effective or active learning environment for science

Effective/Active Learning

Environment for Science

EQUIP/Amdeselassie A Amde

A Training on Lecture-based Model, 3rd GSST, 13 – 16 Dec. 2012, Univ. of Gondar Amdselassie A Amde, Department of Physics & ADRC, University

of Gondar, [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Outline

I. Shift Has Happened!

II. 21st Century Skills

III. Why Do Students Experience Difficulties in Learning?

IV. Designing Effective Learning Environment(Factors to

be Considered)

V. Examples of Effective Learning Environment

VI. The Lecture-based Model

VII. Future Training


I. Shift has Happened!

Watch the clip “Do You Know?” 21st C. Learning Tools! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZegg_iVFDM)

Write down some important ideas & changes you noticed

from the clip!

Please include the relevant changes in Ethiopia & update

the clip! (You can use video editing & sharing tools freely

available online).


Demo/Did You Know III-Updated June 2007.flv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZegg_iVFDM

II. 21st Century Skills … for Science &

Technology Graduates

(http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework & http://www.nationalacademies.org/nrc)

Mastery of core subject knowledge & 21st C. themes

Learning and Innovation Skills (Creativity and Innovation,

Critical Thinking and Non-routine Problem Solving, and

Communication and Collaboration);

Complex Communication skills;

Life and Career Skills (Adaptability, Self-management/Self-

development, …);

Systems Thinking;

Constructing and Evaluating Evidence-based Arguments,

http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-framework





http://www.nationalacademies.org/nrc

III. Why Do Students Experience Difficulties

in Learning (Science)?

Nobel Laureate Carl Weizman argues that “The Old

Science Education Model” is actually responsible …

Hence investigating the Physical & Cognitive Architecture

of the traditional learning model can provide insights …


Old Science Education Model (C. Weizman)

1. Physical and Cognitive Architecture for

Traditional Learning Environment

1. Imagine yourself as an undergraduate attending a lecture

in classroom,

What did you real hate about attending lectures and

about the classrooms?

Think of a memorable positive & negative learning

experience.


… Physical and Cognitive Architecture

2. Compare architectures of the following learning spaces

(R. Beichner)



3. Compare the learning activities in the following pictures.

Which one is participatory?



4. Compare the learning activities that occur in the following

classes!?


2. Some of typical assumptions about traditional

classrooms (Chism and Bickford)

Learning only happens in classrooms and at fixed times.

Learning is an individual activity.

What happens in classrooms is pretty much the same from

class to class and day to day.

A classroom always has a front.

Learning demands privacy and the removal of distractions.

Audio-Visual is need in large rooms only to make the

lectures visible or audible.


3. Traditional learning model, used for many years:

is content oriented, teacher-centered, and encourages little

or no student active participation,

is limited in space & time, and

rewards memorization over conceptual thinking.

Is traditional science learning model therefore to be blamed … and not adequate for 21st c. education that requires expertise and mastery of the multi-dimensional abilities?

List Additional Challenges Relevant to our Education

Systems!


So we need an innovative learning environment or model to achieve & measure more complex learning (or mastery of 21st C. skills)

Prof. C. Weizman suggested that we need a Scientific Approach for New Science Education Model.

Let us see what factors should be consider in designing Effective Learning Model .


Scientific Approach to Science Education New Science Education Model (Source: C.Weizman)

IV. Factors to be Considered in Designing

Effective Learning Environment?


1. Findings from Cognitive Science (The Cognitive

Model)

New findings from cognitive sciences on how people learn

effectively


Dale’s Cone of Learning


1.1. Models of Memory & Its Implications for

Instruction: (E. Redish)

To understand learning, we must understand memory -

how information is stored & processed in the brain.

Professor, May I be excused?

My brain is full.


… Models of

Working memory - fast but limited. Used for problem solving,

processing information, and maintaining information in our

consciousness. Handle a small number of data blocks; content

tends to fade after a few seconds.

Long-term memory - hold a huge amount of information -

facts, data, and rules for how to use and process them - and the

information can be maintained for long periods.

Using information from long-term memory requires that it be

activated (brought into working memory).

Activation of information in long-term memory is productive

(created on the spot from small, stable parts) and associative

(activating an element leads to activation of other elements).


1.2 Implications of the Cognitive Model for Instruction

Five general principles that help us understand what happens

in classroom (E. Redish)

The constructivism principle

Individuals build their knowledge by making connections to

existing knowledge; they use this knowledge by productively

creating a response to the information they receive.

The context principle

What people construct depends on the context—including

their mental states.


