STEM IN TILE ACTIVE LEARNING WORKSHOP Learning Objectives

STEM IN TILE ACTIVE LEARNING WORKSHOP Learning Objectives: Then and Now Dr. Darren Hoffmann Lecturer, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine

GOALS FOR THIS WORKSHOP Establish a way of defining understanding for ourselves and our students Practice Analyzing and Applying principles of Understanding and Learning Objectives Discuss ways that these tools can be useful/not useful in our courses and overall curriculum

OBJECTIVES FOR TODAY By the end of this session, we should be able to… � Describe the difference between knowledge and understanding � Construct good learning objectives that reflect understanding of a topic � Describe levels of understanding using Bloom’s Taxonomy � Adjust course objectives to reflect different levels of understanding � Apply learning objectives to common curriculum design tasks

1. KNOWLEDGE/SKILL VS. UNDERSTANDING Events in a timeline How events in a timeline lead to one another Ability to type quickly Why arm position affects typing speed Word definitions in a foreign language Having a conversation in a foreign language

STUDENTS AND UNDERSTANDING Students often believe: memorizing = learning It is our job to show them: � WHY Teaching through questions, etc. � HOW it’s important to understand material to understand the material Instructional plan � HOW to prove to us and themselves that they understand the material Objectives, Assessment

ANALYSIS/APPLICATION OF UNDERSTANDING 5 Minute Free Write: Identify some key areas important to understand in your lecture/class session

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES A way to define understanding A statement that shows students what they can DO with their knowledge/skills A statement that guides how students learn and how instructors teach and assess A way to make your life as a teacher MUCH easier

TYPES OF OBJECTIVES General Objectives � This course aims to… � Written from the professor’s point of view Specific Objectives � After this lecture, you will be able to… � Written for the student’s point of view

QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Contain an Action Verb (what can a student DO? ) 2. Relate to an important course concept 3. Demonstrate learning/understanding 4. Be measureable 5. May contain conditions and/or criteria Makes objectives more specific

ANALYSIS OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES An education course: � An anatomy course: � The three branches of U. S. government A laboratory skills course: � Pass the final exam A civics course: � The student will be able to identify 3 common embryologic causes of heart defects A radiology course: � Expand student’s knowledge of teaching techniques Observe an experiment and give suggestions for areas which could be improved to result in a better outcome An immunology course: � Surface markers in B-cell development

APPLICATION OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES 10 Minute First Draft: Write learning objectives for topics in your class session and peer review

3. LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING Several language systems for clear objectives have been established through educational science � Allows us to measure the level of understanding we are asking of students � Allows students to express their understanding in many ways 6 Facets of Understanding (1990 s) Bloom’s Taxonomy (1950 s)

6 FACETS OF UNDERSTANDING MODEL 1. Explanation 2. Interpretation 3. Application 4. Perspective 5. Empathy 6. Self-knowledge

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY MODEL 3 Domains of Learning � Cognitive Remember Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create � Affective: Awareness, appreciation, perspective, empathy � Psychomotor: Skills requiring motor control http: //www. res. rcs. k 12. tn. us/teachers/leonardl/blooms_pyramid. html

ANALYSIS OF LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING 1. An Education Course � 2. An Anatomy Course � The student will be able to name three branches of the U. S. Government and their primary roles. 5. A Laboratory Skills Course � The student will be able to find a 5 cm pancreatic tumor mass on a CT scan. 4. A Civics Course � The student will be able to diagram the flow of blood through the heart, noting relevant structures (valves, vessels, etc. ). 3. A Radiology Course � The student will be able to identify 4 different Closed Assessment Tasks. The student will be able to observe an experiment and give suggestions for areas which could be improved to increase the overall yield. 6. An Immunology Course � The student will be able to understand the different surface markers in B-cell development.

APPLICATION OF LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING 10 Minute Revision Apply the domains/Bloom’s Taxonomy to your class session’s objectives Challenge yourself to incorporate the affective domain/Facets 5 and 6 if possible

4. PUTTING LEARNING OBJECTIVES INTO PRACTICE…

HOW/WHEN TO WRITE LEARNING OBJECTIVES? For me, it’s easier to write the objectives after organizing content/putting lecture together For others, it’s easier to write the lecture after writing clear objectives Pros/Cons?

HOW/WHEN TO RELEASE OBJECTIVES TO STUDENTS 3 options � 1. At the beginning of the course – one big list � 2. In each lecture handout � 3. At the conclusion of a unit (used as study guide) � Pros/Cons?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU START USING GOOD LEARNING OBJECTIVES? Students stop/decrease asking “will this be on the test? ” Students start asking for objectives from lecturers who don’t provide them You can write test questions faster Students never complain that questions were unfair/unexpected You can precisely identify a student’s misunderstanding You can communicate your course’s goals more clearly with your colleagues

5. USING LO’S IN YOURCURRICULUM DESIGN WORK Sequencing Classroom Resources Assessment Instructional planning Course evaluations

CURRICULUM APPLICATIONS: ASSESSMENT Your objectives are the test. You’ve already written it. Bravo. The level of objective should be reflected in the level of the tasks in the assessment.

CURRICULUM APPLICATIONS: INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN Instructional activities should be geared toward your student goals Kern et al 2009 handout � Knowledge vs. Problem-solving � Low vs. High levels of understanding Provide opportunities for: � Elaboration (connecting new information to existing knowledge) � Transfer (applying a concept/skill to a new context) � Difficulty

ENGAGEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM: WHERE TO START? Least Engaging Start by just doing example problems in class � Option 1: Talk through the problem yourself � Option 2: Give them a problem to work on and vote with a clicker � Option Most Engaging � Option 3: Think-Pair-Share approach 4: Random Volunteer/Instructor Selected Respondent

EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING MORE INVOLVED… Objectives: � Describe the anatomical regions of the Infratemporal Fossa and Pterygopalatine Fossa noting bony limits of each region � Predict the effects of compression of the Maxillary artery at any given location � Understand the nerves that are affected by a mandibular nerve block and determine which areas will be anaesthetized as a result. � Draw the branching pattern of the maxillary artery in the infratemporal fossa. Combine this with your previous knowledge of the branching of the external carotid leading to the maxillary artery. In-class Activity: � Labeling contest

9 6 1 10 12 13 3 5 4 7 11 8 Labeling C

THANK YOU! Darren Hoffmann (darren-hoffmann@uiowa. edu) Understanding By Design, Wiggins and Mc. Tighe (1995) (6 Facets Model) � Available Libraries for free electronically through University

CURRICULUM APPLICATIONS: SEQUENCING Do some objectives fit within others? Are some objectives heavier than others? Do the real objectives of your course reveal hidden possibilities of sequencing?

CURRICULUM APPLICATIONS: CLASSROOM RESOURCES What level are most of your objectives? The level of objective can guide your choice of learning materials.

CURRICULUM APPLICATIONS: COURSE EVALUATIONS Easy: Did my students demonstrate the ability to perform the objectives that I set out for them? � If assessments were designed according to objectives, this is relatively easy to assess Hard: Making quality judgments based on your own reflections and student evaluations � Both are useful, but also influenced by non-educational outcomes