The Course

Western Civilization is a required course at George Mason University. We are required (by our Board of Visitors) to teach all of Western Civilization in one semester...that is, about 3,500 years in 14 weeks. Such a requirement frees us from the "tyranny of coverage" because it is obviously impossible to "cover" the history of the West--all of it--in 14 class meetings. As a result, we are able to focus on history as an epistomology of inquiry, rather than a body of facts to be acquired. more... 

How I Gathered My Evidence

I gathered evidence from my students in several ways. I surveyed them at the end of the semester regarding their learning in the course and their attitudes about collaboration. I interviewed several of them after the semester was over on the same subjects, and the VKP videographers also interviewed a small number of my students. Finally, I gathered evidence from my classroom observations and from the work my students turned in and posted in our discussion space. 

Links

End of Semester Survey
This is the survey that I administered to my students at the end of the semester.

Graphs of Student Responses
Two x/y plots of student responses to questions from the survey.

Key Findings

• The vast majority of students say they prefer collaborative and other active types of learning to the standard lecture/take notes model of class.
• Students say they prefer a course designed around peer collaboration because collaborative learning either (a) forces them to do their work and do it well in order to avoid embarrassment in front of their peers or (b) makes it possible for them to gain new insights from other students.
• Students who were motivated by a desire to avoid embarassment and those motivated by a desire for new insights were very different from one another.

more...

Data Gathered

Some of the most interesting data gathered in my project are the interviews conducted by the VKP videographers. In the clips linked up below you can see for yourself how students responded to specific aspects of the course.

Links

My teaching style
One student describes the course and the work we did.

The Web Scrapbook
How we used the web scrapbook software.

Motivated by pressure
How the pressure induced by collaboration was beneficial.

Motivated by new ideas
How the exchange of ideas with other students was beneficial.

Drawbacks of collaboration
Collaboration has its drawbacks.