Economic Education and How People Learn Scott Simkins

Economic Education and How People Learn Scott Simkins, Interim Director Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL) North Carolina A&T State University Acknowledgements: Mark Maier, Glendale Community College, Glendale, CA, USA

Learning and the Brain What do we know about learners and how people learn? Brain research, neurons, and synapses … Learning is a biological process… - Robert Leamnson

Learning Sciences Research What do we know about learners and how people learn? … learning sciences research and implications for teaching … How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School (2000) Bransford, Brown, and Cocking, National Academies Press

Learning Sciences Research What do we know about learners and how people learn? … learning sciences research and implications for teaching … How Students Learn: History, Mathematics, and Science in the Classroom (2005) Committee on How People Learn, A Targeted Report for Teachers, Center for Studies on Behavior and Development, National Research Council

A Focus on Learning The Goal: Better Learning § How can we apply and extend new knowledge about how people learn? § How can we create learning environments that provide more opportunities for learning?

Three Significant Learning Principles § Engaging Students’ Prior Understandings § Building Factual Knowledge and Conceptual Frameworks § Developing Self-Monitoring Students

Engaging Prior Understandings

Engaging Prior Understandings Preconceptions developed from everyday experiences … impose serious constraints on understanding formal disciplines. - How Students Learn History, Mathematics, and Science in the Classroom § Students have their own mental models already in place. § Learning new ideas often requires “unlearning” prior understandings. § Find out students’ prior understandings and help them challenge those preconceptions.

Building Conceptual Frameworks Learning with understanding affects our ability to apply what is learned. - How Students Learn History, Mathematics, and Science in the Classroom § Developing “expert” (vs. novice) learners, deep vs. surface learning § Help students use concepts to organize information. § To improve transfer of knowledge, encourage effort and practice, requesting multiple representations, and introduce “desirable difficulties. ” § Build upon mental models that are already in place.

Building Conceptual Frameworks Facts are important, but will be quickly forgotten if not developed in a conceptual framework. § Depth matters more than breadth § Give students lots of practice using concepts and theories – applying them to real-world tasks.

Developing Self-Monitoring Students “You are the owners and operators of your own brain, but it came without an instruction book. We need to learn how we learn. ” - How Students Learn History, Mathematics, and Science in the Classroom § Help students become aware of their learning processes. § Encourage students to ask questions – What information is needed? What do I know about this problem? How did I solve this? § Encourage student reflection about the learning process.

Developing Self-Monitoring Students Understanding how we know things matters, not just the things we know. § Help students reflect on the thought process of “knowing, ” not just the content.

From Theory to Practice Potential Pedagogies to Promote Learning § § § § Just-in-Time Teaching (Ji. TT) Problem-based learning Collaborative learning techniques (Co. LTs) Context-rich problems Peer Instruction Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) + others…

Designing Learning Environments Assessment-centered Knowledge-centered § Experts vs. novices § Transfer of knowledge § Formative assessment and feedback § Self-assessment Community-centered Learner-centered § Pre-conceptions § Metacognition § Knowledge is socially constructed § Creating an environment for intentional learning How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School (2000) Bransford, Brown, and Cocking, National Academies Press.