Active Learning Based on Learning Styles A workshop on Active Learning Based on Learning Styles Prepared by Dr. Eman Zaki College of Education Eman.Zaki@qu.edu.qa eman2004ets@yahoo.com

Activity No.1 A Warm up Who are you ?

Workshop expectations & learning outcomes

Workshop Learning outcomes -Critically review and discuss research related to learning style and active learning. -Identify and use instruments designed to identify personal and student learning styles. -Identify different teaching techniques and strategies that match different students' learning styles -Evaluate and adapt instruction to reflect active learning strategies matched to students’ learning styles. -Apply research in learning styles and active learning strategies to personal practice

What is Active Learning ?? Activity No. 2 Roundtable Brainstorming The purpose of this activity is to help your team generate as many answers to the question as possible. Unlike other versions of brainstorming that you may have experienced, this one involves taking turns and having teammates contribute one answer at a time.

If we teach it, they will learn!?

-creates independent learners. Active learning : -refers to learning that occurs through instructional strategies that engage students intellectually and physically as they pursue given classroom assignments. is the opposite of passive learning, in which one-way communication from teachers to students is the norm. -involves substantive changes in the ways students and teachers work together, shifting the focus of classroom instruction from teaching to learning. -means students are engaged in learning activities such as gathering data, defining issues, stating problems, generating and testing hypotheses, drawing conclusions, and reporting and defending their work. -creates independent learners. -is directly responsive to the developmental characteristics associated with early adolescence. http://pubs.cde.ca.gov/tcsii/ap/glossary.aspx

“opportunities for students to talk and listen, read, The authors of Promoting Active Learning: Strategies for the College Classroom Chet Meyers and Thomas B. Jones define Active Learning as, “opportunities for students to talk and listen, read, write, and reflect as they approach course content through problem solving exercises, informal small groups, simulations, case studies, role playing, and other activities--all of which require students to apply what they are learning.”

-Active learning is generally defined as any instructional method that engages students in the learning process” (MICHAEL PRINCE,2004,p:1) -Active learning requires students to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing .(Bonwell, C.C., and J. A. Eison,1991as reported by MICHAEL PRINCE,2004,p:1) "Active Learning" is, in short, anything that students do in a classroom other than merely passively listening to an instructor's lecture. This includes everything from listening practices which help the students to absorb what they hear, to short writing exercises in which students react to lecture material, to complex group exercises in which students apply course material to "real life" situations and/or to new problems” Donald R. Paulson and Jennifer L. Faust (Active Learning for The College Classroom )

Active learning refers to techniques where students do more than simply listen to a lecture. Students are DOING something including discovering, processing, and applying information. Active learning "derives from two basic assumptions: (1) that learning is by nature an active endeavor and (2) that different people learn in different ways" (Meyers and Jones, 1993)

Bonwell and Eison (1991) state that some characteristics of active learning are Students are involved in more than listening, less emphasis is placed on transmitting information and more on developing students' skills, students are involved in higher-order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation), students are engaged in activities (e.g., reading discussing, writing), and greater emphasis is placed on students' exploration of their own attitudes and values. (p. 2)

-It is a process whereby learners are actively engaged in the learning process, rather than "passively" absorbing lectures. -Active learning involves reading, writing, discussion, and engagement in solving problems, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, etc. -It is a multi-directional learning experience in which learning occurs teacher-to-student, student-to-teacher, and student-to-student. - It is an activity-based learning experience: whole class involvement, teams, small groups , pairs, individuals.

How does Active Learning work ?

Silberman contrasts Active Learning and memorization :“that learning comes "in waves" through repeated exposures of different kinds involving multiple senses. "When learning is active, the learner is seeking something, an answer to a question, information to solve a problem, or a way to do a job.” (professor of Adult and organizational development at Temple University in Philadelphia )

Input: Active Learning involves input from multiple sources through multiple senses (hearing, seeing, feeling, etc.). Process: Active Learning involves process, interacting with other people and materials, accessing related schemata in the brain, stimulating multiple areas of the brain to act. Output: Active Learning involves output, requiring students to produce a response or a solution or some evidence of the interactive Learning that is taking place

