Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Types of misconceptions
Proposition level-only use 10% of brain, something heard but easy to dispel.
Flawed mental models-circulatory system is a single loop. Students must
accommodate the function of the lung. The challenge is to make student reason on
their flawed mental model until they find a contradiction. Then they will be able to
accommodate a new idea. Somewhat hard to dispel.
Ontological misconceptions-electricity as fluid?
Embedded beliefs-earth is 6000 years old, tied to other beliefs. Very hard to dispel.
Activating prior knowledge
Peer instruction. If most students answer correctly, prior knowledge sufficient.
Discuss briefly. If most answer incorrectly, not enough prior knowledge. Discuss
further. IF split, there is useful prior knowledge (this is the best type of question).
Have students discuss in pairs and revote, then whole class discussion. Actually it
activates a time for telling as well.
Surfacing prior knowledge-brain storm solutions, minute papers about a new topic,
doodles of their mental models. Explicit-past topics are relevant for new ideas. Show
demo first, make predictions then discuss explanations (time for telling).
Adaptive expert
Routine expert can quickly solve problems efficiently
Adaptive expert can solve non-trivial problems, transfer knowledge
Knowledge organizations
Experts have rich, meaningful knowledge structures with many interconnected
nodes
Seeing the big picture
Develop concept maps, counted average number of connections for primary
conceptsthe more connections, the higher the exam score (Ashley cetnar).
Signposts make connection between prior concepts and present concepts. When
students take notes and are provided with a graphic organizer, they remembered
what they learned at higher rates.
Open ended questions allows for connection between different topics, multiple
solution strategies.
Practice, feedback, and mastery
Students focus on final answer, unconscious expert
Structuring practice, improving feedback
What are learning objectives? Operational , what students should be able to do after
instruction, measureable, reflects what you value in student learning.
Why do we need learning objectives? Arent they in the syllabus? Syllabus includes
topics/material covered and time spent. Learning objectives are outcome and
student oriented identifies what students will be able to do as a result of learning
defines what students are expected to learn. Teaching goals are not learning goals.
Solves problem of: helps in planning of course and what instructors focus on, how
do instructors narrow their focus, tells students what is expected of them, what
students should focus on, why are students doing this, how do departments build
student expertise across courses? Exams might be easier to write, communicates
expectations to students. How is it helpful? Students see coherency, students use
them as review, sense of fairness to exams, preparation for class and targeted
efficient use of time, faculty communication,
How do learning goals guide instruction?
Where do you want to go? Where are you? How to get there?
Backwards design : define learning goals, decide on assessment, design instruction
help students achieve goals. Alignment between instruction, assessments, and
learning goals.
Mismatch between what we are teaching and what students are learning because
we dont know students prior knowledge.
Learning goals: broad, course level. Learning objective: specific per topic.
What is a course level learning goal: students do at the end of the course? Learned
something about the discipline as a whole.
What does it mean to know something?
What would be difficult to unpack learning goals? As an expert, it is difficult to
articulate the steps. Expert blindness. Strategies from list of topics to creating
concrete learning objectives? Write down all of the concepts and ideas you want
students to learn about that topic. Teaching about the topic in different
representations.
Strategies to figure out learning objectives:
Find someone elses objectives
Look at end of chapter summaries
Look at education research
Work backwards from an exam question
Talk to colleagues
Mapping the terrain: what should students know, and how deeply?
Different types of learning:
Show goals to colleagues, multiple faculty teaching the class, all students should
get a similar learning experience. Start with big course level goals, perhaps faculty
agree on 75% of the objectives. Learning objective is shared but taught differently
Important to talk to colleagues when the course is:
1. core to the major.
2. Prerequisite to other course
3. Part of a sequence.
4. has goals related to certification
Final thoughts, tips, and tricks:
1. important to write learning goals and objectives
learning objective: what a student should be able to do, measureable, and what you
value in the domain
car analogy
learning goals vs. learning objective
When do you write your goals? Too close to instruction may be too late, needs to be
advanced, figuring it out along the way? Unit by unit learning objectives? Do it
before you teach. One you have materials you wont want to go back and redo the
course.
Give it a try, even if you have to revise later.
If youve already taught the course, work backwards from the exams.
2. important to have learning goals that are clearly defined and appropriate.
3. important to have learning objectives that are useful, realistic and attainable.
4. be choosy. Keep your syllabus focused.
5. use objectives to design assessments and instruction using backwards design.
