities by comparing the results of this design exercise with more conventional design studios. In conclusion, the paper elaborates on the value of constraint in architectural education, discussing how the simplicity of the given form has incited students to think critically about the spatial demands of the programmes they chose to deal with. It argues that it is precisely because of the simplicity of the given form that it constitutes a potent tool for students to understand how building form can be “sculpted” by the demands of communities, something conventional architectural design studios achieve with much less explicit results. 

 

The Efficacy of Instructional Practice and Support on Student Engagement and Wellbeing in Blended Learning

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LEE Ming Cherk*, Netty Haiffaq Binte Zaini MATTAR, CAO Feng, and Norhayati Ismail

Centre for English Language and Communication (CELC), NUS

*elclmc@nus.edu.sg 

Cao, F., Lee, M. C., Netty Haiffaq Zaini Mattar, & Norhayati Ismail (2024). The efficacy of instructional practice and support on student engagement and wellbeing in blended learning [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-caof-et-al/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Wellbeing 

KEYWORDS

Instructional practice, support, student engagement, well-being 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation

 

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

The blended learning approach, which combines both online and face-to-face teaching and resources (Albiladi & Alshareef, 2019), has become a “new normal” in higher education (Luo et al., 2017; Porter et al., 2016). It necessitates that students switch between synchronous and asynchronous modes of learning, and between multiple e-learning and communication platforms. Such changes have felt sudden and imposed (Finlay et al., 2022), and is further complicated by differences in online accessibility (Bayyat et al., 2021). Navigating through these various modes and platforms, even as they continue to shift and fluctuate over the years, has been demanding for students. This has caused increased distress and anxiety in students (Hagedorn et al., 2022) such that scholars have now turned their attention to the wellbeing of students in blended learning environments (Huang, 2023; Mendoza & Venables, 2023).  

 

Wellbeing is defined as a positive state of mental health. Wellbeing also indicates feelings of competence, agency, self-motivation, positive relationships, and personal growth (Baik, et al, 2017, p. 3). Scholars have suggested that student engagement in learning has an impact on student well-being which in turn has a strong bearing on academic achievement (Baik, et al, 2017; Houghton & Anderson, 2017; Alvarado et al., 2019; Ward-Griffin et al., 2018). In higher education, engagement is linked to students’ involvement with academically meaningful activities (Kuh, 2001).  

 

Working on the notion that student engagement is indicative of well-being, this study examines the engagement levels of undergraduates at the National University of Singapore in a range of blended-learning courses offered by the Centre for English Language Communication (CELC), NUS. The purpose was to measure students’ sense of engagement vis-a-vis the instructional practices and support (e.g., issuing reminders, clarifying instructions, and answering questions) given to promote engagement and student well-being and to identify aspects of learning where students felt least engaged.   

 

The three main research questions were: 

  1. To what extent were the students well engaged in learning?
  2. How did the students’ engagement correlate with the instructional practice and support given? 
  3. What actions can be taken to improve student engagement and, ultimately, their well-being? 

 

Based on the Community of Inquiry framework (Garrison et al., 2000), a questionnaire survey was devised with the assumption that student engagement is an indicator of student well-being. The effects of the instructional structure and practices delivered through blended learning were tested on behavioural, cognitive, and emotional engagement (Fredericks et. al., 2016). Statistical analyses were subsequently performed to compare the data and identify correlations among the variables. The findings were then corroborated by interviews with students.  

 

The results demonstrate highly positive perceptions towards teacher support, student participation, collaboration, and students’ sense of belonging.  Moreover, the analysis of students’ responses shows either moderate or strong correlations between students’ engagement levels and instructional practices and support. 

 

Understanding how various instructional practices and support provided for blended learning environments in CELC courses can help to inform the improvement of blended learning courses, such that student mental well-being is enhanced. 

 

REFERENCES

Albiladi, W. S., & Alshareef, K. K. (2019). Blended Learning in English Teaching and Learning:  A Review of the Current Literature. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 10(2), 232. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1002.03 

Baik, C.; Larcombe, W., Brooker, A., Wyn, J., Allen, L., Brett, M., Field, R., & James, R (2017).  Enhancing student mental wellbeing. A Handbook for Academic Educators., 26(8), 879-896. 

Bayyat, M., Muaılı, Z. H. A., & Aldabbas, L. (2021). Online component challenges of a blended learning experience: A comprehensive approach. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 22(4), 277-294. http://dx.doi.org/10.17718/tojde.1002881

Finlay, M. J., Tinnion, D. J., & Simpson, T. (2022). A virtual versus blended learning approach to  higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic: The experiences of a sport and exercise science student cohort. Journal of hospitality, leisure, sport & tourism education, 30, 100363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2021.100363

Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School Engagement: Potential of the  Concept, State of the Evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59-109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059 

Fredricks, J. A., Filsecker, M., & Lawson, M. A. (2016). Student engagement, context, and  adjustment: Addressing definitional, measurement, and methodological issues. Learning and Instruction, 43, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.02.002 

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment:  Computer conferencing in higher education model. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2-3), 87-105. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-7516(00)00016-6

Hagedorn, R. L., Wattick, R. A., & Olfert, M. D. (2022). “My entire world stopped”: College students’ psychosocial and academic frustrations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 17(2), 1069-1090. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11482-021-09948-0

Houghton, A-M. & Anderson, J. (2017) Embedding mental wellbeing in the curriculum:  maximising success in higher education. Higher Education Academy. 

