Evidence-Based Classroom Strategies for Improving Student Learning in the Twenty-First Century

Evidence-Based Classroom Strategies for Improving Student

Learningin the Twenty-First Century

2014 UCF Summer Development ConferenceMonday, May 5, 2014

Autar Kawautarkaw.com

MOOC Panic Has Been Good for Teaching and Learning

Student’s Prior Knowledge Can Help

or Hinder Learning

Misconceptions• Preconceived notions• Nonscientific beliefs• Conceptual misunderstandings• Vernacular misconceptions• Factual misconceptions

Source: http://www.cirtl.net/node/2628

We have winter season becauseA. the earth is

farther from the sun in the winter than in the summer

B. of the tilt of the earth about its’ axis

C. the earth is not a perfect sphere

Why do we have seasons?

Personal Response Systems

What are the goals of using clickers?

• Measure prior knowledge.• Engage students in active

learning.• Promote peer-to-peer

interaction.• Provide their own

understanding.

What are the goals of using clickers (cont’d)?

• Provide a voice to students.• Model the process of critical

thinking.• Sends a message that

instructor is vested in student learning.

What type of questions should I ask?

• Stage 1: If you are new to clickers yourself, ask simple questions in the beginning.• Stage 2: Ask challenging

conceptual questions.• Stage 3: Structure the clicker

questions around the lecture.

What kind of questions are of HIGH impact?

• prior knowledge, • conceptual understanding, • new context, • draw knowledge, and• relate different

representations.

Which Learning Techniques are Best?

Ten Common Learning Techniques1. Elaborative

interrogation2. Self-explanation 3. Summarization4. Highlighting/

underlining 5. Keyword mnemonic 6. Imagery for text 7. Rereading 8. Practice testing 9. Distributed practice 10.Interleaved practice 

LowLowLowLowLow

Ten Common Learning Techniques1. Elaborative

interrogation2. Self-explanation 3. Summarization4. Highlighting/

underlining 5. Keyword mnemonic 6. Imagery for text 7. Rereading 8. Practice testing 9. Distributed practice 10.Interleaved practice 

ModerateModerateLowLowLowLowLow

Moderate

Ten Common Learning Techniques1. Elaborative

interrogation2. Self-explanation 3. Summarization4. Highlighting/

underlining 5. Keyword mnemonic 6. Imagery for text 7. Rereading 8. Practice testing 9. Distributed practice 10.Interleaved practice 

ModerateModerateLowLowLowLowLowHighHighModerate

Interleaved Practice

http://j2jenkins.com/2013/04/29/interleaved-practice-a-secret-enhanced-learning-technique/

Practice Testing

Distributed Practice

What is the Biggest Hindrance to Learning?

Multitasking

21

The Two Circuits in Brain

Circuit 2: This one sets our mind to concentrate on something

Circuit 1: This one is for reactive attention

Source: psych.ucla.edu

Negative Consequences of Multitasking While Doing College Work

Time spent Mental fatigue Memory failure Higher order learning

suffers

Source: The New Marshmallow Test: Students Can’t Resist Multitasking, Annie Paul, slate.com; blog.reyjunco.com/

A Taxonomy to Follow to Learn

What is Bloom’s Taxonomy?

Six Levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy Knowledge: (repeating verbatim)

List, State

Comprehension: (demonstrate understanding) Explain, Interpret

Application: (applying learned info to solve problem) Calculate, Solve

Six Levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy Analysis: (breaking things down, formulating

mathematical models) Derive, Explain

Synthesis: (creating something, combining elements) Formulate, Makeup, Design

Evaluation: (making and justifying judgments, selection from alternatives) Determine, Select, Critique

Flip the class

What is a flipped classroom?

Transmission in class and assimilation at home

Transmission at home and assimilation in class

Source: CTL, University of Washington

Before, In, and After

Before

ClassIn ClassAfter Class

What happens BEFORE class?

Assign video lectures before class.

What is done before class at home?

Assign reading

What graded assignments are given before class? Automatically graded quizzes are

assigned

What graded assignments are given before class?

What did you not understand about the assigned chapter?

What other resources are available to students before class?

PPTs MC questions and

their full solutions Extra examples Real world

applications Wolfram demos Piazza discussion

board

What happens IN class?

Ask clicker questions

10-15 minutes: Clickers are used for quizzes

Answer Pair re-poll instructor discussion.

Give microlectures

10-15 minutes: Micro-lectures are based on questions asked

Outline in-class exercises

10-15 minutes: Advanced exercises on higher order thinking?

What happens AFTER class?

Assignments and help! Take another automatically graded

algorithmic quiz on the LMS Complete and submit higher-order

thinking exercise for grading. Continue discussion on Piazza.

Answers given via text, videos, links, Livescribe pen, and ShowMe App.

Learning Approaches

Two extreme approaches that work?

Guided Discovery Fully Guided Instruction

Can we be in the middle of the spectrum?

Guided Discovery Fully Guided Instruction

So is there an evidence-based middle approach?

Universal Design Learning (UDL)

http://udlcenter.org

The trinity of UDL?

• Multiple means of representation

• Multiple means of action and expression

• Multiple means of engagement

http://udlcenter.org

QUESTIONSAutar Kaw

kaw@usf.edu

Evidence-Based Classroom Strategies for Improving Student Learning

in the Twenty-First Century