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Creating an Active-Learning Classroom

Creating an Active-Learning Classroom. Janice Thompson Kristi Concannon Department of Theology Department of Chemistry & Physics. It’s not what you do, it’s what the students do. Lecture-Centered Classroom. Research shows that In a 50-min lecture, students attentive 40% of the time

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Creating an Active-Learning Classroom

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  1. Creating an Active-Learning Classroom Janice Thompson Kristi Concannon Department of Theology Department of Chemistry & Physics

  2. It’s not what you do, it’s what the students do.

  3. Lecture-Centered Classroom • Research shows that • In a 50-min lecture, students attentive 40% of the time • Retain ~ 70% of lecture in first 10 minutes • Retain < 20% in last 10 minutes • Students: 80% report spending time in class “mostly listening, little thinking” Jones-Wilson, 2005

  4. In an Active-Learning environment: • Students spend much of class time actively involved in doing/thinking about the subject rather than listening to someone talk about it • Students monitor their own progress toward a deeper and more connected understanding • Students interact with peers • Students receive immediate feedback on work/progress • Instructor acts as a facilitator, not source of knowledge

  5. Minimal Time Investment Strategies

  6. Simple Questioning • “Does anyone have a question?” “Does everyone understand?” • “How would this phenomenon differ if the temperature changed?” • “In what other context have we seen this same idea?” Benefits: Students are asked to stop and think. Drawbacks: Students reluctant to volunteer; not everyone is engaged

  7. Two Simple Techniques • Peer Instruction – Lectures are interspersed with conceptual questions designed to expose common difficulties in understanding the material. Students asked to reason with peers. • Just in Time Teaching (JiTT) – Students receive immediate feedback on their understanding. Instructor changes/modifies lecture based on student assessment.

  8. Think-Pair-Share • Think your answer to question • Turn & discuss with neighbor • Share response

  9. Think-Pair-Share • If you were to observe the sky for a period of time, what changes would you see take place? • Turn to neighbor to discuss your answers and to resolve any discrepancies. Benefits: Students are thinking! Immediate self-assessment Drawbacks: Not everyone volunteers to share

  10. TPS: In-Class Voting • Think your answer • Turn to neighbors to discuss • Vote

  11. Raise Your Hand • If there is a full moon overhead at midnight tonight, there will also be a full moon overhead at midnight tomorrow night. • Raise your hand if you think this statement is true. Benefits: Students are thinking! Immediate self-assessment Drawbacks: Reluctance/embarrassment for voting

  12. New Moon First Quarter Third Quarter Full Moon Waxing Gibbous Waning Crescent Waning Gibbous Waxing Crescent Lunar Phases Becomes less illuminated Becomes more illuminated A complete lunar cycle lasts 29.5 days.

  13. The image here shows the moon at 6pm tonight. In what phase will the moon appear at midnight? • New Moon • First Quarter Moon • Gibbous Moon • Crescent Moon • Full Moon Discuss with your neighbor, then vote using the appropriate card. Benefits: More anonymity Drawbacks: Peeping Toms

  14. Lunar Phases • The moon phase depends on the configuration of the Earth-Moon-Sun. The side away from the Sun is always dark.

  15. If you lived on the Moon, would you observe the Earth to have phases? • Yes, it would be the same phase as the Moon seen from Earth. • Yes, it would be the opposite phase as the Moon seen from Earth. • No. Answer using your clicker. Benefits: Complete anonymity Drawbacks: ???

  16. Using Peer Instruction • Students forced to think through the arguments being developed • Both students and instructor are able to assess the understanding of the concepts as they are introduced (JiTT) • Requires commitment of class-time • May be time-consuming for instructor to develop questions that get at higher levels of learning

  17. Moderate Time Investment Strategies

  18. In-Class Activities • Concept maps • Create flowchart of key terms and concepts • Practice Problems • Collaborative completion of homework-type problems • “Reverse” problems • Labs/Tutorials • Complete investigative procedure

  19. In Class Writing • During lecture, question is posed to class. • Students take out paper, write ~1/2 page response. • Responses are: • Shared with class • Collected and “graded” • Discussed How are the areas of astronomy and theology connected or related?

