1. Learning about Learning TQI Modeling Pilot

2. Start with a question How many university faculty does it take to change a light bulb? CHANGE ?????

3. But more seriously! On a card write one word to describe the preparation of students entering your entry-level classes. Discuss with your neighbors what you think the reasons for this are.

4. Tennessee Teaching Quality Initiative (TQI) TQI Task Force (2006/07) ◦ Broad participation from range of stakeholders. ◦ Addressed issues of teaching quality and supply. ◦ Identified five focal areas

5. TQI Focal areas Knowledge base ◦ Strong background in content and pedagogy Characteristics of Quality Teachers ◦ Who will be a good teacher? Professionalizing teaching ◦ Establishing a meaningful career ladder Modeling ◦ What does effective teaching look and feel like? Mentoring ◦ Apprentice teachers need meaningful support.

6. Modeling K-12 teachers are expected to employ evidence-based teaching strategies in their own classes. We all tend to teach as we were taught. To maximize chances of producing effective teachers we need to model effective teaching for them.

7. More questions to discuss Do students in your own classes learn as well as you want them to? How do you know if learning you desire is actually happening in your classroom? Is it possible to improve student learning in your classes? If so, how?

8. Case study from ASTR1020 Astronomy Diagnostic Test ◦ Same test given at start and end of course Spring 2007 ◦ Performance on selected items. ◦ #5 – speed of radio waves versus other radiation ◦ #15 – how light intensity depends on distance

9. Case study from ASTR1020 ◦ Significantly improved performance on #5 ◦ Still poor on #15 Spring 2008 ◦ Increase focus on these topics in ‘lecture’

10. Case study from ASTR1020 Spring 2009 ◦ Introduce dedicated ‘hands-on/minds-on’ activity to address light intensity ◦ Performance on other items did not suffer!

11. Evidence-based teaching TQI working group identified general features of teaching that evidence suggests enhance learning. ◦ If this is so, shouldn’t all our students benefit from them?

12. Evidence-based teaching All related to constructivist view of learning ◦ “Learning is a dynamic process that takes place when learners try to integrate new experiences and information into their existing schema of the world in a meaningful way.” ◦ Learning is ‘making sense’ of new information in the context of what you already ‘know’.

13. Evidence-based teaching Making prior knowledge explicit ◦ People make sense of the world in terms of what they already ‘know’. ◦ Therefore, it’s important that both the learner and teacher are aware of this prior knowledge. Discuss ◦ How do you view your students’ prior knowledge in your classes?

14. Evidence-based teaching Promoting active engagement ◦ People learn better when ‘engaged’ with trying to understand the content rather than passive reception. ◦ ‘Minds-on’ is more important than ‘Hands-on’ Facilitating social interaction ◦ Small collaborative groups can extend knowledge and understanding further than an individual. Discuss ◦ How could you address both of these in a large class?

15. Evidence-based teaching Use a learning cycle approach ◦ It’s not just ‘get it’ or ‘don’t get it’ ◦ Learning is a gradual process involving states of ‘partial knowledge’. ◦ The learning process can be ‘scaffolded’ Use varied techniques ◦ Different people have different learning styles. ◦ Auditory, kinesthetic, visual, etc. Discuss ◦ What do you do to accommodate different styles?

16. Evidence-based teaching Continual formative assessment ◦ Formative versus summative assessment ◦ Feedback works both ways. Discuss ◦ How do you know whether your students are learning? ◦ How often do you check? ◦ Is all your assessment ‘high-stakes’?

17. Learning about Learning Program TTU pilot program to address TQI Modeling focal area. Your opportunity to consider and discuss all these (and more?) Participants: new faculty plus selected others.

18. Learning about Learning Program Expectations ◦ Attend large group meetings/seminars if possible  Will address general issues ◦ Hold regular small-group meetings  Discuss discipline-specific contexts. ◦ Complete two surveys  Pre and post program ◦ Try out an evidence-based strategy at some point in a spring class.  If possible, briefly document implementation and impact  Give student survey in these classes

19. Groups

20. Learning about Learning Program Rewards ◦ Salary supplement ($1,250)  $500 in December, rest in May ◦ Travel money  Up to $500 for program-related travel  Can be used for other purposes if approved ◦ Books  To give background and focus discussions

22. End with a joke! How many surrealists does it take to change a light bulb? Two. ◦ One to hold the giraffe, and the other to fill the bathtub with brightly colored machine tools!