SEND AN EMAIL, CHANGE A LIFE
The numerous students we are seeing at the orientation sessions this summer tells me we are going to have a very busy fall semester. We have been stressing to all of the incoming students that the key to success is preparation. While you have some time, why not sift through your class lists from the spring semester and identify some students who could benefit from the College Success Skills class we offer. An email from you could be just the inspiration they need to take better control of their academic career. As we continue to focus on student success strategies that work, I encourage you to try some intrusive advising.
MULTIFACETED MISSION IS HARD TO MEASURE
Dr. Peter Riley Bahr has developed a new way to classify community colleges based on their use by students. As it is important for us to understand patterns like this to fully understand and prepare to meet the Grad Act benchmarks, I encourage you to read the full article that appeared in the Research in Higher Education journal (June 2013). Bahr writes, "The implementation of performance accountability systems for community colleges is complicated by the multifaceted mission of these institutions. This mission often is divided into the three categories of workforce development, upward transfer to four-year institutions, and community education. In addition, it is not uncommon for a fourth category to be mentioned, though the specifics vary. Some argue that the fourth category is remediation, while others suggest that it is general education.”
ACTIVE LEARNING IMPROVES STUDENT SUCCESS
Active learning is most commonly defined as several models of instruction that focus the responsibility of learning on learners. To enhance learning, teaching must encourage students to do more than just listen: they must read, write, discuss, and be engaged in solving problems. We are currently working on updating the Active Learning Manual but the current version is still available and we will forward a copy to you if you send us an email request (pourciaut@mybrcc.edu). A recent article in Faculty Focus extolled the virtues of the one-minute paper, an active learning standard. Problem-based learning is another good active learning technique that can be used by any discipline. The aforementioned article notes, "Case studies are a form of problem-based learning that encourage the student to think critically and apply “book knowledge” to everyday practice and problems that will occur in the workplace. A literature review reveals very little research on using case studies in fields other than health, law, and business. However, case studies could certainly be written for any field of study." You can also use video in your courses to promote active learning. Whether you are just getting started in the active learning realm or have moved far to the right of the continuum mid-point, there is always room for improvement. I have found that as I use some of the suggested active learning methods, new ideas begin to emerge. Sometimes the students themselves suggest new ideas.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query problem based learning. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query problem based learning. Sort by date Show all posts
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
FORGET THE REPETITIVE DRILLING METHOD
Drs. Bob Bjork, Tim Lee, and Dick Schmidt partnered together to see if they could use their repetitive drill research results culled from the sports world to good use in their classrooms. Schmidt explains that repetitive drilling on the same task is called “block practice.” You do the same thing, over and over, in one block of activity. He argues that a better way to learn is to practice several new things in succession, a technique called “variable practice” or “interleaving.” So a golfer would interleave her exercises at the range by aiming at different targets each time, by mixing up the kinds of shots she takes or switching the clubs she uses. Researchers say that the problem with “drill and kill” and other kinds of blocked study isn’t just that they’re boring. They also stunt student learning. “There are always two steps to solving a problem: identify the solving strategy, and then execute it,” Dr. Doug Rohrer said. “In blocked study, [students] know that this is a unit on, say, the Pythagorean theorem, so they don’t need to choose a strategy. All they have to do is execute, over and over.” When instructors give homework sets made up of only one kind of problem, they deny their students the chance to practice choosing a solving strategy. Later, when students are faced with a mix of types of problems on an exam, they’re unprepared. Read more here. You can listen to a vlog post about some of the big ideas coming out of brain science here.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR PBL
That is the question being asked by Suzie Boss in her blog post about Project-based learning. She writes, we don't have a crystal ball, but there's ample evidence to suggest that we're at a PBL inflection point. Increasing numbers of schools and entire districts are adopting project-based learning for at least part of their students' learning experience. Some districts that have had success with PBL at the high school level are starting to introduce this instructional strategy earlier, creating a pipeline that starts in the elementary years. These systemic shifts are happening in public schools, charters, and independent schools. We expect the phrase "deeper learning" will continue to gain traction to describe the multifaceted outcomes of project-based learning. Deeper learning gets at the increased academic rigor called for in the Common Core State Standards, but it doesn't stop there. It's also about preparing young people to be good citizens, developing their sense of agency. What's more, deeper learning involves the habits of mind, dispositions, and skills like collaboration that are reinforced through PBL.
FLIPPING CREATES NEW TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES
Flipped learning is more than just an efficient way to teach. It is also an opportunity to take students to deeper levels of comprehension and engagement. One of the most important benefits of flipped learning is that it takes the instructor away from the front of the room. No longer is class focused on information dissemination, but instead, time can be spent helping students with difficult concepts and extending the learning to deeper levels. Perhaps the greatest benefit of flipped learning is that it gives instructors more time to interact with students one-to-one and in small groups. Instructors are using the time that was once used for direct instruction in a variety of ways to deepen student learning. Jon Bergmann offers three tips on how you can use the extra time you create in classrooms by using a flipped active learning method to enhance deeper learning.
Drs. Bob Bjork, Tim Lee, and Dick Schmidt partnered together to see if they could use their repetitive drill research results culled from the sports world to good use in their classrooms. Schmidt explains that repetitive drilling on the same task is called “block practice.” You do the same thing, over and over, in one block of activity. He argues that a better way to learn is to practice several new things in succession, a technique called “variable practice” or “interleaving.” So a golfer would interleave her exercises at the range by aiming at different targets each time, by mixing up the kinds of shots she takes or switching the clubs she uses. Researchers say that the problem with “drill and kill” and other kinds of blocked study isn’t just that they’re boring. They also stunt student learning. “There are always two steps to solving a problem: identify the solving strategy, and then execute it,” Dr. Doug Rohrer said. “In blocked study, [students] know that this is a unit on, say, the Pythagorean theorem, so they don’t need to choose a strategy. All they have to do is execute, over and over.” When instructors give homework sets made up of only one kind of problem, they deny their students the chance to practice choosing a solving strategy. Later, when students are faced with a mix of types of problems on an exam, they’re unprepared. Read more here. You can listen to a vlog post about some of the big ideas coming out of brain science here.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR PBL
That is the question being asked by Suzie Boss in her blog post about Project-based learning. She writes, we don't have a crystal ball, but there's ample evidence to suggest that we're at a PBL inflection point. Increasing numbers of schools and entire districts are adopting project-based learning for at least part of their students' learning experience. Some districts that have had success with PBL at the high school level are starting to introduce this instructional strategy earlier, creating a pipeline that starts in the elementary years. These systemic shifts are happening in public schools, charters, and independent schools. We expect the phrase "deeper learning" will continue to gain traction to describe the multifaceted outcomes of project-based learning. Deeper learning gets at the increased academic rigor called for in the Common Core State Standards, but it doesn't stop there. It's also about preparing young people to be good citizens, developing their sense of agency. What's more, deeper learning involves the habits of mind, dispositions, and skills like collaboration that are reinforced through PBL.
FLIPPING CREATES NEW TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES
Flipped learning is more than just an efficient way to teach. It is also an opportunity to take students to deeper levels of comprehension and engagement. One of the most important benefits of flipped learning is that it takes the instructor away from the front of the room. No longer is class focused on information dissemination, but instead, time can be spent helping students with difficult concepts and extending the learning to deeper levels. Perhaps the greatest benefit of flipped learning is that it gives instructors more time to interact with students one-to-one and in small groups. Instructors are using the time that was once used for direct instruction in a variety of ways to deepen student learning. Jon Bergmann offers three tips on how you can use the extra time you create in classrooms by using a flipped active learning method to enhance deeper learning.