Huang, J. C. (2023). Implementation effect of integrating cooperative inquiry into blended learning: analysis of students’ goal setting, task value, and well-being. Interactive Learning Environments, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2023.2205896

Kuh, G. D. (2001). Assessing what really matters to student learning: Inside the National Survey of Student Engagement. Change, 33(3), 10-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091380109601795

Liem, G. A. D., & Chong, W. H. (2017). Fostering student engagement in schools: International best practices. School Psychology International, 38(2), 121-130. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0143034317702947 

Luo, L., Cheng, X., Wang, S., Zhang, J., Zhu, W., Yang, J., & Liu, P. (2017). Blended learning with Moodle in medical statistics: An assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to e-learning. BMC Medical Education, 17(1), 170. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-017-1009-x 

Mendoza, A., & Venables, A. (2023). Attributes of blended learning environments designed to foster a sense of belonging for higher education students. Journal of Information Technology Education. Research, 22, 129. http://dx.doi.org/10.28945/5082 

National Survey of Student Engagement (2023). Engagement indicators and high-impact practices. https://nsse.indiana.edu/nsse/survey-instruments/engagement-indicators.html 

Porter, W. W., Graham, C. R., Bodily, R. G., & Sandberg, D. S. (2016). A qualitative analysis of institutional drivers and barriers to blended learning adoption in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 28, 17–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2015.08.003 

“Is This How You Feel?” Role Playing For Social Work Students Using Gen-AI: Bridging Technology And Pedagogy

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Gerard CHUNG Siew Keong1,*, Jonathan Y. H. SIM2,*, Bryan ONG1, and NEO Jie Xiang3 

1Department of Social Work, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), NUS 
2AI Centre for Educational Technologies (AICET) and Department of Philosophy, FASS, NUS
3School of Computing, NUS 

*gerard@nus.edu.sg; 2jyhsim@nus.edu.sg

Chung, G. S. K., & Sim, J. Y. H. (2024). "Is this how you feel?”: Role playing for social work students using GenAI: Bridging technology and pedagogy [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-gcskeong-jyhsim-et-al/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Generative AI

KEYWORDS

LLM, role-playing, social work, counselling, experiential learning

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation

 

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

Role-playing is a vital active learning method in social work education, crucial for developing students’ communication and engagement skills (Fulton et al., 2019). It involves participants simulating real-life scenarios to practice managing situations they might encounter in their professional lives. While evidence supports its effectiveness in skill development (Skoura-Kirk et al., 2021), role-playing in educational settings faces several challenges: Time constraints in classrooms often limit opportunities for extensive practice. First-time participants may feel anxious about peer assessment, impacting their engagement (Gómez-Poyato et al., 2020). Moreover, the pedagogical effectiveness can be compromised if the role-playing lacks authenticity or proper debriefing (Lazar, 2014). 

 

To address these issues, our project is developing a Role-Playing Tool (RPT) using Generative AI (GenAI) to simulate service user interactions with social workers (role played by students). This tool— the first of its kind in social work training in Singapore—offers students the opportunity to engage in various realistic scenarios relevant to the local social work context. The RPT allows for practice at the student’s convenience, focuses on specific skills for improvement, and provides instant feedback. The RPT’s level of control and accessibility enhances learning by enabling deliberate practice, a key factor in skill acquisition and confidence building. Students can use the feedback from the RPT to enrich classroom discussions with instructors and peers, fostering a collaborative learning environment. By leveraging GenAI technology, the tool aims to overcome the limitations of traditional role-playing methods while maintaining the benefits of experiential learning in social work education. 

 

However, we also face the challenge of developing the pedagogical content and approach of the tool. For instance, how can we make the GenAI-powered role-playing realistic to typical scenarios faced by social workers? What characteristics of the service users’ profile should the GenAI display when it “role-plays” as a service user? How can the tool be appropriately used in existing courses that teach practice skills to social work undergraduate students? 

 

To address these crucial questions, our study employed two primary methods of investigation. First, we conducted surveys with social work students and instructors to understand how they envision using the tool in their training and courses. This approach provided us valuable user-centric and user-generated insights into making the GenAI role-play profiles more realistic and relevant to actual social work practice scenarios. Second, we conducted a comprehensive review of existing studies from social work literature on the use of role-playing in university education. This review was crucial in informing the design of our pedagogy, allowing us to build upon proven conventional methods and adapt them for the AI-powered context. 

