M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 20121

Use of Open Educational Resources for National Support of Teaching in

Advanced Technological Areas

Mark Oliver

Coventry University Senior Lecturer and Open University SCORE Fellow

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 20122

Abstract

Academics across the United Kingdom are writing material in advanced technological areas, for example post-graduate and post-experience courses. This work describes an Open Educational Resource Approach to generating this kind of material.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 20123

Methodology

A case study project, the Wavelet Toolbox Guided Learning Handbook (WTGLH), has been studied to help develop this strategy.

The Wavelet Toolbox, part of the mathematical language Matlab, presents a challenge to students, due to the collision of heavy mathematics, abstract signal processing ideas and programming challenges.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 20124

Post-graduate / post-experience courses

The normal range of PGCert, M.Sc., M. Phil., Ph.D. and D.Sc. Students.

The industrial short course market, where training is given to participants in advanced concepts and practise.

M.Sc. Modules can become short courses.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 20125

Author’s Professional Context

Industrial background in electronic system design.

Mainly teaching B.Sc. and M.Sc. Modules in Signal Processing.

A signal processing system that takes a signal and changes into another signal for an information-processing purpose.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 20126

WTGLH Case Study

WTGLH (in use)

Wavelet Wander (demonstration)

Mobile Wavelet Wander (planned)

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 20127

Digital Signal Processing

Take one application. A gawky adolescent becomes famous for their singing and their cute looks.

However there is a problem with pitch control. A signal processing program can be used to move the voice back onto the desired note.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 20128

DSP in the Electronics Laboratory

DSP methods can be implemented perfectly well on PCs but sometimes there is a time delay called latency.

By off-loading some of the processing effort to a dedicated DSP processor this latency can be reduced.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 20129

Wavelets Wibbered into Position

We paddle by the sea, dangling our feet in the wavelets.

How does this relate to signal processing ? Well one of the signal processing techniques

is representing one signal as a group of other signals (moving into another domain).

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201210

Functional Representational Methods

They are a group of functional representational methods including Fourier, Walsh and Wavelet methods.

Wavelets can have finite length so lend themselves to representation of finite length or time-changing signals.

They can be used in compression or other processing of speech, music images.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201211

Predecessor Project

SIGMA (Loughborough-Mathematics CETL) provided funding for Wavelet toolbox software, an add-on to Matlab.

Purpose: development of the Wavelet Toolbox Guided Learning Handbook, a web-based tool in a VLE.

The initial client group for this project was a small Coventry University M.Sc. Class.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201212

SCORE Project Plans

To develop the International Wavelet Toolbox Guided Learning Handbook.

To develop from this a policy for the

OER-based support of software in general.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201213

Student Survey

An M.Sc. class was doing an assignment using wavelets.

Ethical permission was obtained for use of a student survey.

This survey was to gauge the usefulness of the GLH in helping them do the assignment.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201214

Assignment Purpose

Design, implementation and evaluation of a multi-level perfect reconstruction filter bank (all filters wavelet-based).

Analysis filter bank splits signal into multiple sub-signals.

Reconstruction filter bank puts original signal back together again.

Student measure accuracy of reconstruction.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201215

WTGLH Demonstration

• Live site: www.tinyurl.com/iwtglh. Use only Internet Explorer and Guest access.

• Due to unknown issues, this does not always work. Sometimes it is necessary to try again in a few minutes. Quite a lot goes on with University servers at the end of the teaching year …

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201216

Survey prompts used

1. The wavelet transform guided learning handbook generally helped me to do my assignment work.

2. The theory section including the downloadable document was useful to me in planning theory work in the assignment.

3. The section ‘Action to wavelet toolbox software was useful’ in ensuring I was able to use the software.

4. I did the exercises in the ‘Sound Workshop’.5. The exercises in the ‘Sound Workshop’ helped me to understand

wavelets more.6. I looked at some of the references in the bibliography.7. Is the handbook too theoretical ?8. What part of the guided learning handbook was most useful to you.9. How could the guided learning handbook be improved ?

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201217

Survey Issues

The observant will note that Question 3 should read ‘Access to’ and that Question 7 would have been better as ‘The handbook is too theoretical.’. However the questionnaire was run using paper copies in a classroom setting in a situation where clarification was possible.

For the quantitative questions 1-7 the students had to indicate the level with which they agreed to the statements with 1 meaning ‘I strongly disagree’ and 5 meaning ‘I strongly agree’.

8 responses were received. This was virtually the whole class.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 2012 18

Quantitative results of student survey

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

Ag

ree

me

nt

Le

ve

l (fr

om

1-5

)

Mean Standard Deviation

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201219

Quantitative Analysis (higher means)

Mean 4.25/5 on access information, students could find the software. Low standard deviation 0.71.