Friday, April 7, 2017
We have spent the spring 2017 semester pushing the idea of students forming and/or joining study groups. It is a proven student success strategy that is supported by lots of research. If you are looking to finish the semester strong, why not try a team-based learning approach. Not only will it help students who may be struggling to put it all together but it builds on the idea that study groups are useful. Jim Sibly and Pete Ostafichuk have a newly released book on the concept of team-based learning that was reviewed by Deborah Davis. She writes, "this book not
only provides all of
the “how-to” steps
but also the
intellectual reasoning for making
a change to TBL, as many faculty were taught to teach via lecture. As a form of problem-based learning, it fits into many different classroom structures and topics by adding a
structured, collaborative element. This book
is especially beneficial
for those who are interested in exploring an active-learning format for
the first time because it is structured in such a way that emphasizes
direct applicability. From
an overview of the methodology to research to specific
examples and tools, the book includes basic information for implementing TBL in
virtually any discipline." You can read the full review here. If you are looking for assistance with implementing TBL, please contact the Center for Teaching+Learning Enhancement. If you or your students need help with anything related to study groups, please contact Academic Support Specialist Barbara Linder.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
PAYING ATTENTION TO THE INTROVERTS IN YOUR CLASS
Nicki Monahan, Faculty Facilitator in the Staff and
Organizational Development Department at George Brown College, Toronto, Canada,
has written an interesting article about introverts in the classroom. She
writes, “Who are they and how do we ensure they thrive in active learning
classrooms? If you have ever come to the midterm point of the semester and
graded a stellar paper of a student whose name you don’t recognize and who has
never raised her hand in class, you may have just identified an introvert in
your classroom. In many learning situations, introverts may need to stretch
beyond their comfort zones, and they should be encouraged to do so, as should
extroverts. Our goal is not to turn introverts into extroverts, or vice-versa,
but to maximize learning for all students and to help them develop the skills
often identified by potential employers — teamwork, problem solving, and
interpersonal communication. When designing learning activities for your
classroom, consider the key elements of balance and choice in order to create a
comfortable learning environment which also encourages all students to stretch
and take risks.” Read more…
FACULTY LEARNING COMMUNITY DECONSTRUCTS ASSESSMENT
The Common Reader Faculty Learning Community recently completed
a learning experience about the type of assessment we use to determine if our
students are learning. The discussion centered on performance-based versus
learning-based approaches. Traditionalists who use performance-based methods tend
to base their evaluation and assessment on their student’s ability to comply with
the dictates of the course. The requirements may very well be tied to learning
considerations but those are often forgotten as the requirements and worry
about covering the material begin to take over. Learning-centered approaches tend
to emphasize assessment and evaluative tools that focus on helping students
understand their progress in learning and help us evaluate our teaching. It
assumes that learning is a developmental process that entails helping students
to undergo intellectual and personal changes as they develop new understandings
and reasoning abilities. Grading is more about communicating with our students
rather than a way to rank them. This exercise in critical self-reflection
proved to be beneficial to the FLC members but it does not need to be limited
to group situations. You can study and reflect on your approaches to determine
if you are using the right assessment tools to determine your effectiveness as
a teacher. Contact the Teaching+Learning Center if you would like some
resources to help you with this self-evaluation.
GETTING YOU READY FOR THE SEMESTER'S END
The Blackboard Series continues with an upcoming
professional development session that could help you be more efficient when
completing the end-of-semester tasks we are required to handle. Susan Nealy and
Lenora White will deliver an interactive workshop on how to use the Blackboard
Gradebook feature to help you with end-of-semester reporting responsibilities
on Tuesday, November 5. Upon completion of this session, you will be able to: enter
all grades into Blackboard including the manual entry of a final grade; organize
grades separate from attendance (if taken in Blackboard); “drop" grades
while still maintaining the grade in Blackboard (based on faculty syllabus); download
the Gradebook into an Excel spreadsheet for submission to your Academic
Division. This workshop is part of the Teaching+Learning Center's ongoing
faculty professional development programming. The session from 3:00-4:00 PM is
for beginner users of Blackboard while the 4:00-5:00 PM session is better
suited for advanced users. Registration is now open.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
JOIN US ON MARCH 7
Shifting the Teaching Paradigm is the title of the upcoming workshop to be held on March 7 in the Dumas Room of the Magnolia Building. Dr. Jim Johnston will be facilitating the sessions which begin at 12:25 and run through 3:30 pm. This interactive workshop is being sponsored by the Teaching+Learning Center (T+LC) and Cengage Learning's TeamUp. In response to several inquiries, I wanted to offer some suggestions. If you are interested in altering your approach to teaching in search of improving learning in your classes, this workshop is for you. BRCC's traditional student is a millennial who is typically under-prepared for the rigors and expectations of college. This presents special challenges for us but also opens up opportunities for rapid change and results that we can see almost immediately. But what does it take to inspire that change in their brains? That is what we hope to discover and discuss at this workshop. So register now and bring your ideas and concerns as we return from the Mardi Gras break.
INQUIRY-GUIDED TEACHING PRODUCES RESULTS
The importance of the student/teacher relationship has been acknowledged for centuries. Greek philosopher, Plato suggested that the relationship between teacher and student is essential to teaching and must be firmly established before learning can occur (Hoffman, 2014). We know from more recent research that the paradigm has changed and rather than regarding the teacher as someone who does something to someone, as in pouring knowledge into an empty vessel, the teacher is someone who does something with someone, as in equal participation in the acquisition of knowledge (McEwan, 2011). Virginia Lee, is her book Teaching and Learning Through Inquiry (LB1027.44.T43), tell us that inquiry-guided learning in terms of what happens in the classroom (or online) refers to a range of interventions or strategies used to promote learning through students active, and increasingly independent, investigation of questions, problems and issues, often for which there is no single answer. A range of teaching strategies is consistent with inquiry-guided learning including interactive lecture, discussion, problem-based learning, case studies, simulations, and independent study. In fact, she notes the only strategy not consistent with inquiry-guides learning is the traditional (and outdated) straight lecture.
TEXTBOOK READING MADE SIMPLE
Are you having trouble getting your students to read the textbook prior to your teaching the material? Here is something I have tried that has shown good results in both participation in class and is reflected in the assessment I used to measure learning. Give them a few short answer-type questions that helps to guide them through the reading material when you make the assignment. For instance, on a chapter about critical thinking I provided the following questions. 1)What are the three aspects of critical thinking? 2)Why should some assumptions be carefully examined? 3)Why is it important to examine evidence of an argument? 4)Why is it important to recognize bias? In class, we talked about each of these question but in different forms because I was using the repetition method for learning. For example, I had my students evaluate opinion pieces from major media outlets looking for bias and logic fallacies. They responded well to the reading and in-class assignments because I stressed the importance of critical thinking as a life skill and I used a topic from the opinion pieces (raising the minimum wage) that they could personally relate to. When I gave them the chapter test to measure the teaching and learning that had occurred, I used those same questions (some were worded slightly different). My assessment results from the chapter test showed marked improvement from the previous test. Let me know if you try this method or if you use a similar strategy in your classes.
