TR+ For Students
The TR+ initiative has moved from incubation to implementation with the on-going conversion of Tutorial Rooms to the TR+ configuration. With this implementation, NTU is poised to scale the heights of educational excellence.
What is TR+?
TR+ has to be viewed as a physical, as well as conceptual, context.
In the physical sense, it is the re-configuration of existing Tutorial Rooms to incorporate the latest technology into the classroom. Students will be able to use its ICT and AV facilities, such as LCD displays, to complement their extensive use of laptops during tutorials. Individual table-armed chairs are replaced by movable tables allowing for group seating arrangements. Each grouping will have ICT access and AV display capability.
Your tutor’s station will comprise a computer and console for ICT and AV usage supported by the Mimio Teach Interactive System. These allow your tutor to have full control of class/group participation during tutorials. Through the Touch Control Panel, the tutor can project teaching to one LCD display only or to all LCD displays. This allows students to interact with either the tutor only or with other groups of students through sending, receiving and projecting according to tutorial requirements. Tutors will induct students to the usage of TR+ facilities at the start of their tutorial
Panoramic View of a TR+ (opens in new page)
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Learning in the TR+ Environment
With TR+, students are supported and engaged in their learning in many ways. Faculty will teach less and facilitate more. Students are expected to be self-learners and to do independent research for assignments and tutorials. Lecturers/tutors will actively involve students with activities requiring student responses through the use of clickers. This is part of active learning as clickers provide the ‘voice’ of the student. Students interact with their lecturers to indicate agreement/disagreement of views or positions presented to them, participate in quizzes and MCQs and any other activity lecturers may initiate which requires responses through clickers.
In TR+, students are seated in groups of six and use their laptops to plug in to the ICT and AV facilities. They interact with tutors via these systems either on an individual or a group basis. The choice depends on the tutor as well as the student. Sitting together promotes group work and discussions, the results of which can be displayed on the ‘Writing Whiteboards’ assigned to each group or displayed on all whiteboards for class discussion. Individual or group presentations are done through the use of these writing whiteboards.
Maximum student participation is thereby achieved and students remain engaged with the tutor and their classmates throughout the tutorial. The system provides a ‘voice’ for those students who are not so vocal or who are more introverted. For the extroverts, it presents the ideal stage for them to assert their views and argue their cases and to share their research with their own group or with the whole class.
The tutor will facilitate by providing clarifications where needed or indicating directions of research and discussion by asking appropriate questions, but will not provide direct answers. Students are expected to research, analyse and discuss solutions or answers for presentation. This is self-learning.
The use of clickers and whiteboard presentations ensure learning experiences are meaningful and engaging. Feedback to learners is immediate and allows the tutor to acknowledge correct responses, give clues, re-phrase a question at a different level, show areas that need improvement and review concepts. Thus students learn what they want to learn and not what the lecturer/tutor wants to teach. Such real-time interaction keeps students interested and attentive.
Tutors and students responding to each other, clarifiying doubts and challenging opinions will allow for multiple and even opposing perspectives. Students become more open-minded and reflective, and achieve greater understanding and motivation. An added positive outcome is their improvement in oral and communication skills.
Experiences of NTU students who have used TR+s…
A survey commissioned to gather views of some student participants show that an average of between 65 – 72% expressed ‘Strongly Agree’ / ‘Agree’ with the benefits contributed by the following two variables in TR+:
The renovated tutorial room space enables me to:
interact well with my lecturer
discuss effectively with fellow students
do individual and group presentations
learn the subject matter effectively
enjoy the learning experiences
to get to learn in different ways
The technology in the room (LCD Panels, Interactive projector, Activboard) enables me to:
interact well with my lecturer
discuss effectively with fellow students
do individual and group presentations
learn the subject matter effectively
enjoy the learning experiences
to get to learn in different ways
For an idea of what active learning involves:
Student views of similar technology enhanced collaborative spaces
NTU looks forward to building itself as a centre of educational excellence together with its students who acquire active/engaged learning through the use of TR+.
References
Jones, B., Valdez, G., Nowakowski, J., & Rasmussen, C. (1994). Designing Learning and Technology for education Reform. Oak Brook, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory.
Unknown (nd). Learning Futures: Next Practice in Learning and Teaching. Date accessed 19 March 2012, http://www.phf.org.uk/downloaddoc.asp?id=212