the college classroom (fa14) session 6: cooperative learning and peer instruction
DESCRIPTION
Peter Newbury Center for Teaching Development UC San Diego 25 November 2014 collegeclassroom.ucsd.eduTRANSCRIPT
The College Classroom Session 6:
Cooperative Learning and Peer Instruction
November 20 and 25, 2014
Unless otherwise noted, content is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-
Non Commercial 3.0 License.
Please try to sit
with others in your
subject area: Look
for colored cards
like yours.
Active Learning
Last week This week
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 2
Freeman et al. (2014) show
active learning in class
enhances student
learning
reduces withdrawals
and failures
What kinds of active
learning activities are more
effective?
(“2nd generation research”)
What do you see?
3 Cooperative learning
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2010–2011 Higher Education Research Initiative (HERI)
Faculty Survey of 23,824 full-time faculty at 417 four-year
colleges and universities [1]
What do you see?
4 Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
2013–2014 Higher Education Research Initiative (HERI)
Faculty Survey of 16,112 full-time faculty at 269 four-year
colleges and universities [2]
Cooperative Learning[3]
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 5
Cooperative learning is the instructional use of small groups so
that students work together to maximize their own and each other’s
learning.
(Rique Campa)
constructivism social constructivism
recognizes that knowledge is
constructed in the mind of the
learner by the learner
([1], p.262)
implies that this “building”
process is aided through
cooperative social interactions
([1], p. 262)
Why use cooperative learning?[3]
6
emulates work environment: professionals work in teams
enhances communication skills
improves efficiency, effectiveness, and success of team work
can deal with complex problems
What skills are employers looking for? teamwork
critical thinking / reasoning
oral and written communication
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Cooperative learning groups
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 7
group type description advantages tasks for instructor
informal groups of 2-4 students
formed spontaneously
in class
• for example, during
peer instruction
with clickers
• good for large classes
• can be used at any time
• opportunity for students
to practice learning goals
describe, define, draw,
rank,…
• opportunity for students
to process what they just
read or heard
• be explicit about
expectations and
responsibilities
• be explicit about how
much time they have
• reinforce benefits of
group interaction
• can be difficult to make
both individual and
group accountable
Cooperative learning groups
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 8
group type description advantages tasks for instructor
formal students stay in same
group throughout
term for
• in-class activities
• presentations
• group exams
• study group
Groups formed
• randomly
• engineered for
diversity
• self-selected
• formal group is closer to
real, professional setting
• groups can accomplish
bigger tasks like group
presentations
• students learn each
other’s strengths and
weaknesses, earn each
other’s trust
Instructor must give more
structure/guidance:
• objectives of tasks
• tell groups how to make
decisions
• explain positive
interdependence
• explain individual and
group accountability
• mentor groups on
conflict resolution, group
management
• regular, formative
feedback
Cooperative learning groups
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 9
group type description advantages tasks for instructor
base long-term, stable
group of 3-5 students
to accomplish large,
complex task
• build a robot, create
an app
• write a paper
• form mock (or real)
company
• groups meet regularly
(typically outside of class
time)
• self-selected or formed
by instructor by students’
skills
• facilitate and scaffold
meeting schedule, how
to share resources, how
to support each other
• regularly check on
groups, meet with each
group (don’t form and
forget)
• may need to scaffold
students through project:
objectives, methods,
results, presentation, etc.
(there should be no
surprises at end of term)
Key to successful cooperative learning
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 10
If you choose to use cooperative learning so that students
learn how to work effectively as a team,
you need to teach the students
how to work effectively as a team
You can’t leave it up to them to figure out
positive team member traits
team-building, management, conflict-resolution skills
how to remain inquiry-based: asking questions of each
other, making recommendations, receiving feedback
how to make effective, professional presentations
Signs of a successful CL group
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 11
positive interdependence between group members
individual and group accountability
face-to-face meetings (with meeting minutes?)