 

Our key findings from these investigations were twofold. The interviews with students and instructors gave us practical insights for enhancing the realism of the GenAI tool’s profiles and scenarios. For instance, students requested that service users role-played by GenAI could show more variations in emotional moods and linguistic styles. Our user interviews also highlighted the importance of integrating existing clinical frameworks familiar to current social work practice. Additionally, our literature review uncovered time-proven guidelines from current social work education practices that can be effectively adapted for our GenAI-based Role-Playing Tool. 

 

The significance of this study lies in its comprehensive approach to technological integration in social work education. While developing the GenAI-powered Role-Playing Tool is an important first step, we recognise that crafting an appropriate pedagogy is equally crucial and challenging. Our research emphasises the need for a thoughtful, evidence-based approach to integrating this technology into existing curricula, ensuring it complements and enhances traditional teaching methods rather than replacing them.

 

REFERENCES

Fulton, A. E., Dimitropoulos, G., Ayala, J., McLaughlin, A. M., Baynton, M., Blaug, C., Collins, T., Elliott, G., Judge-Stasiak, A., Letkemann, L., & Ragan, E. (2019). Role-Playing: A Strategy for Practicum Preparation for Foundation Year MSW Students. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 39(2), 163–180. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2019.1576573 

Gómez-Poyato, M. J., Aguilar-Latorre, A., Martínez-Pecharromán, M. M., Magallón-Botaya, R., & Oliván-Blázquez, B. (2020). Flipped classroom and role-playing as active learning methods in the social work degree: Randomized experimental study. Social Work Education, 39(7), 879–892. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2019.1693532 

Lazar, A. (2014). Setting the Stage: Role-Playing in the Group Work Classroom. Social Work with Groups, 37(3), 230–242. https://doi.org/10.1080/01609513.2013.862894 

Skoura-Kirk, E., Brown, S., & Mikelyte, R. (2021). Playing its part: An evaluation of professional skill development through service user-led role-plays for social work students. Social Work Education, 40(8), 977–993. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2020.1764521

Enhancing Educational Outcomes in Quality and Productivity Management Through ChatGPT Integration

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Alexander LIN*, Anqi SHI, and Stephen En Rong TAY 

Department of the Built Environment, College of Design and Engineering (CDE), NUS

*bdgal@nus.edu.sg 

Lin, A., Shi, A., & Tay, S. E. R. (2024). Enhancing educational outcomes in quality and productivity management through ChatGPT integration [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-alin-et-al/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Generative AI

KEYWORDS

Artificial Intelligence, Educational Technology, Interactive Learning, Management Education, Student Engagement 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation

 

INTRODUCTION 

This study examines the impact of integrating Generative AI tools, specifically ChatGPT, into the course PF2203 “Quality and Productivity Management (QPM)”. It focuses on fostering Collaborative Constructivism and Authentic Application of QPM concepts. Collaborative Constructivism enhances understanding and retention (Brooks & Brooks, 1999; Piaget, 2013), while Authentic Application translates theoretical knowledge into practical scenarios (Rahmawati et al., 2021; Weeks et al., 2019). These methodologies significantly boost critical thinking, as evidenced by studies like Sandu et al. (2024) and Rahman and Watanobe (2023), which suggest that student interactions with ChatGPT promote such outcomes. By integrating ChatGPT, the study anticipates improved student engagement and critical thinking in practical QPM applications. The research questions are:   

  1. Does ChatGPT integration enhance learning, as shown by student work? 
  2. What are student perceptions of ChatGPT integration? 

 

METHODOLOGY

This study employs methods similar to those used by Sandu et al. (2024) and Rahman and Watanobe (2023), enhancing student engagement and critical thinking through interactions with ChatGPT in PF2203. Groups of 2 to 3 students utilised ChatGPT to prepare their group projects, which included gathering information, synthesising content, and discussing a QPM-related topic through oral presentations. The presentations also had a segment on students’ sharing of their ChatGPT usage, followed by a class discussion. The effectiveness of ChatGPT was assessed through both qualitative and quantitative student feedback, as well as students’ presentation scores, which were evaluated based on the marking criteria in Table 1. The study received ethical approval from the Learning and Analytics Committee in April 2024. 

Table 1 
Marking scheme for project presentation 

HECS2024-a42-Fig1

 

DISCUSSION AND RESULTS

Through tutorial discussions, the lecturer promoted creative use of ChatGPT, including integrating theoretical knowledge with practical cases. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, which depict examples from students’ Q&A with ChatGPT and presentation slides, respectively, students learned this approach and applied lean principles at different phases of a construction project in their presentation. Concurrently, the students were aware of the potential errors in the output generated by ChatGPT. For instance, Table 2 reveals their capability to discern when the output does not align closely with the required information or context. Consequently, they could exclude irrelevant data, showcasing their critical thinking skills in assessing and utilising the information from ChatGPT effectively. Overall, student presentation scores, which were evaluated based on criteria emphasising concept integration and practical understanding (see Table 1), show significant improvement in the Academic Year 2023/24 Semester 2 with the use of ChatGPT, compared to the previous year without ChatGPT (see Table 3). Averaged scores rose from 13.25 to 14.75 for the 1st Presentation and from 14.25 to 15 for the 2nd Presentation, showing improved capability of integration of QPM knowledge, aligning with the course’s learning objectives. However, as there were only four groups, statistical analysis was not feasible due to the small sample size. 

