SPS Seminar - OTIS - Online Team Investigates in Science - Mark Jones, Judith Croston, Sarah Chyriwsky

When:  Thursday 23^rd January at 14.30 (coffee available from 14.00)

Where:  Robert Hooke Seminar Room

Speaker:   Mark Jones, Judith Croston, Sarah Chyriwsky- OU

Hosted by:  Beatriz Mingo, Stephen Serjeant, Judith Croston

Abstract:

Collaborative working is a hallmark of the way in which many, if not most scientists work, and university-level science courses often include team or group projects to develop team working skills. Such projects conducted entirely online and using remotely operated equipment (a Mars rover in a Mars Yard, and a robotic telescope), are part of our curriculum offer to students in astrophysics and space sciences at the OU. Anecdotally, these projects seem to work well, so in an effort to better understand student experiences and perceptions of online team work, we initiated an eSTEeM project in which we have analysed a large body of student forum interactions and conducted in-depth interviews with students. In this talk we shall report on our findings about student team working and relate this to the design and assessment of such projects.