Why Active Learning ? What does research say? Activity 3 A Jigsaw Description: First introduced by Aronson, et al. (1978 )the basic premise of jigsaw is to divide a problem into sections, one for each group member. Each student receives resources to complete only his/her part. The students who are responsible for the same section join together and form a new, temporary focus group whose purpose is for the students to master the concepts in their section, and to develop a strategy for teaching what they have learned to the other students in their original collaborative learning group.

leads to better student attitudes and improvements in students’ thinking and writing -surpasses traditional lectures for retention of material, motivating students for further study and developing thinking skills (Bonwell, C.C., and J. A. Eison,1991 as reported by MICHAEL PRINCE,2004,p:3 ) -several studies have shown that students prefer strategies promoting active learning to traditional lectures. -Other research studies evaluating students' achievement have demonstrated that many strategies promoting active learning are comparable to lectures in promoting the mastery of content but superior to lectures in promoting the development of students' skills in thinking and writing. -Further, some cognitive research has shown that a significant number of individuals have learning styles best served by pedagogical techniques other than lecturing.

Learning Pyramid The Learning Pyramid charts the average retention rate for various methods of teaching the Active Learning Online team at the ACU Adams Center for Teaching Excellence

Dale's Cone diagrams effectiveness of learning according to the media involved in learning experiences : the Active Learning Online team at the ACU Adams Center for Teaching Excellence

Bloom’s Taxonomy

http://www.actadvantage.org Research shows that using a multimedia approach to teaching works better because the more senses we use during learning ,the more we retain information. The educator Sandra Rief explains that learners retain : و قد أظهرت البحوث أن المدخل المتعدد الوسائط يعمل جيدا لأننا كلما زاد عدد الحواس التي نستخدمها أثناء عملية التعلم كلما احتفظنا بالمعلومات لفترة أفضل .و توضح العالمة (Educator Sandra Rief) أن المتعلمين يحتفظون : 10% of what they read 20% of what they hear 30% of what they see 50% of what they see and hear 70% of what they say 90% of what they say and do

-Involves students more actively with the course content -Helps them apply what they are learning and use higher order thinking skills . -Appeals to a wide variety of learning styles and intellectual strengths . Involves the whole student in the learning process: heart and hand and head. - Makes students do . - can excite students about the subject matter, thus getting them more personally involved in their own learning process.

What are learning Styles? Activity No.4

This approach to learning emphasizes the fact that individuals perceive and process information in very different ways. The learning styles theory implies that how much individuals learn has more to do with whether the educational experience is geared toward their particular style of learning than whether or not they are "smart." In fact, educators should not ask, "Is this student smart?" but rather "How is this student smart?“ http://www.funderstanding.com/learning_styles.cfm

-Using multiple learning styles and “multiple intelligences” for learning is a relatively new approach -Learning Styles Indicate our preferences for taking information into the brain and communicating them "outside. -By recognizing and understanding your own learning styles, you can use techniques better suited to you. This improves the speed and quality of your learning -Research shows us that each learning style uses different parts of the brain -Why Learning Styles? Your learning styles have more influence than you may realize. Your preferred styles guide the way you learn. They also change the way you internally represent experiences, the way you recall information, and even the words you choose .

Reflect Activity No.5 What is your “preferred” learning style? Or are you multimodal?

How can we identify Our Students Learning Styles?

VARK : a guide to learning styles Welcome to the Institute for Learning Styles Research http://www.vark-learn.com/english/index.asp VARK : a guide to learning styles http://www.learningstyles.org Research on Learning Styles http://learn.humansources.com Teaching and Learning Strategies http://www.newhorizons.org VARK: A guide to Learning Styles http://honolulu.hawaii.edu

Useful Sites www.learning-styles-online.com What’s your learning style ? http://www.ldpride.net http://www.geocities.com http://www.engr.ncsu.edu Index of learning Styles Questionnaire http://www.learningstyles.net http://www.nwlink.com http://www.learning-styles-online.com

What does research say about Learning Styles? Activity 6 What does research say about Learning Styles?