Shifting the Teaching Paradigm is the title of the upcoming workshop to be held on March 7 in the Dumas Room of the Magnolia Building. Dr. Jim Johnston will be facilitating the sessions which begin at 12:25 and run through 3:30 pm. This interactive workshop is being sponsored by the Teaching+Learning Center (T+LC) and Cengage Learning's TeamUp. In response to several inquiries, I wanted to offer some suggestions. If you are interested in altering your approach to teaching in search of improving learning in your classes, this workshop is for you. BRCC's traditional student is a millennial who is typically under-prepared for the rigors and expectations of college. This presents special challenges for us but also opens up opportunities for rapid change and results that we can see almost immediately. But what does it take to inspire that change in their brains? That is what we hope to discover and discuss at this workshop. So register now and bring your ideas and concerns as we return from the Mardi Gras break.
INQUIRY-GUIDED TEACHING PRODUCES RESULTS
The importance of the student/teacher relationship has been acknowledged for centuries. Greek philosopher, Plato suggested that the relationship between teacher and student is essential to teaching and must be firmly established before learning can occur (Hoffman, 2014). We know from more recent research that the paradigm has changed and rather than regarding the teacher as someone who does something to someone, as in pouring knowledge into an empty vessel, the teacher is someone who does something with someone, as in equal participation in the acquisition of knowledge (McEwan, 2011). Virginia Lee, is her book Teaching and Learning Through Inquiry (LB1027.44.T43), tell us that inquiry-guided learning in terms of what happens in the classroom (or online) refers to a range of interventions or strategies used to promote learning through students active, and increasingly independent, investigation of questions, problems and issues, often for which there is no single answer. A range of teaching strategies is consistent with inquiry-guided learning including interactive lecture, discussion, problem-based learning, case studies, simulations, and independent study. In fact, she notes the only strategy not consistent with inquiry-guides learning is the traditional (and outdated) straight lecture.
TEXTBOOK READING MADE SIMPLE
Are you having trouble getting your students to read the textbook prior to your teaching the material? Here is something I have tried that has shown good results in both participation in class and is reflected in the assessment I used to measure learning. Give them a few short answer-type questions that helps to guide them through the reading material when you make the assignment. For instance, on a chapter about critical thinking I provided the following questions. 1)What are the three aspects of critical thinking? 2)Why should some assumptions be carefully examined? 3)Why is it important to examine evidence of an argument? 4)Why is it important to recognize bias? In class, we talked about each of these question but in different forms because I was using the repetition method for learning. For example, I had my students evaluate opinion pieces from major media outlets looking for bias and logic fallacies. They responded well to the reading and in-class assignments because I stressed the importance of critical thinking as a life skill and I used a topic from the opinion pieces (raising the minimum wage) that they could personally relate to. When I gave them the chapter test to measure the teaching and learning that had occurred, I used those same questions (some were worded slightly different). My assessment results from the chapter test showed marked improvement from the previous test. Let me know if you try this method or if you use a similar strategy in your classes.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Academic Success Strategies For All Students
The ability to help students improve their academic performance is enhanced by their participation in study groups. This fact is revealed by research like Kalaian, Kasim, and Nims report that appeared in the Journal of Technology Education (Spring 2018). The meta-analytic results showed that cooperative learning,
collaborative learning, problem-based learning, and peer-led team
learning pedagogies were effective. The Academic Learning Center (ALC) has been providing assistance to students looking to create and manage study groups for several years now. They have a suite of resources about how to create a study group that works for all participants including organization and leadership instructions. As the classroom (onsite or virtually) is one of the best conduits for forming these types of academic success groups, I encourage you to reach out to Ms. Nina Joshi at the ALC. Working in unison, our faculty and ALC can help our students be more successful and we owe it to our students to make them aware of this academic support resource.
Monday, June 16, 2014
FINDING GOLD IN JERSEY
I am very excited to be one of the select few that will be heading to New Jersey to participate in Ken Bain's last Best Teachers Summer Institute later this week. Judging by the pre-conference homework (Dr. Bain's version of flipping), this promises to be an exceptional learning event. I wanted to share just a small sliver of what we are working on before coming together as a group. Dr. Bain has asked us to do some critical self-reflection (one of my favorite topics) and to specifically look at how we construct our syllabi. He asks, "how can a colleague develop a sense of you as a scholar by examining the various features of your course?" I hope that you do what I did when I saw that question and that is, quickly pull up one of your syllabi and begin to deconstruct it to determine the answer to this brilliant question. If our syllabi are truly the guiding documents for our partnerships with our students, shouldn't they reflect our teaching philosophy, our passion for the subject matter, and what we think is most important for student learning? In the same way, the assessment instruments we indicate on our syllabi are also telling an interesting story. I hope to bring back much more of this type of faculty development from the conference and am sure that our programming for the 2014-15 academic year will be shaped by what happens this week.
CRITICAL THINKING IN AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT
Drs. S. Michael Putman, Karen Ford, and Susan Tancock have written an interesting article about enhancing critical thinking abilities using discussion boards in online classes. They write, "The asynchronous online discussion (AOD) is a communicative tool that has been observed to promote “a level of reflective interaction often lacking in a face-to-face, teacher-centered classroom.” Inherent within successful AODs is the use of meaningful discourse to facilitate critical engagement with the content that is the focus of the experience. Numerous studies have shown that effective AODS produce an increased level of cognitive thinking and knowledge construction within participants. Potential for these outcomes were maximized when learning objectives were linked to real-life experiences within moderately complex tasks. Participants in the AODs were more effectively able to understand the applicability of the content within the greater context of learning. Knowledge development increased as participants shared information regarding their beliefs and experiences. Critically engaging with and reflecting on content prior to sharing was theorized to account for differences." They encourage the use of "facilitative Prompts" to fully realize the effects of online discussion.
BOREDOM BLOCKERS
Boredom is one of the most common complaints among university students, with studies suggesting its link to poor grades, drop out, and behavioral problems according to an article by Drs. Steven J. Kass, Stephen J. Vodanovich, and Jasmine Y. Khosrav. They note that "Boredom proneness was found to be significantly and negatively related to course grade and measures of satisfaction." They conclude that "students need and desire the opportunity to use the variety of skills learned in class. Putting these skills into practice allows students to see the connection between what they learned and the context within which it is applied , thus increasing satisfaction and internal motivation which they may demonstrate through greater class attendance and engagement. Students may also benefit by allowing them to make their own decisions and develop individualized approaches (i.e., autonomy) to completing coursework. Consistent with many different theories on training and learning, students must be provided with in formative feedback to help direct efforts toward accomplishing their goals." Certainly another reason to look at experiential learning and the use of problem-based situations in our courses.
I am very excited to be one of the select few that will be heading to New Jersey to participate in Ken Bain's last Best Teachers Summer Institute later this week. Judging by the pre-conference homework (Dr. Bain's version of flipping), this promises to be an exceptional learning event. I wanted to share just a small sliver of what we are working on before coming together as a group. Dr. Bain has asked us to do some critical self-reflection (one of my favorite topics) and to specifically look at how we construct our syllabi. He asks, "how can a colleague develop a sense of you as a scholar by examining the various features of your course?" I hope that you do what I did when I saw that question and that is, quickly pull up one of your syllabi and begin to deconstruct it to determine the answer to this brilliant question. If our syllabi are truly the guiding documents for our partnerships with our students, shouldn't they reflect our teaching philosophy, our passion for the subject matter, and what we think is most important for student learning? In the same way, the assessment instruments we indicate on our syllabi are also telling an interesting story. I hope to bring back much more of this type of faculty development from the conference and am sure that our programming for the 2014-15 academic year will be shaped by what happens this week.