The change principle

It is reasonably easy to learn something that matches or

extends an existing schema, but changing a well-

established schema substantially is difficult

The individuality principle

Since each individual constructs his or her own mental

structures, different students have different mental

responses and different approaches to learning.

The social learning principle

For most individuals, learning is most effectively carried out

via social interactions.


2. New Role of Technology (ILT)

Expanding Access to Education

Anytime & Anywhere Learning

Access to Remote Learning & Research Resources


… New Role of

brings more interaction & insight gaining through

personal response system (PRS), videoconferencing & web

forum;

modeling & simulation, interactive lecture demonstration

(ILD), & computer-based measurement (MBL/CADA)

Transform Learning to Learner-Centered

Active Learning

Cooperative Learning

Problem Based Learning (PBL)


… New Role of

Help Prepare Individual for the 21st C. Workplace

Digital Age Literacy

Inventive Thinking

Higher-Order Thinking

Effective Communication

Help Improve Academic Management

Library Management System

Learning Management System (CMS & SIS)

Digital Asset Management


3. Changes in Today’s Students/Learners

Net-gen: e-mailing, chatting, browsing, content publishing,

Socializing, …

Learner’s Demography?

Is the traditional science teaching environment/model suitable to today’s learners (the net-gen)?

Hence Effective/Active Learning Environments

are developed by integrating education research results

with technological tools

incorporate new and improved learning models

transform learning from teacher-centered to student-

centered

It requires new physical (temporal/spatial) and cognitive

architecture

Can we use technology to introduce Active Learning in the

traditional learning environment (i.e. without changing its

physical architecture)?

Replace one or more elements of the traditional structure by a

student-centered activity!?


V. Some Examples of Effective/Active

Learning Environment

Effective Learning Environment - there is more … than a

Built Pedagogy (architectural embodiments of

educational philosophies, or the ways in which a space is

designed to shape the learning that happens in that

space, D. Oblinger).

TEAL

SCALEUP

Workshop/Studio-based

Lecture-based Model


C:/Users/Amdeselassie/Desktop/Demo/Video Clip.ivr

1. Technology Enabled Active Learning (TEAL)

TEAL is a learning format that merges lectures, simulations,

and hands-on desktop experiments to create a rich

collaborative learning experience.

http://icampus.mit.edu/projects/teal/


http://icampus.mit.edu/projects/teal/

… TEAL

TEAL classes feature:

Collaborative learning - students working during class in

small groups with shared laptop computers

Desktop experiments with data acquisition links to laptops

Media-rich visualizations and simulations delivered via

laptops and the Internet

PRS response systems that stimulate interaction between

students and lecturers


2. Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogies (SCALE-UP)

SCALE-UP is a learning environment created to facilitate active,

collaborative learning for 100 or more students.

The spaces are carefully designed to facilitate interactions

between teams of students who work on short, interesting tasks.


… SCALEUP

http://scaleup.ncsu.edu/

SCALE-UP features:

Students work in teams on these "tangibles" (hands-on

measurements or observations) and "ponderables"

(interesting, complex problems).

Instructors circulate and work with teams and individuals,

engaging them in Socratic-like dialogues.

There is no separate lab class and most of the "lectures" are

actually class-wide discussions.


http://scaleup.ncsu.edu/

VI. Lecture-based Model

1. Traditional Lecture Can be modified to include student interaction

set the context

chunk material

ask authentic questions

vote on a choice of answers,….

But do not have much effect!


2. A More Structured Interaction

2.1. Peer Instruction/ConcepTest (http://galileo.harvard.edu/)

Key Activities

a. web-based reading assignment (JiTT)

b. ConcepTests

c. conceptual exam questions

Facilities

PCs (none or 1 with LCD), CMS, Internet/Intranet access,

colored card or Personal Response System,

text with concept tests Resource Sites

recent textbooks, related courseware sites

Examples, Demos & Practical

Details to be provided at practical sessions!


http://galileo.harvard.edu/


a. Web-based Reading Assignment

A web-based reading assignment is given before the

beginning of the class

b. ConcepTest

challenging multiple-choice questions in 5 – 7 min segment

concept oriented & distracters based on common student

difficulties as shown by research

Think, Pair & Share


THINK! Students answer the question using clickers

What can we use if we do not have PRS?


PAIR! Students discuss the problem

with their neighbors for 2 min.

SHARE! Students answer the question again

Does the discussion produce a significant improvement? If not additional materials will be presented


2.2. Interactive Lecture Demonstrations/Simulation (http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/demonstrations/index.html)

Interactive Lecture Demonstrations/Simulations engage students in

activities that confront their prior understanding of a core concept.

