Active Learning: Why and How Can Akkan

Agenda Some findings from research on learning. –Disclaimer: I am not an expert... Methods of active learning –I do have experience...

Learning physically changes the brain –Learning  Microsurgery! John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking. How People Learn: Brain Mind, Experience, and School, p.103

An Experiment 100% 50% List 1List 2List 3 40% ttt Source: Jernstedt, G.C., TMS Workshop 2004.

Interference Causes Loss of Learning In the classroom: all mechanical tasks –Clerical, logistical, maintenance “Where do I write my name” “When is the assignment, where will I submit it” Other learning tasks Source: Jernstedt, G.C., TMS Workshop 2004.

100% 4 hrs Sleep first 4 hrs Anesthetic time Amount remembered Source: Jernstedt, G.C., TMS Workshop 2004.

Most learning occurs in the subconscious –Need time for consolidation “growth in the neurons become permanent” Need retrieval and targeted practice Source: Jernstedt, G.C., TMS Workshop 2004.

What to do? Can’t let them sleep to allow for consolidation! Solution: Modulate the cognitive load during class –As little cognitive load as possible: anectodes, stories –As different tasks as possible Load  allow consolidation  reiterate/exercise Source: Jernstedt, G.C., TMS Workshop 2004.

100% Amount remembered 1 hour uninterrupted learning 20 min x 3 with some time in between for consolidation Time after learning Source: Jernstedt, G.C., TMS Workshop 2004.

When to Practice? 100% Amount remembered 1 hr delay 30%1 day delay Days after reading day delay Source: Jernstedt, G.C., TMS Workshop 2004.

An Experimental Study % retained t t: time in lecture when information was presented Source: Jernstedt, G.C., TMS Workshop 2004.

Summary – Essential Elements of Learning Interactive –Active learner Don’t give the answer, let them struggle and put the pieces together –Positive response Move to the speaker Use rewards for engagement Meaningful –Related to and accessible to learner; “contextually relevant” Collaborative –Design a social classroom Source: Jernstedt, G.C., TMS Workshop 2004.

“It is not what the teacher does but what the student does” Focus on behavioral outcomes –Express goals in terms of what the students can do

Active Learning

Definition “Promot[ing] conceptual understanding through interactive engagement of students in heads-on (always) and hands- on (usually) activities which yield immediate feedback through discussion with peers and/or instructors.” Richard Hake, Professor of Physics Indiana University.

How to Encourage Participation? Ask a question –Volunteer –Cold call Warm call: give prior warning –“Talk to your neighbor” Give an exercise....?

First Class – First Question Turn to your nearest neighbor whom you don’t know and find out –Where he/she is from? –What program he/she is in? –Etc Tell them you will chose a couple of students afterwards and ask them to introduce their neighbors. –“Ice breaker”

In-Class Exercises Form teams of 2-4 Give teams 30 sec to 2 minutes –5 min absolute maximum –If too long... Don’t ask for volunteers Collect some or all answers EXERCISE

In-Class Exercises Types of exercises –Recall prior material –Answer a question –Start a problem solution –Work out the next step in a derivation –Think of an example or application –Figure out why a given result may be wrong –Brainstorm (objective: quantity) –Generate a question

Think-Pair-Share Students think answers individually Then form pairs to synthesize a response More time-consuming More instructive then immediate group work

Cooperative Note-Taking Pairs Pairs summarize and compare what they have in their notes Goal: more accurate and complete notes Period for “consolidation” and identifying questions Talk six minutes less and students learn more!

Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning Each student prepares questions on the lecture using generic question stems, such as –What is the main idea of _____? –What conclusions can I draw about _____? –What is the difference between ____ and ____? Groups of 3-4 students take turns answering their questions. Whole class comes together to discuss unanswered or interesting questions.

More generic question stems... –How are ____ and _____ similar? –How does ____ affect ____? –What is a new example of ____? –What if ____? –Explain why _____? –Explain how _____? –How would I use ____ to ____?

Writing Assignments Assign frequent, short writing assignments Students “write to learn” gaining deeper understanding of course material May be kept in a learning log

Minute Paper Stop the lecture with two minutes to go Ask the students to write –The main points –The muddiest (least clear) points Collect all the responses –anonymous Use responses to plan next lecture, recitation or assignment Mosteller, F (1989), "The ‘Muddiest Point in the Lecture’ as a Feedback Device," On Teaching and Learning. Mosteller is a statistics professor at Harvard

Sense of caring covers all the “sins” of the teacher

Implementing Active Learning Explain what you are doing and why –Not an experiment, there is research... Do not rely on volunteers –Call randomly on individuals while working and after work is complete Vary –Format Pairs, groups, think-pair-share –Time between exercises Put some course material in handouts to save time for active learning Source: Felder, R., TMS Workshop 2004.

More information/material on Active Learning on my personal web site

References R.M. Felder and R. Brent (2003) “Learning by Doing”, Chem. Engr. Education, 37 (4), R.M. Felder (1994) “Any Questions?” Chem. Engr. Education, 28 (3), R.M. Felder (1991) “It Goes Without Saying” Chem. Engr. Education, 25 (3),

Bransford, J.D. et al. (2000) How people learn. –Available at I.C. as a e-book (national academy of science) Light, Richard (2001) Making the Most of College. Harvard University Press. –Good for advising, ordered it for the I.C.

Hake, R. “Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand- student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses," American Journal of Physics, 66, 64-74, 1998.