CRITICAL THINKING IN AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT
Drs. S. Michael Putman, Karen Ford, and Susan Tancock have written an interesting article about enhancing critical thinking abilities using discussion boards in online classes. They write, "The asynchronous online discussion (AOD) is a communicative tool that has been observed to promote “a level of reflective interaction often lacking in a face-to-face, teacher-centered classroom.” Inherent within successful AODs is the use of meaningful discourse to facilitate critical engagement with the content that is the focus of the experience. Numerous studies have shown that effective AODS produce an increased level of cognitive thinking and knowledge construction within participants. Potential for these outcomes were maximized when learning objectives were linked to real-life experiences within moderately complex tasks. Participants in the AODs were more effectively able to understand the applicability of the content within the greater context of learning. Knowledge development increased as participants shared information regarding their beliefs and experiences. Critically engaging with and reflecting on content prior to sharing was theorized to account for differences." They encourage the use of "facilitative Prompts" to fully realize the effects of online discussion.
BOREDOM BLOCKERS
Boredom is one of the most common complaints among university students, with studies suggesting its link to poor grades, drop out, and behavioral problems according to an article by Drs. Steven J. Kass, Stephen J. Vodanovich, and Jasmine Y. Khosrav. They note that "Boredom proneness was found to be significantly and negatively related to course grade and measures of satisfaction." They conclude that "students need and desire the opportunity to use the variety of skills learned in class. Putting these skills into practice allows students to see the connection between what they learned and the context within which it is applied , thus increasing satisfaction and internal motivation which they may demonstrate through greater class attendance and engagement. Students may also benefit by allowing them to make their own decisions and develop individualized approaches (i.e., autonomy) to completing coursework. Consistent with many different theories on training and learning, students must be provided with in formative feedback to help direct efforts toward accomplishing their goals." Certainly another reason to look at experiential learning and the use of problem-based situations in our courses.
Friday, January 4, 2019
Colleagues at Rice University have posed an interesting topic in a post about active learning. I have written a number of posts about how and why active learning is a good teaching strategy. Many of our faculty at BRCC have adopted active learning strategies. Many of the strategies have come from the Active Learning Manual that I have published annually for almost a decade. But the article addressing active learning poses some good prompts that can help us to dig deeper into the topic. This one for instance: "For years, the term has filled a gap for us. It has functioned
rhetorically as a way to contrast evidence-based teaching practices (a
much better term, by the way) with more traditional methodologies, but
ultimately the wide-ranging utility of this classification is also its
drawback. Although, as Cynthia Brame notes,
some scholars have tried to create an operational definition for active
learning, they also acknowledge the category is enormously broad. This
breadth is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. Indeed, it
means that we have a lot of options for helping students to learn. The
problem is that active learning has come to mean all things to all
people and essentially encompasses everything that is not passive." You can read the entire article post here. As we begin to plan for the spring 2019 semester, I hope you will consider teaching methodologies that have been proven to help students learn, many of which are active learning strategies.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
CAN MY CLICKER TALK TO BLACKBOARD
The use of student response systems has been around for a number of years but the folks who provide the technology have not stopped trying to improve their effectiveness. Yesterday the Teaching+Learning Center hosted Paul King of Turning Technologies to share the latest on his version of "clickers." He was joined by Bill Joyce, who many at BRCC may remember as he was our "rep" for a number of years. The main updates focused on analytics. As with all technology, the tool only benefits us if it helps to improve teaching and learning and lightens the workload. When the conversation turned to how Turning Technologies products "talked" with our current version of Blackboard, those in attendance found out that there may indeed be some benefits to adopting the latest versions. At the end of the day we decided to continue talking with all the stakeholders to see how we can improve student learning through the use of deeper assessment. Stay tuned to this blog for updates on the progress.
ELEARNING RELAUNCH CONTINUES
This has been an interesting semester for our eLearning Program. In January, we hired Susan Nealy to manage the eLearning enterprise. We also embarked on a relaunch project that included course redesign based on industry-standard benchmarks. As you will recall, the eLearning offerings for the spring 2013 semester were limited to 28 classes to allow for evaluation and assessment to take place in a controlled environment. As we approach the end of the first semester since the relaunch, we are busy with the assessment part of the project. Many of you are about to receive a survey that will allow us to capture valuable information for the next step in the process. We are most interested in the student experience of this relaunch and will be surveying them as well. All of this is designed to provide our students with the best possible academic experience in an online environment. Student learning is still the main objective and we are optimistic that the changes being implemented will allow BRCC to provide a quality program of excellence.
EVERYBODY MULTITASKS BUT NOT VERY WELL
Larry Rosen, a psychology professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills, has published some interesting research on a topic near to my own areas of interest. His study takes a look at the use of technology during learning experiences, an idea that emerged from his book Rewired. He based his idea on the fact that students are experiencing multiple streams of information and entertainment while they study, do homework, or even sit in class. In fact, we know that this has become so common that most students rarely write a paper or complete a problem set without multitasking (or switch tasking as many psychologists have come to describe it). The evidence clearly shows that when students switch task while doing schoolwork, their learning is far spottier and shallower than if the work had their full attention. They understand and remember less, and they have greater difficulty transferring their learning to new contexts. Rosen suggests that we ask our students to take "tech breaks" during class. He gives them a chance to look at email and websites during class in short spurts throughout the class as long as they adhere to his rules during the class. Rosen has found that this will allow the students to build their resistance and begin to work longer periods without the tech breaks.
STAND AND DELIVER
Here is another suggestion from Dr. Dakin Burdick for an end of the semester activity that will provide you with great immediate feedback from your students about their experience in your class. Christopher Uhl recommends ending the course with an invitation to students to stand and share their thoughts. Some prompts for this exposition are emotional in nature: What are your regrets? How did you fail to live up to your potential? For what are you thankful? What are your hopes for yourself and for your colleagues? Others are challenges to the student to commit him/herself towards change: How will you use what you have learned? How do you resolve to change?
The use of student response systems has been around for a number of years but the folks who provide the technology have not stopped trying to improve their effectiveness. Yesterday the Teaching+Learning Center hosted Paul King of Turning Technologies to share the latest on his version of "clickers." He was joined by Bill Joyce, who many at BRCC may remember as he was our "rep" for a number of years. The main updates focused on analytics. As with all technology, the tool only benefits us if it helps to improve teaching and learning and lightens the workload. When the conversation turned to how Turning Technologies products "talked" with our current version of Blackboard, those in attendance found out that there may indeed be some benefits to adopting the latest versions. At the end of the day we decided to continue talking with all the stakeholders to see how we can improve student learning through the use of deeper assessment. Stay tuned to this blog for updates on the progress.
ELEARNING RELAUNCH CONTINUES
This has been an interesting semester for our eLearning Program. In January, we hired Susan Nealy to manage the eLearning enterprise. We also embarked on a relaunch project that included course redesign based on industry-standard benchmarks. As you will recall, the eLearning offerings for the spring 2013 semester were limited to 28 classes to allow for evaluation and assessment to take place in a controlled environment. As we approach the end of the first semester since the relaunch, we are busy with the assessment part of the project. Many of you are about to receive a survey that will allow us to capture valuable information for the next step in the process. We are most interested in the student experience of this relaunch and will be surveying them as well. All of this is designed to provide our students with the best possible academic experience in an online environment. Student learning is still the main objective and we are optimistic that the changes being implemented will allow BRCC to provide a quality program of excellence.
