Teaching With Technology So That Students Learn With Understanding Donald P. Buckley, Ph.D. Professor of Biology Director of Learning Technology, School of Health Sciences Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT Apple Distinguished Educator Smithsonian Computerworld Laureate Donald P. Buckley, Ph.D. Professor of Biology Director of Learning Technology, School of Health Sciences Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT Apple Distinguished Educator Smithsonian Computerworld Laureate 2003 Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference

The Information Age Has Changed the Educational Landscape 1800’s1900’s2000’s Industrial Age Information Age Learning Goals Have Changed The meaning of ‘knowing’ has shifted from being able to repeat and remember information able to repeat and remember information to being able to find and use it Herbert Simon, Nobel Laureate Bransford et al., 2000

Student Preparation Standards May Be Lower Now Vocabularies of entering college freshman 1962: 10,000 words Today: 4,000 words The region of our brain most related to language has multiple duties: 1.Communication 2.Synthesis 3.Long term memory

Educational Consequences: e.g., Scientific Literacy In the early 1990's... The United States ranked 13 out of the top 14 industrial nations of the world By the late 1990's... The United States ranked halfway among the worlds nations In the early 1990's... The United States ranked 13 out of the top 14 industrial nations of the world By the late 1990's... The United States ranked halfway among the worlds nations

Emerging Trends 1980’s1990’s2000’s A Revolutionary Opportunity Has Emerged Learning Standards NRC How People Learn today Content Standards NRC National Science Education Standards

A Revolution in Education! 1. Soul-searching about alarming levels of literacy: 1. Soul-searching about alarming levels of literacy: Emergence of the Learning Paradigm 2. The Decade of the Brain: 2. The Decade of the Brain: New insights about the cognitive development of learning 3. Information technology: 3. Information technology: Authoring tools promote the construction of knowledge Simulations enable students to experience investigation Communication tools promote learning in a social context Formative Assessment …the glue that holds it all together Authoring tools promote the construction of knowledge Simulations enable students to experience investigation Communication tools promote learning in a social context Formative Assessment …the glue that holds it all together

emphasis on Delivery of Content emphasis on Delivery of Content emphasis on Learning with Understanding emphasis on Learning with Understanding What Is Our Greatest Challenge? Institutional Transition to the Learning Paradigm Learning Paradigm Instructional Paradigm Barr and Tagg, 1995

Learning Paradigm Current Practice Is Mismatched with the Pedagogical Potential of Instructional Technology Instructional Paradigm Pedagogical Potential of Instructional Technology Pedagogical Potential of Instructional Technology emphasis on Delivery of Content emphasis on Delivery of Content emphasis on Learning with Understanding emphasis on Learning with Understanding

Bottlenecks to Transition to the Learning Paradigm Problem: Most faculty reside in the Instructional Paradigm Effective transition to the Learning Paradigm will require transformational faculty development Transformational faculty development must be coupled to institutional change processes to be effective Problem: Most faculty reside in the Instructional Paradigm Effective transition to the Learning Paradigm will require transformational faculty development Transformational faculty development must be coupled to institutional change processes to be effective

What Should the Highest Priority of IT Be?

Let’s Consider… How People Learn Pedagogical Feature Set of Learningware Transformational Faculty Development Institutional Change Process How People Learn Pedagogical Feature Set of Learningware Transformational Faculty Development Institutional Change Process

Let’s Consider… How People Learn Pedagogical Feature Set of Learningware Transformational Faculty Development Institutional Change Process How People Learn Pedagogical Feature Set of Learningware Transformational Faculty Development Institutional Change Process

“What we need to learn before doing, we learn by doing.” doing, we learn by doing.” Aristotle “What we need to learn before doing, we learn by doing.” doing, we learn by doing.” Aristotle

But Where Do We Start? Bransford, Brown and Cocking, 2000.

High Priority Educational Goals 1.Learning with understanding 2.Experiencing investigation 1.Learning with understanding 2.Experiencing investigation

Learning with Understanding Memorizing Facts Is Not Enough Students Need to Construct Knowledge Transfer Learn with Understanding Application to Later Learning & Real World Problems

Learning with Understanding (Transfer) Results From Student Construction of Knowledge

Key Principles about How People Learn 1. Learning must be reconstructive 2. The path to expertise has cognitive structure 3. Students must develop metacognitive skills 1. Learning must be reconstructive 2. The path to expertise has cognitive structure 3. Students must develop metacognitive skills Bransford, Brown and Cocking, 2000.