Mean 4/5 on usefulness of theory areas. Low standard deviation 0.76.

Mean 3.75/5 on ‘WTGLH generally helped’. This was gratifying with a low standard deviation of 0.71.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201220

Quantitative analysis (lower means)

Mean 3.5 on ‘references consulted’. Standard deviation 1.69 (the highest). Probably because some of the references are relatively research-related and not directly useful to assignment.

Mean 2.875 on ‘too theoretical’. This indicates that the material could be expanded in this area.

Mean 3.375 on ‘sound exercises useful’. Standard deviation 1.06. Gratifying.

Mean 3.125 on ‘sound exercises done’. Lower than expected – perhaps classroom demonstration of exercises had reduced student enthusiasm.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201221

Qualitative analysis 1(they liked sections on)

Theory Matlab/Simulink Wavelet delay calculations (this was supplied

separately to the WTGLH but has now been included)

Bibliography

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201222

Qualitative Analysis 2 (they wanted more of)

Theory about wavelets Denoising Applicability of different wavelets How to obtain information from a wavelet plot Filter banks and relationship between filter banks

and wavelets Interactive web presentation Easy loading of Matlab on machines

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201223

Solutions provided (thus far)

• Wavelet denoising. A reference to my paper with Simulink model file and presentation, about teaching a real-time wavelet application is an interim solution (Oliver 2012). Postgraduate students have shown themselves to be surprisingly willing to read papers (particularly if written by an academic they know or written/recommended by a website author).

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201224

Theory: well covered by textbooks, not part of the purpose of the WTGLH. Bibliography will be grouped to highlight theory and application.

Applicability of different wavelets: a study on ‘How to choose a wavelet for an application’ has been written and will be released when edited.

Obtaining information from wavelet plots: a link to a PDF version of my poster paper on analysing musical plots will be used.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201225

Wavelets and filter banks: MIT OpenCourseWare have released some excellent material so a link to this is provided, indicating which areas are most relevant (MIT 2012).

Web-based tutorial: reference is made to the relevant part of Amara’s site (Amara 2008).

Easy loading of Matlab machines: this Coventry-local issue is being dealt with as part of our new Faculty of Engineering and Computing Building.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201226

Staff Evaluation

Survey questions are being formulated and potential survey respondents approached. Due to the very technical nature of the material this is not straightforward. There will be more of an emphasis on qualitatitive developmental information to help the resource move forward.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201227

Lessons learnt from Case Study

An OER is part of the solution to a general teaching problem. My Cambridge paper (2012) indicates that identifying the learning problem is critical and in my case I identified a particular theory-practice learning gap.

If we show enthusiasm in a particular area students will take what we have given them and advance further with it. I think particularly of two M.Sc. students this year.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201228

An OER sits within an educational framework and those who support students using the OER will be differently talented than the author. They may not be academics. In engineering at Coventry we have development officers, teaching assistants and technicians who will help students in the lab.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201229

Conclusions

An OER is not a panacea. It sits within an educational framework. It is critical that an OER needs to target a particular

learning gap. Continuity of funding is needed, as well as an

updating of content in relationship to learner need. There are reasons to investigate learning styles

during a project, particularly those relating to threshold concepts (Macdougall 2011)

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201230

A teaching resource, particularly one that is used nationally needs continuous funding.

Research project funding is normally for the new development. It is never for site maintenance.

An evaluation cycle is important, both with staff and students.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201231

Author References (pre-project)

Oliver, M. V. (2008). Wavelet toolbox guided learning handbook. Proceedings of the ELATE08 10th Anniversary Conference and Exhibition, ‘Enhancing our Learning & Teaching Environment – Looking Beyond 2010.’ Held 24 June 2008. Coventry University.

Oliver, M. V. (2010). Wavelet toolbox guided learning handbook: Music technology illustrations. MSOR Connections, 9(4)

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201232

Author References (project)

Oliver, M. (2012). Proposed strategy to decrease the learning gap between academic course materials and software supplier support documentation. In Proceedings of OpenCourseWare Consortium Global 2012: Innovation and Impact - Openly Collaborating to Enhance Education. Cambridge, England

Oliver, M. V. (2012). Teaching of mathematical content in a real-time wavelet application. Proceedings of the CETL-MSOR Conference 2011, ‘Preparing for student-led education’. Held 5-6 September 2011. Coventry University.

M. V. Oliver, HEA Conf. 201233

Other references

Graps, A. (2008). The web of Amara Graps. Available from http://www.amara.com/.

Macdougall, M (2010). Threshold concepts in statistics and online discussion as a basis for curriculum innovation in undergraduate medicine. MSOR Connections, 10 (3).

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2012). MITOpenCourseware. Available from http://ocw.mit.edu.