The Yellow Brick Road for Educators? Assessment-Rich Instructional Technology to

Advance Learning-centered and Inquiry-oriented

Pedagogies in Science Education

The Yellow Brick Road for Educators? Assessment-Rich Instructional Technology to

Advance Learning-centered and Inquiry-oriented

Pedagogies in Science Education

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Donald P. Buckley, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Biology

Director of Instructional Technology, School of Health Sciences

Quinnipiac University

Hamden, CT 06518

Apple Distinguished Educator

Computerworld Smithsonian Laureate

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Science Education in a Twenty-First Century University ◊ Quinnipiac UniversityScience Education in a Twenty-First Century University ◊ Quinnipiac University

A Revolution in Education?Only once in our species history …NOW

A Revolution in Education?Only once in our species history …NOW

1. The 1. The Decade of the BrainDecade of the Brain:: 1. The 1. The Decade of the BrainDecade of the Brain::

New insights about the cognitive development of learningNew insights about the cognitive development of learningNew insights about the cognitive development of learningNew insights about the cognitive development of learning

2. Soul-searching about alarming levels of literacy:2. Soul-searching about alarming levels of literacy: 2. Soul-searching about alarming levels of literacy:2. Soul-searching about alarming levels of literacy:

Emergence of the Emergence of the Learning ParadigmLearning ParadigmEmergence of the Emergence of the Learning ParadigmLearning Paradigm

3. Information technology:3. Information technology: 3. Information technology:3. Information technology:

Data collection/analysis & authoringData collection/analysis & authoring

SimulationSimulation

CommunicationCommunication

Formative AssessmentFormative Assessment

Data collection/analysis & authoringData collection/analysis & authoring

SimulationSimulation

CommunicationCommunication

Formative AssessmentFormative Assessment

KnowingKnowing

The meaning of “knowing” has shifted from being able to repeat and remember

information to being able to find and use it

Herbert SimonNobel Laureate

The meaning of “knowing” has shifted from being able to repeat and remember

information to being able to find and use it

Herbert SimonNobel Laureate

Learning with Understanding

Sudying Facts Is Necessary, But Memorization Is Not EnoughSudying Facts Is Necessary, But Memorization Is Not Enough

Students Need to Build Their Own MeaningStudents Need to Build Their Own Meaning

TransferTransfer

Learn for UnderstandingLearn for Understanding

Application to Solve New ProblemsApplication to Solve New Problems

But where do we start?

Bransford, Brown and Cocking, 2000.

““What we need to learn beforeWhat we need to learn before doing, we learn by doing.”doing, we learn by doing.”

Aristotle

Why?Why?

The part of the brain that we use for critical inquiry seems to have evolved from part of the brain that we use for :

Perception

Which draws lots of assumptions and makes lots of snap decisions in order for us to navigate though our daily existence

The part of the brain that we use for critical inquiry seems to have evolved from part of the brain that we use for :

Perception

Which draws lots of assumptions and makes lots of snap decisions in order for us to navigate though our daily existence

Learning with Understanding

Sudying Facts Is Necessary, But Memorization Is Inadequate

Learn for Understanding

Application to Solve New Problems

Students Need to Build Their Own MeaningStudents Need to Build Their Own Meaning

TransferTransfer

Where Are We Going?

Instructional ParadigmInstructional Paradigm

Learning ParadigmLearning Paradigm

We Are On the Threshold of a Historical TransitionWe Are On the Threshold of a Historical Transition

InstructionalParadigm

LearningParadigm

Principles to Drive This TransitionPrinciples to Drive This Transition

Learning should be inquiry-oriented

Students need to learn with understanding

Student experiences should be learning-centered

Learning should be socially situated

Pedagogical Innovation must be coupled to institutional change processes

Faculty development should be transformational

Learning should be inquiry-oriented

Students need to learn with understanding

Student experiences should be learning-centered

Learning should be socially situated

Pedagogical Innovation must be coupled to institutional change processes

Faculty development should be transformational

How?

One Approach...

COMMUNICATING

VISUALIZING

ANALYZING

MODELING

DATACOLLECTION

Technology can be an Enabler

COMMUNITYOF

LEARNERS

SIMULATING

BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium

Four FociFour Foci

How do people learn?

What is the role of technology in learning?

Institutional Change: Boutique Phase

Institutional Change: Systemic Phase

How do people learn?

What is the role of technology in learning?

