Learn Helping Students to Achieve Higher Level Learning

Learn: Helping Students to Achieve Higher Level Learning Outcomes Angela Ho, EDC Chan Chi Hung, Learning to Learn Project 1

What Deficiencies in Cognitive Learning do Students Have? What can the interview excerpts tell us? 2

Deficiencies in Cognitive Learning Demonstrated by Many Students n n n Lacking thinking abilities, resulting in Reliance on memorization, frequently without understanding, leading to Giving ‘quantitative answers’ which stuff in as much information as possible, instead of producing ‘quality answers’ which demonstrate understanding 3

Students have expressed the need for “improving our thinking process” n n n n To know the aims of learning To set learning goals Improve our thinking process Skills to answer questions Learn to apply in daily life To know more about real world situations How to learn efficiently & effectively, i. e. less time to learn more, less effort to get more returns Learn the different ways for learning different subjects e. g. ICT, IT (Perceived needs for Learning to Learn, ENGL, 4

For the Success of Your Study Addressing the issues of n n n Deficiency in higher order thinking abilities Reliance on memorization of information Answers which resemble a ‘laundry list’ which shows little 5

What is Learning? What is a Good Answer? 6

Underpinning theories n Conceptions of learning Quantitative conception: increase in knowledge conception Qualitative conception: achieve genuine conception understanding n Approaches to learning Concept: deep approach VS surface approach Instrument: Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) n SOLO taxonomy 7

SOLO Taxonomy (Biggs & Collins, 1982) (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes) n n n Extended abstract Relational Multistructural Unistructural Prestructural 8

Low level answers and High level answers n n n Unrelated Details Reproduce as many points as possible from the notes or the textbook whether with understanding or not. Relational Understanding The answer should be able to give a meaningful explanation of the topic, showing how things are related and applied Extended ideas The answer contains original ideas of the student in addition to showing a deep understanding of the topic. 9

Improving to Higher Level Answers n Unrelated Details n Relational Understanding n Extended Ideas 10

Improving from Unrelated Details to Relational Understanding (p. 5) Unrelated Details Quantity of As much as information possible Relational Understandin g Improving from Unrelated details to Relational Understanding adequate Spend more time on thinking Do NOT simply memorise Relevance Irrelevant info relevant also included of information - coherent Organizati - lack structure - Think about meaning - Clarify relationship - Organise into a meaningful structure 11

Improving from Relational Understanding to Extended Ideas (p. 6) Relational Extended Understandi Ideas ng Improving from Relational Understanding to Extended Ideas Understand the Able to relate - Relate to previous topic to other knowledge ing topics Coverage Structure of the answer Problem - Relate theories to experience What has been Go beyond taught what has been - try to form own taught conceptual framework Similar to what Develop new for Integrating knowledge is taught structure - read widely Able to solve - discuss with others 12

Think in this way ! Relational Understanding n Contrast n Compare n Analyze n Explain n Relate n Apply Extended Ideas n Reflect n Generalize n Recommended n Hypothesize n Theorize 13

To achieve ‘Relational Understanding’ – Think in this way! Thinking task Do this How well Examp am I le on doing? page Compare Show things are alike or not alike 5 4 3 2 1 12 Contrast Show the important difference between 5 4 3 2 things 1 11 Explain Give the meaning of a topic 5 4 3 2 1 14 Analyze Examine in detail the elements of a topic & how they relate to each other 5 4 3 2 1 13 Relate Show the ideas are connected to each other 5 4 3 2 1 15 14

To achieve ‘Extended Ideas’ – Think in this way! Thinking task Theorize Do this Form general principles of an art or science How well Examp am I le on doing? page 5 4 3 2 1 / 5 4 3 2 1 18 Hypothesi Propose an idea which can be used as 5 4 3 2 ze a starting point for further study 1 20 Recomm end Suggest on what is the best thing to do 5 4 3 2 based on critical evaluation of available 1 information 19 Reflect Show new understanding & value of 1715 Generaliz Draw a general conclusion from a e collection of facts 5 4 3 2

-How the Thinking Tasks are done? n Description of the thinking task Recomme Suggest what is appropriate to do nd based on a critical evaluation of (p. 20) available information n The question What students commonly do (characteristics of mediocre / poor answers) An example of good work with annotation 16

What do students say about “For the success of your study”? n n This is the first booklet I’ve come across which is so systematically written to tell me what to do in my learning. In the past, I tried my best to put in everything which I thought the teacher wanted. Now I realise that I need to select and organise. Teachers asked me to elaborate but I didn’t know how to. Now the thinking tasks have inspired me what to do. I started to realise why those classmates who explained their steps in calculation got better results than me. I used to focus on calculating the answer 17

Helping students to achieve higher level learning – Simple higher level learning things teachers can do Three scenarios n n n Briefing students on grading criteria for grading criteria assignments Providing feedback on students’ work feedback Engaging students in self-evaluation of their learning 18

Briefing students on grading criteria for assignments Engage students in discussing 1. What determines the grade of an answer? grade 2. the three levels of learning outcomes 3. Examples of the three levels of answers – Examples given with teacher’s comments 4. Examples of the three levels of answers – Examples given for students discussion and comments 5. Emphasis on thinking – the thinking tasks § § Complete Table 5. 2 Study Examples of Good answers 19

Providing feedback on feedback students’ work 1. Distribute for discussion, good answers with comments highlighting how the answers demonstrate thinking and understanding 2. Build a bank of good examples with comments for comments n n your subject the programme 20

Engaging students in self-evaluation of their learning 1. Completing self-evaluation checklists on the performance of thinking tasks 2. Reflection on development as a learner by comparing pre- and post- tests of n n “Thinking about learning” (p. 1 and p. 9 of handbook) Study Process Questionnaire 21