Helping Our Learners Become Self-Directed

1. Helping Our Learners Become Self-Directed Angel Clark Burba, MS, NRP, NCEE Chair HCC EMS Program

2. Workshop purpose and Objectives • Explore self-directed learning and share ideas of how to help students become more self-directed • Examine research and best practices • Challenge assumptions, apply concepts, create ideas to try in the classroom

3. A Little About Me • Academic focus • Methodology (techniques & learning processes) • Instructional design and development • Evaluation: course, program, test item development • Distance education • Simulation • Education administration and leadership • Academic credentials • BS in Paramedic and EMS Management (UMBC ‘90) • MS in EMS Education (UMBC ‘98) • Working on PhD in Education Leadership (GCU)

5. Please Don’t Be “That Guy” • You know who he/she is… • “This will never work in MY…” (jurisdiction, classroom, situation) • “I tried that one time and it did not work”… • “My boss will never support this”… • Etc.

6. Activity: Let’s Begin With a Test! Turn to page 3 in the handout. You have 5 minutes to complete these 10 questions. The role of testing will be discussed later

7. What Does The Research Say? • The research suggests there are four strategies which are vitally important in the learning process and as students are able to master these they move towards “self-direction” in their learning process: • Reading • Note taking • Reviewing • Testing • We will explore this evidence and also discuss strategies to provide the optimal chances for success

8. Classic Learning Theories • Behavioralism • Focus is on student behaviors • Learning results with observable changes in behavior • Cognitive • Focus on thought processes used in learning • How: receive, process, store, manage, retrieve, etc. • Constructivist • Adults constructing (building) from prior learning Rogers et al 2013

9. Behaviorist Learning Theory • Key terms • Classical conditioning • Operant conditioning • Stimulus-response • Researchers • John Watson • Ivan Pavlov • B F Skinner • E L Thorndike • Bandura • Tolman

10. Cognitive Learning Theory • Key terms • Schema • Schemata • Information processing • Symbol manipulation • Information mapping • Mental models • Researchers • Merrill • Reigeluth • Gagne • Briggs • Wagner • Bruner • Schank • Scandura

11. Constructivist Learning Theory • Key terms • Learning as experience • Activity and dialogical process • Problem based learning • Anchored instruction • Zone of Proximal Development • Scaffolding & apprenticeship • Inquiry and discovery learning • Researchers • Vgotsky • Piaget • Dewey • Vico • Rorty • Bruner

12. The Last Few Decades • Late 70-80s developmental and cognitive psychologists drove research • 80-90s focused on memory types, cognitive strategies, controlling and regulation • Motivation, volition, effort, self-systems • Garung & McCann 2011 • Currently: learning theorists focused on metacognition (thinking about thinking) versus self-regulation of self-directed learning • Carey 2014

13. Androgogy & Pedigogy • Pedigogy • Root: Greek “to lead the child” • Teacher centered curricular choices • Passive learners • Primarily externally motivated • Earning good grades to please others or obtain praise • Androgogy • Malcolm Knowles (1950s) • “The Art and Science of Helping Adults Learn” Rogers et al 2013

14. Androgogy Assumptions • Self-directed and autonomous (but are they?) • Possessing life experiences • Interested in realistic tasks • Focus on solving real-world problems • Internally motivated • ….Resistant to change…

15. Activity: Group Discussion Androgogy & Pedigogy Page 8

16. Self-Directed Learners • Study of behaviors which result in acquiring, organizing, synthesizing, evaluating, remembering and using information • Includes time management, goal setting, selecting what, how and where to study, taking good notes, reading and self testing (Gurung & McCann 2011) • No agreed upon definition (see page 9) • Focusing on the higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy of the Domains of Learning

17. Self-Directed Learners • Research is focused on 4 main categories: • Repetition-based activities • Cognitive-based processes • Procedural processes (time management for example) • Metacognitive processes • Gurung & McCann, 2011

18. Foundations for Self-Directed Model • Staged Self-Directed Learning Model • Gerald O. Grow (1991/1996) • Rooted in the Situational Leadership Model from Hersey and Blanchard (1990s)

19. 4 Student States and 4 Teacher Roles • Refer to pages 11-13 • Activity instructions are on page 14 • Student states • S1 Dependant • S2 Interested • S3 Involved • S4 Self-directed • Teacher roles • T1 Authority coach • T2 Motivator and guide • T3 Facilitator • T4 Consultant and delegator

20. Activity: Learner and Teacher Mismatch

21. Competency Model • Four stages of Learning • Unconscious incompetence • Conscious incompetence • Conscious competence • Unconscious competence • They don’t know what they don’t know • Inability to tolerate ambiguity in early stages • Aligns with Blooms Taxonomy No clear citation but generally accepted as realistic

22. So now what? • We have laid the foundation now let’s discuss strategies for helping students become self-directed

23. Important Consideration! • Do not allow students to remain dependant • Arum & Roska 2011 • Cox 2009 • Dillon 1988 • Grow 1991/1996 • Kohu 2013 • Tanner 2013