Key Principles about How People Learn 1. Learning must be reconstructive 2. The path to expertise has cognitive structure 3. Students must develop metacognitive skills 1. Learning must be reconstructive 2. The path to expertise has cognitive structure 3. Students must develop metacognitive skills Bransford, Brown and Cocking, 2000.

Reaching Students: Teaching Hamlet Steve’s Pedagogy: Connecting with student emotions, asking: How would you feel if your father died all of a sudden? …and then your mother immediately remarried? …and her new husband took over the family business? …and the new guy may have murdered your Dad? …and your Mom might have helped him to do it? How would your feel? How desperate would you be? What would you do? Would you be yourself? What circumstances might drive someone to extremes? Steve’s Pedagogy: Connecting with student emotions, asking: How would you feel if your father died all of a sudden? …and then your mother immediately remarried? …and her new husband took over the family business? …and the new guy may have murdered your Dad? …and your Mom might have helped him to do it? How would your feel? How desperate would you be? What would you do? Would you be yourself? What circumstances might drive someone to extremes? Jake's Pedagogy: Passion for formal literary scholarship Linguistic flexivity Modernism In-depth analysis of soliloquies Memorization of long passages Jake's Pedagogy: Passion for formal literary scholarship Linguistic flexivity Modernism In-depth analysis of soliloquies Memorization of long passages Bransford, Brown and Cocking, 2000.

Key Principles about How People Learn 1. Learning must be reconstructive 2. The path to expertise has cognitive structure 3. Students must develop metacognitive skills 1. Learning must be reconstructive 2. The path to expertise has cognitive structure 3. Students must develop metacognitive skills Bransford, Brown and Cocking, 2000.

Construction of Knowledge: Novice versus Expert Big Ideas” expert novice factoid

Constructing of Knowledge Requires Chunking with Background Knowledge (schema) Then same with letters …back to 7 again, but no progress thereafter because there was no schema to organize letter strings Train to remember digit strings From 7 to over 70 within 30 days Train to remember digit strings From 7 to over 70 within 30 days Break big strings into smaller number of elements (chunking) Each chunked element was remembered with a trick: races (background knowledge …schema) = 9.41 seconds for 100 yards 3591 = 3 minutes, 59.1 secs for 1 mile Break big strings into smaller number of elements (chunking) Each chunked element was remembered with a trick: races (background knowledge …schema) = 9.41 seconds for 100 yards 3591 = 3 minutes, 59.1 secs for 1 mile

Learning for Understanding Involves an Iterative Construction of Knowledge Expertise TRANSFER new chunked content revised schema new chunked content revised schema new chunked content Expertise schema chunked content new chunked content early schema student interests, emotions and prior understanding revised schema new chunked content

Key Principles about How People Learn 1. Learning must be reconstructive 2. The path to expertise has cognitive structure 3. Students must develop metacognitive skills 1. Learning must be reconstructive 2. The path to expertise has cognitive structure 3. Students must develop metacognitive skills Bransford, Brown and Cocking, 2000.

Learning with Understanding is based on Student Construction of Knowledge

the Barbara Johnson model Teaching so students Learn with Understanding… Barbara starts a unit by asking her students:  How does this topic relate to you?  How do these issues relate to the world? Students connect with prior understanding Student groups identify and prioritize issues and seek themes Barbara starts a unit by asking her students:  How does this topic relate to you?  How do these issues relate to the world? Students connect with prior understanding Student groups identify and prioritize issues and seek themes Bransford, Brown and Cocking, 2000.

the Barbara Johnson model Teaching so students Learn with Understanding… Groups create a research agenda together In conducting research, they are constructing knowledge Students are surprised to discover that their interests were intermeshed with formal disciplines and that so many disciplines had been engaged In these investigations, students have:  engaged prior knowledge, interest, and emotions  reconstructed previous knowledge  constructed new knowledge on previous foundations  developed critical inquiry skills  assumed the authority of knowledge-making  built a community of learners and team mates Groups create a research agenda together In conducting research, they are constructing knowledge Students are surprised to discover that their interests were intermeshed with formal disciplines and that so many disciplines had been engaged In these investigations, students have:  engaged prior knowledge, interest, and emotions  reconstructed previous knowledge  constructed new knowledge on previous foundations  developed critical inquiry skills  assumed the authority of knowledge-making  built a community of learners and team mates