Alignment
When do you refer to your objectives: while lesson planning, designing homework
and exams.
6. keep the broader context of you institution in mind (ABET, prerequisites,
colleagues ideas)
Module 4 assessment of learning
Introduction to assessment and feedback
Object
action>measure>measurement>communicate>feedback>formulate>plan>revise
(peers, mentors, mentees involved all along the way)
sections who used PAR had a 13% higher passage rate. Second semester, 23%
higher passage rate.
No incentive to go back and look over homework. Compare their hw to posted
solution and explain why they were incorrect.
Most students think that working on a problem for more than 20 mins says that the
problem is impossible
Adapting traditional textbook problems: give a real world context (or ask students
for real world context) explain their reasoning, try to solve it using a different
technique, ask them to engagein problem solving skills as checking. take the idea
further. Use the tools they learned in one task in a new problem that they are
interested in. homework as developing a set of tools to help students do cool
things in the future.
Open ended problems focus on the instructor
Gives a window into student reasoning. When to let students struggle with the
wrong idea? Simply correcting students ideas doesnt mean students will correctly
apply the concept in a new situation.
Practical tips: small set of talk moves? say more. who thinks they understand
what so and so just say in their own words? hold back first impulse to make an
evaluative statement. Ask for more explanation, be patient.
Try not to ask too many leading questions, allow them to think about and confront
their misconceptions.
Working with the wealth of student ideas:
Have a few ideas brought out and look at pros and cons (cant talk about all student
ideas). You will see a pattern in student responses, common misconceptions.
Student-instructor trust-students must feel comfortable sharing answers (need
rapport) and see its a place to test out ideas. Working against students
experiences in other classes which are not inquiry based.
When to give the answer/when to let students struggle? Requires practice over
time. the art of teaching comes into play here.
Growth Mindset and its role in practice and feedback
Fixed mindset-intelligence is fixed, certain amount of brains
Growth mindset-qualities as things that can be developed
7th grade-students in the growth mindset intervention improved classroom
motivation, students in control group displayed decline in grades and vv in
experimental group.
Fixed minset praise: youre so brilliant you got an A without studying (if I cant get
an A without studying, then Im not brilliant.
Growth mindset praise: I like the way you tried all kinds of strategies, you found
the one that worked. Praising hard work and skill development
1. how we frame learning and assessment (struggle as a learning opportunity)
2. normalizing struggle (weve all gone through this) you dont know the content
YET, catching up is possible.
Consider student background and how our course structure can support students
coming in from different paths
Frame assessment and learning as skill development
Normalize struggle.
Student with growth mindset was a big factor in majoring in CS.
Faculty mindset-not everybody can do CS, a particular mental outlook, reinforces
the innate ability message, you dont belong here, you dont have it!
Research based surveys: conceptual surveys
1.
2.
3.
4.
activity (engagement)
reflection (material in relevant context, has meaning)
collaboration (peer learning)
passion (raising student interest)
Why program conferences contain lectures? Motivation (want to get something out
of lecture, make connections) prior knowledge (bringing the prerequisites to make
sense of a conference lecture). in the college classroom, students are not
necessarily motivated and do not have the right prior knowledge. Attention span
factor! In the classroom, students attention span is about 10-20 mins before they
check out.
Keep
Keep
Keep
Keep
it
it
it
it
simple
short
real (modeling)
good (professional quality, dont wing it as we record)
Inquiry based approach to lab instruction: students engage in many of the same
activities and thinking processes as scientists
What do scientists do? Ask questions, propose hypotheses and models, design,
carry out, and analyze studies to evaluate hypotheses, communicate results, revise
results in response to critiques.
6 elements of inquiry
1. Observing and question
2. Designing experiments
3. Collecting data
4. Analyzing data
5. Repeating
6. Reporting and responding to peer review.
In traditional labs, students collect and analyze data. In the basic inquiry labs (which
exist in a continuum), adds the element of designing experiments.
When students design an experiment: evaluate, analyze, apply, understand and
remember
When students also define their own research question: they also create an
interesting question. When students report their results, they have to evaluate what
it is they need to tell the audience, and synthesize their results into something their
audience will understand!
Is it important that the questions are novel? As scientists, we search for novel
questions. But in inquiry based labs, the questions are sometimes novel, and
sometimes not. What is key is that students do not know the answer. In the
continuum, traditional labs are never novel questions, whereas undergraduate
research novelty is essential.
