How to Implement Exploratory Learning Exploratory Learning You

How to Implement Exploratory Learning

! Exploratory Learning • You are given a goal • You aren’t told how to reach it. • You can fail • And know that you failed. • And you can try again quickly. • And there are no consequences for failure as long as you keep trying. The hard part: You must believe the student can figure it out on their own. • Students Invest more when they figure it out on their own.

What I Know Traditional Learning Curve The 'Ah-Ha' Moment where suddenly everything clicks into place Attempts

What I Know Learning curve in Exploratory learning Attempts

How can I be so sure?

! Exploratory Learning Enjoyable Video Games • You are given a goal • You aren’t told how to reach it. • You can fail • And know that you failed. • And you can try again quickly. • And there are no consequences for failure as long as you keep trying. The hard part: You must believe the student player can figure it out on their own. • Students Players invest more when they figure it out on their own.

How exploratory learning works: What I Know Try Something What did I Learn? Feedback Goal? Break these cycles down as small as necessary.

. . . and people like learning things! What I Know Try Something What did I Learn? Feedback Goal?

What I know Oh, and constant feedback and progress is fun! Attempts

Important Note: Simpler Scenarios Make it small steps not simpler concepts

Skills learned in Super Mario Bros. Jumping Wall Jumping Finding Mushrooms Collecting coins Finding secrets Massacring Goombas Bonking turtles Using bonked turtles to massacre more goombas • Using fireballs for fun • Falling (carefully) • • • Navigating while tiny • Navigating while big • Navigating stationary platforms • Navigating moving platforms • Breaking bricks with head. • Avoiding very large bullets • Throwing bombs And of course… • Rescuing princesses

Mario as a Teaching Scaffold Rescue Princess Collect Items Navigate Platforms Jump Move Press button Head Butt Blocks

Important Note: Simpler Scenarios Make it small • The goal is not "solve for the slope of the line" • The goal is "Move 'B' to the other side of the equation" • Then "How could you isolate term 'M'? " Y= MX + B

Skills learned in MATH! • Recognizing real numbers • Inquiry • Adding • Subtracting • Dividing • Multiplying • Graphing • Recognizing patterns • Rearranging Equations (moving a term from one side of = to the other) • Solving for terms

General Math Teaching scaffold Solve Equations Multiply Divide Add Fractions Subtract Recognize numbers

Purpose: Always ask “What am I actually teaching? ” No rote learning: “Do X to advance” = rote learning = boring. Exploratory Learning Norms: Part of the experience: Make the experience seem like a natural part of the process or assignment. Simpler scenarios. Fewer parts, fewer potential failures. Not simplifying the concept, just reducing the options to avoid frustration. Gating: Prevent the learner from advancing until they have mastered the basic skill or concept. Look for the smiles: “Is the learner engaged? ”

Exploratory Learning Structure Make a Specific goal Make secondary & tertiary goals for overachievers Give them another set of resources to create more iterations Offer enough time and resources to repeatedly fail until they succeed Gallery walks for idea generation

Practical Exploratory Learning Marshmallow & Toothpick towers

Goal- Make the tallest tower in the room Marshmallow. Toothpick towers Groups may not be larger than 3 You have 10 minutes

How could this activity be re-designed to support exploratory learning? Talk with your groups Be prepared to share one idea to make this activity exploratory learning

Brain dump • Concepts where exploratory learning can be used • Write as many concepts/ ideas/ assignments/ objectives as you can • One concept/ idea/ assignment/ objective per post it note

SILENT Chalk Talk

Can you think of any subjects/ areas in which exploratory learning does not apply?

Why Bother?

Work time Time for you to incorporate exploratory learning ideas/ techniques into your classroom