The Chronicle of Higher Education online had an interesting post on an article published in Psychological Science in the
Public Interest(PSPI) Volume 9, Number 3, titled “Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence” by Harold Pashler, Mark McDaniel, Doug Rohrer, and Robert Bjork. The Chronicle article is found at http://chronicle.com/article/Matching-Teaching-Style-to/49497/
As you read the Chronicle article and the article itself you note that the authors are not saying that different ways of presenting material are not important. What I think they are saying is that the subject matter, not the student, should determine method used. Their argument is, according to the Chronicle article, “… teachers should worry about matching their instruction to the content they are teaching. Some concepts are best taught through hands-on work, some are best taught through lectures, and some are best taught through group discussions.”
The responses to the article are interesting reading.
In the Multimedia class that I teach the text I selected is “Empowering Online Learning: 100+ Activities for Reading, Reflecting, Displaying and Doing” by Curtis J. Bonk and Ke Zhang.( 2008), San Francisco, Jossey-Bass. The authors detail activities that they claim “address different learning styles and various generations of types of learners in an online environment. “ (p.x). Students in the class, who are already educators training to be online instructors, find the book useful.
Which is correct? Should we match the learning style to the content or to the student? My thought is that, as teachers, we should be aware of the different ways we can approach content. When I have students learning a new procedure I give them three options:
1. Read the manual and figure it out yourself. Some students like to do this.
2. Watch an online video.
3. Read step by step directions
Most students use a combination of two and three. They watch the video while looking at the written instructions.
Maybe students can figure out how they can best learn if options are available to them.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
How the Brain Works
As college faculty we are immersed in our discipline. Many of us have not taken courses in the educational theory, and fewer still have kept up with the research and thinking of neuroscience, how the brain works. Exciting work is being done in this area.“How the Brain Works” by Steven Pinker (1997) New York, W.W. Norton & Company,
Although it was published more than ten years ago it is a good introduction to the subject. Pinker believes that “the mind is a system of organs of computation, designed by natural selection to solve the kinds of problems our ancestors faced in their foraging way of life…” The chapters include Pinker’s thoughts on sight, family, music, and passion.
Not everybody agrees with Pinker but he does challenge us to think about what is happening in the brains of our students.
For me, one observation he makes about math and young children was interesting. “Constructivism has merit when it comes to the intuitions of small numbers and simple arithmetic that arise naturally in all children. But it ignores the differences between our factory-installed equipment and the accessories that civilization bolts on afterwards.” (p.324). I was interested in this statement because much of the theory of online learning is that learning is active and students must construct their knowledge. Of course, Pinker is discussing young children. However, what I thought was enlightening was his statement that good educational practices point out the connections across “ways of knowing.” We, as online teachers, assume that students can make the connections but often we need to encourage this. I like CATs that require students to link what they are learning to previous knowledge. In many online Course Management Systems students are able to write in journals that only the faculty can read. Teachers can require these journals, where students must do their own thinking and make their own connections.
Although it was published more than ten years ago it is a good introduction to the subject. Pinker believes that “the mind is a system of organs of computation, designed by natural selection to solve the kinds of problems our ancestors faced in their foraging way of life…” The chapters include Pinker’s thoughts on sight, family, music, and passion.
Not everybody agrees with Pinker but he does challenge us to think about what is happening in the brains of our students.