Institutional Change: Boutique Phase

Institutional Change: Systemic Phase

Pedagogical Feature Set of Instructional Technology

InteractivityInteractivity: : fosters active-learning experiencesfosters active-learning experiences

MultimediaMultimedia: : engages cognitive processesengages cognitive processes

CommunicationCommunication::promotes social construction of knowledgepromotes social construction of knowledge

Computing componentsComputing components::• • professional tools professional tools • • simulations to develop critical inquiry simulations to develop critical inquiry

skillsskills• • integrate powerful assessment toolsintegrate powerful assessment tools••  authoring tools for report writingauthoring tools for report writing

Goals of Assessment

• Mindful engagement ...”chunking”Mindful engagement ...”chunking”

• Provide feedbackProvide feedback

• Build incentive systemsBuild incentive systems

• Collect diagnostic clues about Collect diagnostic clues about individualindividual needsneeds

Assessment Tools in Education Technology

Open-endedassessment styles

Structured assessmentstyles

Utility ofUtility ofCompetingCompeting

AssessmentAssessmentStylesStyles

LearnFactsLearnFacts

LearnInquiryLearn

InquiryLearn

Concepts

LearnConcept

s

main learning goalfoundational information

Open-ended Assessment

A Contradiction of Terms?

Open-ended Assessment

A Contradiction of Terms?

Portfolio model …report authoring

Need epistemological scaffolding …e.g., 3P's

Iterative, analogous scenarios to build meaning

Perhaps some structured assessment

Path analysis …monitor decision making

Formative Assessment is Pivotal

Portfolio model …report authoring

Need epistemological scaffolding …e.g., 3P's

Iterative, analogous scenarios to build meaning

Perhaps some structured assessment

Path analysis …monitor decision making

Formative Assessment is Pivotal

Examples

The Bottleneck to Transition

Most faculty reside in the Instructional Paradigm because we are trained primarily as researchers, not as teachers

Effective transition to the Learning Paradigm will require faculty development that is:

1) Learning centered pedagogies2) Advanced Instructional Technology3) Transformational: altering practices

Transformational faculty development must be coupled to institutional change processes

Faculty Preparation for Learning-Centered Instruction

ContentContentKnowledgeKnowledge

ContentContentKnowledgeKnowledge

PedagogicalPedagogicalKnowledgeKnowledge

PedagogicalPedagogicalKnowledgeKnowledge

PedagogicalPedagogicalContentContent

KnowledgeKnowledge

PedagogicalPedagogicalContentContent

KnowledgeKnowledge

Learning-Centered InstructionLearning-Centered Instruction

Technology Is Often Heralded as a Solution, but…Technology Is Often Heralded as a Solution, but…

InstructionalParadigm

LearningParadigm

Faculty PracticesPedagogical Potential of Instructional Technology

Faculty Development KeyFaculty Development Key

Authoring learning centered activities is a transformational experience

Authoring learning centered activities is a transformational experience

AEAECC

U N I V E R S I T Y U N I V E R S I T Y O F O F H A R T F O R D H A R T F O R D

Advanced Educational Computing

A Tool To Foster Student-Centered Learning

Advanced Educational Computing

A Tool To Foster Student-Centered Learning

FIPSFIPSEE

NSFNSFCulpeCulpeperper

Deep Authoring Is Transformational Experience

It was enormously stimulating for most participants

to create learning environments that would

enable them to teach things that they

could not teach well before.

It was enormously stimulating for most participants

to create learning environments that would

enable them to teach things that they

could not teach well before.

Problem with Authoring As Training: ScalabilityProblem with Authoring As Training: Scalability

Authoring LearningWare is a deep experience

Faculty do become sophisticated consumers of LearningWare and explore learning principles

Problem …very effort intensive

We need another kind of authoring experience to provide transformational faculty & curriculum development

Course Management Systems: Transformation & Scalability?

Authoring LearningWare is a deep experience

Faculty do become sophisticated consumers of LearningWare and explore learning principles

Problem …very effort intensive

We need another kind of authoring experience to provide transformational faculty & curriculum development

Course Management Systems: Transformation & Scalability?

The Chasm

Innovators

Early Adopters Skeptics

Early Adopters Late Adopters

The Chasm

Willing to step out of traditional roles?

YES NO

Innovators

Early Adopters Skeptics

Early Adopters Late Adopters

Hagner, NLII 2001 White Paper

The Chasm

Willing to step out of traditional roles?

YES NO

Careerists

Risk Seekers Risk Adversives

Innovators

Early Adopters Skeptics

Early Adopters Late Adopters

Hagner, NLII 2001 White Paper

Institutional Transition Process

Lone Rangers

Innovators

Lone Rangers

Innovators

Boutique Phase

TransformationScalability

Early Adopters

Boutique Phase

TransformationScalability

Early Adopters

Systemic Phase

Transformation

Scalability

Later Adopters

Systemic Phase

Transformation

Scalability

Later Adopters

LocalR&D

1-on-1Authoring

Harding, NLII 2001

Registrar

CMS Database

Course Management Systems:The Enabling Technology Infrastructure?

