Page 148 - Teaching Innovation for the 21st Century

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• How does Design-Expert® assist in the design of experiments?
• How effective was the use of Design-Expert® software in the CELCHB3 module?
• Can the application of Design-Expert® software in the CELCHB3 module improve students’ performance?
• What are the challenges encountered during the use of Design-Expert® in the CELCHB3 module?
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Online training on how to use Design-Expert® software was provided to students on the module. Using Blackboard, online training was provided
to 33 students who already had the software on their laptops. They were required to perform the same operation as they were trained in the use
of experimental variables, such as temperature, time and amount of catalyst for production of biodiesel. Every effort was made to ensure that they understood how to use Design-Expert® for a reaction kinetics experiment.
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Students were required to design an experiment using Design-Expert® to demonstrate the effectiveness of the software.
A survey on the effectiveness of Design-Expert®
in the module was distributed through Blackboard to a convenience sample drawn from the students. The questions were simple and took 15 minutes for students to complete.
Challenges encountered by students during the use of the Design-Expert® software were identified so that mechanisms to address these could be found.
Teaching Innovation for the 21st Century | Showcasing UJ Teaching and Learning 2021
The teaching intervention
The lecturers on the module sought to answer the following questions:
In order to assess these questions, the following activities were implemented:
The gathered data was analysed thematically and the themes that emerged from the data assisted in the evaluation and assessment of students’ perception of using Design-Expert® in CELCHB3.
Autonomy
All participants’ responses were treated with respect. The researchers did not manipulate or probe participants. Each participant’s response was kept confidential and was not discussed with other participants.
Beneficence
The research posed no harm to participants
as it dealt solely with participants’ perceptions and understandings of Design-Expert® software.
Non-maleficence
The research did not
involve asking participants’ personal information and no discomfort was experienced by participants.