For me, one observation he makes about math and young children was interesting. “Constructivism has merit when it comes to the intuitions of small numbers and simple arithmetic that arise naturally in all children. But it ignores the differences between our factory-installed equipment and the accessories that civilization bolts on afterwards.” (p.324). I was interested in this statement because much of the theory of online learning is that learning is active and students must construct their knowledge. Of course, Pinker is discussing young children. However, what I thought was enlightening was his statement that good educational practices point out the connections across “ways of knowing.” We, as online teachers, assume that students can make the connections but often we need to encourage this. I like CATs that require students to link what they are learning to previous knowledge. In many online Course Management Systems students are able to write in journals that only the faculty can read. Teachers can require these journals, where students must do their own thinking and make their own connections.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Seven Principles of Teaching
An interesting new book on learning whose principles can be applied to online teaching of college level classes is:
Making Learning Whole: The Seven Principles of Teaching Can Transform Education By David N. Perkins Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA 2009. http://leading-learning.blogspot.com/2009/01/advice-from-david-perkins-to-make.html Perkins has seven principles:
Some of my notes:
Play the whole game, not fragmented bits. Online application: We have to guard against fragmentation in online learning. Perkins suggests inquiry learning. Classes that consist of PowerPoint lectures and tests are the biggest offenders. Teachers need to push students to form a learning community that will provide “camaraderie and creativity.”
Make the game worth playing: (p.53) What is the one thing you understand really well? How did you come to understand it? How do you know you understand it? Online application: We do need to get online students to reflect on what they have learned. It is actually easier to do this online because it does not take class time and many online course management systems have the facility for journals.
Play out of town: Perkins’ example is a physics teacher works problems with students illustrating how objects falling from a tower behave, but then students cannot answer a question about how long it takes an object to fall into a pit.(p.109) Online application: Good design in online courses encourages students to work problems to increase their understanding. There is no need to wait for the slowest student in the class and those of above average ability can be challenged. At the same time all students need to be engaged in discussions of the subject and learn from each other.
Uncover the hidden game: Almost anything people learn in school and out of school has its hidden aspects (p.134,) For example, in baseball runs created is a better measure of a players worth to a team than batting average. Online application: Group work, if structured correctly, can encourage students to explore more than the simple text. A “jigsaw” exercise can have separate groups explore issues and then report back to the main group to put the complete puzzle together.
Work on the hard bits: Vygotsky’s work on the “zone of proximal development” showed that learners can be lead, by social support, to do what they would not do spontaneously. (p.165). His theory is still valid, despite the fact that Vygotsky worked from 1896-1934. Online application: Teachers need to show presence in the online class and make the students realize that they can explore the subject with support.
Learn the Game of Learning: Expert tutors – but not those with less finesse – keep instruction centered on questions and hints rather commands to encourage tutees to of themselves as in control and responsible for their success. Online application: The teacher needs to guide students in discussions to work together to generate answers.
Making Learning Whole: The Seven Principles of Teaching Can Transform Education By David N. Perkins Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA 2009. http://leading-learning.blogspot.com/2009/01/advice-from-david-perkins-to-make.html Perkins has seven principles:
Some of my notes:
Play the whole game, not fragmented bits. Online application: We have to guard against fragmentation in online learning. Perkins suggests inquiry learning. Classes that consist of PowerPoint lectures and tests are the biggest offenders. Teachers need to push students to form a learning community that will provide “camaraderie and creativity.”
Make the game worth playing: (p.53) What is the one thing you understand really well? How did you come to understand it? How do you know you understand it? Online application: We do need to get online students to reflect on what they have learned. It is actually easier to do this online because it does not take class time and many online course management systems have the facility for journals.
Play out of town: Perkins’ example is a physics teacher works problems with students illustrating how objects falling from a tower behave, but then students cannot answer a question about how long it takes an object to fall into a pit.(p.109) Online application: Good design in online courses encourages students to work problems to increase their understanding. There is no need to wait for the slowest student in the class and those of above average ability can be challenged. At the same time all students need to be engaged in discussions of the subject and learn from each other.
Uncover the hidden game: Almost anything people learn in school and out of school has its hidden aspects (p.134,) For example, in baseball runs created is a better measure of a players worth to a team than batting average. Online application: Group work, if structured correctly, can encourage students to explore more than the simple text. A “jigsaw” exercise can have separate groups explore issues and then report back to the main group to put the complete puzzle together.