Faculty

Content Comm Tools Assessment

Student Experience on the Web

Some Emergent Goals for Utilizing CMS Technology:Technology-assisted Facilitation of Learning-centered Teaching Styles

Content Delivery

Communication

Assessment

LectureContent delivery

ActivitiesProblem-basedProject-basedCase-based

Episodic PervasiveRoutine reflection within and among

teams

Summative Formative

Teacher-centered Learner-centered

CMS Pedagogical Tools A Continuum of Teaching Styles

A model for coupling the feature set of course management systems to learning centered principles.

Smart Tutor

Web-based Homework System: routine formative

assessment out of class time

Research Simulation

Emulating the Process of Professional Investigation

Revision of Class Timecontent delivery system

from Lecture to Discovery Activities

Mitigating the Coverage DilemmaMitigating the Coverage DilemmaDevelop Epistemological SkillsDevelop Epistemological Skills

Students Need to Build MeaningStudents Need to Build Meaning

A Dilemma

Coverage

Learning& Inquiry

NOW

Emphasis on Delivery of Content

Emphasis on Effective Learning

A Solution to the Dilemma?

GOAL

Coverage

Emphasis on Delivery of Content

Learning& Inquiry

Emphasis on Effective Learning

Can we use technology to mitigate the Coverage Dilemma?

Routine Online Assessment In Class

TraditionalApproach

WebAssisted

Foundational InformationInquiry-orientation and powerful pedagogies

smart tutor homework

The holy grail is:

Learning with Understanding

The holy grail is:

Learning with Understanding

Learning with Understanding

Sudying Facts Is Necessary, But Memorization Is Inadequate

Learn for Understanding

Application to Solve New Problems

Students Need to Build Their Own MeaningStudents Need to Build Their Own Meaning

TransferTransfer

S U M M A R Y

• We need to integrate pedagogies that are learning-centered and inquiry-oriented.

• Interactive, sensory-rich, assessment-rich technology learning environments can foster these goals in scaffolded activities that allow students to build meaning.

• Research simulations promote student experience in the process of investigation.

• Communication technology and authoring tools can promote cooperative learning experiences and help students to build meaning, when coupled with pedagogies such as case-based and problem-based learning activities.

• The Coverage Dilemma. These time-intensive pedagogies are commonly viewed as a conflict with coverage demands. However, assessment-rich web “homework” systems may be able to move the coverage of foundational information to student time with a competency-based learning standard, making room for more learning-centered and inquiry-oriented pedagogies in class time.

• New course management systems will provide an enabling technology infrastructure. A three-tiered model is suggested to supplement current CMS’s.

Science Education in a Twenty-First Century University

Science Education in a Twenty-First Century University

don.buckley@quinnipiac.edu

http://faculty.quinnipiac.edu/health/biology/buckley/welcome.html

Memory for Words versus Pictures

How well do we remember?» Best: Pictures alone» Next best: Pictures and Words» Worst: Words alone

Different communication formats entail different learning opportunities, e.g. words

» Linear strings of concept elements» Limited to 5-7 elements» With overload, we loose the middle

elements» Then an individualistic synthesis

Comparison of Novices and Experts

Novices versus Experts Novices versus Experts

Left -brain

Serial processing

Scanning possibilities

Superficial distracters

Abstraction

Left -brain

Serial processing

Scanning possibilities

Superficial distracters

Abstraction

Right-brain

Parallel processing

Recognizing useful patterns

Core concepts

Perception

Right-brain

Parallel processing

Recognizing useful patterns

Core concepts

Perception

Chunking: Novice & Experti.e., n00b versus guy with mad skillz

schemaschema schemaschema

schemaschema schemaschema

expertexpert

novicenovice

factfact

Chunking & Background Knowledge

Then same with letters …back to 7 again

Train to remember digit strings

From 7 to over 70 within 30 days

Train to remember digit strings

From 7 to over 70 within 30 days

Break big strings into smaller number of elements (chunking)

Each chunked element was remembered with a trick: races (background knowledge)

94100 = 9.41 seconds for 100 yards

3591 = 3 minutes, 59.1 seconds for 1 mile

Break big strings into smaller number of elements (chunking)

Each chunked element was remembered with a trick: races (background knowledge)

94100 = 9.41 seconds for 100 yards

3591 = 3 minutes, 59.1 seconds for 1 mile

Major Kinds of Assessment

Summative Assessment - measuring learning outcomes

Formative Assessment - a pedagogical steering wheel

» Communicate learning goals to students

» Provide timely feedback to students

» Collect diagnostic clues about student needs

» Build an incentive system for competency standards

Learning with UnderstandingThe Third International Mathematics and

Science Survey (TIMSS; Schmidt, 1997)

"criticized curricula that are a mile wide and an inch deep"

and argued that this is more of a problem in

the U.S. than in other countries.

"The fact that expert's knowledge is organized

around important ideas or concepts suggests that

curricula should also be organized in ways

that lead to conceptual understanding"

NRC, 2000