NESCent Postdoc Professional Development Series on Effective Teaching and Learning

NESCent Postdoc Professional Development Series on Effective Teaching and Learning Session 5 – Student Involvement: Cooperative Learning, Learning Communities andSelf-Directed Learning July 21st, 2006 NESCent - Durham, NC

Overview • Review of Session 4: Active Learning • What is meant by Student Involvement ? • Group Projects (Cooperative Learning) • Learning Communities • Self-Directed/Independent Learning • Concerns? Comments? Questions?

Brief Review: Active Learning • What is Active Learning? • What are some examples (good and bad)? • Why use Active Learning techniques?

Why Use Active Learning? • A “typical” student has an average attention span of 11 minutes during a traditional lecture. • Immediately after a traditional lecture, a student remembers 70% of what was covered in the first 10 minutes; 20% of what was covered in the last 10 minutes. - McKeachie

Brief Review: Active Learning • What is Active Learning? • What are some examples? • Why use Active Learning techniques? • When should you use Active Learning? • Does it only work for certain topics or disciplines?

Student Involvement • Using a variety of techniques or methods to get students more involved or engaged in the learning process. • This occurs both in and out of class. • Data overwhelmingly demonstrate increased comprehension, retention, student and instructor satisfaction.

What are some other ways to get students involved and engaged?

Cooperative Learning (CL) Roger T. Johnson and David W. Johnson – U. Minnesota

Cooperative Learning Is… • Students working in groups on structured learning tasks • Tasks meet five criteria: • Positive Interdependence • Individual Accountability • Face-to-Face Interaction • Emphasis on Interpersonal Skills • Self-Assessment of Group Performance • Johnson, Johnson and Smith (1998)

Cooperative Learning Activities • Team Homework • Team Projects • “Jigsaw” Activities • Pair Composition • Structured/Constructive Controversy • Pair Testing • Felder and Brent – Effective Teaching (2003)

Benefits of Cooperative Learning Improved… • Student-instructor interaction • Student-student interaction • Comprehension, retention, grades • Higher order thinking skills • Communication and interpersonal skills • Self-esteem, self-confidence • Class attendance • Felder and Brent – Effective Teaching (2003)

Why Cooperative Learning Works • Promotes active learning • Groups persist where individuals give up • Students observe, learn alternative problem-solving strategies • Students ask more and better questions; fear of asking questions is diminished • “Cognitive rehearsal” – Learn by teaching • Felder and Brent – Effective Teaching (2003)

Cooperative Learning: Challenges • Student resistance • Group chemistry/dynamics • Individuals not contributing to group • Grading issues • Specialization • Difficulty identifying individuals with problems/challenges • Often requires more effort by instructor

Learning Communities A learning community is “curriculum design which coordinates two or more courses into a single program of instruction.” The strength of learning communities is in the integrated approach to education. Integrated educational experiences more closely parallel the way people learn and are more relevant to real world events. Students have the opportunity to see topics from multiple, sometimes even conflicting, perspectives, allowing for more critical thinking. - Rasmussen and Skinner (1999)

Learning Communities • “A variety of approaches that link or cluster classes, during a given term, often around an interdisciplinary theme, and enroll a common cohort of students.” • “This represents an intentional restructuring of students’ time, credit, and learning experiences to build community and to foster more explicit connections among students and their teachers, and among disciplines.” - Gabelnick, Macgregor, Matthews, Smith

Components of Learning Communities • Student-centered discussions • Student-led seminars • Problem-based learning • Critical thinking approaches • Writing across the curriculum • Collaborative projects and responses • Service and civic learning • Labs and field study

Benefits of Learning Communities • Enhanced academic performance • Increased retention/graduation rates • More student-faculty (and student-student) interaction • Improved overall “satisfaction” with academic experience • Logistical benefits (registration, advising, etc.) • Stronger connections to local community • Cross-disciplinary (i.e., “big picture”) thinking

Limitations of Learning Communities • Requires significant planning, effort, time, resources on part of instructors and institution • Cannot be implemented by single individual • Risk of social aspects overshadowing academic aspects • Backlash associated with “trend” stigma

Self-Directed Learning In self-directed learning (SDL), the individual takes the initiative and the responsibility for what occurs. Individuals select, manage, and assess their own learning activities [typically under supervision], which can be pursued at any time, in any place, through any means, at any age. - Maurice Gibbons

Examples of Self-Directed Learning • Independent study • Individualized instruction • Experiential education, internships, externships • Community education • “Lifelong learning”

Aspects of Self-Directed Learning • Personal, individualized “learning contract” • Self-assessment/evaluation • Self-analysis of learning style • Development of individual study techniques • Personal reflection, journaling • Regular interaction with/assessment by faculty mentor

Limitations of Self-Directed Learning • Labor intensive (for both faculty member and student) • Requires high level of student motivation, self-sufficiency • Not practical for large classes • Evaluation can be problematic

Some Good Resources… • McKeachie - Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research and Theory for College and University Teachers • Davis - Tools for Teaching • Johnson, Johnson and Smith (1998) – Active Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom

NESCent Postdoc Professional Development Series on Effective Teaching and Learning