What benefits have been demonstrated for inquiry based lab pedagogy?
Lead to cognitive gains (increased content understanding and transferable skills)
More positive attitudes/greater motivation for learning science
Are there limitations?
Its vital to include scaffolding and opportunities for practice to help students
develop needed thinking processes.
How to provide support: provide a lot of support right away, and gradually take
away supports within the labs. Help to point research question in the right direction,
allow for feedback from peers and instructors before proceeding further.
What are key elements to include?
Instructor guide to help students develop inquiry skills (define research
problem, formulate hypotheses, planning an experiment)
Opportunity for peer to peer interactions and teaching
Opportunity for students summative presentation of work (oral or written)
What challenges can you expect?
Messy data
Unexpected results
Questions that are too broad
..chaos
What is low stakes writing? Smaller assignments, more often, turn students into
active learning, helps students find their own language, no need to tangle with
elaborate prose, allows instructor to check understanding, allows students to give
full attention to their thoughts (rather than lecture). E.g., minute writes, micro
themes, quote responses, mid lecture feedback, guided journals or learning logs,
question/comment box, lab notebooks
Why writing to learn? Creates a safe place for self reflection, allows students to
think through ideas, focus interaction with material, asks students to
summarize/synthesize/respond to class material
Two reminders to instructors: you are not teaching a writing class, you are looking
for evidence of understanding.
Writing to learn: consider the power
Writing to learn pushes the boundaries of several notionsteacher as examiner,
short answer essay and term paper, writing as a process, lecture/exam pedagogy.
Module 10 problem based learning
What is problem based learning? Teaching approach that challenges students to
learn concepts/principles by applying them to real life problems
Student centered, before lecture, it creates context and relevance, link prior
knowledge and see how concepts apply to professional problems.
Analyze data, synthesize info, evaluate that data, apply info to solve problems.
Clearly define problem, assess knowns/unknowns, brainstorm solutions pros/cons,
craft and justify resolutions. how to be a wildlife biologist.
Why use problem based learning? introducing problems through the use of decision
cases and constructive controversies.
Life long learners, analysis and synthesis skills, critical thinking, problem
solving, communication skills, interest, quality, education, work ethic,
competencies, personality match, listening skills
What are your teaching and learning objectives for the class?
Two approaches:
A controversy: general controversy description given to all stakeholders, detailed
specific info available from respective stakeholders, stakeholder collect, analyze
data, make requests from others, must share info, develop position within
stakeholder groups, multidisciplinary groups (roleplaying, working together)
A decision case-entire case presented to all student, present interpretive question to
class to solicit discussion about issues that need to be discussed, learned, instructor
provides additional info to student groups to conduct research, case revisited to
evaluate the problem with class.
Planning for controversy in your class
Give context of problem. Start with general info about issues. Be explicit about goal:
come up with best management practices
This is not a debate.
Instructor gives background and assign individuals to stakeholder group.
Students-read descriptions for respective stakeholder group, prepare comments,
who are they, issues they have, possible solutions? Questions for other
stakeholders?
Form multidisciplinary teams each stakeholder has an equal amount of time to
disucss their info/issues/questions
A representative from each multidisciplinary group reports on their best
policies/solutions
Controversy length can be altered depending upon the teaching and learning
objectives
Scaling back a constructive controversy: use active lecturing and effective lecturing.
Organizing, 10-12 min lecture (teaching and learning goals, background info for
case or controversy), 3-4 min discuss with partner (single stakeholder group), 10-12
min lecture (additional info needed, emphasize best solutions approach, make task
explicit), 3-4 min discuss with partner (multidisciplinary group, recommend best
solution and justification), 10-12 min lecture (facilitate reporting out from groups), 5
min summary (critique student responses, what is really happening, big picture)
WEEK 5 diversity and motivation
Persistence in STEM fields, part 1
Why do so many math and science majors leave STEM fields? 40% would leave
before they graduate.
Disproportionate number of women and minority students leave pipeline. What
happened? Seymour and Hewitt (Talking about leaving)
4 issues that mattered least
1. Proficiency of instructor to speak English
2. Class size
3. Poor teaching by TAS
4. Quality of lab or instructional facilities
5 factors that mattered most
1. Loss of interest in science in general
2. Non-STEM fields were more interesting to them.
3. Poor instruction by faculty affected their interest in science(even those who
stayed said this was a major factor in their persistence)
4. Curriculum overload moving too quickly
5. Rejection of STEM careers/lifestyles
National data still indicate that students are still switching from STEM! undergrad
students in STEM leave by the time they graduate. Only 2/10 BA, BAs go to students
in STEM fields.
