making connections: how examples work
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Making Connections: How Examples Work. Kelly Mix. Teachers generate examples frequently (Richland, Holyoak & Stigler, 2004) We’re gonna say this—this circle right here is an orange. It’s an orange. Alright, it’s an orange. Now let’s say we’re gonna - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Making Connections:How Examples Work
Kelly Mix
Teachers generate examples frequently (Richland, Holyoak & Stigler, 2004)
We’re gonna say this—this circle righthere is an orange. It’s an orange. Alright, it’s an orange. Now let’s say we’re gonnatake—stick a needle in the orange n’ suck out everything inside except for thepeeling of the orange ((demonstrates with hands)). Okay (.) we’re—we’re gonnapretend like that’s our circumference righ’ there.
“Qualitative Change”
Abstracting Conceptual Structure
1. Abstracting conceptual structure
2. Seeing relatedness
Abstracting Conceptual Structure
• Learners struggle with this . . . (Goldstone & Son, 2005)
Competitive Specialization
Abstracting Conceptual Structure
Concrete Idealized
Abstracting Conceptual Structure
How do students abstract structure?
By Comparing!– Multiple examples (Namy & Gentner, 2004, Waxman & Markow,
2000)
– Concreteness Fading (Goldstone & Son, 2005)
1. Abstracting conceptual structure
2. Seeing relatedness
Seeing Relatedness
Learners struggle with this . . . (Gick & Holyoak, 1980)
Seeing Relatedness
Gick & Holyoak, 1980
Seeing Relatedness
Gick & Holyoak, 1980
Seeing Relatedness
Gick & Holyoak, 1980
Seeing Relatedness
Gick & Holyoak, 1980
How is a robin like a chicken?
Structure Mapping Theory (Dedre Gentner and colleagues)
How is a robin like a chicken?
Structure Mapping Theory (Dedre Gentner and colleagues)
Lays eggs
Eats worms
Lives in barnyard
Builds nests
Lays eggs
Eats worms
Lives in trees
Builds nests
How is time like a river?
Structure Mapping Theory (Dedre Gentner and colleagues)
Seeing Relatedness
• similar relational structure
• some impetusteacher directionshared labelshigh surface similaritymany points of alignment (richness)
Instructional Implications
• Choose examples/exercises with clear and complete relational structure
• Use multiple examples and encourage comparisons
• Scaffold the alignment process
What did this teacher do right?What could’ve been better?
We’re gonna say this—this circle righthere is an orange. It’s an orange. Alright, it’s an orange. Now let’s say we’re gonnatake—stick a needle in the orange n’ suck out everything inside except for thepeeling of the orange ((demonstrates with hands)). Okay (.) we’re—we’re gonnapretend like that’s our circumference righ’ there.