Developing open digital learning and assessment tools to promote an engaging learning environment

Project Team

  • Peyman Yousefi, Lecturer, School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science (Lead Applicant)
  • Ernest Goh, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
  • Firas Moosvi, Lecturer, Department of Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science

Themes

  • OER

Year

2022

About the Project

This project aims to expand the development of a digital question bank containing formula-driven questions with randomized numerical values to promote active learning. In addition, it addresses the challenges faced by instructors wishing to provide active learning and assessment, arising from UBC Okanagan Senate Policy O-131.2, which prohibits the use of fee-based digital assessment tools, even those for practice.

The proposed platform on which to deploy the questions is “PrairieLearn”, an open-source online platform that is already in-use at UBC. It also has authentication with CWL and is fully FIPPA-compliant. Consequently, all users, including UBC students, will be spared the costs of commercially available online question banks that are typically only available if expensive publisher textbooks are adopted. On the PrairieLearn system, student submissions are marked automatically and instantly, providing immediate feedback which is an important element of learning. Another benefit of this system is the ability to fully randomise questions so each student receives a unique question, and assignment. These resources may also reduce the temptation to commit academic dishonesty while simultaneously encouraging students to work together. Additionally, without the access-time limitation of commercial offerings, Engineering and Science instructors of similar courses can use re-use them indefinitely in the future. The first phase of this project is finalized with the randomized autograded banks contain 60 problems as (3 in-lecture examples for each lectures). First phase will be used in Term 2 2021 for Dynamics 181.

 

Awarded in the 2022 Open Educational Resources Stream