It wasnt ability that stopped them, it was that they were pushed out by other
factors such as fitting in.
Motivation and learning
Intrinsic motivations (internal motivations, love of learning, curiosity)-more
powerful, cannot control them as professors
Extrinsic motivations (grades, parents, job)-less powerful, but somewhat easier to
control as professors
Strategic learning (Bain, 2004) do just enough to get good grades, but no more.
Theyll do what they need to, but may not learn deeply.
Deep learning (Bain, 2004) interested in learning and transfer, to use in future
courses and careers, but really hard.
Competence (Ryan and Deci, 2000) we are motivated when we are engaging in
tasks which are hard, but not too hard.
Autonomy when we have certain degree of autonomy, more motivated to engage
in the activity. We want choice, free will
Purpose why are we doing what were doing, what is the goal?
Community (Binkler and nissenbaum 2006) contributors to Wikipedia, for no
financial award? People are motivated by being part of a community and
contributing and sharing with that community. Classrooms are not necessarily
learning communities, but they can be. Students may not like math, but they might
like the learning process if it involves other students.
Strategies to inhibit strategic learning
Lower the stakes giving multiple opportunities to show what they know, not having
one giant exam at the end, multiple smaller tests along the way, final assignment is
a paper or poster, opportunity to revise and resubmit, build some slack (can drop
lowest score). BUT we cant remove the stakes entirely. Not grading on the curve
(Sets up a competitive environment, raises the stakes).
Leverage intrinsic motivators challenge students but not so much they give up,
giving students a choice in how they earn participation points or the format of
assignments, helping students see the connections between their personal
professional and vocational interests and the course itself, having authentic
audience (explain complex topics to a lay audience, service learning project for
community organizations, having external client for a product in engineering).
Create learning community by giving opportunities to students to learn from each
other.
E.g., Social bookmarking posting links to articles about cryptography within a
specific context that the students were interested in. (tapped into autonomy and
purpose motivators and also created learning community feel)
MCATS as motivation for introductory physics premed students
Two low stakes assessments are part of participation grade 1. online warm up
questions, what do you find difficult/hard. They get credit for effort. 2. Clicker
questions.
Premed students are grad motivated. Students dont know how to learn physics, a
few points on the line to get them to try that helps them learn how to learn physics
Clicker questions set up the expectations
Twitter for birds
Persistence in STEM fields part 2
Contributors to motivation
1. Important to have role models, who look like them, relatable, enthusiastic
2. Quality of instructional experience. Students should feel as though they can
engage, addressing real world learning, collaborative learning.
3. Assessment important that there is feedback on assessments rather than
grading on a curve. Seeing that many people got Cs, not just you
4. Curriculum lends relevance
5. Creating environments in department, classroom, and in student groups that
are inclusive and offer variety of perspectives
6. Student investment, students feel as though they have some ownership and
control over what they do and demonstrate what they know
7. Message from instructor and department that success for all students is a
priority.
8. Increase representation of women and minorities. Reach out to them,
encourage participation, resources available to them, and they have
somewhere to turn when they need help.
WEEK 5 LESSON PLANNING
Dramatization of physics TAs first day of class
Have students introduce themselves and say their major, build community, gives
everyone a voice
Stereotype threat people from communities who know that theyre stereotyped as
not being good in math and science, and performance on a pretest is diagnostic of
ability.
Growth mindset pretest can be used to determine how to address difficulties and
an opportunity to learn as opposed to whether youre in the right box. Share your
own failures/experiences/successes
Sonning both women and men hold low expectations of women or judge other
women unfairly. Just because youre a member of a minority group, doesnt exclude
you from being sensitive to inclusiveness
If you make a mistake, apologize.
Students accents encourage them to speak more, conversation circles, ask their
name and make sure they are pronouncing it correctly, apologize for taking so long
to understand the accent, think pair share (allows for practice), ask them to write
down the question (written better than spoken language), acknowledge that the
question is a good question.
Do not single out students.
Spotlighting students from underrepresented groups are both hypervisible and
invisible.
Do not lump everyone together, say some of you might or most of you
probably havent. acknowledge room for variation
Interview with STEM faculty and students discussing the social belonging
Use gender as a lens of social analysis. Feminist works toward social change.social
justice.