The Values on Academic Frontier-based Approach’ Implementation

Nuo Liu

, Shengli Yang

and Ziyong Liu

School of Microelectronics and Solid State Electronics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China,

Chengdu, P.R. China

Zhejiang University of Technology, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310014, China 

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, U.S.A.

Keywords: Academic Frontier-based Approach, Implementation, Gain, Difficulties, Suggestions.

Abstract: Academic Frontier-based Approach (AFA) is a student-centred instructional approach used to promote

active and deep learning by involving students in investigating academic frontier issues in a collaborative

environment. In this paper, we discuss the student surveys conducted at the end of the study period to solicit

feedback from students on their learning experience. It is suggested that AFA takes the students as the center,

consolidates the academic knowledge of the students. Through the teamwork and autonomous learning,

students know more about the frontiers of science and technology and open their horizon. In addition, the

ability of language organization, speech, compressive resistance, communication and cooperation are all

increased. Furthermore, students’ interest in studying is increased because of the autonomous learning. It is

expected the popularization of the consecutive courses will certainly improve these important abilities

further more. And it is hopeful that students will take advantage from the sustainable ability of autonomous

learning in their future career life.

1 INTRODUCTION

As one of the Student-centered teaching methods,

collaborative learning activities can provide students

with the opportunity to study for them, conduct

small research projects and foster their higher level

cognitive thinking skills. Johnson and Johnson’s

model of cooperative learning highlighted five

essential elements: positive interdependence,

promotive interaction, individual accountability,

group processing, and social skills (Johnson, 1984).

The social-constructivist methodology for

collaboration was first proposed by Kiraly (Kiraly,

1995). From Kiraly’s view point (Kiraly, 2000),

collaborative learning (CL) emphasize its joint

completion so that the team members can construct

meanings together and can develop cultural and

professional knowledge. Obviously, CL, which

characteriser student-centered teaching method,

represents a significant shift away from the typical

lecture-centered milieu in higher education.

According to Kiraly, there is an evolution from

teaching oriented towards the teacher as the main

source of knowledge to teaching based not on the

students themselves, but on teaching itself. In the

learning activities, students generate social

interaction among the team members and mutual

dependence to achieve specific aims (Johnson, 1994).

In collaborative classrooms, teachers who use

collaborative learning approaches tend to think of

themselves less as transmitters of knowledge. On the

contrary, they act as instructors in the learning

process. Therefore, it is important to design teaching

strategies that not only go beyond the content in

textbook but also along the theme of the knowledge

in it.

In the paper, what we concern is achieving better

student learning outcomes by Academic Frontier-

based Approach (AFA) that centers students’

learning in collaborative learning.

2 ACADEMIC FRONTIER

APPROACH IN

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Academic Frontier-based Approach (AFA) (Liu,

2013; Liu, 2013; Liu, 2014) is an approach to

achieve the new learning outcomes of courses

related to the content in textbooks — expansive

135

Liu N., Yang S. and Liu Z..

The Values on Academic Frontier-based Approach’ Implementation.

DOI: 10.5220/0004978901350139

In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU-2014), pages 135-139

ISBN: 978-989-758-022-2

 2014 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)

Figure 1: The implementation of AFA.

learning. In order to keep courses content up-to-date

and build the intellectual curious and inquiring mind

that characterize good academic motivation for

learners, we developed Academic Frontier-based

Approach (AFA) in collaborative learning.

Its implementation includes four basic steps:

(1)Instructors propose questions from textbook, then

refine keywords related to the development of

subject; (2)group work and (3)team work are

conducted; (4)Questionnaire for the purpose of

feedback to improve the teaching. Obviously, the

implementation of AFA in collaborative learning is a

cognitive constructivist epistemology which

concludes from science literatures that learners gain

more through relating academic material and papers

to their own interests and academic vision, and that

such experience informs their ability to

conceptualize content (Duffy, 1992; Jonassen, 1949).

THE VALUES FROM

STUDENTS’ SURVEY ON AFA

IMPLEMENTATION

3.1 Consolidation of Academic

Knowledge, More Contact with

Frontiers of Science and

Technology and Open Horizon

Through the presentation of each group, students can

get to many interesting branches of subjects and

fields of scientific research, know forefront of many

scientific information and broaden their horizon.

