David SteerDepartment of Geology & Environmental Sciences

University of Akron

August 2007

Developing Interactive Lectures

A Story of Change

Three questions

i. How much learning occurs during a typical general education course?

ii. What activities can instructors use to assess ongoing student learning?

iii. Can we best promote student learning in the geosciences?

If they don’t understand, say it

again . . . only louder.

• Teaching has traditionally focused on the delivery of information

• Little instructor- student communication

• Student not engaged in the learning process

• Instructor attributes problems to unchangeable student- or class-related factors

The Tourist: Teaching as Telling

Three instructors taught a ASU Physics course during the same semester. Prof A emphasized concepts, careful, logical; Prof B used demonstrations and took extra preparation time; Prof C had a problem solving emphasis. All used the same textbook and covered the same chapters. All professors received similar evaluations. Pre-test scores for each class were almost identical.

Predict which professor’s class showed the greatest gain in post-test score.

A. B. C. D. No difference

Halloun, I.H. and D. Hestenes, American Journal of Physics, 1985. 53(11): p. 1043-1055.

Teaching Behaviors and Learning

Pre- and post-tests of student comprehension were compared for large introductory biology courses for non-majors and majors with comparable class sizes. The majors course presented more content. Mean pre-test score for the non-majors was 29% and the for the majors was 35%.

Predict the post-test score in the non-majors and majors courses.

a. 35/41% c. 56/48%

b. 40/41% d. 48/56%

Sundberg, M.D., M.L. Dini, and E. Li, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1994. 31(6): p. 679-693.

Does More Material = More Learning?

Pre- and post-test results of 30-question Geoscience Concept Inventory applied to introductory geology courses at 30 institutions.

Libarkin, J.C., & Anderson, S.W., 2005, Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 53, p. 394-401

What about the Geosciences?

Paired pre/post results matched for 930 students

• Pre-test mean = 43%+/-11%

• Post-test mean = 47%+/-12%

• Improvements occurred almost exclusively for students with the lowest pre-test scores (<40%)

Geoscience Concept Inventory: http://newton.bhsu.edu/eps/gci.html

Libarkin, J.C., & Anderson, S.W., 2005, Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 53, p. 394-401

A Semester of (Little) Learning

Students in only 8 of 30 courses analyzed using the Geoscience Concept Inventory showed a statistically significant improvement in pre/post-test scores after a semester of instruction.

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 17 18 20a 21 22 23 24 29 31 35 36 37

Course

Pre

/Po

st-T

est

Sco

re

Understanding Student Learning

Learning assessment

systems

More instructor understanding

of learning

Less instructor understanding

of learning

• Computer grading of multiple choice questions using bubble-sheets

• Instructor grading of short answer and essay questions

• On-going assessment through student dialog in small classes

An effective teacher will:1. Know the characteristics

and needs of their students

2. Place students in an appropriate learning environment

3. Monitor student learning regularly and make necessary adjustments

4. Provide students with sufficient conditions for intellectual growth

The Gardener: Teaching as Doing

• Pre-class preparation as homework or for reading quizzes

McConnell, D.A., Steer, D.N., & Owens, K., 2003, Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 51, #2, p. 174-183.

Appropriate Learning Environment

An Active Learning Class

• Lecture broken into short segments, separated by assessments (called Interactive Lectures)

• Students work together in groups • Formative exercises during class used to assess

student understanding and progresshttp://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/whatis.html

Traditional Class• Passive students

• Quiet

• Instructor-focused

• Information from instructor-to-student

• Students work as individuals

• Competitive learning environment

• Limited assessment opportunities

Active Learning Class

• Active students• Noisy• Student-focused• Information from instructor-to-

student, student-to-student, student-to-instructor

• Student collaboration• Supportive learning

environment• Multiple assessment

opportunities

Active Learning Class Setting

http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/howto.html

Teaching and learning goals can be ordered using Bloom’s Taxonomy

Knowledge

Comprehension

Application

Analysis

Synthesis

Evaluation

memorization and

recall

understanding

using knowledge

taking apart

information

reorganizing

information

making judgements

ConceptestsMuddiest Point

Venn Diagrams

Text

Concept Maps

Open-ended questions can be used for all categories.

Evaluation Rubrics

Conditions for Intellectual Growth

Teaching and learning goals can be ordered using a Comprehension Survey

Level 1 - I understand part of a concept.

Level 2 - I understand multiple parts of a concept.

Level 3 - I understand the concept well enough to explain it to others.

Level 4 - I understand the concept well and can answer challenging questions about it.

