How (You Can Help) People Learn (Biology) 1 What do you notice? What do you wonder? impaled by Yersinia on flickr CC-BY-NC-SA
How (You Can Help) People Learn (Biology) 1
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?
impaled by Yersinia on flickr CC-BY-NC-SA
CTD WEEKLY WORKSHOPS:
ALTERNATIVES TO LECTURE
Peter Newbury
Center for Teaching Development,
University of California, San Diego
[email protected] @polarisdotca
ctd.ucsd.edu #ctducsd
slides and resources: ctd.ucsd.edu/programs/fall-2013-weekly-workshops/
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
12:00 – 12:50 pm Center Hall, Room 316
Key Finding 1
Alternatives to Lecture 3
Students come to the classroom with preconceptions about how the world works. If their initial understanding is not engaged, they may fail to grasp the new concepts and information that are taught, or they may learn them for the purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions outside of the classroom.
(How People Learn [1], p. 14)
Instructors must
draw out students’
pre-existing
understandings.
Instruction must be
student-centered.
Key Finding 2
Alternatives to Lecture 4
To develop competence in an area, students must:
a) have a deep foundation of factual knowledge,
b) understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework, and
c) organize knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and application.
(How People Learn [1], p. 16)
These are
characteristics of
expertize
Instructors need to
give students
opportunities to be
more expert-like.
Key Finding 3
Alternatives to Lecture 5
A “metacognitive” approach to instruction can help students learn to take control of their own learning by defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in achieving them.
(How People Learn [1], p. 18)
Instructors need to
provide opportunities
for students to practice
being metacognitive
Metacognition:
that voice in your
head that checks
if you understand
Constructivist theory of learning
Alternatives to Lecture 6
Students need to construct their own understanding of
the concepts, where
each student assimilates new material into his/her
own framework of initial understanding and
preconception
each student confronts their (mis)understanding of
the concepts
A traditional, one-way lecture doesn’t give students an
opportunity to construct their own knowledge, practice a
skill or receive timely, formative feedback.
Alternatives to Lecture 7
student-centered instruction traditional lecture
Alternatives to Lecture
Alternatives to Lecture 8
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos
What do you notice? What do you wonder?
student-centered instruction
Clicker Question
9
The molecules making up the dry mass of wood that
forms during the growth of a tree largely come from
A) sunlight.
B) the air.
C) the seed.
D) the soil.
Question credit: Bill Wood
How (You Can Help) People Learn (Biology)
Typical Episode of Peer Instruction
How People Learn 10
1. Instructor poses a conceptually-challenging
multiple-choice question.
2. Students think about question on their own and vote
using clickers, colored ABCD cards, smartphones,…
3. The instructor asks students to turn to their neighbors
and “convince them you’re right.”
4. After that “peer instruction”, the students vote again
and the instructor leads a class-wide discussion
concluding with why the right answer(s) is right and
the wrong answers are wrong.
In effective peer instruction
How People Learn 11
students teach each other while
they may still hold or remember
their novice preconceptions
students discuss the concepts in their
own (novice) language
each student finds out what s/he does(n’t) know
the instructor finds out what the students know (and
don’t know) and reacts, building on their initial
understanding and preconceptions.
students learn
and practice
how to think,
communicate
like experts
Effective peer instruction requires
Alternatives to Lecture
1. identifying key concepts, misconceptions
2. creating multiple-choice questions that
require deeper thinking and learning
3. facilitating peer instruction episodes that
spark student discussion
4. resolving the misconceptions
before
class
during
class
12
Upcoming CTD Teaching and Learning Workshop:
To register, look for the
Fall 2013
Teaching and Learning Workshops
at ctd.ucsd.edu
To learn more about peer instruction
How People Learn 13
Nov 13 Writing Good Clicker Questions: A good episode of
peer instruction requires a good question. In this session,
we’ll see a variety of questions and contrast good vs.
bad questions, that you can adapt to your discipline.
Alternatives to Lecture
Alternatives to Lecture 14
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos
What do you notice? What do you wonder?
student-centered instruction
How (You Can Help) People Learn (Biology) 15
Chemistry Day 4 by pennstatenews on flickr CC-BY-NC
In-class demonstrations
Alternatives to Lecture 16
1. Instructor (meticulously) sets up the equipment, flicks
a switch, “Taa-daaah!