Besides, they will have a better understanding about

their own major and practical application of that.

They can learn the newest knowledge automatically,

and expand their knowledge of semiconductor. On

the one hand, students feel interested in learning. On

the other hand, they enrich their knowledge, have

better understanding of related knowledge and

improved their professionalism. They can have a

better understanding of things like graphene ，

carbon nanotube ， organic semiconductor ， SOI

devices, the process of energy-band engineering,

heterojunction and semiconductor of third

generation.

3.2 Improvement of Comprehensive

Ability

In the aspect of comprehensive ability, students have

obvious improvement of organizational competence,

speech, resistance to pressure, communication and

operation. What AFA brings to students is what the

traditional class which is centralized in teach cannot

provide.

Because the speech time is limited within 5

minutes, the students’ ability of summary and

organizational competence as well as resistance to

pressure will be improved. Students get to know

each other more and deepen their friendship. And

they will practice their ability of communicating and

cooperation. Moreover, students will have more

courage to stand in front of people to make a

statement.

The skills of using modern office software will

be greatly improved, such as making PPT. They will

gain precious experience of making a presentation.

Through looking up documents in all kinds of fields,

students will have a fairly deep understanding about

the topic. It is also a very good chance to improve

eloquence, which is even better for those students

who are introvert and seldom get on to the stage.

Furthermore, student will clearly see their weakness

and can get better through the experience.

3.3 The Ability of Looking up and

Screening the Documents

Independently

Students will learn how to find a certain needed



CSEDU2014-6thInternationalConferenceonComputerSupportedEducation

136

Figure 2: The students’ Questionnaire survey.

document. Also they will master many ways to look

up the newest materials. For example, student will

make full use of the electric resources so that they

strengthen their ability of looking up documents.

Students learn how to look up, read and screen a

certain literature. Then they get the ability to find

something they are interested in, so that they gain a

good habit of learning beyond the textbook.

Students will improve their ability of finding and

summarizing knowledge.

3.4 The Team Cooperation

Students can learn how to help each other,

communicate and cooperate with the teammates.

Through the teamwork and sharing, students form

the awareness of teamwork so that their group

cooperation and communication have improved.

3.5 More Interest in Learning

Their interest in semiconductor physics will be

raised. “The key point is that the freedom brings

plenty of interest.” It is convenient for students to

choose a certain field they are interested in and

continue studying. They feel good about the

presentation on the stage, so the class becomes more

compelling for them. Thus, students will be more

interested in the field of microelectronics; moreover,

they can feel the fantasy of their major and raise the

interest in scientific researches.

3.6 Improvement of Autonomous

Learning Ability

As a result of interest rising, the individual initiative

of learning is strengthened. The ability of self-

studying is improved.

3.7 Getting the Key Points of a Paper

Quickly.

Students will know how to read a newly paper and

get brief view of a paper, and they should also learn

the way to catch the key point of a paper.

3.8 The Difficulties in the

Implementing Process of AFA

In the step of listing the difficulties freely, ‘the

difficulty of looking up documents and selecting the

materials’ is listed first. At the same time, students

share experience according to their own experience,

which shows the confidence to solve problems.

They lack the ability to look up English

documents, the sensibility of the materials, the

ability of caching useful information accurately and

finding useful data quickly. The understanding of

English documents needs improved, since students

nearly have no idea what the English papers are

TheValuesonAcademicFrontier-basedApproach'Implementation

137

talking about. To solve the problem of reading

documents, reading more is the only way. Students

should learn more key words of the major, master a

certain proper way to read and practice as much as

possible.

While choosing materials, students should start

with small points and expand it later to more aspects.

What really matters is not the quantity, but the

quality. Also, students need to read more literature in

the daily life to get access to the frontier knowledge,

and when they encounter some literature which is

strongly professional, they can deal with it more

calmly.

Students do not have adequate preparation, and

cannot arrange their time on the stage well. And it is

also important to adjust the psychological states to

face the problem of performance anxiety. Students

need to take part in more implements, to prepare

well before making the presentation. Practice always

makes perfect.