EVERYBODY MULTITASKS BUT NOT VERY WELL
Larry Rosen, a psychology professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills, has published some interesting research on a topic near to my own areas of interest. His study takes a look at the use of technology during learning experiences, an idea that emerged from his book Rewired. He based his idea on the fact that students are experiencing multiple streams of information and entertainment while they study, do homework, or even sit in class. In fact, we know that this has become so common that most students rarely write a paper or complete a problem set without multitasking (or switch tasking as many psychologists have come to describe it). The evidence clearly shows that when students switch task while doing schoolwork, their learning is far spottier and shallower than if the work had their full attention. They understand and remember less, and they have greater difficulty transferring their learning to new contexts. Rosen suggests that we ask our students to take "tech breaks" during class. He gives them a chance to look at email and websites during class in short spurts throughout the class as long as they adhere to his rules during the class. Rosen has found that this will allow the students to build their resistance and begin to work longer periods without the tech breaks.
STAND AND DELIVER
Here is another suggestion from Dr. Dakin Burdick for an end of the semester activity that will provide you with great immediate feedback from your students about their experience in your class. Christopher Uhl recommends ending the course with an invitation to students to stand and share their thoughts. Some prompts for this exposition are emotional in nature: What are your regrets? How did you fail to live up to your potential? For what are you thankful? What are your hopes for yourself and for your colleagues? Others are challenges to the student to commit him/herself towards change: How will you use what you have learned? How do you resolve to change?
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
SUMMER IS ABOUT COURSE REDESIGN
Dr. Maryellen Weimer has an interesting article about course redesign. She notes, introductory courses are packed with content. Teachers struggle to get through it during class; students struggle to master it outside of class. Too often learning consists of memorizing material that’s used on the exam but not retained long after. Faculty know they should use more strategies that engage students, but those approaches take time and, in most courses, that’s in very short supply. Blended-learning designs can be used to help with the problem. Technology offers other options for dealing with course content. This article recounts one faculty member’s experiences redesigning a gateway cell biology course. In a nutshell, all the lecture content was recorded as 10-20 minute voiceover PowerPoint presentations. Class time was devoted to “activities … entirely focused on student engagement with the content and with each other.” (p. 35) What happened in class did not repeat the content but was based on assigned readings in the text and material covered in the recorded lectures. A variety of interesting classroom activities was used, including a version of the time-tested muddiest-point strategy. Upon arriving in class students submitted index cards with questions about things from the readings or the lecture that they did not understand. A sample of these questions was read aloud and then students and the professor discussed and answered them. Students also participated in another index-card activity that presented them with a scenario or experimental data not discussed in the lectures or readings. Students worked on these questions in small groups and then developed and submitted a group answer. During class the instructor also had students respond to questions using clickers.
RESOURCES FOR YOU
Student engagement is just as critical in the online delivery mode as it is in face-to-face classes. If you are looking to add some active learning experiences to your eLearning course or would like to enhance your f2f classroom, you might want to take a look at the Interactive Activities in Online and Hybrid Courses website. There are examples of individual as well as collaborative learning experiences. Dr. Betsy Winston also presents a number of learning experience ideas in her article Enhancing Critical Thinking and Active Learning in Online Courses.
IS THERE A SUCCESS GENE
Paul Voosen reports on the search for a "gene for finishing college." The article points out that there will never be a “gene for educational success” or a “gene for entrepreneurship,” just as there will never be a “gene for intelligence” or a “gene for personality.” He notes that the research reveals that there is a gene variant that increases the likelihood to read books, and it is the reading, in turn, that helps determine scholastic futures. He suggests that we still encourage kids who don’t have the variant to read and that will raise their chances for educational success.
SUB-PRIME STUDENTS
Did you catch the comment by Trace Urdan about "subprime students." Apparently in a public debate, Urdan argued with David Halperin that the relatively low graduation rates of many for-profit colleges were actually pretty good, when compared to their subsidized competition (community colleges). Halperin countered, correctly, that it’s misleading to characterize most for-profits as unsubsidized, given their heavy reliance on Federal financial aid. Matt Read said in his blog post "But the line that jumped out at me was Urdan’s assertion that “[the] school offers quality instruction. The students make of it what they will.” He continues, "If your unit of analysis is the disconnected individual, then it follows that any failures must be the fault of those individuals. If you have low graduation rates, you must have subprime students. It’s a convenient belief, because it lets everyone else off the hook. If people rise or fall entirely on their own merits, then those who fell must lack merit. If they lack merit, then their failure is nothing to worry about. After all, if they had merit, they wouldn’t have failed!" he concluded.
Dr. Maryellen Weimer has an interesting article about course redesign. She notes, introductory courses are packed with content. Teachers struggle to get through it during class; students struggle to master it outside of class. Too often learning consists of memorizing material that’s used on the exam but not retained long after. Faculty know they should use more strategies that engage students, but those approaches take time and, in most courses, that’s in very short supply. Blended-learning designs can be used to help with the problem. Technology offers other options for dealing with course content. This article recounts one faculty member’s experiences redesigning a gateway cell biology course. In a nutshell, all the lecture content was recorded as 10-20 minute voiceover PowerPoint presentations. Class time was devoted to “activities … entirely focused on student engagement with the content and with each other.” (p. 35) What happened in class did not repeat the content but was based on assigned readings in the text and material covered in the recorded lectures. A variety of interesting classroom activities was used, including a version of the time-tested muddiest-point strategy. Upon arriving in class students submitted index cards with questions about things from the readings or the lecture that they did not understand. A sample of these questions was read aloud and then students and the professor discussed and answered them. Students also participated in another index-card activity that presented them with a scenario or experimental data not discussed in the lectures or readings. Students worked on these questions in small groups and then developed and submitted a group answer. During class the instructor also had students respond to questions using clickers.
RESOURCES FOR YOU
Student engagement is just as critical in the online delivery mode as it is in face-to-face classes. If you are looking to add some active learning experiences to your eLearning course or would like to enhance your f2f classroom, you might want to take a look at the Interactive Activities in Online and Hybrid Courses website. There are examples of individual as well as collaborative learning experiences. Dr. Betsy Winston also presents a number of learning experience ideas in her article Enhancing Critical Thinking and Active Learning in Online Courses.
IS THERE A SUCCESS GENE
Paul Voosen reports on the search for a "gene for finishing college." The article points out that there will never be a “gene for educational success” or a “gene for entrepreneurship,” just as there will never be a “gene for intelligence” or a “gene for personality.” He notes that the research reveals that there is a gene variant that increases the likelihood to read books, and it is the reading, in turn, that helps determine scholastic futures. He suggests that we still encourage kids who don’t have the variant to read and that will raise their chances for educational success.
SUB-PRIME STUDENTS
Did you catch the comment by Trace Urdan about "subprime students." Apparently in a public debate, Urdan argued with David Halperin that the relatively low graduation rates of many for-profit colleges were actually pretty good, when compared to their subsidized competition (community colleges). Halperin countered, correctly, that it’s misleading to characterize most for-profits as unsubsidized, given their heavy reliance on Federal financial aid. Matt Read said in his blog post "But the line that jumped out at me was Urdan’s assertion that “[the] school offers quality instruction. The students make of it what they will.” He continues, "If your unit of analysis is the disconnected individual, then it follows that any failures must be the fault of those individuals. If you have low graduation rates, you must have subprime students. It’s a convenient belief, because it lets everyone else off the hook. If people rise or fall entirely on their own merits, then those who fell must lack merit. If they lack merit, then their failure is nothing to worry about. After all, if they had merit, they wouldn’t have failed!" he concluded.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Thursday, December 3, 2015
THE ANSWERS ARE IN THE SYLLABUS
Now is a great time to begin to look at your syllabi for the spring semester. My colleague at George Mason's Center for Teaching and Faculty Excellence provides the following suggestions. At its most fundamental level, a course syllabus is essentially a contract between the instructor and the student and is a vital tool for communicating expectations between students and faculty. A well-constructed syllabus provides a road map for the course, answers frequently asked questions, can help to lessen student anxiety, and allows the faculty member to concentrate on instruction. At another level, though, a syllabus is the embodiment of your philosophy of teaching and learning. Implicit in every assignment, every choice of textbook, every discussion topic should be an indication of what you want your students to learn from your course and why you want them to learn it. Because critical thinking is at the heart of academic work, emphasize how your course will help them develop the kinds of skills with inquiry and problem solving that will benefit them throughout their time in college and into their lives as professionals. Continuing reading here.
