Post on 19-Jan-2016
Course Design Workshop SeriesMark Potter
Director, Center for Faculty Development
mpotte10@mscd.edu
Following this workshop, participants will Be able to assess and identify their individual
comfort level with active learning; Establish for themselves specific steps to
make learning more active in their classes.
Take about 2-3 minutes and write your response to the following question: “What do you see as your primary role in your position as instructor?”
Turn to the person next to you and discuss the thoughts you each wrote down in response to the previous question.
Read Teaching Professor handout. Brainstorm as a group to this question:
“What are the pros/cons of lecturing during class?”
Learning by doing. General characteristics of an active
learning approach include: Students are involved in more than listening. Less emphasis is placed on transmitting
information and more on developing students’ skills.
Students are involved in higher-order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation).
Students are engaged in activities (e.g. reading, discussing, writing).
Greater emphasis is placed on students’ exploration of their own attitudes and values.
Research shows that “give a faculty almost any kind of class in any subject, large or small, upper or lower division, and they will lecture” (Blackburn et al., 1980)
What do you think are the barriers preventing faculty from adopting active learning approaches in their classes?
Students retain what they have learned better than they do in classes with only lecture (The Teaching Professor).
Active learning, more than lecture alone, contributes to significant learning experiences (L. Dee Fink, 2003).
Active learning helps students achieve outcomes in line with demands for lifelong learning. (AAC&U).
“Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just by sitting in class listening to teachers… They must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves”—Chickering and Gamson (1987).
Incremental: Adopt one or two techniques in one class and assess effectiveness. Requirements: identify current approaches ,
comfort level, and the specific techniques suitable for adoption
Consider situational factors and risk Integrated: Build active learning into a
course design
From L. Dee Fink, Creating Significant Learning Experiences (2003)
The Key Components Of INTEGRATED COURSE DESIGN
One of the benefits of this model is that it allows us to see the importance
S i t u a t i o n a l F a c t o r s
Teaching and
Learning Activities
Feedback & Assessment
Learning Goals
Alignment of learning activities with objectives is important, whether you are taking an integrated or incremental approach to designing active learning.
Examples Pro/Con grid: Analysis, evaluation Think/Pair/Share: Comprehension, analysis Minute paper: Knowledge, comprehension,
analysis, synthesis, learn how to learn.
Discuss specific learning activity: Have you used this learning activity in the
past? What was your experience? Would you be comfortable using this learning
activity in the future? Why, or why not? What learning objectives might this activity
support?
Specific context of the teaching/learning situation Size of class Lower- or upper-division Length and frequency of class meetings Delivery method of course (online, face to face, hybrid)
Expectations of external groups Accreditation expectations for particular active learning
experiences Alignment of course learning goals and curricular
learning goals Nature of subject
Characteristics of learners Life or professional goals Prior experiences, knowledge, skills, and
attitudes Students’ learning styles
Characteristics of the teacher Comfort level with material Comfort with shifting control to students Comfort with risk level of active learning
strategy
Dimension Low-Risk Strategies
High-Risk Strategies
Class Time Required Relatively short Relatively long
Degree of Structure More structured Less structured
Degree of Planning Meticulously planned
Spontaneous
Subject Matter Relatively concrete Relatively abstract
Potential for Controversy Less controversial Very controversial
Students’ Prior Knowledge of the Subject Matter
Better informed Less informed
Instructors’ Prior Experience with Teaching Technique
Considerable Limited
Students’ Prior Knowledge of Teaching Technique
Familiar Unfamiliar
Pattern of Interaction Between faculty and students
Limited among students
On your 4x6 card mark your name and department.
Write yourself a brief note indicating what active learning strategies you intend to adopt, for what class, and in what time frame.
I will send you that note at the appropriate time to remind you of your goals.
Angelo, T.A. & Cross, K.P. (1993). Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
Bean, J.C. (2001). Engaging Ideas. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Bonwell, C.C. and Eison, J.A. (1991). Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1. Washington, DC: The George Washington University, School of Education and Human Development.
Chickering, A.W. & Gamson, Z.F. (1987). “Seven Principles for Good Practice.” AAHE Bulletin 39: 3-7.
Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Weimer, M. (2002). Learner-centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Find “Web Resources” at the CFD Web site: www.mscd.edu/cfd/resources.