-Identifying and understanding your students ‘learning styles help you to select the most appropriate teaching strategies for your students ,consequently ,improves learning speed and quality of learning . -Teaching to ones’ learning styles is an effective strategy . -Results support using students' learning styles as a guide for curriculum design . (David Robotham,1999 ) ((Malgorzata S.,Zywno,2002

Research related to academic achievement and learning styles supported the following : -Students learn differently . -Students' performance at different subjects relates to how they learn (learning styles ). -When students are taught using different approaches that match and cope with their learning styles , increases achievement significantly . -Considering learning styles produced positive gains in reading, math when using standardized tests . .

Research states that the visual learners are the most common type . تؤكد البحوث علي أن المتعلمين البصريين هم الأكثر شيوعا عن أي نوع أخر . http://www.mindtools.com Auditory (30 % ) Kinesthetic (5% ) Visual (65 % )

Gardner’s multiple Intelligences Theory

Learning Styles/Intelligences Characteristics Activity No.7

The learning styles are: Visual (spatial). You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding. Aural (auditory-musical). You prefer using sound and music. Verbal (linguistic). You prefer using words, both in speech and writing. Physical (kinesthetic). You prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch. Logical (mathematical). You prefer using logic, reasoning and systems. Social (interpersonal). You prefer to learn in groups or with other people. Solitary (intrapersonal). You prefer to work alone and use self-study. http://www.funderstanding.com/about_learning.cfm This site examines 12 different theories on how people learn

Activities Listed by Learning Style Active learners like group work, learn through doing: discussing, explaining, and applying. Reflective learners prefer working alone, like to think quietly. Sensing learners prefer learning facts, like solving problems by well-established methods, dislike complications and surprises, are patient with details and good at memorizing facts and doing hands-on work, are practical and careful, prefer learning that relates to the real world. Intuitive learners prefer to discover possibilities and relationships, like innovation and dislike repetition, grasp new concepts quickly, are comfortable with abstractions and mathematical formulations, are innovative and work quickly, dislike memorization and routine calculations.

Visual learners remember best what they see (pictures, diagrams, flow charts, time lines, films, and demonstrations). “plays with pictures” Enjoys drawing, designing, and looking to learn. Needs to visualize and manipulate Sequential learners gain understanding in linear steps, each step following logically from the previous one; tend to follow logical stepwise paths in finding solutions. Global learners tend to learn in large jumps, absorbing material almost randomly without seeing connections, and then suddenly "getting it," are able to solve complex problems quickly or put things together in novel ways once they have grasped the big picture, but they may have difficulty explaining how they did it.

Verbal/Linguistic “plays with words” Good with language Verbal/Linguistic “plays with words” Good with language. Needs to hear, see and say words associated with the desired outcome. remember best what they hear and read. Logical/Mathematical “plays with questions” Good at math, logic and problem solving. Needs to classify, categorize, and work with abstractions. Musical “plays with music” Remembers melody, notices rhythms of life and keeps perfect time. Needs information delivered via melodies, musical notation or rhythm.

Bodily/Kinesthetic “plays with moving” Person in motion, uses body and touches to express thoughts. Needs to interact with space in some way to process and remember information. Interpersonal “plays with socializing” Good at leading, organizing, mediating, communicating, understands and works well with others. Needs to compare and contrast, interview, share ideas and cooperate. Intrapersonal “plays alone” Does better alone, pursuing self defined interests. Projects need to be individual, self-paced and singularly oriented

Learning Styles and Teaching Strategies Activity No.8 Learning Styles and Teaching Strategies

Cooperative Learning It is an instructional strategy that involves students working in teams to accomplish a common goal. There are five main principles of Cooperative Learning : 1-positive interdependence (all members must cooperate to complete the task) 2- Individual and group accountability (each member is accountable for the complete final outcome). 3-Face to face promotive interaction 4-Group social skills 5-Group processing

Why use cooperative learning?

The more students work in cooperative learning groups: - the more they will learn -the better they will understand what they are learning -the easier it will be to remember what they learn -the better they will feel about themselves, the class and their classmates. Other outcomes included: -positive relationships, and psychological health. -higher achievement and greater productivity -more caring, supportive, and committed relationships - greater psychological health, social competence, and self-esteem.

