Traditionally, education has relied on a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. However, researchers are increasingly discovering that this method may not effectively meet the diverse needs of every student.
In response, the National Academy of Engineering listed personalized learning – instruction being tailored to the student’s individual needs – as one of its grand challenges, encouraging engineering professors to develop new methods for their classrooms.
Associate Professors Renee Clark and Ahmed Dallal at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, in collaboration with the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida, received a $254,966 grant from the National Science Foundation to advance research on personalizing STEM education, utilizing their sophomore-level statistics and circuit classes.
“We’re aiming to promote better in-class engagement by reviewing pre-requisite content for students before class in a personalized, multiple-resources fashion,” said Clark, principal investigator and associate professor of industrial engineering. “To truly support student success, we need to embrace a more personalized approach that adapts to their diverse needs, rather than treating every student the same.”
Dallal and Clark’s experiment will involve two groups. The control group will access class materials, such as quizzes, videos and textbook content through Canvas, an online learning management system that Pitt students already use. The experimental group, however, will utilize Realizeit adaptive learning platform (ALP) that tailors resources to each student's needs using machine learning algorithms. The ALP adjusts content based on student performance on online assessment quizzes. They will compare the two groups and investigate differences in students’ exam scores, motivation and cognitive engagement levels.
Dallal, co-principal investigator and associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, said that if the ALP is successful, it may help faculty as well.
“Ensuring students are prepared before they enter the classroom fosters a more active learning environment,” said Dallal. “This approach allows faculty to focus on deeper engagement during lectures, helping students get more out of the experience and enhancing their overall educational mission.”
The project aligns with the goals of the Swanson School’s Engineering Education Research Center (EERC), which engages Pitt faculty in the integration of research-based practices to enhance their teaching. Mary Besterfield-Sacre, director of the EERC, Nickolas A. DeCecco Professor of Industrial Engineering and senior associate dean for academic affairs, said the center encourages professors to produce new approaches to learning like Clark and Dallal are testing.
“We want students to not only succeed but also enjoy the learning process,” said Besterfield-Sacre. “This project could open up new ways to engage students and deepen their understanding of the material, ultimately helping us cultivate more skilled and innovative engineers.”
Clark, who has expertise in data analytics, will be overseeing the project’s assessment process, including assessment data from the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida. Samuel Dickerson, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, vice chair for education and director of the computer engineering undergraduate program at Pitt, will assist Clark in analyzing assessment data from her classroom to avoid any conflict of interest.
Clark and Dallal recently completed development of the pre-class preparation materials for the control group and will begin their classroom research in the spring 2025 semester for their project, “Collaborative Research: Using Adaptive Lessons to Enhance Motivation, Cognitive Engagement, And Achievement Through Equitable Classroom Preparation.”