Active Learning Why and How Can Akkan Agenda

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

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.

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

• 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.

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

When to Practice? Amount remembered 100% 1 hr delay 30% 1 day delay 7 day delay 10 Source: Jernstedt, G. C. , TMS Workshop 2004. 20 30 40 50 Days after reading

An Experimental Study % retained 70 20 0 10 50 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 handson (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 http: //people. sabanciuniv. edu/~canakkan/Active. Learning. htm

References • R. M. Felder and R. Brent (2003) “Learning by Doing”, Chem. Engr. Education, 37 (4), 282 -283 www. ncsu. edu/felder-public/Columns/Active. pdf • R. M. Felder (1994) “Any Questions? ” Chem. Engr. Education, 28 (3), 174 -175. www. ncsu. edu/felder-public/Columns/Questions. pdf • R. M. Felder (1991) “It Goes Without Saying” Chem. Engr. Education, 25 (3), 132 -133. www. ncsu. edu/felder-public/Columns/Without. Saying. pdf

• Bransford, J. D. et al. (2000) How people learn. – Available at • I. C. as a e-book • http: //books. nap. edu/html/howpeople 1/ (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-thousandstudent survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses, " American Journal of Physics, 66, 64 -74, 1998.