2. Students
don’t know where to look
don’t know when to look, miss “the moment”
don’t recognize the significance of the event amongst
too many distractions
To engage students and focus their attention on the key
event, get students to make a prediction (using clickers,
for example)
Clicker question
Alternatives to Lecture 17
A ball is rolling around
the inside of a circular
track. The ball
leaves the track
at point P.
Which path
does the ball
follow?
P
A
B C
D
E
(Mazur)
Interactive Lecture Demos (ILD) [2]
Alternatives to Lecture 18
By making a prediction, each student
cares about the outcome (“Did I get it right?”)
knows when to look (can anticipate phenomenon)
knows where to look (sees phenomenon occur)
gets immediate feedback about his/her
understanding of the concept
is prepared for your explanation
(don’t be afraid to mess with their heads – inclined
table example)
Alternatives to Lecture
Alternatives to Lecture 19
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos
What do you notice? What do you wonder?
student-centered instruction
Showing video in class
Alternatives to Lecture 20
There are times when a video is the perfect resource.
Archimedes’ Principle
In today’s Physics class, we’re
going to study buoyancy and
Archimedes’ Principle.
http://tinyurl.com/TCCdemo
(Paul Hewitt video)
(Image: Wikimedia Commons – public domain)
Videos in class
Alternatives to Lecture 21
Unlike you, the students do not
select the video
check it contains key events
anticipate key events
recognize key events
interpret key events
relate key events to
class concepts
instructor does this
before class
instructor does this unconsciously,
the “curse” of expertise
This is what you want to do in class!
Anticipate & recognize are
pre-requisites.
Videos: implications for instructors
Alternatives to Lecture 22
Coach the students how to watch the video like an
expert:
As you watch this video, try to…
watch for when the A starts to B.
count how often the C does D.
watch the needles on the scales as water drains.
Don’t “give away” the key event (Notice the buoyant
force is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced.)
That’s what the follow-up discussion is for: help the
students get prepared for that discussion.
Showing video in biology class
Alternatives to Lecture 23
Alternatives to Lecture
Alternatives to Lecture 24
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos
What do you notice? What do you wonder?
student-centered instruction
How (You Can Help) People Learn (Biology) 25
What do you notice?
What do you wonder?
impaled by Yersinia on flickr CC-BY-NC-SA
Start teaching before the bell rings
Alternatives to Lecture 26
Students arrive, ready to engage with you, your content:
Project a picture related to today’s lesson
Add prompts:
“What do you notice? What do you wonder?” [3]
Spend first few minutes leading a discussion:
every student can contribute
you learn their pre-existing knowledge
activates concepts in their memories
Don’t let their enthusiasm slip away!
Is Lecture Dead?
Alternatives to Lecture 27
No! There is still a time and place for lecture. You can
lecture (for 10-15 minutes) when the students are
prepared to learn
the alt-to-lecture activities have activated the
concepts in their memories
they’ve tried, failed, received feedback, tried again
and are waiting for confirmation [4]
they’re prepared to intellectually appreciate your
expertise you’re about to share with them
Alternatives to Lecture
Alternatives to Lecture 28
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos
What do you notice? What do you wonder?
To enhance students learning and
retention, some instruction must be interactive and student-centered.
That’s how people learn.
References
Alternatives to Lecture 29
1. National Research Council (2000). How People Learn: Brain,
Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. J.D.
Bransford, A.L Brown & R.R. Cocking (Eds.),Washington, DC:
The National Academies Press.
2. Get the full story of interactive lecture demos (ILDs) at
serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/demonstrations/index.html
3. Read more about “What do you notice? What do you
wonder” at ctd.ucsd.edu/2013/08/you-dont-have-to-wait-
for-the-clock-to-strike-to-start-teaching/
4. Bain, K (2004). What the best college teachers do.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
CTD WEEKLY WORKSHOPS:
ALTERNATIVES TO LECTURE
Peter Newbury
Center for Teaching Development,
University of California, San Diego
[email protected] @polarisdotca
ctd.ucsd.edu #ctducsd
slides and resources: ctd.ucsd.edu/programs/fall-2013-weekly-workshops/
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
12:00 – 12:50 pm Center Hall, Room 316