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Just-in-Time Teaching (JITT) in Civil Engineering Technology

Abstract

Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) is a pedagogical system comprised of two elements: classroom activities that promote active learning and World Wide Web (WWW) resources that are used to enhance the classroom component. This teaching and learning strategy combines use of the WWW with a collaborative learning environment to improve student learning of and attitudes toward various content areas. It is a technique used to enhance the interactivity of a lecture period by creating a feedback loop between the instructor and the student. With this approach, after completing assigned readings, the students take online quizzes that summarize these readings. The lecture period is used to clarify misconceptions revealed in the students’ responses to the online quizzes, as well as to present new material. As a result, classroom activities become more efficient and more closely tuned to the students' needs. The essential element is feedback between the web-based and classroom activities.

While JiTT system is commonly used in the physics educational community, there has been little evidence of its use in the engineering classroom. This paper describes the JiTT approach incorporated in Structural Analysis, a required junior-level course in the civil engineering technology curriculum at Georgia Southern University. Presented in paper are the concepts and plans for developing a set of asynchronous web modules that are designed to provide an effective way for a student to review, discover misconceptions, and augment understanding of structural analysis to a more realistic level. Each module will contain a set of learning outcomes related to a particular objective of the course. A set of problems will be provided that will direct the student to a particular section of a module if an error is detected. Several examples of such problems are included in the paper. The students may not be provided with a specific answer, but they must discover their problem from the material presented. It has been shown that the process of just-in- time self-discovery maximizes retention of information. The effectiveness of the modules will be assessed during fall of 2009, and the assessment data together with plans to improve and extend the future efforts in this area will be reported at a subsequent conference.

Introduction

Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) is a pedagogical system comprised of two elements: classroom activities that promote active learning and World Wide Web (WWW) resources that are used to enhance the classroom component. This teaching and learning strategy combines use of the WWW with a collaborative learning environment to improve student learning of and attitudes toward various content areas.

The JiTT system is based on web-based preparatory assignments (typically quizzes) that are due a few hours before class. The students complete these assignments at their own pace, and submit them electronically.

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Das, N. (2009, June), Just In Time Teaching (Jitt) In Civil Engineering Technology Paper presented at 2009 Annual Conference & Exposition, Austin, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--5148