Mohawk College software study intended to speed idea exchange
The Hamilton Spectator newspaper featured a story about how Professor Rocco DiGiovanni uses GroupSystems software to encourage classroom participation. From the article: “Would you raise your hand more often in class if no one knew it
was you? It’s an idea being explored in a wired Mohawk College classroom where keyboards and monitors are tucked under a ring of glass-topped desks. This week, about 30 upperyear students are here, working on real-world projects in software engineering. One project tracks used car tires, another health-care staff emergency preparedness. And many more.
“Try to come up with a trigger question,” computer science professor Dennis Angle tells the class exploring marketing plans. He wants them to find a question, focus the group discussion into one that’ll help them tackle the marketing of their projects. He’s unwilling to give it to them. He wants them to think. Soon, you hear a faint clicking of keys, as teams brainstorm, adding possible questions in a list for each group. When each group has about 20 entries, they vote on the best. Angle hands them a printout with their questions prioritized.
They’ve found their direction. The class is just one example of a system Rocco Di Giovanni has been working on at Mohawk for 15 years. Mohawk calls it a Management Decision Centre, part of its applied research and innovation department. The software is GroupSystems. “
Read the full article here. >Mohawk College Classroom Participation Story
Filed under: Classroom Participation