It is important to have a comprehensive grasp of

the topic and clear mind.

About the production of PPT. It is important to

have a clear and concise content of PPT, instead of

gorgeous appearance. Making more PPTs is a good

way to promote the level of making PPT. PPT

producing is a basic ability; students should master it

and deal with problems by themselves.

Thus, speech time and the topic of the speech are

two aspects that need improve. And direction that

needs to be adjusted in the next step of education is

listed.

3.9 The Questionnaire Survey--

Suggestions for Improvement for

AFA

Extending the speech time. Too short speech time

cannot clarify the statement clearly, which reduce

the quality of sharing. Although some students have

a deep understanding about the topic, limited

presentation time makes students just state some of

the content in stead of all of them. This may result in

decrease of audiences’ understanding, because the

basic content is skipped. For example, the students

really want to share the alloy method, heterojunction

method and the lattice strain method of energy band

engineering when they introduce energy band

engineering. However, considering 5 minutes’ time

for this part, they cannot elaborate it. Topic of the

speech.

This kind of presentation should focus on

stimulating the interest and increasing knowledge.

So if students combine the topic with subjects that

students may encounter in their graduate period,

their enthusiasm will be improved and that can set a

good basis for their further study.

Add the part of interaction. More interaction and

more chances for audience to ask questions will help

the audience understand the presentation better.

4 CONCLUSIONS

It is found that a few do not approve the aspects of

autonomous learning ability and getting the key

points of a paper quickly. First of all, it is the first

time to be involved in such programs for students

who take part in AFA. During the past four years, we

chose 6 classes to implement the AFA program. For

students used to the mode that takes teacher as the

center, their ability of autonomous learning is

expected to improve on the basis of rising interest.

In the aspect of document reading, it is reasonable

that not many students approve the achievement.

Because for students who just begin academic

English reading, lacking training will lead to the

result that the difficulty of reading and

understanding new knowledge will restrict each

other. If we persist in implementing AFA, students’

academic English will get better and that will bring

promoting effect to them for in the future in some

degree.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors acknowledge the support from the

International Corporation and Communication

Scholarship of Sichuan Province (Grant No.

2012HH0027), Undergraduate Education and

Teaching Reform Project of UESTC, and

Undergraduate Education and Teaching Reform

Project of ZJUT.

REFERENCES

Duffy, T. M., 1992. New implications for instructional

technology' in Duffy.

Johnson, Roger T. and Johnson, David W., 1994. An

overview of cooperative learning. In Thousand, J., Villa.

A., AND Nevin. A. (Eds), Creativity and Collaborative

Learning. Baltimore, MD: Brooks Press.

Johnson, D. W., and Johnson, R. T.， 1984. Circles of

Learning. Washington, DC: Assoc. Supervision and

Curriculum Dev.

CSEDU2014-6thInternationalConferenceonComputerSupportedEducation

138

Jonassen, D. H., 1949. Constructivism and the Technology

of Instruction: A Conversation 1-16. Hillsdale, NJ:

Erlbaum. Ago. Kent State University Press.

Kiraly, D., 1995. Pathways to Translation. Pedagogy and

Process, Kent: Ohio,

Kiraly, D., 2000. A Social Constructivist Approach to

Translator Education: Empowerment from Theory to

Practice. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing.

Nuo Liu, Shenli Yang, Xiaojun Wang, Ping Li, Tao Du,

Yiwen Wang, Design and Application of Academic

Frontier-based Approach in Engineering Courses,

International Conference on Education & E-

LearningInnovations-2013, Proceeding,130.

Nuo Liu, Shenli Yang, Xiaojun Wang, 2013. The

implementation of academic frontier-based approach

based on constructivism, 2013 International conference

on information and communication technology for

education, Proceeding, 28.

Nuo Liu, Shengli Yang, Bing Feng, Liangyin Chen, 2014.

Academic Frontier-based Approach based on

Constructivism, Proceedings of CSEDU 2014 – 6th

International Conference on Computer Supported

Education.

TheValuesonAcademicFrontier-basedApproach'Implementation

139