24. Activity: Educator/Instructor Characteristics

25. Classroom Management Strategies • Setting the tone • Orientation process • Create the mindset for self-directed learning • Explore activities to develop the skill with the students • Self-directed learning instrument (page 15) • Provide students feedback on their individual progress

26. Climate Creation • 2 environments for learning (Rogers 2013) • Physical • Interpersonal • Rogers list of educator characteristics • Enthusiastic • Psychosocial focus • Identifies him/herself as a teacher • Role models expected actions (good clinician) • Encourages education • Encourages students to move towards self-direction

27. The Importance of Orientation • Teacher as host (Bain 2004; Schiewer2013; McCann 2011) • Discuss expectations • Compare yours and theirs • Review essential functions of the job • Workshop on study skills • There is no “golden bullet” (Gurund & McCann 2011) • Strategies, techniques • Dr. Chew videos and activity • Time management exercise (Carey 2014) • Procrastination (Carey 2014; Patrzek et al 2016; Willingham 2009) • Goal setting

28. https://youtu.be/htv6eap1-_M?list=PL85708E6EA236E3DB

29. Assess Student Baseline • Evaluate how they study • Check attendance • Check notes • Suggest tutoring • Suggest healthy wellness behaviors • Sleep, exercise, nutrition and stress management • Help students learn how to set goals • SIMPLE & SMART goals

30. Activity: Retention of Learning

31. Hattie’s 800 Meta-analysis Findings (2009) • Schedule daily study and homework time • Make lists of things to accomplish during study time • Reward yourself for getting things done • Read the book • Review the class assignments and readings prior to class • Create mnemonics and vivid mental pictures to aid learning • Memorize material through repetition and drilling • Use this to build upon

32. Hattiie’s Findings Continued • Generate examples to apply the material • Record study sessions in a log • Self-verbalize steps to complete a task (no skills sheets) • Use a study partner • Review missed test items- including guessed ones • Make an outline when writing • Check your work before turning it in

33. Explain What Not To Do (Hattie 2009) • Spending too much time on key terms or summaries • Highlighting text • Using chapter review questions and their answers (take the tests without peeking) • Test yourself while studying with a friend • Create examples, review questions, review notes • Minimize distractions in the background • None of these strategies result in deep learning • Many of them lead to false belief in competence

34. Highest Scores Correlate With the Following Activities- Hattie 2009 • Attending class • Answering all study guide questions • Rehearsing until you can explain concepts utilizing the material

35. Technology Use In The Classroom • Distractions versus learning tools • Official policies • Parking lot for technology

36. Technology Use In The Classroom • Texting (Kuznemoff & Titsworth 2013) • Students watched 12 minute video, took notes, 5 minutes to review notes (outline with missing information) and then took a 16 question MC test • 3 groups • Control- no interruptions • Incoming text every 30 seconds students had to read and answer • Incoming text every 60 seconds students had to read and answer

37. Texting Study Results • Multiple choice test • Control group scored 66% on average • High distraction group scored 52% on average • 30 second interruptions scored 51% lower than control group • 60 second interruptions scored 36% lower than control group • Notes were graded • Recall of 40% of lecture details for an average grade of 80% • Control 33% scored in the 80s, 27% of 60 second interruptions scored in the 80s and 20% of the 30 second interruptions scored in the 80s

38. Activity: Generational & Cultural Differences Page 21

39. What Does The Research Say? • The research suggests there are four strategies which are vitally important in the learning process and as students are able to master these they move towards “self-direction” in their learning process: • Reading • Note taking • Reviewing • Testing

40. Strategies For Success: Reading • Reading- low yield activity but necessary and foundational • Willingham 2009, Hattenberg & Steffy 2013 • 20-30% arrive to class having not pre-read • Hattenberg & Steffy 2013 study

41. Strategies For Success: Note Taking • To share or not to share? • Cohen, Kim & Tan- DO NOT GIVE THEM OUT • It does not improve performance on exams • It forces students to remain dependant • Carey 2014- VERBATUM COPYING IS NOT HELPFUL • Creates fluency illusion • Alternatives: • Create concept maps • Note restructuring exercises (graded) • Reflection time at end of instruction (logs, turn-in,)

42. Strategies For Success: Reviewing • Chew suggests this is the single most important strategy- what are they thinking about as they review and study? • Think-pair-share • Reflection time • The muddiest point • Create questions for exam

43. Strategies For Success: Testing • Testing- #1 tool for driving the learning process per the research • Brame & Biel 2015; Burrough 2015 • Pretesting primes students for learning • Brame & Biel 2015 • Collaborative testing • Guilodori et al 2009 • CART process (Continuous and Rapid Testing) • Dam, & Bandyopadhyay 2015 • Mazure Peer Instruction • Dancy et al 2016

44. Final Activity • Self-Assessment of Equitable Teaching Strategies page 22

45. Thank You! • If you would like to receive a handout of this presentation with the additional materials please email me: • aburba@msn.com