Pedagogical Strategies to Strengthen Learning in Introductory STEM Courses

Pedagogical Strategies to Strengthen Learning in Introductory STEM

Courses

Thomas Tretter (CEHD)&

Christine Rich (A&S Chemistry)

Partnership for Retention Improvement in Mathematics,

Engineering, and Science

PRIMES IN A NUTSHELL



Funded by the NSF-STEM Talent Expansion Program (STEP)

A cross-college collaboration that includes 14 faculty in 9 departments from A&S, CEHD, and Speed.

The goal is to increase by 25% the number of UofL STEM baccalaureate degrees awarded by 2016

The strategy is to explore ways to improve STEM student retention to reach that goal

PRIMES Retention Strategies



Increase faculty-student interactions University wide PRIMES-sponsored events

for STEM undergraduates Departmental (RSO) events and activities

funded by PRIMES Transform STEM teaching & learning

Institutionalizing undergraduate teaching assistant (UTA) courses for STEM majors

Provide these UTAs formal training in STEM pedagogy to make them effective, engaging, role-models to students in introductory STEM courses

The PRIMES UTA Strand



This academic year there are 141 PRIMES UTAs

Trained in STEM best practices through a combination of workshops, seminars, and online/Blackboard activities with PRIMES faculty

PRIMES UTAs



Engaging students in labs, recitations, and peer-centered learning groups

How Students Learn



National Research Council, (2005). How students learn: Science in the classroom. Committee on How People Learn, A Targeted Report for Teachers, M.S. Donovan & J.D. Bransford, (Eds.) Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

----------------------------------------------------A synthesis of the research literature on how people learn

3 dominant themes emerge

How Students Learn






(1) Metacognitive approaches to learning

How Students Learn







(2) Well-developed mental models (facts, relationships, what is relevant & when)

How Students Learn







(2) Well-developed mental models (facts, relationships, what is relevant & when)

(3) Preconceptions are critical elements for starting points

(NOTE: These are not distinct but rather interrelated themes)

Metacognition Illustration



On next slide is a list of 15 short words or phrases.

How many can you remember after 30 seconds of “study” time?

Phrases to Remember





How many do you remember?

Phrases to Remember





Now how many do you remember?

Metacognition Implementation Strategies



• Think-alouds (for complex thinking, not trivial things)

• Generate complex graphics or charts with the students rather than presenting a completed product

• Whiteboards (students commit to response, then discussion of reasoning)

• Think-Pair-Share

Mental Models



To support student development of their own mental models, you need some mechanism to get inside their heads.

Formative Assessment FOR Learning



Informs your teaching…allows you to adjust your instruction to suit student needs in the moment

Ungraded activities, questioning, and discussions that give you a ‘snapshot’ of where students stand in their understanding

We all know about ‘clickers’ in the classroom, but there are so many other strategies. A good resource we use for ideas is Page Keeley’s Science Formative Assessment, Human Scatterplots

Commit & Toss

Think, Pair, Share

Muddiest Point

Whiteboarding

Fact First Questioning

POMS

http://books.google.com/books?id=LkaxNnW1lh8C&printsec=frontcover

Use a Prompt to Probe• Adria and Dylan are conducting a science

experiment in their 5th grade class. They set out the following 4 items on a table in the classroom before leaving for the day: a glass block, a carpet tile, a ceramic tile, and a block of wood.



Use a Prompt to Probe• The next morning they measured the

temperature of each object with a sensitive thermocouple. What did they discover?

• A) None had the same temperature• B) 2 had the same temperature• C) 3 had the same temperature• D) All had the same temperature



Formative Assessment Components Assess prior knowledge Probe for misconceptions Introduce the terminology Guide understanding with key

questions

Through the Teacher’s Lens



Assessing by Application

Based on what you have learned explain why cooks often use spoons and spatulas made from wood or plastic material while pots and saute pans are made of metals.



Formative Assessment Component Probe for persisting misconceptions Check for ability to transfer the

knowledge to a new situation (application)

Check for mastery of the terminology

Through the Teacher’s Lens



Questioning



Paper bags task: for 2 minutes, write as many questions that you can think of about the object inside

Questioning



Closed vs. Open QuestionsTwo types of questions:

• Closed (convergent) questions – typically have one specific answer

• Open (divergent) questions – typically have many possible answers

Each type has value, but they tend to have different purposes and promote different types of thinking

Questioning



Closed vs. Open QuestionsTwo types of questions:

• Closed (convergent) questions – typically have one specific answer

• Open (divergent) questions – typically have many possible answers

Each type has value, but they tend to have different purposes and promote different types of thinking

TASK• Label each of the questions you’ve written as

Closed (C) or Open (O)

Questioning Implementation Strategies



• Preplan a few good open questions

• Fact-first Questioning approach

• Blend closed and open

• Wait time

• Thoughtful and intentional use of questioning

Preconceptions



In a short paragraph, write the reasons for seasons

Point Of Most Significance (POMS)

Metacognitive strategy used to help students connect with the important goals of a lesson

On a post-it note record the POMS of today’s presentation



Pedagogical Strategies to Strengthen Learning in Introductory STEM Courses

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