 

As indicated in Table 4, feedback collected using a 5-point Likert scale demonstrates a consensus that ChatGPT enhances knowledge integration (Question 1) and motivates learning (Question 2). Responses to Questions 3 and 4 generally confirm improvements in scenario-based learning and critical thinking through ChatGPT. The qualitative feedback from students, presented in Table 5, shows that integrating ChatGPT bolsters students’ critical thinking in applying managerial concepts in real-world contexts—effectively bridging the identified research gap. 

Figure 1. Student’s prompt for ChatGPT 

 

Figure 2. Student’s work for second presentation

 

Table 2
Students’ remark on ChatGPT’s output. The first column records the prompts used and the responses from ChatGPT, and the second column contains their remarks on how they utilised ChatGPT’s output, as stipulated by a template provided by the lecturer, along with their evaluations of the output’s relevance and accuracy. 

 

Table 3 
Averaged presentation scores (For each semester, number of student groups = 4)

 

Table 4 
End-of-course survey results indicating the average response based on a five-point Likert scale with 1 (Strongly Disagree) and 5 (Strongly Agree) (n= 10). 

HECS2024-a42-Fig4

 

Table 5 
Qualitative student feedback  

HECS2024-a42-Fig5

 

CONCLUSION

Integrating ChatGPT into the QPM course has led to measurable improvements in both student engagement and academic performance. This suggests a scalable model that is sufficiently applicable for broader adoption across various educational disciplines. Future research will focus on optimizing AI tool integration within these contexts.

 

REFERENCES

Brooks, J. G., & Brooks, M. G. (1999). In search of understanding: The case for constructivist classrooms. Ascd. 

Piaget, J. (2013). The construction of reality in the child. Routledge. 

Rahman, M. M., & Watanobe, Y. (2023). ChatGPT for education and research: Opportunities, threats, and strategies. Applied Sciences, 13(9), 5783. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13095783

Rahmawati, Y., Taylor, E., Taylor, P. C., & Koul, R. (2021). Student empowerment in a constructivist values learning environment for a healthy and sustainable world. Learning Environments Research, 24, 451-468. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-020-09336-9

Sandu, R., Gide, E., & Elkhodr, M. (2024). The role and impact of ChatGPT in educational practices: insights from an Australian higher education case study. Discover Education, 3(1), 71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00126-6

Weeks, K. W., Coben, D., O’neill, D., Jones, A., Weeks, A., Brown, M., & Pontin, D. (2019). Developing and integrating nursing competence through authentic technology-enhanced clinical simulation education: Pedagogies for reconceptualising the theory-practice gap. Nurse Education in Practice, 37, 29-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2019.04.010  

Interdisciplinary Education In NUS: A Scan Of Current Courses And Development Of An Evaluation Framework

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Olivier LEFEBVRE1,*, Alex MITCHELL2, Marissa Kwan Lin E3, Stephen En Rong TAY4, Li Neng LEE5 

1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Design and Engineering (CDE), NUS
2Department of Communications and New Media, College of Humanities and Sciences, NUS
3Centre for English Language Communication, NUS
4Department of the Built Environment, CDE, NUS
5Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Sciences, NUS 

*ceelop@nus.edu.sg

Lefebvre, O. P., Mitchell, A., E, M. K. L., Tay, S. E. R., & Lee, L. N. (2024). Interdisciplinary education in NUS: A scan of current courses and development of an evaluation framework [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/olefebvre-et-al/

SUB-THEME

Others – Interdisciplinary Education 

KEYWORDS

Interdisciplinary learning, course design, course evaluation, community engagement  

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation

 

CONTEXT

The establishment of the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) in 2020 and the College of Design and Engineering (CDE) in 2022 exemplifies the efforts towards interdisciplinary education in the National University of Singapore (NUS) in response to current problems that require various disciplines to work together (National University of Singapore, 2021). These efforts have produced courses that look beyond the classroom to engage with the wider community.  

 

For example, in the CHS, the course HS2911 “Social Media and Mental Health” provides students with interdisciplinary training to analyse the impact of social media in real-world scenarios. Similarly, in the CDE, the course CDE2501 “Liveable Cities” provides students the opportunity to approach community development through the lens of urban policymakers, planners, architects, engineers, real estate consultants and managers. 