GOING TO THE RESEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS
Dr. Maryellen Weimer’s latest post asks some really good questions about how we can use research to improve teaching and learning. She writes, “Evidence-based teaching seems like the new buzzword in higher education. The phrase appears to mean that we’ve identified and should be using those instructional practices shown empirically to enhance learning. Sounds pretty straightforward, but there are lots of questions that haven’t yet been addressed, such as: How much evidence does there need to be to justify a particular strategy, action, or approach? Is one study enough? What about when the evidence is mixed—in some studies the results of a practice are positive and in others they aren’t? In research conducted in classrooms, instructional strategies aren’t used in isolation; they are done in combination with other things. Does that grouping influence how individual strategies function?” Continue reading here.
THE GOOD OLD DAYS
Looking for some levity? Allison M. Vaillancourt’s latest post made me laugh while I was learning. She writes, “Who Melted My Cheese? would challenge the still-common worldview that academic life will eventually return to “normal” if we just sit patiently. According to that view, all the annoyances we are currently experiencing — state funding reductions, demands for accountability, and students who want their course content to be compelling — are simply fads that will soon fade if we just stay the course and insist on running our institutions like we did in the 1980s, or even the 1880s.” Continue reading here.
Now is a great time to begin to look at your syllabi for the spring semester. My colleague at George Mason's Center for Teaching and Faculty Excellence provides the following suggestions. At its most fundamental level, a course syllabus is essentially a contract between the instructor and the student and is a vital tool for communicating expectations between students and faculty. A well-constructed syllabus provides a road map for the course, answers frequently asked questions, can help to lessen student anxiety, and allows the faculty member to concentrate on instruction. At another level, though, a syllabus is the embodiment of your philosophy of teaching and learning. Implicit in every assignment, every choice of textbook, every discussion topic should be an indication of what you want your students to learn from your course and why you want them to learn it. Because critical thinking is at the heart of academic work, emphasize how your course will help them develop the kinds of skills with inquiry and problem solving that will benefit them throughout their time in college and into their lives as professionals. Continuing reading here.
GOING TO THE RESEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS
Dr. Maryellen Weimer’s latest post asks some really good questions about how we can use research to improve teaching and learning. She writes, “Evidence-based teaching seems like the new buzzword in higher education. The phrase appears to mean that we’ve identified and should be using those instructional practices shown empirically to enhance learning. Sounds pretty straightforward, but there are lots of questions that haven’t yet been addressed, such as: How much evidence does there need to be to justify a particular strategy, action, or approach? Is one study enough? What about when the evidence is mixed—in some studies the results of a practice are positive and in others they aren’t? In research conducted in classrooms, instructional strategies aren’t used in isolation; they are done in combination with other things. Does that grouping influence how individual strategies function?” Continue reading here.
THE GOOD OLD DAYS
Looking for some levity? Allison M. Vaillancourt’s latest post made me laugh while I was learning. She writes, “Who Melted My Cheese? would challenge the still-common worldview that academic life will eventually return to “normal” if we just sit patiently. According to that view, all the annoyances we are currently experiencing — state funding reductions, demands for accountability, and students who want their course content to be compelling — are simply fads that will soon fade if we just stay the course and insist on running our institutions like we did in the 1980s, or even the 1880s.” Continue reading here.
Friday, September 7, 2012
NO SUCKERS ALLOWED
As you transform your course using a student-centered approach, you should consider using group work learning experiences. W. Martin Davies has a good research article that outlines the benefits of group work while acknowledging the problems that may arise like free-riding and the sucker effect. The article provides solutions as well as providing a good background for this type of active learning method. Davies notes, "Groupwork is one of the most expedient ways—along with work placements—of ensuring that students develop transferable skills for life-long learning (teamwork, leadership, project management skills, communication skills). This has largely been in response to industry demands for more flexible workers."
DID YOU DO THE READING
Are you assigning reading material but finding that your students never even crack the book open? Using some type of formative assessment will usually solve that problem. One of the more popular methods is to give a reading quiz on the material you assigned. Here is an option suggested by Paulson and Faust at Cal State-L.A. Active learning depends upon students coming to class prepared. The reading quiz can also be used as an effective measure of student comprehension of the readings (so that you may gauge their level of sophistication as readers). Further, by asking the same sorts of questions on several reading quizzes, you will give students guidance as to what to look for when reading assigned text. If you ask questions like "What color were Esmerelda's eyes?" you are telling the student that it is the details that count, whereas questions like "What reason did Esmerelda give, for murdering Sebastian?" highlight issues of justification. If your goal is to instruct (and not merely to coerce), carefully choose questions which will both identify who has read the material (for your sake) and identify what is important in the reading (for their sake).
MODELS OF EXCELENCE
The Aspen Institute holds an annual competition to recognize the best community colleges. In fact, they award $1,000,000 in prizes in addition to the publicity and honor of being chosen. The Institute changed its criteria for evaluating community college performance, and this year's list includes 40 different institutions, meaning one-third of last year's eligible colleges were bumped. The process is based on graduation rates, degrees awarded, student retention rates and equity in student outcomes. Out of the 120 institutions that submitted nomination packets, they have narrowed the competition to ten and that list includes: Brazosport College (TX), Broward College (FL), College of the Ouachitas (AR), Kingborough Community College-CUNY (NY), Lake Area Technical Institute (SD), Santa Barbara City College (CA), Santa Fe College (FL), Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College (KY), Walla Walla Community College (WA), and West Kentucky Community and Technical College (KY). This is definitely a list that BRCC would like to be on next year.
As you transform your course using a student-centered approach, you should consider using group work learning experiences. W. Martin Davies has a good research article that outlines the benefits of group work while acknowledging the problems that may arise like free-riding and the sucker effect. The article provides solutions as well as providing a good background for this type of active learning method. Davies notes, "Groupwork is one of the most expedient ways—along with work placements—of ensuring that students develop transferable skills for life-long learning (teamwork, leadership, project management skills, communication skills). This has largely been in response to industry demands for more flexible workers."
DID YOU DO THE READING
Are you assigning reading material but finding that your students never even crack the book open? Using some type of formative assessment will usually solve that problem. One of the more popular methods is to give a reading quiz on the material you assigned. Here is an option suggested by Paulson and Faust at Cal State-L.A. Active learning depends upon students coming to class prepared. The reading quiz can also be used as an effective measure of student comprehension of the readings (so that you may gauge their level of sophistication as readers). Further, by asking the same sorts of questions on several reading quizzes, you will give students guidance as to what to look for when reading assigned text. If you ask questions like "What color were Esmerelda's eyes?" you are telling the student that it is the details that count, whereas questions like "What reason did Esmerelda give, for murdering Sebastian?" highlight issues of justification. If your goal is to instruct (and not merely to coerce), carefully choose questions which will both identify who has read the material (for your sake) and identify what is important in the reading (for their sake).
