Video tutorials to develop independent learning for graduate student class

The «Biogeochemical Modelling of Agroecosystems» class was for the first time included in the MSc curriculum in the spring term 2015. Most students of the class experienced major technical difficulties with the model set up, preparation of input files, execution of simulations, and analysis of the model output. Consequently, they had to strongly rely on an additional tutoring by the lecturers. Extra teaching hours and overall effort of the lectures could not be justified by the low number of students. We therefore intend to thoroughly revise the content of the class, and improve overall teaching/learning process through application of innovative teaching methods. Here, we propose to develop short video tutorials that can assist students to learn modelling skills for model set-up, application and model output analysis, and to solve technical problems more independently. We strongly believe that the video tutorials will improve students overall performance, class time management, and in combination with classroom assessment techniques (CATs) will enhance students understanding of the class content. Video tutorials will be applicable to teaching other modelling classes and therefore will have implications for other graduate students not enrolled in the class as well as DayCent model users worldwide.

1) Improved prospects for students to overcome technical difficulties with model application independently;
2) Increased overall time efficiency of the class;
3) Enhanced students understanding of the content of the class;
4) Increased students awareness of biogeochemical modelling and its importance in environmental and ecological assessments of agroecosystems;
5) Increased students interest in biogeochemical modelling-based class(es) offered at ETH and related research topics;
6) Applicability of some of the tutorials to other biogeochemical models;
7) Applicability to other classes on modelling and data analysis, and thus usefulness for other MSc/PhD students not enrolled in the class;
8) Implications for the DayCent model users worldwide.

Video tutorials describing data preparation, the model application and the model output analysis in a step-by-step manner have not been prepared for educational purposes within the context of agricultural sciences before. Moreover, up to date the DayCent model application and preparation of the input files have not been presented to the users in the form of video tutorials. We therefore believe that, despite <20 students are expected to enrol in the «Biogeochemical Modelling of Agroecosystems» class annually, the expected outputs of this project will have broader impacts due to applicability to other classes on modelling and data analysis, and thereby have positive implications for other MSc/PhD students not enrolled in the class as well as for the DayCent model users worldwide.

From the students’ feedback, we have learned that subtitles running in the lower part would improve the existing videos.

We have received a quantitative feedback on the use of the video tutorials in 2018:
«Did the tutorial videos help you to better understand the content of the class and to apply the model in the lab exercises? Please choose one answer.»

Results:
Yes and Mostly: 4 votes (36%)
Partially: 3 votes (27%)
Not really: 4 votes (36%)

• Useful supplementary class material, which can be used in a flipped classroom format
• Streaming quality has a significant impact on the students’ interest to watch the videos