Principal Investigator: Cindy Waters
CoPrincipal Investigator(s):
Organization: North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

Abstract:
The Just-in-Time-Teaching with Interactive Frequent Formative Feedback (JiTTIFFF or JTF) project uses engagement, assessment, and reflection tools developed in a prior NSF project and adapts them to an interactive cyber-enabled web environment. Using the tools in and out of class has the potential to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of learning using frequent formative feedback to students. New strategies include: 1) instruction informed by a multi-level, assessment-driven frequent formative feedback loops; 2) formative feedback from pre-class class preparation problems, 3) feedback during in-class engagement activities; 4) next class feedback discussion on confusing points from the previous class and 5) contextualization of activities and assessments with real-world applications. Compared to lecture-based pedagogy, constructivist pedagogy: increased average conceptual gain (measured by the Materials Concept Inventory) from 18% to 42%; increased class persistence from 85% to 95%; and decreased female withdrawal rate from 40% to 10%. The web environment facilitates ease of implementation and creates the potential for broad dissemination of instructional strategies and tools developed. The project is also investigating issues in implementation and how instructors use assessment results to adjust instruction. Such knowledge and insight is shaping the development of tutorials, workshops, webinars and you-tube videos for instruction for faculty interested in adapting the JTF pedagogy in their own instruction. The JTF pedagogy is being implemented and assessed in four settings with diverse populations: Arizona State University, North Carolina A&T, Oregon Institute of Technology, and Oregon State University.

This project is producing 1) an updated sets of instructional resources in the web-based JTF Learning Tool Kit; 2) an understanding of the barriers and benefits of JTF implementation in diverse settings; 3) an understanding of how instructors use results of multi-level assessment to adjust instruction to address student learning issues; and 4) an assessment of the impact of JTF on student attitude, learning and retention, and differences arising from use in different settings and diverse populations. It is also investigating the potential for broad application of the general features of JTF strategies and tools in other engineering domains through dissemination and diffusion of JTF strategies, findings, and products to a wide audience. This study is informing the engineering education community of the potential for use of the types of JTF strategies and learning tools in other engineering domains. This project is testing the effectiveness of the JTF pedagogy in different settings with diverse populations when implemented on the cyber-enabled web platforms