DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 1 Designing Independent Learning Assignments (Formerly known as “homework”) Janet M. Riddle, MD Director of Faculty Development Department of Medical Education

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 2 Today’s goals Develop assignments that prepare students for instruction Select activities that allow students to achieve learning objectives Sequence instruction that provides reinforcement of learning

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 3 What is a good independent learning assignment?

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 4 A brief digression

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 5 Why do we give “homework” assignments? What do we know about what – or how – our students prepare for class? Or how they study for class?

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 6 Independent Learning Assignments: A Learner-Centered Perspective

Weimer, What skills do your learners most need in order to master the content that you are teaching?

Weimer, Content allows the development of learning skills Process of making judgments Problem analysis Problem solving Critical appraisal

Weimer, Content can promote the self-awareness of learning How learners learn Their strengths and weaknesses Meta-cognition

Weimer, Content allows learners to experience the field first hand

Merrill, To make instruction effective... Situate learning in real-life problems Build on previous experience Demonstrate what is to be learned Give learners the opportunity to practice problem-solving Reinforce learning through transfer of learning to new problems

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 12 Situate learning in real-life problems What kinds of problems will allow your learners to develop the learning skills they need? What kinds of activities might you use?

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 13 Build on previous experiences How might you sequence learning activities or assignments?

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 14 Demonstrate what is to be learned

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 15 Give learners the opportunity to practice problem solving Generate examples Ask questions Answer questions Summarize discussion Solve problems Construct diagrams

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 16 Reinforce learning through transfer of learning to new problems

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 17 Time to work!

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine 18 What did you learn today that you plan to use in your teaching?

Bransford, Three core learning principles Learning builds on prior knowledge Teachers must identify and work with pre-existing knowledge and understanding learners bring with them

Bransford, Three core learning principles To develop competence, learners must Have a deep foundation of factual knowledge Understand facts & ideas in context of conceptual framework Organize knowledge to facilitate retrieval Teachers must teach some material in depth; provide conceptual frameworks

Bransford, Three core learning principles Develop “metacognitive” approach in learners Metacognition – monitoring what you know & what you don’t know Teachers should help learners define learning goals & monitor progress in achieving them