Its Key features are: predict, experience & reflect.

Key Activities

a. Predict!

Describe the demo/sim & perform it without collecting data,

and write individual predictions

discuss with neighbors and write consensus predictions

hold a class discussion based on the various discussion

b. Experience!

perform demo collecting data & display result/output, and

students write results


http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/demonstrations/index.html

c. Reflect!

hold a brief class discussion – why the answer obtained

makes sense & the others have problems


Facilities

Personal Computing Devices, LCD, CADA devices (and/or

simulations), software for data acquisition-analysis and

simulation-visualization

worksheets for predictions and results

open and free courseware and software, digital libraries,

laboratories (including virtual & remotely accessible)




2.3. Just in Time Teaching (JiTT) (http://galileo.harvard.edu/)

Blends Active Learning with Web Technology.

Focuses on improving student learning through the use of brief

web-based questions delivered before a class meeting.

Students' responses to the exercises are reviewed by the instructor

before class begins & are used to develop classroom activities

addressing learning gaps revealed in the responses.

Goals :

Improve conceptual understanding & problem-solving skills.

Develop critical thinking abilities.

Build teamwork and communication skills.

Learn to connect classroom learning with real-world

experience.






Focuses on two critical cognitive principles:

Students learn more effectively if they are intellectually

engaged.

Instructors teach more effectively if they understand what

their students think and know.

Key Activities:

a. warm up questions on the web

b. provide answers

c. class discussion and activities

d. puzzle on the web


Facilities

PCs with CMS & Internet-Intranet access, LCD, Simulation

open and free courseware and software, digital libraries,



a. Warm up questions on the web

Before each lecture, specific, carefully chosen WarmUp

questions are assigned on the web.

Students provide their best answers a few hours before class.

The instructor looks at the student responses before lecture,

estimates the frequency of different responses, and selects

certain responses to include as part of the in-class discussion

and activities.


b. Class discussion and activities

The class discussion and activities are built around the

WarmUp questions and student responses.


c. Puzzles on the Web

At the end of a topic, a tricky question (puzzles) is put on the web for

students to answer.

Most students attempting puzzles

get bogged down in the detail;

spend a full hour discussing the

problem, using it as an opportunity

to thoroughly review everything

that had been covered to that point

& to discuss and build problem

solving skills. (Novak and et.al.)


Please watch the clip: “3 Steps for 21st Century Learning!”

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gauIikwAwLM)

VII. Future Training Focus!

Effective/Active Learning Environment for Science:

Recitation-based Model & Lab-based Model


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gauIikwAwLM

References:

E. Redish, Teaching Physics with the Physics Suite (Wiley, 2003)

C. Weizman, Scientific Approach for Science Education (Change, Sept/Oct

2007)

J. Bransford, A. Brown, How People Learn (National Academy Press, 1999)

E. Mazur, Peer Instruction: A User's Manual (Prentice-Hall, 1997)

Derek Bruff, Teaching with Classroom Response Systems (Jossey-Bass, 2009)

D. Sokoloff and R. Thornton, “Using interactive lecture demonstrations to

create an active learning environment,” Phys. Teach. 35, 340 (1997).

Gregor Novak, et.al., Just-In-Time Teaching: Blending Active Learning with

Web Technology (Addison-Wesley, 1999)

Scott Smikins, et.al, Just in Time Teaching: Across the Disciplines, and Across

the Academy (Stylus Publishing, 2009)

C. Carmean and J. Haefner, “Mind over matter: Transforming course

management systems into effective learning environments,” Educause Rev. 37

(6), 26 (2002).


… References:

R. Beichner, Technology for Teaching Physics, http://www.ncsu.edu/PER

F. Reif, Applying Cognitive Science to Education (MIT Press, 2008).

James Bellanca & Ron Brandt, 21st Century Skills: Rethinking How Students

(Learn Solution Tree, 2010)

Dian G. Oblinger Educating the Net Generation (Educause, 2005)

Dian G. Oblinger, Learning Spaces (Educause, 2005)

Nancy V. Chism The Importance of Physical Space in Creating Supportive

Learning Environments, no. 92 (Winter 2002) (Jossey-Bass, 2003)

Ken Fisher, Technology-enabled active learning environments: an appraisal

(CELE Exchange 2010/7)

Victoria L. Tinio, ICT in Education (UNDP-APDIP, 2002)

Amdeselassie A., et.al, Using e-Resources & Technology for Active Learning:

Training Manual (ADRC-EQUIP, 2009)

Amdeselassie A., et.al, Put Your Course Online with Moodle: Training Manual

(ADRC-EQUIP, 2009)