  20. Effective Discussion Strategies

  21. Discussion-Based Classes • Discussion-based classes encourage students to be actively involved and interact with peerswhile the instructor acts as a facilitator. • But discussions in classes can miss other active-learning objectives like giving students immediate feedback so that they can monitor progress. • Typically, discussions in large CORE classes (in contrast to small seminar style classes) need support and encouragement to work well.

  22. Overcoming Barriers by Sharing Abilities and Responsibilities • I’m too shy to speak. • Students start in small groups, know when to prepare to be full-class discussion leaders. I visit the groups and help draw out ideas I heard. • The teacher is the expert; why listen to students? • Students generate the discussion questions (assigned) and write them on the board (graded). I facilitate from different positions in the class. • How do we take notes on a discussion? • A wiki of class-notes is kept by students, who are each assigned days to post (graded).

  23. Effective Group work

  24. Group Work: Student Perceptions Positives Negatives Coordinating schedules outside class Free riders / different grade expectations Difficult for each member to contribute equally Disagreements are more likely. *Gottschall and Garcia-Bayonas, 9. • Generate more ideas • Work with others /Develop relationships with classmates • Learn more of the class materials / deeper understanding of the content *HolliGottschall, Mariche Garcia-Bayonas, “Student Attitudes Towards Group Work Among Undergraduates in Business Administration, Education and Mathematics,” Educational Research Quarterly, 32.1, 13.

  25. Group Work is most effective when The quality of the group process is high, in terms of: • Positive interdependence Mutual learning goals, Joint rewards, Shared resources, Assigned roles • Individual accountability • Equal Participation • Social Skills *Rebecca Wing-yi Cheng, Shui-fong Lam and Joanne Chung-yan Chan, “When high achievers and low achievers work in the same group: The roles of group heterogeneity and processes in project-based learning,” British Journal of Educational Psychology (2008), 78, 205-208.

  26. To Design Good Group Activities I try to: • Establish clear goals, sometimes using lab or game models • Assign some individual preparation/roles • Grade the group work as a group, raising or lowering individual grades if needed • Mix up the groups for different assignments– Ice-breaker/Retreat Style

  27. Ex 1: Bible Detective Competition

  28. Ex 2: “Recovering” the Church? • Purpose: A person transformed by AA asks you to explain the church. Describe how the church is like and unlike AA. • Materials: AA “12 steps” and “12 Traditions” and Class Texts • Method: Read the AA material. Classify the traditions & steps as describing 1) Membership; 2) Spirituality; 3) Authority and Organization (Yes, there is room for debate and overlap), using the definitions from readings in our 2nd unit on “Ministry” in the church). Explain how the church is like and unlike AA, demonstrating in depth knowledge of (and thoughtful reflection on) the class texts (ideally, good knowledge of 3 class articles).

  29. Ex. 3: Job (or God?) on Trial • Reading assigned • Each group assigned a different speech to prepare by completing worksheet for the class court case enactment: • Key quotes/images • Explain main images, key points • Illustrate with own modern examples • Anticipate and prepare for counter-arguments • Class Trial– e.ggtimer.com

  30. First reading exposure Classroom Classroom Lecture Lecture First exposure Problem Solving Problem Solving Discussion Discussion Comprehension Comprehension Reading Discussion Problem Solving Reading Comprehension Active-Learning Classroom It’s not our job to tell students the same things that are in the textbook. It is our job to help students interpret, apply and synthesize ideas and concepts. Jones-Wilson, Figure 1

  31. As you enter a classroom, ask yourself this question: “If there were no students in the room, could I do what I am planning to do?” If the answer is yes, don’t do it. Gen. Ruben Cubero Dean of Faculty US Air Force Academy

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