1. STEM IN TILE A CTIVE L EARNING W ORKSHOP Learning Objectives: Then and Now Dr. Darren Hoffmann Lecturer, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine

2. G OALS FOR THIS WORKSHOP Establish a way of defining understanding for ourselves and our students Practice Analyzing and Applying principles of Understanding and Learning Objectives Discuss ways that these tools can be useful/not useful in our courses and overall curriculum

3. O BJECTIVES FOR TODAY By the end of this session, we should be able to… Describe the difference between knowledge and understanding Construct good learning objectives that reflect understanding of a topic Describe levels of understanding using Blooms Taxonomy Adjust course objectives to reflect different levels of understanding Apply learning objectives to common curriculum design tasks

4. 1. K NOWLEDGE /S KILL VS. U NDERSTANDING Events in a timeline Ability to type quickly Word definitions in a foreign language How events in a timeline lead to one another Why arm position affects typing speed Having a conversation in a foreign language

5. Students often believe: memorizing = learning It is our job to show them: WHY its important to understand material Teaching through questions, etc. HOW to understand the material Instructional plan HOW to prove to us and themselves that they understand the material Objectives, Assessment S TUDENTS AND U NDERSTANDING

6. 5 Minute Free Write: Identify some key areas important to understand in your lecture/class session A NALYSIS /A PPLICATION OF U NDERSTANDING

7. A way to define understanding A statement that shows students what they can DO with their knowledge/skills A statement that guides how students learn and how instructors teach and assess A way to make your life as a teacher MUCH easier 2. L EARNING O BJECTIVES

8. General Objectives This course aims to… Written from the professors point of view Specific Objectives After this lecture, you will be able to… Written for the students point of view T YPES OF O BJECTIVES

9. 1. Contain an Action Verb (what can a student DO?) 2. Relate to an important course concept 3. Demonstrate learning/understanding 4. Be measureable 5. May contain conditions and/or criteria Makes objectives more specific Q UALITIES OF E FFECTIVE L EARNING O BJECTIVES

10. An education course: Expand students knowledge of teaching techniques An anatomy course: The student will be able to identify 3 common embryologic causes of heart defects A radiology course: Pass the final exam A civics course: The three branches of U.S. government A laboratory skills course: Observe an experiment and give suggestions for areas which could be improved to result in a better outcome An immunology course: Surface markers in B-cell development A NALYSIS OF L EARNING O BJECTIVES

11. 10 Minute First Draft: Write learning objectives for topics in your class session and peer review A PPLICATION OF L EARNING O BJECTIVES

12. Several language systems for clear objectives have been established through educational science Allows us to measure the level of understanding we are asking of students Allows students to express their understanding in many ways 6 Facets of Understanding (1990s) Blooms Taxonomy (1950s) 3. L EVELS OF U NDERSTANDING

13. 1. Explanation 2. Interpretation 3. Application 4. Perspective 5. Empathy 6. Self-knowledge 6 F ACETS OF U NDERSTANDING M ODEL

14. 3 Domains of Learning Cognitive Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create Affective: Awareness, appreciation, perspective, empathy Psychomotor: Skills requiring motor control B LOOM S T AXONOMY M ODEL http://www.res.rcs.k12.tn.us/teachers/leonardl/blooms_pyramid.html

15. 1. An Education Course The student will be able to identify 4 different Closed Assessment Tasks. 2. An Anatomy Course The student will be able to diagram the flow of blood through the heart, noting relevant structures (valves, vessels, etc.). 3. A Radiology Course The student will be able to find a 5 cm pancreatic tumor mass on a CT scan. 4. A Civics Course The student will be able to name the three branches of the U.S. Government and their primary roles. 5. A Laboratory Skills Course The student will be able to observe an experiment and give suggestions for areas which could be improved to increase the overall yield. 6. An Immunology Course The student will be able to understand the different surface markers in B-cell development. A NALYSIS OF L EVELS OF U NDERSTANDING

16. 10 Minute Revision Apply the domains/Blooms Taxonomy to your class sessions objectives Challenge yourself to incorporate the affective domain/Facets 5 and 6 if possible A PPLICATION OF L EVELS OF U NDERSTANDING

17. 4. P UTTING L EARNING O BJECTIVES INTO PRACTICE …

18. For me, its easier to write the objectives after organizing content/putting lecture together For others, its easier to write the lecture after writing clear objectives Pros/Cons? H OW / WHEN TO WRITE LEARNING OBJECTIVES ?

19. 3 options 1. At the beginning of the course – one big list 2. In each lecture handout 3. At the conclusion of a unit (used as study guide) Pros/Cons? H OW / WHEN TO RELEASE OBJECTIVES TO STUDENTS

20. Students stop/decrease asking will this be on the test? Students start asking for objectives from lecturers who dont provide them You can write test questions faster Students never complain that questions were unfair/unexpected You can precisely identify a students misunderstanding You can communicate your courses goals more clearly with your colleagues W HAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU START USING GOOD LEARNING OBJECTIVES ?

21. Sequencing Classroom Resources Assessment Instructional planning Course evaluations 5. U SING LO S IN YOUR C URRICULUM D ESIGN W ORK

22. Your objectives are the test. Youve already written it. Bravo. The level of objective should be reflected in the level of the tasks in the assessment. C URRICULUM A PPLICATIONS : A SSESSMENT

23. Instructional activities should be geared toward your student goals Kern et al 2009 handout Knowledge vs. Problem-solving Low vs. High levels of understanding Provide opportunities for: Elaboration (connecting new information to existing knowledge) Transfer (applying a concept/skill to a new context) Difficulty C URRICULUM A PPLICATIONS : I NSTRUCTIONAL D ESIGN

24. Start by just doing example problems in class Option 1: Talk through the problem yourself Option 2: Give them a problem to work on and vote with a clicker Option 3: Think-Pair-Share approach Option 4: Random Volunteer/Instructor Selected Respondent E NGAGEMENT IN THE C LASSROOM : W HERE TO S TART ? Least Engaging Most Engaging

25. Objectives: Describe the anatomical regions of the Infratemporal Fossa and Pterygopalatine Fossa noting bony limits of each region Predict the effects of compression of the Maxillary artery at any given location Understand the nerves that are affected by a mandibular nerve block and determine which areas will be anaesthetized as a result. Draw the branching pattern of the maxillary artery in the infratemporal fossa. Combine this with your previous knowledge of the branching of the external carotid leading to the maxillary artery. In-class Activity: Labeling contest E XAMPLE OF SOMETHING MORE INVOLVED …

26. Labeling Contest!!! 2 12 1 8 6 13 10 11 9 4 5 3 7

27. Darren Hoffmann (darren-hoffmann@uiowa.edu)darren-hoffmann@uiowa.edu Understanding By Design, Wiggins and McTighe (1995) (6 Facets Model) Available for free electronically through University Libraries T HANK YOU !

28. Do some objectives fit within others? Are some objectives heavier than others? Do the real objectives of your course reveal hidden possibilities of sequencing? C URRICULUM A PPLICATIONS : S EQUENCING

29. What level are most of your objectives? The level of objective can guide your choice of learning materials. C URRICULUM A PPLICATIONS : C LASSROOM R ESOURCES

30. Easy: Did my students demonstrate the ability to perform the objectives that I set out for them? If assessments were designed according to objectives, this is relatively easy to assess Hard: Making quality judgments based on your own reflections and student evaluations Both are useful, but also influenced by non- educational outcomes C URRICULUM A PPLICATIONS : C OURSE E VALUATIONS