What enables Barbara to use this method? PEDAGOGICAL-CONTENT KNOWLEDGE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT …guides individualistic student paths: from their prior knowledge and interests to the her curriculum and their competencies Teachers model metacognition in formative assessment PEDAGOGICAL-CONTENT KNOWLEDGE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT …guides individualistic student paths: from their prior knowledge and interests to the her curriculum and their competencies Teachers model metacognition in formative assessment

High Priority Educational Goals 1.Learning with understanding 2.Experiencing investigation 1.Learning with understanding 2.Experiencing investigation

study understanding defer judgement BELIEF study understanding Hypothesis A Hypothesis B Hypothesis A Hypothesis B The Process of Critical Inquiry BELIEF This is how the brain seems to be wired! This is how the brain seems to be wired! consider alternative explanations & jeopardize with evidence

Let’s Consider… How People Learn Pedagogical Feature Set of Learningware Transformational Faculty Development Institutional Change Process How People Learn Pedagogical Feature Set of Learningware Transformational Faculty Development Institutional Change Process

COMMUNICATING VISUALIZING ANALYZING MODELING DATA COLLECTION Technology can be an Enabler COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS SIMULATING BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium

Pedagogical Feature Set of Instructional Technology Interactivity: Interactivity: fosters active-learning experiences Multimedia: Multimedia: engages important cognitive processes Communication: Communication: promotes social construction of knowledge Computing components: Computing components: experience with professional tools & skills experience with professional tools & skills simulations to develop critical inquiry skills simulations to develop critical inquiry skills authoring tools for construction of knowledge authoring tools for construction of knowledge integration of powerful formative assessment tools integration of powerful formative assessment tools

Goals of Formative Assessment To improve the communication of learning goals To improve the communication of learning goals To foster mindful engagement …by promoting reflection and metacognition To foster mindful engagement …by promoting reflection and metacognition To construct learning cycles...”chunking” To construct learning cycles...”chunking” To provide timely feedback To provide timely feedback To build incentive systems for competency-based learning To build incentive systems for competency-based learning To collect diagnostic clues about individual needs To collect diagnostic clues about individual needs

Instructional Technology Assessment Tools Vary with Learning Goals Open-ended assessment styles Structured assessment styles Utility of CompetingAssessmentStyles Learn Facts Learn Inquiry Learn Concepts main learning goal foundational information

Examples

Let’s Consider… How People Learn Pedagogical Feature Set of Learningware Transformational Faculty Development Institutional Change Process How People Learn Pedagogical Feature Set of Learningware Transformational Faculty Development Institutional Change Process

Learning Paradigm Current Practice Is Mismatched with the Pedagogical Potential of Instructional Technology Instructional Paradigm Pedagogical Potential of Instructional Technology Pedagogical Potential of Instructional Technology emphasis on Delivery of Content emphasis on Delivery of Content emphasis on Learning with Understanding emphasis on Learning with Understanding

WE NEED TO SOLVE TWO PROBLEMS SIMULTANEOUSLY Transform faculty communities: learning & technology savvy Instructional Technology emphasis on Delivery of Content emphasis on Delivery of Content emphasis on Learning with Understanding emphasis on Learning with Understanding Learning Paradigm Instructional Paradigm

Is Traditional Technology Training Enough? Limited training model (e.g., slide show authoring) …because “faculty don’t have the time to commit to deeper efforts” “a rising tide floats all boats” …what if we need to fly? Problem: this training is not transformational  Doesn’t foster transition to learning-centered pedagogies  Faculty wonder “why spend the effort?” Result: faculty willingness to participate in training limited Limited training model (e.g., slide show authoring) …because “faculty don’t have the time to commit to deeper efforts” “a rising tide floats all boats” …what if we need to fly? Problem: this training is not transformational  Doesn’t foster transition to learning-centered pedagogies  Faculty wonder “why spend the effort?” Result: faculty willingness to participate in training limited

Faculty Development Is Key Authoring learning centered activities is a transformational experience Authoring learning centered activities is a transformational experience

Deep Authoring Works It was enormously stimulating to most participants to create learning environments that would enable them to teach things that they could not teach well before. Advanced Educational Computing Project, FIPSE

Core Training Concepts Focus on Pedagogical Innovation Keep the Technology Transparent Build Collaborations - Faculty Mentors On-going Development Cycles with Scalable Tools Seek the Eager-Beavers Focus on Pedagogical Innovation Keep the Technology Transparent Build Collaborations - Faculty Mentors On-going Development Cycles with Scalable Tools Seek the Eager-Beavers

