May 22-23, 2006

I hear, and I forget;

I see, and I remember;

I do, and I understand.

- Confucious

May 22-23, 2006

Active Learning:

Motivating Students to Learn

Dr. Theresa R. Moore

May 22-23, 2006

Outline of Plenary

1. Review goals of Title 3;

2. Course design;

3. What is active learning & why do it?

4. Learning theorists & learning styles;

5. Active learning and technology (Isaac).

May 22-23, 2006

Outcomes of the workshop

Faculty will…Know basic concepts related to a cognitive approach to learning styles; Understand basic premises of active learning;Engage in active learning with their peers;Work individually and with their programs on purposeful alignment of outcomes, assessment methods, and instructional activities;Have a “toolkit” of active learning approaches to apply to courses.

May 22-23, 2006

Section I: Goals of the Title III Project

Goal 1: increase the use of outcomes based assessment in courses and programs to measure and improve student learning;

Goal 2: increase the use of active learning strategies and technologies to effect learner-centered instruction.

May 22-23, 2006

2. Learning goals

4. Teaching & Learning Activities

3. Feedback & Assessment

Section II: Course design

1. Situational factors

Active Learning

May 22-23, 2006

Learning Outcome(s)

Teaching & Learning Activities

Feedback & Assessment

Student learning outcome: Students will critically analyze the current educational policies in the United States.

Assessment method: exams with critical thinking items embedded

Primary instructional method: lecture

May 22-23, 2006

Section III: What is active learning & why do it?

Strategies that increase student engagement with material and are aligned with student learning outcomes

Theory that derives from two basic assumptions: (1) that learning is by nature an active endeavor and (2) that different people learn in different ways

(Meyers and Jones, 1993).

May 22-23, 2006

What is active learning?

[it is] when students are engaged in more activities than just listening. They are involved in dialog, debate, writing, and problem solving, as well as higher-order thinking.

(Bonwell, C., and Eison, J., 1991)

May 22-23, 2006

Types of activities

• Small group work• Presentations and debates• Journaling• Role playing• Learning Games• Field Experiences• Case Studies• Class Discussions• Simulations….more!

(Mc Keachie, 1994 and Silberman, 1996)

May 22-23, 2006

“simple tasks” ad hoc

exercises; little or no advanced planning;

e.g. “think-pair-share”

“minute paper” “concept mapping”

“complex tasks” longer duration,

carefully planned

and structured

Active learning types

Collaborative learning

carefully structured, group formation and

student roles important

Cooperative learning

a form of collaborative learning that has 5 specific criteria to maximize learning

May 22-23, 2006

Cooperative learning: 5 key components

1. Positive interdependence (each individual depends on and is accountable to the others);

2. Individual accountability (each person in the group learns the material);

3. Promotive interaction (group members help one another, share information, clarify);

4. Social skills (emphasis on interpersonal skills);

5. Group processing (assessing how effectively they are working with one another).

May 22-23, 2006

Why do active learning?

Sousa, D.A. (2000)

May 22-23, 2006

Why do Active Learning?www.foundationcoalition.org

May 22-23, 2006

Research summary

Longitudinal studies show that cohorts of students instructed using active learning techniques outperformed a comparison group on multiple measures: retention, graduation and pursuit of graduate study

(Felder, R., Felder, G, and Dietz, E, 1998)

May 22-23, 2006

Research summary

“Scientists and engineers work mostly in groups and less often as isolated investigators. Similarly, students should gain experience sharing responsibility for learning with each other.”

Meta-analysis of research studies:greater academic achievement, more favorable attitudes toward learning and, increased persistence in SMET courses and programs.

www.wcer.wisc.edu/nise/cl1/CL/resource/R2.htm

May 22-23, 2006

Why do active learning?

Retention levels are enhanced when active learning methods are used (McKeachie, 1999; Silberman, 1996)

Active learning produces: higher achievement, more positive relationships among students, healthier psychological adjustment.