Acknowledgment of individual differences Interpersonal development Active involvement in learning More opportunities for personal feedback Deeper understanding of content Increased overall achievement in grades Improved self-esteem Higher motivation to remain on task Active and constructive involvement in content Ownership of their own learning Solving group conflicts Improvement of teamwork skills Increased student retention Enhancement of student satisfaction with their learning experience Development of skills in oral communication Development of students' social skills

أمثلة لأنشطة التعلم التعاونية -استراتيجية فكر-زاوج-شارك Think-pair-share -استراتيجية استكمال اللغز Jigsaw -المراجعات في أزواج Paired reviews -أنشطة حل المشكلات Problem solving -المشروعات التعاونية Cooperative projects -المجادلة,المناقشة discussion, debating -الانشطة الخاصة باستكمال الفجوة في المعلومات Information-gap activities

Useful Sites on Cooperative Learning+Activities http://www.readingquest.org/strat/ http://jigsaw.org/links.htm http://www.wcer.wisc.edu http://www.readwritethink.org http://central.laramie1.org http://www.classes.aces.uiuc.edu/ Concept maps http://www.eudesign.com Mnemonics

A pause procedure 1) Introducing student activity into the traditional lecture: On the simplest level, active learning is introducing student activity in the traditional lecture. One example of this is for the lecturer to pause periodically and have students clarify their notes with a partner. This can be done two or three times during an hour-long class. Because this pause procedure is so simple, it provides a baseline to study whether short, informal student activities can improve the effectiveness of lectures .

Instructional Strategies Adjunct Displays , Graphic Organizers Split-page Note taking Paired Reviews Text Impressions Student Questions for Purposeful Learning Structured Academic Controversies Possible Sentences Brainstorming for Prior Knowledge Reflective journals ,List Group Label INSERT ,KWL+

Planning an Active Learning Activity What are your objectives for the activity? -Who is interacting? Will students pair up with someone beside them? Or perhaps someone sitting behind/in front of them? Should they pair up with someone with a different background? Someone they don't know yet? -What are their learning styles? -When does the activity occur during the class? Beginning? Middle? End? How much time are you willing to spend on it? -Will they write down their answers/ideas/questions or just discuss them? -Will they turn in the responses or not? If they are asked to turn them in, should they put their names on them?

Sample Strategies [Activating Prior Knowledge][QAR][Clarifying][Rereading][Context Clues][Restating][Drawing Conclusions][Setting a Purpose][Evaluating][Skimming/Scanning][Fix-Up][Summarizing][Inferring][Surveying][Key Words][Think Aloud][Predicting][Visualizing] www.readingquest.org

Graphic Organizers and Visual Displays http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer http://teachers.teach-nology.com http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/vocab/ http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/GO/vocab_dev.htm http://www.marion.k12.ky.us/Strategies/Social/socialstudies/understand.htm http://www.2learn.ca/construct/graphicorg/concept/conceptmapindex.html http://www.inspiration.com/vlearning/index.cfm?fuseaction=webs

Useful Internet Sites The Active Learning Site http://www.active-learning-site.com/ Interactive teaching resources http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~envision/interact/ Interactive Education http://www.interactiveeducation.ac.uk/ Reading Quest http://www.readingquest.org/strat/ Thinkfinity http://www.marcopolo-education.org/home.aspx Enchanted Learning http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/ http://cte.umdnj.edu/active_learning/active_general.cfm Center for Teaching Excellence

Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom. The National Teaching & Learning Forum. http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/91-9dig.htm What is Active Learning? Buffalo University Teaching Resources. http://icarus.ubetc.buffalo.edu/etc/tlr/whatis.html Active Learning Strategies. National Training Partnership. http://www2.edc.org/NTP/trainingdesign_activelearningstrategies.htm Teaching and Learning Methods and Strategies. University of Arizona http://www.u.arizona.edu/ic/edtech/strategy.html Active Learning Online http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/classroom_main.htm Active Learning and Library Instruction. Michigan State University http://www.libraryreference.org/activebi.html Active Learning Strategies. Summaries of Best Practices in College Teaching. http://northonline.sccd.ctc.edu/eceprog/bstprac.html#active

References 1-Buehl.D.(2001),classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning, The International Reading Association, Inc. 2-Fisher,D.et al (2007),50 Content Area Strategies for Adolescent Literacy ,Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall .