learning and effective teaching. it’s time to meet your buddy introduce yourself to your neighbor...

Learning and Effective Teaching

It’s time to meet your buddy

• Introduce yourself to your neighbor and share the following information about yourself:– Your name– Your field of study– Where you’re from– Your favorite thing to do in Baltimore (other than

labwork and schoolwork, of course!)– Your plans for your next vacation

Barr & Tagg: “A paradigm shift is taking hold in American higher education. In its briefest form, the paradigm that has governed our colleges is this: A college is an institution that exists to provide instruction. Subtly but profoundly we are shifting to a new paradigm: A college is an institution that exists to produce learning. This shift changes everything.”

Learning and Effective Teaching

• Outline:– How do we learn?

– How can we effectively measure learning?

– What do learning theories mean for teaching strategies?

• Goals:– Familiarity with major thought trends in education

– Develop personal opinions about these thought trends

Write down your thoughts about the following question:

How do people learn?


Education theorists

What’s the point of classroom instruction anyway?

ZPD

Lev Vygotsky

•Zone of proximal development (ZPD)

How does one learn within the “zone” (ZPD)?

• Experienced a feeling of crisis because current perspective was insufficient

• Critically assessed personal assumptions

• Engaged in rational dialogue (discussion) where they explored new ways of thinking and acting

• Reintegrated into society with new perspective

Jack Mezirow

Transformative Learning Theory - Discussion as a key to learning

1970’s study of women returning to community college after an extended hiatus - common factors:

Ideal conditions for and elements of discussion

• Accurate and complete information• Free from coercion• Weighs evidence and assesses

arguments objectively• Open to alternative perspectives• Reflect critically on pre-suppositions

and consequences• Everyone has an equal opportunity to

participate, meaning challenge, question, refute, and hear others do the same

Jack Mezirow

The power of discussion - “Islands of Decency”

• American Civil Rights Movement

• Creation of Citizenship Schools

Myles Horton

Paulo Freire

• Literacy efforts for social change

worldwide

The power of discussion - “Islands of Decency”

Lessons Learned:

Myles Horton

Paulo Freire

• Students live within cultures and environments that influence their abilities to learn

• The meaning of words varies between people of different cultures

• An educator’s role is to facilitate discussion and learning so that students become empowered to make informed decisions and actions.

Instructors as co-learners with students Why?

• Prior experiences and knowledge

• Capitalize on prior experiences as a resource

• Fit new concepts into framework of prior experiences when possible

Malcolm Knowles

The nature of adult learners:


The contemporary theory of constructivism

Constructivism• People “construct” their own

understanding by building conceptual structures– Individual process– Collective process

• In contrast to:– Behavioral view of learning (learning =

observable change in behavior)– Objectivist view of knowledge (learning

= identical knowledge of objective reality)

How do people ‘construct’ meaning?

1. They relate new learning to prior experiences

2. They learn through an active process

3. They organize knowledge around concepts

Is there any evidence for constructivism?

YES!

But… cognitive scientists tend to simplify the learning task that they are studying until it is manageable (discrete) and will not take longer than an hour

1. People relate new learning to prior experiences

29 L

3 L

How would you get 20 L?


127 L

21 L

3 L



127 L

21 L

3 L

(B – A – 2C)


23 L 49 L

3 L


You could use (B – A – 2C), but the solution can be much simpler


Experiment:

Control Group:1. Example2. 6 “simple” problems

Test Group:1. Example2. 6 problems (B-A-2C)3. 6 “simple” problems


Measured solutions chosen to solve to “simple” problems:

Used (B-A-2C)Used Simple

SolutionNo Solution

Test (children)

72% 24% 4%

Control (children)

1% 89% 10%

Test (adult) 74% 26% 0%

Control (adult)

0% 100% 0%

(adapted from Mayer 1983 p. 53)

2. People learn through an active process

Verbalized Silent

(Mayer1983p. 73)

2. People learn through an active process

(Bligh 2000 p.50)

There is a heightened state of attention during discussion, measured by heart rate.

3. People organize knowledge around concepts

The ProblemYou are given a pack of 8 red and black cards; deal out every other card onto the table, putting every skipped card on the bottom of the deck until all 8 cards are on the table. What was the order of the original sequence?

R R RRB BBB


Transfer Problems Retention Problem

No. 1 No. 2 No. 3

Memory 23% 8% 18%

Concept 44% 40% 52%

Control 9% 3% 9%

Measured proportion of similar problems answered correctly:

(adapted from Mayer 1983 p. 39)

Implications of constructivism:1. People relate new learning to prior experiences:

• May need to correct prior misconceptions• Different people have different prior experiences

2. People learn through an active process:• Learners won’t passively receive information

3. People organize knowledge around concepts:• Teach knowledge of your discipline around important

concepts

How do people learn? - Summary

Create environments of collaboration and equality

Use constructivist activities

Discuss with your buddy:

Have your thoughts about how people learn changed? If so, how?

Assessments and Course Design

in the Learning Paradigm

How has your learning been assessed?

• What were the unstated goals and objectives of these assessments?

• How useful are these objectives in the real world?

• Do these objectives promote understanding of the big picture or do they focus on small details?

Stage 1: Learning OutcomesEnduring Understandings: point towards the big picture

(what do you want your students to remember 10 years from now?)

Essential Questions: arguable, recurring, thought-provoking questions; reflect the complexity of the real world

“By the end of the course, I want my students to be able to …..”; use action verbs: Bloom’s Taxonomy

Example: GeneticsEnduring Understanding:

– Some traits are determined by the genetic material and are transmitted through generations by the genetic material

Essential Question:– Which wins, nature or nurture?

Want students to be able to:– Explain Mendel’s theory of inheritance

Try to think of one each (enduring understanding, essential question,

and ‘to be able to’) for your discipline

Stage 2: Design assessments that measure what you value

the most

• Focus on the objectives and the skills that you want students to be able to do

• This is where you get to be creative!

Example: “Mendel’s Paper”

• Goals: Students should be able to:– Explain Mendel’s theory of inheritance– Communicate scientific ideas in writing

• Assessment: write a manuscript of Mendel’s pea plant data

What will students give you for this assignment? When you grade their papers and give them back, will you have a line of students at your office complaining about unfair grading?

Suggestion: use a rubric to clearly communicate the standards and criteria

for this assignment

Rubric: Mendel’s Paper

4 3 2Content The thesis is defined,

adhered to, and fully developed.Supporting data are thoroughly interpreted to provide important information.

The thesis is defined and adhered to, but not fully developed.Supporting data are interpreted but may not provide important information.

The thesis is defined but not adhered to and not developed.Supporting data are mentioned but not interpreted.

Organization The paper is clearly divided into sections with appropriate content presented in a clear, logical pattern such that each statement logically leads to the next one.

The paper is divided into sections containing appropriate content, content is not always presented in a logical pattern.

The paper is divided into sections but each section does not contain appropriate content.

Communication Descriptive language is succinct and scientific. Sentences are purposeful with clear transitions

Descriptive language may not be either succinct or not scientific. Transitions between some sentences may be unclear.

Descriptive language is neither succinct nor scientific. Sentences don’t have logical transitions.

Crit

eria

Rubrics:

• Make assessments fair because they are subjective and public

• Students don’t waste their efforts trying to figure out the system

• Students are motivated to put their efforts into what matters the most

What about cheating? Could students hand in something

they didn’t write?

Suggestion: Use continuous feedback: make it required that early stages of

work will be assessed.

Example: Mendel’s Paper

• In order to get credit for this assignment you must:– Turn in an outline of your paper with

figures and indicate the main point of each section of the paper.

– Turn in a draft of your paper and meet with the instructor to discuss the suggestions for improvement.

Feedback:

• Provide information on performance at a time when it is useful to the student – before the final end product

• Encourages the student to learn from mistakes and self-correct

• Saves the instructor time in grading because the final product will be well developed

Stage 3: Design Learning Activities

• Ask: what do students need to learn in order to be able to do this assignment

Example: Mendel’s Paper

• Student’s need to be able to:– Explain Mendel’s results and theory (“lecture” on

this topic)– Take Mendel’s data and convert it into figures

(ensure that they know how to graph data)– Place appropriate information in different sections

of a scientific manuscript (show them the organization of a paper)

– Identify good scientific writing (show them examples of good and bad writing and discuss the important elements, use rubric)

Write down your thoughts about the following:

• Think about your best learning experience. What were three things that made it your best experience?• Think about your worst learning experience. What were three things that made it your worst

experience?

We’ll then discuss this as a class.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Multiple Intelligences

• Linguistic/Literary - writing, reading, listening, language

• Logical/Mathematical - logic; cause and effect; explore patterns, categories, relationships

• Intrapersonal - independent study; deep awareness of inner feelings, strengths, weaknesses; intuition; unique

• Interpersonal - learn best by relating and cooperation, group activities, mediators, empathy, social skills

Multiple Intelligences - con’t

• Visual/Spatial - think in images and pictures

• Musical/Auditory - sense of rhythm, sensitive to sounds in the environment, remember song melodies

• Bodily/Kinaesthetic - learn best by moving, touching, or acting things out, process knowledge through bodily sensations, hands-on learning

Write down your ideas and then share with your buddy:

You are teaching students about how coughing can transmit disease.

Think of different in-class activities that would help students with different “multiple intelligences” understand this concept. Feel free to be creative.

We will then share our ideas as a class.

Discussion Activities - Considerations

• Group size, seating arrangements, group assignments

• Set clear and specific objectives• Give a set amount of time• Give clear instructions • Set clear expectations for acceptable group

participation and social behavior

Discussion Activities - Considerations con’t

• Outline a procedure for students to clarify confusion

• Monitor the activity• Debrief the activity• Gain feedback on the success of the group

process • Reward positive participation

Discussion Activities - Benefits

• Students teach each other

• Learning within the “zone” (ZPD)

• Increased student responsibility

• Increased perspective

• Socialization

• Safe environment

Cultural Issues

• Individualism vs. collectivism• Monochronic time vs. polychronic time• Egalitarianism vs. hierarchy• Action vs. “being” orientation• Change vs. tradition• Communication styles• Attitudes toward conflict• Different approaches to knowing

Case Study

The Case of the Student Who Rolled Her Eyes and Sighed by Donald C. Fidler, M.D. - West Virginia University (Revised March 5, 1999)

The Problem: When Jeff Andresen and I were teaching together at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, we taught an one-hour class of third year medical students once per week. In one particular class we had a student whom we thought "poisoned" our class. Every time we asked a question or a student began to talk, one particular woman would roll her eyes and loudly sigh. The result was that the other students quickly would lower their heads and stare at the floor as if shamed, reluctant to further talk. The effect was "as if a poison" was thrust into the air if any of us

attempted to play. We felt doomed to teach this particular group.

Case Study con’tThe Solution: About the third or fourth class, after Jeff and I had discussed this issue exhaustively, we agreed to do what in retrospect seems obvious: we asked the young woman what the eye roll and sigh meant. Being an actor who tends to mimic, I gently mimicked the young woman as I said "you just moved your eyes like this and made this sound, what were you thinking when you moved like that?" The young woman, for the first time in our class, spoke, giving one of the best answers anyone in the class had ever given. I later asked her in private about why she thought she did those actions as her way to announce that she had something of value to say. She said that when she was growing up, her family would never listen to her, so she had learned to keep her thoughts to herself, and the eye roll and sigh were signals that she had something of value to say, but that it was being inhibited, crammed back down inside of her. She had no idea that she was performing in a way that others noticed, much less in a manner that may have been stifling others from sharing their very own ideas.

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs):

• Background knowledge probe

• Misconception / preconception

• One minute paper

• Thumbs up - thumbs down

How do I know if my teaching methods are working?

K. Patricia Cross


“Critically reflective teaching happens when we identify and scrutinize the assumptions that undergird how we work. The most effective way to become aware of these assumptions is to view our practice from different perspectives. Seeing how we think and work through different lenses is the core process of reflective practice.”

Lenses To View Our Teaching Through

• Our autobiographies as learners and teachers

• Our students eyes

• Our colleagues experiences

• The theoretical literature Stephen Brookfield

Stephen Brookfield

Ask your students! Potential questions:

• At what moment in the class this week did you feel most engaged?

• At what moment in the class this week did you feel most distanced?

• What action that anyone took in class did you find most affirming? Helpful? Puzzling? Confusing?

• What about class surprised you the most?


Answer the following questions using the index card:

Personal Reflection:1. What was the concept that you most agreed with? Why?2. What was the concept that you most disagreed with? Why?

Feedback for Emily and Amanda:3. What part(s) of the class “worked”? Why?4. What part(s) of the class didn’t “work”? Why?

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