 

While these efforts provide students with an interdisciplinary learning experience, the diverse nature of the courses, along with the lack of a common yardstick in evaluating interdisciplinary education makes it challenging to determine if these efforts have been fruitful, especially in terms of real-world applicability that impacts our communities. Hence, the NUS Teaching Academy (NUSTA) has developed the following research questions: 

  1. What is the current state of interdisciplinary studies at NUS?  
  2. What evaluation metrics could be used to support interdisciplinary courses? 
  3. How can interdisciplinary education in NUS be refined? 

 

METHODOLOGY

An interdisciplinary team within the NUSTA was formed to include views from CHS and CDE. In this study, the operational definition of interdisciplinary learning from the NUS Board of Undergraduate Studies (BUS) was adopted:  

Interdisciplinary courses integrate perspectives, theoretic frameworks, concepts, tools, and techniques and approaches from two or more conventional disciplines to understand the chosen theme, its challenges, and potential solutions. 

A scan of interdisciplinary courses in both colleges was conducted. Subsequently, the NUS Futures Office was engaged to better develop the study, from which the findings were presented to the NUSTA for feedback and refinement. In developing an evaluation framework, the Accreditation Manual from the Institution of Engineers Singapore was referenced (Institution of Engineers Singapore, n.d.). 

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The scan reveals that interdisciplinary courses can be predominantly categorised as either knowledge-/application-focused and adjacent/orthogonal (refer to Figure 1).

Figure 1. Dimensions describing interdisciplinary courses in NUS. 

 

Subsequently, an evaluation framework inspired by the engineering accreditation board (EAB) was developed. The proposed framework consists of 1) interdisciplinary educational objectives (IEOs), and 2) interdisciplinary learning outcomes (ILOs). The former describes the objectives at the programme level, while the latter describes attributes that students should achieve. A total of six ILOs were developed, which are presented in Table 1. Note that courses need not fulfil all the ILOs as courses within the same programme can complement each other to cover the ILOs. 

 

Next, the Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) in the proposed framework would describe how the specific course maps to the ILOs. An example for CDE2501 “Liveable Cities” is presented in Table 2 as an example. 

 Table 1 
List of interdisciplinary learning outcomes developed in the study 

 

Table 2 
List of interdisciplinary learning outcomes developed in the study 

 

CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE

With these findings, a suggestion towards more application-focused courses is made to provide students to create and test solutions for the community at large. In addition, the proposed framework could be used by faculty members to develop interdisciplinary courses and education programmes, and provide a tool for reflection on current interdisciplinary courses. Finally, the framework could be utilised at the programme level, coupled with alumni and employer surveys and engagements, to assess if the ILOs have been achieved. These suggestions are provided to enhance the interdisciplinary education within NUS on community impact. 

 

REFERENCES

Institution of Engineers Singapore. (n.d) Engineering Accreditation Board Accreditation Manual. https://www.ies.org.sg/Accreditation/EAB10249  

National University of Singapore (2021, 27 August). Two new colleges at NUS to deliver flexible, interdisciplinary education more accessibly, and at greater scale https://news.nus.edu.sg/two-new-colleges-at-nus-to-deliver-flexible-interdisciplinary-education-more-accessibly-and-at-greater-scale/ 

Pedagogical Practices for Study Trips: A Factor Analysis of Key Variables

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K. Mukhopadhyay*, S. K. Tambyah, K. J. FONG, J. S. YIP

College of Alice and Peter Tan (CAPT), NUS

*kankana.m@nus.edu.sg

Mukhopadhyay, K., Tambyah, S. K., Fong, K. J., Yip, J. S. J. (2024). Pedagogical practices for study trips: A factor analysis of key variables [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-kmukhopadhyay-et-al-2/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Engaging Communities

KEYWORDS

Factor analysis, vignette survey, intentional pedagogy, experiential learning, study trips

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation

 

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

This paper will share insightful findings on the effective pedagogies for engaging with communities during short-term overseas experiential study trips. The findings are based on a robust factor analysis of variables that define pre-trip and actual-trip pedagogies. The data was obtained from a vignette survey conducted as part of a larger research study funded by Ministry of Education (MOE). This larger study is a comprehensive assessment of the pedagogies used and the learning outcomes achieved in a residential college through such trips. For more than a decade, the trips, guided by experiential learning theories (Kolb 1984; Moon, 2004; Roberts, 2012; Lovett, 2020) have been conducted in different geographical locations (India, Myanmar, Balkans, Botswana, and Nepal), and by different faculty-student teams.

 

The intentional pedagogical practices—pre-trip and during the actual trip—provide the foundation to achieve the deep learning outcomes for students who embark on these trips (VandeBerg, et al, 2012; Matsushita, 2018; Mukhopadhyay, et al., 2022). The question that this paper addresses is: What aspects of intentional pedagogies are a) most productive, and b) challenging for achieving deep learning outcomes in short-term overseas experiential study trips?