Let’s Consider… How People Learn Pedagogical Feature Set of Learningware Transformational Faculty Development Institutional Change Process How People Learn Pedagogical Feature Set of Learningware Transformational Faculty Development Institutional Change Process

Problem with Authoring As Training: Scalability Authoring LearningWare is a deep experience Faculty do become sophisticated consumers of LearningWare and explore learning principles Problem …very effort intensive We need another kind of authoring experience to provide transformational faculty & curriculum development Course Management Systems: Coupling Transformation & Scalability? Authoring LearningWare is a deep experience Faculty do become sophisticated consumers of LearningWare and explore learning principles Problem …very effort intensive We need another kind of authoring experience to provide transformational faculty & curriculum development Course Management Systems: Coupling Transformation & Scalability?

Institutional Transition Process Lone Rangers Entrepreneurs Lone Rangers Entrepreneurs Boutique Phase Transformation Scalability Early Adopters Boutique Phase Transformation Scalability Early Adopters Systemic Phase Transformation Scalability Careerists Systemic Phase Transformation Scalability Careerists Local R&D, Mentoring, & CMS 1-on-1 Authoring Hartman, NLII 2001

Registrar CMS Database Course Management Systems: The Enabling Technology Infrastructure? Faculty ContentComm ToolsAssessment Student Experience on the Web Student Portfolios

Some Emergent Goals for Utilizing CMS Technology: Technology-assisted Facilitation of Learning-centered Teaching Styles Content Delivery Communication Assessment Lecture Content delivery Activities Problem-based Project-based Case-based Episodic Pervasive Situate learning in social interactions SummativeFormative Teacher-centeredLearner-centered CMS Pedagogical Tools A Continuum of Teaching Styles

-- A Model for Coupling the Feature Set of Course Management Systems to Learning Centered Principles Smart Tutor Web-based Homework for foundational information Research Simulation Emulating the Process of Professional Investigation Revision of Content Delivery (Lecture) Complementing lectures with Discovery Activities Mitigating the Coverage Dilemma Developing Epistemological Skills Constructing Knowledge

-- A model for coupling the feature set of course management systems to learning centered principles. Smart Tutor …JiTT Web-based Homework: routine formative assessment out of class time Mitigating the Coverage Dilemma

The Coverage Dilemma Coverage Currently Emphasis on Content Delivery Learning & Inquiry Emphasis on Learning with Understanding

Solving The Coverage Dilemma Learning Paradigm Coverage Emphasis on Content Delivery Learning & Inquiry Emphasis on Learning with Understanding

Can we use technology to mitigate the Coverage Dilemma? Routine Online AssessmentIn Class Traditional Approach Web Assisted Foundational Information Inquiry-orientation and powerful pedagogies smart tutor homework

S U M M A R Y

GOAL: Institutional Transition to the Learning Paradigm This will require Transformational Faculty Development coupled to Institutional Change Processes. GOAL: Institutional Transition to the Learning Paradigm This will require Transformational Faculty Development coupled to Institutional Change Processes. S U M M A R Y

Studying Facts Is Necessary, But Memorization Is Not Enough Studying Facts Is Necessary, But Memorization Is Not Enough Students Need to Construct Knowledge Transfer Learn with Understanding Application to Later Learning & Real World Problems

We must foster pedagogies that are learning-centered and inquiry-oriented. Interactive, sensory-rich, assessment-rich technology learning environments can foster these pedagogies. …especially when coupled with authoring experiences that promote the student’s construction of knowledge. Communication technology and authoring tools can promote cooperative learning experiences and help students to build meaning, when coupled with pedagogies such as case-based and problem-based learning activities. Research simulations promote student experience in the process of investigation. The Coverage Dilemma poses a major obstacle that technology can mitigate. New course management systems will provide an enabling technology. A three- tiered model is suggested to make them more learning-centered. We must foster pedagogies that are learning-centered and inquiry-oriented. Interactive, sensory-rich, assessment-rich technology learning environments can foster these pedagogies. …especially when coupled with authoring experiences that promote the student’s construction of knowledge. Communication technology and authoring tools can promote cooperative learning experiences and help students to build meaning, when coupled with pedagogies such as case-based and problem-based learning activities. Research simulations promote student experience in the process of investigation. The Coverage Dilemma poses a major obstacle that technology can mitigate. New course management systems will provide an enabling technology. A three- tiered model is suggested to make them more learning-centered. S U M M A R Y

Teaching With Technology So That Students Learn With Understanding

Buckley, D EDUCAUSE Review 37(1): (Jan/Feb)