Integrating Gallery Walks and Wikis in a Synergic Instructional Activity: An Exploratory Study of Students' Perceptions

Abstract

The effectiveness of classroom-based active learning environments in transferring their benefits outside the classroom remains nebulous. We present exploratory results of students' perceptions of a synergic integration of Gallery Walks (an active learning strategy) with a course Wiki (a collaborative Web 2.0 tool). This integration was designed to extend the benefits of active learning beyond the classroom and into a more permanent and accessible digital learning community. An anonymous exit survey was administered online at the end of the course to measure students' perceptions on the impact of this instructional strategy. The survey used an involvement scale for both Gallery Walks and Wikis, and a series of open-ended questions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of these two instructional tools. A one-sample t-Test using the middle of the scale (the lecture involvement) as the test value indicated a statistical significant higher involvement for the Gallery Walk than the lecture. No statistically significant difference between Wikis and lectures was found. These findings indicate that students perceived Gallery Walks as out-of-norm-classroom activities, while Wikis were perceived more as an extension of the classroom activities. Students' open-ended feedback on the two instructional tools complemented these quantitative findings.

Meeting Name

ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition (2011: Jun. 26-29, Vancouver, BC)

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Artificial Intelligence; Computer Aided Instruction; Education; Surveys; Teaching; Active Learning Environment; Active Learning Strategies; Collaborative Webs; Exploratory Studies; Instructional Activities; Instructional Strategy; Open-Ended Questions; Statistically Significant Difference; Students

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2153-5965

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2011 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jun 2011

Link to Full Text

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