MODELS OF EXCELENCE
The Aspen Institute holds an annual competition to recognize the best community colleges. In fact, they award $1,000,000 in prizes in addition to the publicity and honor of being chosen. The Institute changed its criteria for evaluating community college performance, and this year's list includes 40 different institutions, meaning one-third of last year's eligible colleges were bumped. The process is based on graduation rates, degrees awarded, student retention rates and equity in student outcomes. Out of the 120 institutions that submitted nomination packets, they have narrowed the competition to ten and that list includes: Brazosport College (TX), Broward College (FL), College of the Ouachitas (AR), Kingborough Community College-CUNY (NY), Lake Area Technical Institute (SD), Santa Barbara City College (CA), Santa Fe College (FL), Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College (KY), Walla Walla Community College (WA), and West Kentucky Community and Technical College (KY). This is definitely a list that BRCC would like to be on next year.
Monday, March 11, 2013
MILLIS EVENT A HUGE SUCCESS
Thank you to all of you who were able to attend the faculty development workshop by Dr. Barbara Millis on February 28. We had close to 100 participants from almost every discipline at BRCC. Dr. Millis left Baton Rouge with a great impression and found our faculty to be "friendly, sharp and committed to the cause." Dr. Amy Atchley, Speech Communications, noted that she plans to "start small" but eventually to move to using "cooperative learning as my method rather than lecture." Mary Miller, Biology, plans to use the jigsaw approach in her classroom. Kathleen Schexnayder, English, said that she plans to use the double-entry journal in her classroom. Russell Nolan, Biology, plans to use problem solving groups in his classroom. I want to remind you that the Library does have three of Dr. Millis' books and she has a number of articles and IDEA papers that could prove useful for you as you use this new tool from your expanded teaching toolkit.
GET READY TO FLIP YOUR THINKING
The next opportunity you have to add a tool in on March 21 at 3:00 PM. Dr. Bill Wischusen, Associate Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at LSU, will visit BRCC to deliver a powerful seminar entitled Flipping the Classroom. This teaching approach has been especially effective for teachers who (among other things) are struggling with having their students complete reading assignments or who are focused on improving their student's critical thinking skills. Flipping demonstrates to your students that they can acquire knowledge in other ways than listening to a lecture. It is a method that stresses student accountability and promotes cooperative and deeper learning. Space is limited and registration has been brisk. If you would like to participate, send an email to Todd Pourciau at pourciaut@mybrcc.edu. This event is part of the Teaching+Learning Center's distinguished speakers series and will be held in 311 Magnolia Building.
CREATE SOME CREATORS
New research continues to emerge about the current generation of college students (sometime called Millennials, Gen Y or boomerangs). For instance, Jean Twenge, the author of the book Generation Me, considers Millennials to be part of a generation called Generation Me. This is based on personality surveys that showed increasing narcissism among Millennials compared to preceding generations when they were teens and in their twenties. Skip Downing, who wrote the ground breaking On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life series, suggests that we need to help the current student population to develop a Creator mindset. It is built on self-responsibility designed to help you build the life you want. Downing writes, "when psychologist Richard Logan studied people who survived ordeals such as being imprisoned in concentration camps of lost in the frozen Arctic, he found they shared a common belief. They all saw themselves as personally responsible for creating the outcomes and experiences of their lives." Downing pits the Creator Mindset (people look at multiple options, choose wisely among them and take effective actions to achieve the life they want) against the Victim Mindset (beliefs and attitudes that prevent good choices and decisions; the blame is always on other people or things). His personal guideline is 10 minutes for griping then on to being a Creator and finding a solution. If you have a class full of victims, I recommend that you read Downing's book for strategies that can turn your students into Creators.
Thank you to all of you who were able to attend the faculty development workshop by Dr. Barbara Millis on February 28. We had close to 100 participants from almost every discipline at BRCC. Dr. Millis left Baton Rouge with a great impression and found our faculty to be "friendly, sharp and committed to the cause." Dr. Amy Atchley, Speech Communications, noted that she plans to "start small" but eventually to move to using "cooperative learning as my method rather than lecture." Mary Miller, Biology, plans to use the jigsaw approach in her classroom. Kathleen Schexnayder, English, said that she plans to use the double-entry journal in her classroom. Russell Nolan, Biology, plans to use problem solving groups in his classroom. I want to remind you that the Library does have three of Dr. Millis' books and she has a number of articles and IDEA papers that could prove useful for you as you use this new tool from your expanded teaching toolkit.
GET READY TO FLIP YOUR THINKING
The next opportunity you have to add a tool in on March 21 at 3:00 PM. Dr. Bill Wischusen, Associate Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at LSU, will visit BRCC to deliver a powerful seminar entitled Flipping the Classroom. This teaching approach has been especially effective for teachers who (among other things) are struggling with having their students complete reading assignments or who are focused on improving their student's critical thinking skills. Flipping demonstrates to your students that they can acquire knowledge in other ways than listening to a lecture. It is a method that stresses student accountability and promotes cooperative and deeper learning. Space is limited and registration has been brisk. If you would like to participate, send an email to Todd Pourciau at pourciaut@mybrcc.edu. This event is part of the Teaching+Learning Center's distinguished speakers series and will be held in 311 Magnolia Building.
CREATE SOME CREATORS
New research continues to emerge about the current generation of college students (sometime called Millennials, Gen Y or boomerangs). For instance, Jean Twenge, the author of the book Generation Me, considers Millennials to be part of a generation called Generation Me. This is based on personality surveys that showed increasing narcissism among Millennials compared to preceding generations when they were teens and in their twenties. Skip Downing, who wrote the ground breaking On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life series, suggests that we need to help the current student population to develop a Creator mindset. It is built on self-responsibility designed to help you build the life you want. Downing writes, "when psychologist Richard Logan studied people who survived ordeals such as being imprisoned in concentration camps of lost in the frozen Arctic, he found they shared a common belief. They all saw themselves as personally responsible for creating the outcomes and experiences of their lives." Downing pits the Creator Mindset (people look at multiple options, choose wisely among them and take effective actions to achieve the life they want) against the Victim Mindset (beliefs and attitudes that prevent good choices and decisions; the blame is always on other people or things). His personal guideline is 10 minutes for griping then on to being a Creator and finding a solution. If you have a class full of victims, I recommend that you read Downing's book for strategies that can turn your students into Creators.
Friday, October 26, 2012
ORGANIZING FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
Josh Wyner writes in an editorial for The Chronicle of Higher Education that community colleges should be organized for the students they have rather than those who attend four-year residential colleges. He says that the re-envisioned version of community college would offer far greater numbers of block-scheduled programs. "Most students should be directed to enter comprehensive programs built around specific degree goals and schedules. Re-envisioned, community colleges would focus their hiring, professional development, and tenure systems on a single goal: improved teaching and learning," he concludes.
WORKING HAPPY
A lot of folks start out at a community college thinking they might try to "move up" at some point, but then they find themselves liking the work, liking their students and colleagues, and liking the lifestyle. And so they end up staying. For 30 or 40 years. So says Rob Jenkins in a piece he wrote for Inside Higher Ed earlier this year. He goes on to respond to the question what's it like working at a community college? by saying "I take that to be a lifestyle question, and all I can say is: I wouldn't trade careers with anybody. I enjoy the work that I do, I like my students and colleagues, I believe that I've been able to make a difference in people's lives, I've found it relatively easy to maintain an acceptable balance between work and life, and I've been able to make a decent living. What more can anyone ask from a career?"