group and interpersonal skills
group can process and facilitate itself through tasks,
challenges, set-backs
What to watch for
and what to do about it
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 12
lack of group maturity
insufficient guidance and training from instructor about
how to work together
“free-riding”
instructor hasn’t built in enough individual accountability
loss of motivation
instructor needs to stay in touch with groups frequently
lack of skills and abilities
instructor needs to create groups with more diverse
skills and abilities
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 13
active learning
cooperative
learning
peer
instruction
What is expertise? [4]
To develop competence in an area of inquiry, student 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
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 14
Cooperative learning
teachingmethodsinpublichealth.ucsd.edu 15
knowledge
Cooperative learning
teachingmethodsinpublichealth.ucsd.edu 16
knowledge
framework
17
knowledge
framework
retrieval
Cooperative learning
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What the best college teachers do[5]
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 18
More than anything else, the best teachers try to create a
natural critical learning environment: natural
because students encounter skills, habits, attitudes, and
information they are trying to learn embedded in questions
and tasks they find fascinating – authentic tasks that arouse
curiosity and become intrinsically interesting, critical
because students learn to think critically, to reason from
evidence, to examine the quality of their reasoning using a
variety of intellectual standards, to make improvements
while thinking, and to ask probing and insightful questions
about the thinking of other people.
In natural critical learning environments
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 19
students encounter safe yet challenging conditions in
which they can try, fail, receive feedback, and try again
without facing a summative evaluation.[5]
try
fail receive
feedback
Discussion (Economics)
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 20
For which of the following professionals is driving an
expensive car a sign of their success, compared to others in
the same profession?
A) a carpenter
B) a realtor
C) a politician
D) a major league baseball player
(Steve Morris, Bowdoin College, ME)
Typical Episode of Peer Instruction
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 21
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”, students may vote again.
5. The instructor leads a class-wide discussion concluding
with why the right answer(s) is right and the wrong
answers are wrong.
Peer instruction is successful when
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 22
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 (not) know
the instructor finds out what the students (do not)
know and reacts, building on their initial understanding
and preconceptions.
students practice
how to think,
communicate
like experts
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 23
1. identifying key concepts, misconceptions
2. creating multiple-choice questions that
require deeper thinking and learning
3. facilitating episodes of peer instruction that
spark and support expert-like discussion
4. leading a class-wide discussion to clarify
the concept, resolve the misconception
5. reflecting on the question: note curious
things you overheard, how they voted, etc. so
next year’s peer instruction will be better
before
class
during
class
after
class
Effective peer instruction requires
t h e l e a r n i n g c y c l e
Peer instruction helps students learn...
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 24
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
t h e l e a r n i n g c y c l e
Peer instruction helps students learn...
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 25
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
t h e l e a r n i n g c y c l e
Peer instruction helps students learn...
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 26
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
The students have not
resolved Concept X.
But they’re know X exists
and why X is interesting.
t h e l e a r n i n g c y c l e
Peer instruction helps students learn...
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 27
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
t h e l e a r n i n g c y c l e
Peer instruction helps students learn...
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 28
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
Students have had opportunities to
try, fail, receive feedback and
try again without facing a
summative evaluation.
t h e l e a r n i n g c y c l e
Peer instruction helps students learn...
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 29
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
Writing Good
Peer Instruction Questions
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 30
clarity Students waste no effort trying to figure out what’s
being asked.
context Is this topic currently being covered in class?
learning
outcome
Does the question make students do the right things
to demonstrate they grasp the concept?
distractors What do the “wrong” answers tell you about
students’ thinking?
difficulty Is the question too easy? too hard?
stimulates
thoughtful
discussion
Will the question engage the students and spark
thoughtful discussions? Are there openings for you
to continue the discussion?
What makes a good question?
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 31 (Adapted from Stephanie Chasteen, CU Boulder)
Sample Questions
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 32
With others in your group, look through the collection of questions (start with the questions in subjects you’re familiar with. )
WARNING: Some are good, some are not.
Try to identify at least one characteristic (clarity, context,…) that makes each question good (or bad).
References
Cooperative learning - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 33
1. Hurtado, S., Eagan, M. K., Pryor, J. H., Whang, H., & Tran, S. (2012). Undergraduate
teaching faculty: The 2010–2011 HERI Faculty Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education
Research Institute, UCLA. www.heri.ucla.edu
2. Eagan, M. K., Stolzenberg, E. B., Berdan Lozano, J., Aragon, M. C., Suchard, M. R.,
& Hurtado, S. (2014). Undergraduate teaching faculty: The 2013–2014 HERI Faculty
Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA. www.heri.ucla.edu
3. Derek Bruff, Henry (Rique) Campa, III, Trina McMahon, Bennett Goldberg (2014).
“An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching” (coursera
MOOC) class.coursera.org/stemteaching-001
4. 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.
5. Bain, K. (2004). What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University
Press.