HOW PEOPLE LEARN

Peter Newbury, Ph.D.

Center for Teaching Development,

University of California, San Diego

pnewbury@ucsd.edu @polarisdotca

ctd.ucsd.edu #ctducsd

Friday, April 19, 2013

Preventative Medicine, UCSD

slides and resources: tinyurl.com/HPLPrevMed

How People Learn 2

The traditional lecture is based on the

transmissionist learning model

How People Learn 3 (Image by um.dentistry on flickr CC)

Scientifically Outdated, a Known Failure

4 How People Learn

We must abandon the tabula rasa

“blank slate” and “students as

empty vessels” models of teaching

and learning.

Let’s have a learning experience…

5 How People Learn

Here is an important new number

system. Please learn it.

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1 = 4 = 7 =

2 = 5 = 8 =

3 = 6 = 9 =

Test

How People Learn 7

What is this number?

New Number System

How People Learn 8

Here’s the structure of the “tic-tac-toe” code:

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

Test

How People Learn 9

What is this number?

Constructivist theory of learning

10

We know How People Learn [1]. There is research that

informs us. Let’s exploit the patterns of learning to make

instruction more effective.

How People Learn

Key Finding 1

How People Learn 11

Students come to the classroom with preconceptions about how the world works. If their initial understanding is not engaged, they may fail to grasp the new concepts and information that are taught, or they may learn them for the purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions outside of the classroom.

(How People Learn , p 14.)

Instructors must

draw out students’

pre-existing

understandings.

Instruction must be

student-centered.

Learning requires interaction [2]

How People Learn 12

Learning requires interaction [2]

How People Learn 13

% of class time

NOT lecturing

Normalized learning gain:

pre-test 0

100%

post-test

0.50

Learning requires interaction [2]

How People Learn 14

1 2

3 4

Key Finding 2

15

To develop competence in an area, students 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.

(How People Learn, p 16.)

How People Learn

How People Learn 16

Key Finding 2

17

To develop competence in an area, students 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.

(How People Learn, p 16.)

How People Learn

These are

characteristics of

expertize.

There’s another…

Key Finding 3

18

A “metacognitive” approach to instruction can help students learn to take control of their own learning by defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in achieving them.

(How People Learn, p 18.)

How People Learn

Aside: metacognition

How People Learn 19

Metacognition refers to one’s

knowledge concerning one’s own

cognitive processes or anything

related to them.

For example, I am engaging in

metacognition if I notice that I am

having more trouble learning A

than B.

(Flavell [3], p. 232, [4])

(Image adapted from Mark A. Hicks

school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/category/stud.html)

Key Finding 3

20

A “metacognitive” approach to instruction can help students learn to take control of their own learning by defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in achieving them.

(How People Learn, p 18.)

How People Learn

Instructors need to provide

opportunities for students to

practice being metacognitive –

thinking about their own thinking

How People Learn 21

student-centered instruction traditional lecture

How People Learn 22

student-centered instruction

peer instruction with clickers

interactive demonstrations

surveys of opinions

reading quizzes

worksheets

discussions

videos

Clicker question

How People Learn 23

Melt chocolate over low heat. Remove the chocolate

from the heat. What will happen to the chocolate?

A) It will condense.

B) It will evaporate.

C) It will freeze.

(Question: Sujatha Raghu from Braincandy via LearningCatalytics)

(Image: CIM9926 by number657 on flickr CC)

Critical Care Orientation

How People Learn 24

A 70-year-old female is admitted to your unit with

shortness of breath. Crackles are heard in all lung fields

and her respiratory rate is labored at 36. Her skin in

cool to the touch and she is diaphoretic. She has an

arterial line and a Swan–Ganz catheter. The initial

parameters are as follows: (see hand-out)

Irene Knokh, Department of Professional Development and Education for Nursing,

University of Michigan

CCO Clicker question

How People Learn 25

What would be the best intervention to address the

patient’s respiratory status?

A) Increase the O2 supply

B) Intubation and ventilatory support

C) No intervention

D) Call RT to administer a breathing treatment with IPPB

Irene Knokh, Department of Professional Development and Education for Nursing,

University of Michigan

Typical episode of peer instruction

How People Learn 26

Alternating with 10-15 minute mini-lectures,

1. Instructor poses a conceptually-challenging,

multiple-choice question.

2. Students think about question on their own.

3. Students vote for an answer using clickers,

smart phones, colored/ABCD voting cards,

Poll Everywhere,…

4. The instructor reacts, based on the

distribution of votes.

Typical “choreography”

How People Learn 27

1. Students think and answer on their own (“solo vote”)

2. Instructor says, “Interesting! Please turn to your neighbors

and convince them you’re right.” Walks around the

classroom, eavesdropping on conversations.

3. Students discuss question. As things quiet down, instructor

says, “I’ve heard some great discussions. Please vote

again.” (“group vote”)

4. Class-wide discussion, concluding with why the right

answer(s) is right and the wrong answers are wrong.