 

VIGNETTE SURVEY METHODOLOGY

The study uses a mixed-methods case study design, combining existing data from past study trips and fresh data from surveys and interviews with former student participants and overseas partners (organisation/institution/social business) from 2012 to 2020. The vignette survey was one of the primary data collection methods. The vignettes were constructed through systematic analysis of the existing data and approximated situations from the lived experiences of the students during the study trips. The vignettes aided students’ recall of what they experienced during the trips, given that there was a lag between the actual trips and this study (Hyman & Steiner, 1996; Hopkins &
King, 2010).

 

Factor analysis results

Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the variables related to pre-trip and actual trip pedagogies, based on a sample size of 145 respondents. The results revealed interesting latent constructs and evidence of the robustness of the experiential learning pedagogies (Table 1). Using principal axis factoring with direct oblimin rotation, three latent factors from nine pre-trip pedagogical variables were identified, corresponding to classroom sessions, guest speakers, and peer presentations. These factors mapped on perfectly to the respective vignettes, demonstrating the strong construct validity of the survey. Cronbach’s Alpha tests confirmed the high reliability of the pre-trip latent factors. For actual trip engagements, the factor analysis revealed two latent factors: reflective activities and experiences from engagement. However, the reliability scores of these factors were moderate, suggesting that some components, such as reflection and the balance of activities during the actual trip, might be better treated as individual factors rather than a combined factor.

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FINDINGS

These experiential study trips offer students an interactive platform to connect the concepts of engaging with communities to grounded practices through classroom discussions and field visits. This connection requires evidence-based pedagogical guidance which this paper provides through a robust factor analysis of pre-trip and actual-trip pedagogies. These results can enable a more informed understanding on how to improve the pedagogical design, implementation and learning outcomes for short-term overseas experiential study trips.

Table 1
Factor analysis results and descriptives of pre-trip and actual trip pedagogy-related variables

 

REFERENCES

Hopkins, D. J. & King, G. (2010). Improving anchoring vignettes: Designing surveys to correct interpersonal incomparability. Public Opinion Quarterly, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/UU5EUI

Hyman, M. R. & Steiner, S. D. (1996). The vignette method in business ethics research: Current uses and recommendations. SMA Conference Paper.

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning. Prentice Hall Books.

Lovett, K. (2020). Introduction: Listening and Learning from Experiential Learning Educators. In K. Lovett (Ed.) Diverse Pedagogical Approaches to Experiential Learning:Multidisciplinary Case Studies, Reflections, and Strategies (pp. 1-11). Springer Nature. https://doiorg.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/10.1007/978-3-030-42691-0

Moon, J. A. (2004). A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice. Routledge.

Matsushita, K. (2018). An invitation to deep learning. In Matsushita, K. (Ed.) Deep Active Learning. Ch 2. Springer Nature. http://dx.DOI.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5660-4_2.

Mukhopadhyay, K., Balachandran, L., Wong S. F., Lai, J. C. Y., Tan, A. X. Y., McGahan, K., Toh T. C., Wong, R., & Tan L. Y. (2022). Steering towards the Internationalisation of Higher Education: Lessons from Pedagogical Interventions in Overseas Experiential Learning Programmes. Asian Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 12(1). 20-38. https://ctlt.nus.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/v12n1_mukhopadhyay-et-al-for-layout-2.pdf

Roberts, J. W. (2012). Beyond learning by doing: Theoretical currents in experiential education. Routledge.

Vande Berg, M., Paige, R. M., & Lou, K. H. (2012). Student learning abroad. In Vande Berg, M., Paige, R. M., & Lou, K. H. (Eds.), Student learning abroad: What our students are learning, what they’re not, and what we can do about it (pp. 3-28). Stylus.

Meeting Learning Outcomes in the Tri-Generational Classroom

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Lynette TAN Yuen Ling1,* and Darryl ANG Si Wei2

1Residential College 4, NUS
2NUS Business School

*rc4tyll@nus.edu.sg

Tan, L. Y. L., & Ang, D. S. W. (2024). Meeting learning outcomes in the tri-generational classroom [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-lyltan-dswang/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Engaging Communities; Opportunities from Wellbeing

KEYWORDS

Ageism, Intergenerational, Co-creation, Relationship-rich, Experiential

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation

 

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

In 2021, the National University of Singapore (NUS) introduced a new pillar to the General Education curriculum, Communities and Engagement (NUS News, 2021). The aim was to scale the university’s efforts in the community, enabling more undergraduates to be involved in community projects and “gain a deeper appreciation of social issues”. Professor Bernard Tan, NUS Senior Vice Provost (Undergraduate Education), observed that the new pillar formalises the learning process in community engagement so that “students can contextualise their efforts based on the learning objectives”.