Comprehension Surveys

Level 1: Think-Pair Share

Place the following events that were described in the earlier chapters of the book in the correct relative chronological order, from earliest to most recent.

A. Tsunami struck Japan.

B. Ice sheet was present in India (Pangaea).

C. Asteroid collided with Earth (Chicxulub).

D. Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines.

E. Wegener developed the continental drift hypothesis.

Think-Pair Share: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/tpshare.html

Level 2: Conceptests

In what order were the layers formed (from oldest to youngest)?

A. C,D,B,A

B. C,B,D,A

C. B,C,D,A

D. B,C,D,A

Conceptest

http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/conctest.html

What aspect of the reading/class did you least understand?

• Promotes metacognition

• Involves students in their own learning

• Provides a low-stakes method of interacting with instructor

• Can show class-wide trends

Level 2: Muddiest Point

Level 2: Venn Diagram

Use the Venn diagram to answer the questions that follow.

High silica rocks. a. b. c.Low silica rocks. a. b. c.Form deep in the earth. a. b. c.Form at the surface. a. b. c.Large-grained. a. b. c.Small-grained. a. b. c.

a. b. c.

Volcanic Plutonic

Level 3: Longer Activities

Place the rock units in their order of formation, oldest to youngest and answer related questions.

Examine the rock types identified by the symbols in the diagram, and determine which rock units best match the following descriptions.

___ Coarse-grained clastic sedimentary rocks overlying an erosional surface

___ A rock containing a foliation

Think-Pair Share: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/activity.html

Level 3: Concept Maps

Complete the following weathering concept map by selecting the correct term for the questions that follow.

Level 4: Synthesis Exercise

Construct a diagram that illustrates a cross section of rock units that would account for the configuration listed below (not in order). Draw a relative time cross section that illustrates the correct order for these features.

1. Rhyolite cross cuts and covers all units except sandstone.2. Dark, fine-grained igneous rock cross cuts and covers conglomerate and

older units.3. Oldest rocks are made of black, biochemical layers that were later tilted.4. Coarse-grained clastic rock is deposited immediately over coal.5. Opaque chemical sedimentary rock is deposited directly over basalt.6. River cuts partially into limestone.7. Medium-grained clastic rock is deposited over small-grained, high silica

volcanic rock.

Level 4: Evaluation Rubric

Students analyze scenarios and recommend specific courses of action.

Q: Who gets earthquake preparedness funding?

Crouch, C.H., Mazur, E., 2001, American Journal of Physics, v. 69, #9, p.970-977

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1990 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

FCI pretest score

FCI score gain on post-test

Traditional Class

Peer Instruction Classes

n = 117 - 216

12

3

2

3

4

4

1 Began PI

Refined conceptests

Changed text

Open ended reading questions

Mazur’s results for Introductory Physics after using conceptests and peer instruction

Does this make a Difference?

The Value of Conceptests

Students taught key concepts using one of four methods. Student learning assessed by proportion of correct answers to open ended questions on same concepts on final exam

Crouch, C.H., Fagen, A.P., Callan, J.P., & Mazur, E., 2004. American Journal of Physics, v.72 #6, p. 835-838.

No demonstration

Observation of demonstration w/explanation

Prediction prior to demo with a conceptest

Prediction prior to demonstration using discussion & a later conceptest

% correct answers

61

70*

77*

82*

Teaching method

n = 158-297; * = statistically significant result vs. no demonstration

The Value of Collaborative Learning

Control Group: Students took test individually.

Experimental Group: Students took physics test individually, then again as a pair.

Singh, C., 2005. American Journal of Physics, v.73 #3, in press.

Proportion of pairs of students who both got the question wrong on the first test but correct on “paired” test: 29%

Mean score on second exam for experimental group: 74%

Mean score on second exam for control group: 64%

Students in both groups answered similar questions on a second exam two weeks later.

Same population characteristics both semestersSame exercises, HWK and exams

More As and fewer Fs using team approach (green)!

Green = teams Red = no teams

The Value of Collaborative Learning

Why Does this Work?

• The sooner a test is given after learning, the greater the retention

• Testing has a greater positive effect on short-term (1 week) and long-term (5 months) retention than additional study

• Tests involving the production of information yield greater benefits than multiple-choice tests that rely on recognition of correct answers

• More thorough instructional feedback improves later learning

Questions asked during interactive lectures serve as mini-tests to enhance student learning in or out of class

The Testing Effect - testing promotes learning and retention by making the next learning opportunity more effective

Roediger, H.L., &Karpicke, J.D., 2006. Perspectives on Psychological Science, v.1 #3, p.181-210.

Any Questions?

Thank You!