Depending on the solo vote distribution, agile instructors can

try other variations on 2 – 4.

In effective peer instruction

How People Learn

students teach each other immediately,

while they may still hold or remember

their novice preconceptions

students discuss the concepts in their

own (novice) language

the instructor finds out what the students know (and

don’t know) and reacts, building on their initial

understanding and preconceptions.

students learn

and practice

how to think,

communicate

like experts

28

Development of Mastery [5]

How People Learn 29

conscious

unconscious

incompetent competent

Level of Expertise

Beha

vior

Development of Mastery

How People Learn 30

incompetent competent

Level of Expertise

Development of Mastery

How People Learn 31

conscious

unconscious

adikko.deviantart.com

Beha

vior

Development of Mastery

How People Learn 32

conscious

unconscious

incompetent competent

Level of Expertise

Beha

vior

Development of Mastery

How People Learn 33

conscious

unconscious

incompetent competent

1

Level of Expertise

Beha

vior

Development of Mastery

How People Learn 34

conscious

unconscious

incompetent competent

1

2

Level of Expertise

Beha

vior

Development of Mastery

How People Learn 35

conscious

unconscious

incompetent competent

1

2 3

Level of Expertise

Beha

vior

Development of Mastery

How People Learn 36

conscious

unconscious

incompetent competent

1

2 3

4

Level of Expertise

Beha

vior

Why Your Students Don’t Understand You

How People Learn 37

Expert brains differ from novice brains because novices:

lack rich, networked connections, cannot make

inferences, cannot reliably retrieve information

have preconceptions that distract or confuse

lack automization, resulting in cognitive overload

Development of Mastery

How People Learn 38

conscious

unconscious

incompetent competent

1

2 3

4

Level of Expertise

Beha

vior

Development of Mastery

How People Learn 39

conscious

unconscious

incompetent competent

1

2 3

4

Level of Expertise

Beha

vior

Effective peer instruction takes time

How People Learn 40

Five minutes of peer instruction every 15 minutes means

25% of class time is spent on interactive, students-

centered instruction.

Where does that time come from?

Traditional classroom

How People Learn 41

1. Transfer: first exposure to material is in class,

content is transmitted from instructor to student

2. Assimilate: learning occurs later when student

struggles alone to complete homework, essay,

project

1. learn easy

stuff together 2. learn hard

stuff alone

(Mazur [6])

Flipped classroom

How People Learn 42

1. Transfer: student learns easy content at home:

definitions, basis skills, simple examples. Frees up

class time for...

2. Assimilate: students come to class prepared to

tackle challenging concepts in class, with immediate

feedback from peers, instructor

2. learn hard

stuff together 1. learn easy

stuff alone

(Mazur [6])

How People Learn

43

Learning is not about

what instructors do.

It’s about what students do!

How People Learn

How People Learn

44

Learning is not about

what instructors do.

It’s about what students do!

Students will not learn

(just) by listening to the

instructor explain.

How People Learn

HOW PEOPLE LEARN

Peter Newbury, Ph.D.

Center for Teaching Development,

University of California, San Diego

pnewbury@ucsd.edu @polarisdotca

ctd.ucsd.edu #ctducsd

Friday, April 19, 2013

Preventative Medicine, UCSD

slides and resources: tinyurl.com/HPLPrevMed

References

How People Learn 46

1. 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.

2. Prather, E.E, Rudolph, A.L., Brissenden, G., & Schlingman, W.M. (2009). A national study assessing the teaching and learning of introductory astronomy. Part I. The effect of interactive instruction. Am. J. Phys. 77, 4, 320-330.

3. Flavell, J. H. (1976). Metacognitive aspects of problem solving. In L. B. Resnick (Ed.), The nature of intelligence (pp.231-236). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

4. Brame, C. (2013). Thinking about metacognition. [blog] January, 2013, Available at: http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/2013/01/thinking-about-metacognition/ [Accessed: 14 Jan 2013].

5. Sprague, J., & Stuart, D. (2000). The speaker’s handbook. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt College Publishers.

6. Mazur, E. (2009). Farewell, Lecture? Science, 323, 5910, 50-51.

Critical Care Orientation (Irene Knokh, Department of Professional Development and Education for Nursing, University of Michigan)

How People Learn

A 70-year-old female is admitted to your unit with shortness of breath.

Crackles are heard in all lung fields and her respiratory rate is labored at 36.

Her skin in cool to the touch and she is diaphoretic. She has an arterial line and

a Swan–Ganz catheter. The initial parameters are as follows:

BP 80/40

HR 100 sinus rhythm

Hemodynamic parameters:

Preload: RA 10, PA 60/40, PAOP 38,

Afterload: SVR 2800, PVR 250

Contractility: CO 2.8, CI 1.8, SvO2 55%

ABG Ph 7.30, pCO2 58, pO2 52, Bicarbonate 26, SaO2 88%

Blood work: Na 138, K 3.1, Creatinine 1.6, Hb 9.8

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