 

Using the frameworks of service learning (Butin, 2010), intergenerational relationships (Thang et al., 2003), Needs Assessment and Asset Based Community Development from NUS Office of Student Affairs (OSA) Community Skills training platform (NUS OSA, 2020) and Systems Thinking (Senge, 2006), two new courses were launched at Residential College 4 (RC4) that would lead to the contextualisation of students’ community engagement efforts based on several learning objectives. The following is the set of objectives from the tri-generational course:

  1. Reflect on what defines service learning, its possibilities and limitations
  2. Explore the field of intergenerational engagements and relationships in Asia and Singapore
  3. Understand the broad issues faced by youth in Singapore and, with respect to intergenerational bonding, including ageism and familial conflict
  4. Identify and contextualise the problems faced by youths on a local (Queenstown) scale through primary research with the youth that includes their ability to connect with the older adults.
  5. Expand on their interpersonal capacities through an intergenerational bonding programme where they will interact with school children and the elders of Queenstown
  6. Develop intergenerational bonding activities together with the youth and older adults as viable solutions to address the problems and gaps in community programmes through the approach of Systems Thinking.
  7. Demonstrate an active citizenry that connects theory with ethical behaviour.


Over one semester that included 7 tri-generational sessions, 18 undergraduates met with 12 elders from FaithActs and Esther Active Ageing Centre as well as 35 Secondary 2 students from Queenstown Secondary School. Teaching activities as well as assessments were aligned with the learning objectives so that the latter could be effectively attained. The courses were also nestled within the umbrella of the Health District @Queenstown (HD@QT), a multi-stakeholder collaboration including the Housing Development Board (HDB), the National University Health System (NUHS), and NUS, which seeks to prepare Singapore for 2026 when our population will reach super-aged status (Teo, 2023) with initiatives that promote health and wellness for all ages. An aspect of its strategies is intergenerational bonding, the focus of the course in this paper.

 

Through a reflection of the teaching activities, evidence from student work, and student feedback, this paper considers the effectiveness of teaching strategies employed and the challenges of mounting a tri-generational community engagement course in the university classroom. While evidence from student work showed that learning objectives were met, the reflection of teaching activities and student feedback suggested that the pedagogical approach could be calibrated so that the tri-generational experience in the classroom can be improved.

 

The significance of this paper is twofold. Firstly, as NUS scales up community engagement through credit-bearing courses, it is beneficial to understand how learning objectives can be met via the teaching strategies employed in these courses. Secondly, as over 21% of our Singapore population reaches 65 and over in age by 2026, increasing our undergraduates’ capacity to create effective intergenerational bonding strategies and cultivate a mindset of inclusiveness will help us achieve social cohesion and healthy longevity.

 

REFERENCES

Butin, D. (2010). Service-Learning in Theory and Practice: The Future of Community Engagement in Higher Education (1st 2010.). Palgrave Macmillan US.

Curriculum changes to enhance focus on interdisciplinary learning and community projects. (2021, February 22). NUS News. https://news.nus.edu.sg/curriculum-changes-to-enhance-focus-on-interdisciplinary-learning-and-community-projects/

NUS Office of Student Affairs. (n.d.). https://www.youtube.com/@NUSOfficeofStudentAffairs

Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline: the art and practice of the learning organization (First, revised and updated). Currency.

Teo, J. (2023, April 20). Initiatives in place to tackle ageing issues as Spore hits ‘super-aged’ status in 2026: Health Minister. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/initiatives-in-place-to-help-tackle-ageing-as-s-pore-nears-super-aged-status-in-2026-ong-ye-kung

Thang, L. L., Kaplan, M. S., & Henkin, N. Z. (2003). Intergenerational programming in Asia: Converging diversities toward a common goal. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 1(1), 49–69. https://doi.org/10.1300/J194v01n01_06

Student-generated Questions: A Novel Approach For Encouraging Cognitive Engagement

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Amanda Huee-Ping WONG1,*, WONG Lik Wei1, HOOI Shing Chuan1, and LEE Shuh Shing2

1Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSOM)
2Centre for Medical Education (CENMED), YLLSOM

*phswhpa@nus.edu.sg 

Wong, A., Wong, L. W., Hooi, S. C., & Lee, S. S. (2024). Student-generated questions: A novel approach for encouraging cognitive engagement [Paper presentation]. In Higher Education Conference in Singapore (HECS) 2024, 3 December, National University of Singapore. https://blog.nus.edu.sg/hecs/hecs2024-ahpwong-et-al-2/

SUB-THEME

Opportunities from Wellbeing 

KEYWORDS

Students’ questions, student-generated questions, Bloom’s taxonomy, cognitive engagement, supportive learning environment. 

