Abstract
Charles Sturt University makes its underpinning technical curriculum available to its students using an on-demand online system they call their Topic Tree. The tree is a directed a cyclic graph where nodes represent topics to be learned, and edges represent the prerequisite relationships that exist between the topics. Branches on the topic tree represent concentrations in an area of knowledge, sub-branches (water quality, fluid mechanics, etc.) represent distinct subsets of knowledge - specialty. Delivery of the technical content is in three-hour modules, and students are free to choose the order in which they engage with these topics. Previous work has identified that students engage with the on-demand curriculum much as they engage with on-demand entertainment platforms such as Netflix, completing long sequences of topics with short periods between them – the traditional “binge” model of consumption. This paper presents a more fine-grained analysis of students’ pathways through the topic tree, focusing on the distance between successive topics completed by the students. Students’ progress is characterized by a three-dimensional framework – time, distance, and purpose.
In general, pathways through the tree fall into one of four patterns:
- Forward movement along a branch of the tree,
- Movement backward along a branch of the tree,
- Repeating the same topic,
- Switching to a different branch of the tree (backward distance to the junction of the branches combined with a forward distance along the new branch).
Different students engage with the topic tree using different combinations of these pathways, distance absolute distance traveled through the topics, and different time gaps between activities on the topics. This paper will identify the different combinations that can be found in the student log data.
In general, pathways through the tree fall into one of four patterns:
- Forward movement along a branch of the tree,
- Movement backward along a branch of the tree,
- Repeating the same topic,
- Switching to a different branch of the tree (backward distance to the junction of the branches combined with a forward distance along the new branch).
Different students engage with the topic tree using different combinations of these pathways, distance absolute distance traveled through the topics, and different time gaps between activities on the topics. This paper will identify the different combinations that can be found in the student log data.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | 2019 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition |
| Publisher | American Society for Engineering Education |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781713824756 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |
| Event | 2019 ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education) Annual Conference and Exposition - Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, United States Duration: 15 Jun 2019 → 19 Jun 2019 https://www.asee.org/public/conferences/140/registration/highlight_sessions |
Conference
| Conference | 2019 ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education) Annual Conference and Exposition |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | Charged up for the next 125 years |
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Tampa |
| Period | 15/06/19 → 19/06/19 |
| Other | The 126th Annual American Society For Engineering Education (ASEE) Conference and Exposition will be held on June 15 -19, 2019 at Tampa Convention Center, Florida. ASEE is committed to fostering the exchange of ideas, enhancing teaching methods and curriculum, and providing prime networking opportunities for engineering and technology education stakeholders such as: deans, faculty members, and industry and government representatives. The conference features more than 400 technical sessions, with peer-reviewed papers spanning all disciplines of engineering education. |
| Internet address |