(Johnson, D. W., R. T. Johnson, and K. Smith , 1991)

May 22-23, 2006

Section IV: Learning theorists & learning styles

Behaviorism (B.F. Skinner) – learning built on conditioning

Constructivism (J. Dewey, J. Piaget, L. Vygotsky, others) – learning built on prior knowledge

May 22-23, 2006

John Dewey (1916): 1) individual experience & 2) collaboration w/others are important for learning

“School is primarily a social institution. Education is a social process….therefore [it] is a process of living, not preparation for living.”

May 22-23, 2006

Active learning from the Constructivist School

Jean Piaget: we come to know the world by building new experiences on old experiences

Lev Vygotsky: students learn better by engaging with “more capable others”

May 22-23, 2006

Constructivist principles

Knowledge is constructed from experience;

Learning results from personal interpretation of knowledge;

Learning is an active process;

Learning is a collaborative process.

May 22-23, 2006

Benjamin Bloom

Viewed education as goal attainment, not competition;

Acknowledged individual differences and environment as crucial;

Studied high achieving adults - found they excelled because of MENTORSHIP.

May 22-23, 2006

Three Domains of Learning (Bloom,1956)

• Cognitive: mental skills

• Affective: growth regarding feelings, emotions

• Psychomotor: manual, physicality, environment

May 22-23, 2006

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning“Higher Order Thinking Skills”

SynthesisComprehensionApplicationAnalysisKnowledgeEvaluation

Alone or with a neighbor: 1) define each skill & 2) align in a hierarchy.

May 22-23, 2006

Bloom’s Taxonomy of LearningEvaluation: compare and discriminate between ideas. Question

Cues:assess, decide, grade, test, measure, recommend, convince, select, judge

Synthesis: use old ideas to create new ones. Question Cues:combine, integrate, modify, substitute, plan, create, design, invent

Analysis: identification of components. Question Cues:analyze, separate, order, explain, connect, classify, arrange, divide, compare, select

Application: use of concepts/methods in new situations. Question cues: apply, demonstrate, illustrate, examine, solve

Comprehension: understanding of meaning. Question cues: summarize, describe, interpret, predict

Knowledge: recall of information. Question cues: define, identify, list, match

May 22-23, 2006

Learning styles

Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic (VAK)

Kolb’s learning style inventory (LSI)

Meyers Briggs (MBTI)

May 22-23, 2006

VAK learning styles

Visual learners have two subchannels visual-linguistic visual-spatial

Auditory learnersKinesthetic learners have two

subchannels kinesthetic (movement) tactile (touch)

May 22-23, 2006

Section V: Active Learning & Technology

May 22-23, 2006

BibliographyBloom, B.S. (Ed.) (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals:

Handbook I, cognitive domain. New York ; Toronto: Longmans, Green.

Bonwell, C. and Eison, J. (1991). “Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom.”ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1.

Bonwell C. and Sutherland, T. (eds.). (1996). Using Active Learning in College Classes: A Range of Options for Faculty. Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New York: Collier Books.

Felder, R.M., Felder, G.N., Dietz, E.J. (1998). “A Longitudinal Study of Engineering Student Performance and Retention V. Comparisons with Traditionally Taught Students.” Engineering Education, 98(4), 469-480.

Fink, L. D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco.

Huba, M. E. and Freed, J. E. (2000). Learner-centered assessment on college campuses: Shifting the focus from teaching to learning. Allyn and Bacon.

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., and Smith, K. (1991). Active learning: Cooperation in the college classroom, Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall.

May 22-23, 2006

Bibliography

Mc Keachie, W. J. (1994). Teaching Tips: Strategies, research, and theory for College Teachers. 9th edition. Lexington, Maryland: D.C. Heath.

Meyers, C. and Jones, T.B. (1993). Promoting active learning: Strategies for the college classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993.

Paiget, J. (1970). The Science of Education and the Psychology of the Child. NY: Grossman.

Silberman, M. (1996). Active learning: 101 Strategies to teach any subject. Allyn & Bacon.

Sousa, D. A. (2000). How the brain learns: A classroom teacher's guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Stice, J. E. (1987). “Using Kolb’s Learning Cycle to Improve Student Learning.” Engineering Education, 77(5), 291-296.

Vygotsky, L.S. (1971). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes.. (M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman, Eds. & Trans.). Cambridge: MA: Harvard University Press.