CATEGORY

Paper Presentation 

 

INTRODUCTION 

Question-asking is a crucial process in fostering critical and reflective thinking across different education levels (Aflalo, 2021; Cuccio-Schirripa & Steiner, 2000), yet its role in medical education is often overlooked. Encouraging students to generate their own questions can help them uncover gaps in their understanding, stimulate their curiosity, and engage more deeply with the material (Schmidt, 1993). This practice also provides teachers with valuable insights into students’ learning processes and difficulties. While previous studies have largely focused on using student-generated multiple-choice questions for self-assessment (Gooi & Sommerfeld, 2015; Lahti et al., 2023), this study offers an alternative method utilising students’ questions, specifically queries that students submitted based on self-directed learning materials. Systematic categorisation of these questions according to topic and cognitive level allows educators to not only identify problem areas and explore cognitive engagement with course content, but also tailor their educational strategies according to learner needs. This anonymous platform offers students a safe environment that encourages reflection and peer learning, and has the potential to enhance cognitive engagement, which has been shown to positively influence student achievement and wellbeing (Ng et al., 2022; Pietarinen et al., 2014). 

 

METHODS 

This study utilises a content analysis approach to evaluate the questions submitted anonymously by first-year undergraduate medical students within the Cardiovascular Physiology blended learning series. The shared question and answer (Q&A) document, integrated into the self-directed learning segment, was accessible alongside other educational resources such as online lecture videos, eBooks, and quizzes. During this segment, the teaching team monitored the document and provided timely feedback to the submitted questions. Students subsequently attended in-person case-based discussions to reinforce knowledge and enhance interactive learning. The questions were categorised by two independent raters according to the revised Bloom’s taxonomy to assess cognitive engagement (Anderson et al., 2001; Chin & Osborne, 2008), specifically into the following cognitive levels: Remember, Understand, Apply, and Analyse. Inter-rater reliability was measured to ensure consistency in the classification process.

 

RESULTS

A total of 298 questions were collected and analysed over four academic years. The distribution of these questions, categorised according to Bloom’s taxonomy, revealed that the majority were classified as ‘Understand’ (56%) and ‘Apply’ (29%), followed by the ‘Remember’ (4%) and ‘Analyze‘ (11%) categories (Figure 1). When examined by topic, the highest frequency of questions pertained to the ‘Electrical Basis of Electrocardiogram’ and ‘Cardiac Output and Cardiac Failure’ chapters. A detailed analysis demonstrated that student questions were predominantly within the ‘Understand’ and ‘Apply’ categories across most chapters. Notably, the ‘Cardiac Contraction and Cardiac Cycle’ chapter was unique in that it had a higher number of ‘Apply’ questions compared to ‘Understand’ questions. The overall inter-rater reliability for categorising the questions was 83.2%, underscoring the robustness of the classification process. 

Figure 1. Overall students’ questions according to cognitive levels. 

 

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates the utility of student-generated questions in promoting cognitive engagement with course content and providing learners with a safe environment to express uncertainties and receive timely feedback from the teaching team. The predominance of questions in the ‘Understand’ and ‘Apply’ categories aligns with educational goals that prioritise comprehension and practical application in foundational medical education. This approach not only offers educators insights to refine teaching strategies and better address cohort-specific needs but also offers another opportunity to foster a supportive learning environment. By creating a psychologically safe platform for students to engage and reflect, this approach could enhance their overall educational experience. Integrating such practices can contribute to improved academic achievement and student wellbeing, supporting the ongoing advancement of pedagogical practices in medical education. 

 

REFERENCES

Aflalo, E. (2021). Students generating questions as a way of learning. Active Learning in Higher Education, 22(1), 63-75. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787418769120  

Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. R., Airasian, P. W., Cruikshank, K. A., Mayer, R. E., Pintrich, P. R., Raths, J., & Wittrock, M. C. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: a revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives (Complete ed.). Longman.  

Chin, C., & Osborne, J. (2008). Students’ questions: a potential resource for teaching and learning science. Studies in Science Education, 44(1), 1-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057260701828101  

Cuccio-Schirripa, S., & Steiner, H. E. (2000). Enhancement and analysis of science question level for middle school students. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37(2), 210-224. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-2736(200002)37:2<210::AID-TEA7>3.0.CO;2-I  

Gooi, A. C. C., & Sommerfeld, C. S. (2015). Medical school 2.0: How we developed a student-generated question bank using small group learning. Med Teach, 37(10), 892-896. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2014.970624  

Lahti, J., Salamon, M., Farhat, J., & Varkey, T. (2023). Multiple choice question writing and medical students: a systematic literature review. In: MedEdPublish. 

Ng, B. J. M., Han, J. Y., Kim, Y., Togo, K. A., Chew, J. Y., Lam, Y., & Fung, F. M. (2022). Supporting Social and Learning Presence in the Revised Community of Inquiry Framework for Hybrid Learning. Journal of Chemical Education, 99(2), 708-714. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00842  

Pietarinen, J., Soini, T., & Pyhältö, K. (2014). Students’ emotional and cognitive engagement as the determinants of well-being and achievement in school. International Journal of Educational Research, 67, 40-51. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2014.05.001  

Schmidt, H. G. (1993). Foundations of problem-based learning: some explanatory notes. Med Educ, 27(5), 422-432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.1993.tb00296.x  

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