MAKING CLASS MEANINGFUL AND PURPOSEFUL
A research project by Trudy Hanson, Kristina Drumheller, Jessica Mallard, Connie McKee, and Paula Schlegel determined that although students want to make academics a priority, they have a difficult time balancing their school life with their need for financial and social support. Sleep was often sacrificed as students frequently mentioned pulling all-nighters for completing projects. They also note that growing up with instant gratification might result in Millennials facing difficulty planning for long-term projects. Their survey sample expressed confidence in their abilities, those in the focus group acknowledged that they take short cuts because of their time demands. Students who feel they have to learn the material in class choose which assignments should be given higher priority based on rewards and consequences, and they determine which classes are most important to attend and pay attention to which assignments and classes can be sacrificed. Going to class is a higher priority than doing homework or studying because it is the only time students have set aside in their day to accomplish the learning of course content. For instructors, this means class time needs to be more meaningful and purposeful, because it might be the only time a student spends with the course material.
WHAT IS MISSING
James M. Lang is his book On Course, writes about the situation that is created when faculty are saddled with the "Coverage Model." This model asks the question, what do I need to cover during this semester? "The problem with the coverage model, Lang says, it that it only considers two elements in teaching: the teacher and the course material. The missing element is the student in the teaching-learning triad." He notes that this model constructs teaching as a performative act that involves pulling material out of your head and throwing it on the desks of your students. Their job is then to figure out the best way to lap it up and hold it down.
Josh Wyner writes in an editorial for The Chronicle of Higher Education that community colleges should be organized for the students they have rather than those who attend four-year residential colleges. He says that the re-envisioned version of community college would offer far greater numbers of block-scheduled programs. "Most students should be directed to enter comprehensive programs built around specific degree goals and schedules. Re-envisioned, community colleges would focus their hiring, professional development, and tenure systems on a single goal: improved teaching and learning," he concludes.
WORKING HAPPY
A lot of folks start out at a community college thinking they might try to "move up" at some point, but then they find themselves liking the work, liking their students and colleagues, and liking the lifestyle. And so they end up staying. For 30 or 40 years. So says Rob Jenkins in a piece he wrote for Inside Higher Ed earlier this year. He goes on to respond to the question what's it like working at a community college? by saying "I take that to be a lifestyle question, and all I can say is: I wouldn't trade careers with anybody. I enjoy the work that I do, I like my students and colleagues, I believe that I've been able to make a difference in people's lives, I've found it relatively easy to maintain an acceptable balance between work and life, and I've been able to make a decent living. What more can anyone ask from a career?"
MAKING CLASS MEANINGFUL AND PURPOSEFUL
A research project by Trudy Hanson, Kristina Drumheller, Jessica Mallard, Connie McKee, and Paula Schlegel determined that although students want to make academics a priority, they have a difficult time balancing their school life with their need for financial and social support. Sleep was often sacrificed as students frequently mentioned pulling all-nighters for completing projects. They also note that growing up with instant gratification might result in Millennials facing difficulty planning for long-term projects. Their survey sample expressed confidence in their abilities, those in the focus group acknowledged that they take short cuts because of their time demands. Students who feel they have to learn the material in class choose which assignments should be given higher priority based on rewards and consequences, and they determine which classes are most important to attend and pay attention to which assignments and classes can be sacrificed. Going to class is a higher priority than doing homework or studying because it is the only time students have set aside in their day to accomplish the learning of course content. For instructors, this means class time needs to be more meaningful and purposeful, because it might be the only time a student spends with the course material.
WHAT IS MISSING
James M. Lang is his book On Course, writes about the situation that is created when faculty are saddled with the "Coverage Model." This model asks the question, what do I need to cover during this semester? "The problem with the coverage model, Lang says, it that it only considers two elements in teaching: the teacher and the course material. The missing element is the student in the teaching-learning triad." He notes that this model constructs teaching as a performative act that involves pulling material out of your head and throwing it on the desks of your students. Their job is then to figure out the best way to lap it up and hold it down.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
WEB PLATFORM SEEKS TO GIVE STUDENTS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE WALL OF TEXT
It’s difficult to keep students engaged — and awake — when assigning them readings from long and often dull textbooks. Two researchers wanted to change that. Their creation is zyBooks, a web-based platform that mixes learning activities such as question sets and animations with some written content, largely as a replacement for text. The idea is that professors can use zyBooks instead of traditional textbooks in order to help students engage with the material and perform better. zyBooks was founded in 2012 by Frank Vahid, a computer-science professor at the University of California at Riverside, and Smita Bakshi, a former assistant professor at the University of California at Davis who is the company’s chief executive. They say the platform is being used by professors at around 250 universities, primarily in courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Read more here.
WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE?
Through explicit instruction and modeling, students can come to recognize the importance of taking brain. By wielding these skills and abilities, students decide where to focus their attention and which tasks to undertake. As a general
charge of their executive functioning
in their academic endeavors and later in their careers. Executive functions can be defined as the awareness
and directive capacities of the rule of thumb, when students of any age
have difficulty completing developmentally appropriate academic tasks
on their own, executive functioning may be at the root of the problem. In the human brain, executive functions are primarily regulated by
the prefrontal regions (just behind the forehead) of the frontal lobes.
Neuroscientists and psychologists have made significant gains in
understanding the brain's executive functioning over the past several
decades.An appropriate metaphor that often helps students and educators alike
understand the role of executive functioning in thinking and behavior
is to imagine an orchestra conductor. The conductor chooses what work
the orchestra will perform, decides how to interpret that work, sets the
tempo for the performance, and directs each section of musicians to
contribute at the appropriate time. Read more here.
IS THAT GOING TO BE ON THE TEST?
At one time or another, most of us have been disappointed by the caliber of the questions students ask in class, online, or in the office. Many of them are such mundane questions: “Will material from the book be on the exam?” “How long should the paper be?” “Can we use Google to find references?” “Would you repeat what you just said? I didn’t get it all down in my notes.” Rarely do they ask thoughtful questions that probe the content and stir the interest of the teacher and other students. So, how do we get them to ask better questions? What if we start by asking them the kinds of questions we hope they will ask us? Here are some suggestions that might help us model what good questions are and demonstrate how instrumental they can be in promoting thinking, understanding, and learning. Read more here.
It’s difficult to keep students engaged — and awake — when assigning them readings from long and often dull textbooks. Two researchers wanted to change that. Their creation is zyBooks, a web-based platform that mixes learning activities such as question sets and animations with some written content, largely as a replacement for text. The idea is that professors can use zyBooks instead of traditional textbooks in order to help students engage with the material and perform better. zyBooks was founded in 2012 by Frank Vahid, a computer-science professor at the University of California at Riverside, and Smita Bakshi, a former assistant professor at the University of California at Davis who is the company’s chief executive. They say the platform is being used by professors at around 250 universities, primarily in courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Read more here.
WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE?
Through explicit instruction and modeling, students can come to recognize the importance of taking brain. By wielding these skills and abilities, students decide where to focus their attention and which tasks to undertake. As a general
IS THAT GOING TO BE ON THE TEST?
At one time or another, most of us have been disappointed by the caliber of the questions students ask in class, online, or in the office. Many of them are such mundane questions: “Will material from the book be on the exam?” “How long should the paper be?” “Can we use Google to find references?” “Would you repeat what you just said? I didn’t get it all down in my notes.” Rarely do they ask thoughtful questions that probe the content and stir the interest of the teacher and other students. So, how do we get them to ask better questions? What if we start by asking them the kinds of questions we hope they will ask us? Here are some suggestions that might help us model what good questions are and demonstrate how instrumental they can be in promoting thinking, understanding, and learning. Read more here.
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