Work on the hard bits: Vygotsky’s work on the “zone of proximal development” showed that learners can be lead, by social support, to do what they would not do spontaneously. (p.165). His theory is still valid, despite the fact that Vygotsky worked from 1896-1934. Online application: Teachers need to show presence in the online class and make the students realize that they can explore the subject with support.
Learn the Game of Learning: Expert tutors – but not those with less finesse – keep instruction centered on questions and hints rather commands to encourage tutees to of themselves as in control and responsible for their success. Online application: The teacher needs to guide students in discussions to work together to generate answers.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Surveys in the Online Classroom.
Many Course Management Systems allow teachers to put Surveys in the class. These tools let teachers ask students for anonymous feedback but also allow provide teachers with the names of students who participated. The survey can then be given “extra credit” or points for participation but students know their identity is protected. In contrast to the face-to-face class online surveys do not take up class time.
Surveys can be used throughout the course to get information on where students have problems. In a face-to-face class teachers often use CATs http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/assess.htm. However, these techniques, like the one-minute-paper, need to be adapted for online. Some teachers require weekly surveys but if overdone students will not take them seriously. These surveys may be most effective in the beginning and middle of the class.
A different use for the survey tool is to help faculty make changes in their courses. While many institutions require end of course surveys, the return rate is often low, often around 30%. http://jolt.merlot.org/Vol2_No2_Laubsch.htm Often the questions asked are standard for the institution and do not give faculty the information needed to enhance the course. In this case the survey can be a useful tool.
I prefer open ended question to True/False or Multiple choice for the end of course survey. My theory is if you ask a question that is T/F or MC and you get an answer then what do you do with that? The students may give a low rating to one of the questions but then unless you ask them to justify their ratings you have no clue why they did. If you need documentation for retention or promotion then having the numbers may be required.
Students do NOT like long surveys. In fact, many prefer NOT to fill out surveys at all. That is why the option to see who did the survey is helpful. I set up a column in the grade book so that I can give students a grade for doing it, which is a motivator. I also make sure to tell the students that I WILL use their responses, and even tell them how their class was changed because of past students’ input.
There are surveys whose validity has been verified:
• COLLES http://surveylearning.moodle.com/colles/
• ATTLS http://http://thejournal.com/Articles/2008/03/24/Creating-a-Collaborative-Syllabus-Using-Moodle.aspx?Page=2/
These are not a help to you if you want particular information on YOUR course structure but the questions are interesting to look at.
Surveys can be used throughout the course to get information on where students have problems. In a face-to-face class teachers often use CATs http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/assess.htm. However, these techniques, like the one-minute-paper, need to be adapted for online. Some teachers require weekly surveys but if overdone students will not take them seriously. These surveys may be most effective in the beginning and middle of the class.
A different use for the survey tool is to help faculty make changes in their courses. While many institutions require end of course surveys, the return rate is often low, often around 30%. http://jolt.merlot.org/Vol2_No2_Laubsch.htm Often the questions asked are standard for the institution and do not give faculty the information needed to enhance the course. In this case the survey can be a useful tool.
I prefer open ended question to True/False or Multiple choice for the end of course survey. My theory is if you ask a question that is T/F or MC and you get an answer then what do you do with that? The students may give a low rating to one of the questions but then unless you ask them to justify their ratings you have no clue why they did. If you need documentation for retention or promotion then having the numbers may be required.
Students do NOT like long surveys. In fact, many prefer NOT to fill out surveys at all. That is why the option to see who did the survey is helpful. I set up a column in the grade book so that I can give students a grade for doing it, which is a motivator. I also make sure to tell the students that I WILL use their responses, and even tell them how their class was changed because of past students’ input.
There are surveys whose validity has been verified:
• COLLES http://surveylearning.moodle.com/colles/
• ATTLS http://http://thejournal.com/Articles/2008/03/24/Creating-a-Collaborative-Syllabus-Using-Moodle.aspx?Page=2/
These are not a help to you if you want particular information on YOUR course structure but the questions are interesting to look at.
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