Learning strategies in PBL team project and professional communication

1. Learning strategies in PBLteam project and professional communication Xiangyun Du Sep26th, 2008

2. Agenda • Learning strategies in PBL • Learning styles • Learning in a team project • Professional communication – oral presentation skills

3. How much are you aware of your learning? • Preferred method • Strength • Weaknesses How much are you aware of the changing process of your learning?

4. Exercise 1The learning styles test (1) • Circle "a" or "b" for every one of the 44 questions.

5. The learning styles test (2) • Fill out the scoring sheet with a ’1’ for each of your answers. • Add ’1’s in column ’a’ and column ’b’ in each of the 4 fields. • Calculate the numerical difference between a-score and b-score and add an ’a’ or a ’b’ depending upon which is the larger sum.

7. The learning styles test (3) • Transfer your 4 preferences to the preference sheet which you keep yourself. • Each group member transfers her/his 4 preferences to the group preference sheet, as well as to the group acetate. • The scoring sheet is handed in to the lecturer. Remember to write name, sex and nationality. The group acetate is also handed in to the lecturer.

8. The learning styles test (3)

9. Learning styles Individuals’ different ways of taking in and processing information - Richard Felder

13. How do you do reading? Some people…sometimes…

14. Factors Influencing Learning Styles Before entering the University • Native ability (IQ) • Background (past experiences) At the University • Learning environment e.g. match between learning style and teaching style

15. Purpose of Testing Learning Style • To know about yourself - ‘in which way a student is smart’ rather than ‘whether this student is smart or not’ • To help learners to develop learning strategies and improve their learning by balancing it. • To work with our teaching style to match and maximize student learning But not to • Divide people into a set category as blood types – instead, it is just measuring height or weight along some point in life

16. Different learning styles 1 Active Learners • Retain and understand information best by doing something active • Like discussion or applying it or explaining it to others • ‘let’s try it out and see how it works’ • Like group work Reflective Learners • Think about it quietly before talk • Let’s think it through first • Prefer working alone quietly It is hard for both learning types sitting through lectures without getting to do anything physical but taking notes, particularly hard for active learners. Everybody is sometimes active and sometimes reflective. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

17. Different learning styles 2 Sensing Learners • Tend to like facts • Like solving problems by well-established methods and dislike complications and surprises • Be patient with details and good at memorizing facts and doing hands-on work • More practical and careful • don’t like courses that have no apparent connection to the real world Intuitive Learners • Prefer discovering possibilities and relationships • Like innovation and dislike repetition • Be better at grasping new concepts and more comfortable with abstractions and mathematical formulations • Work faster and more imaginative • Don’t like courses that involve a lot of memorization and routine calculation Everybody is sometimes sensing and sometimes intuitive. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

18. Different learning styles 3 Visual Learners Remember best what they see - ‘Show me’ • Pictures • Diagrams • Sketches • schematics • Flow charts • plots Verbal learners Getting more out of words - ‘Explain it to me’ • Spoken words • Written words Everybody is both visual and verbal. Preferring one does not mean that you don’t learn in the other way. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

19. Different learning styles 4 Sequential Learners • Gain understanding in linear steps • Follow logical stepwise paths in finding solutions • Feel comfortable explaining things Global Learners • Learning in large jumps, absorbing materials almost randomly without seeing connections, and suddenly ‘get it’. Need big picture to function • Solve complex problems quickly or put things together in novel ways once they have grasped the big picture • Feel difficult to explain Which is your preference? Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

20. The learning styles of the 493 students divided into strong, moderate and mild preferences, AAU, 2003 (Kolmos & Holgaard 2008)

21. Learning style preferences related to disciplines at Aalborg University (Kolmos & Holgaard 2008)

22. Summary • All types of learners are needed in every profession • All learning styles are needed to addressed and satisfied in teaching

23. www.comestic.com Please discuss with your group members:How can you make best of and learn from each other based on your individual strengths and weakness?

24. Managing Team Project What is a team project? • A unique task • Have a lot of complex activities • Needs several people with different skills • Have a shared goal/objectives • Limited resources (time, money, people) • Have to deliver a result at a given time: • As a minimum a written report

25. Learning goals in project work

26. Good teams are collections of differences and companies would like to get cross-functional teams How can a team benefit a project? How can a team damage a project? Complementary skills Taking one’s own purpose Challenges Team project Using too much time A forum for discussion and reflection Domination by an individual Wider perspectives Slipping into conformity and groupthink Motivation and supports Learning opportunities

27. How clear, relevant and realistic is your goal?

28. Have you done team building excise?

29. How do you conductmeetings?

30. The team performance curve Do more At the best level Interact with each other Share informaiton, experiences Help each other Do not share a common goal High performing team Complementary skills Committed to common goals and working approaches Good social environment Real team Working group Try to set up clear goals Try to collaborate Try to share work But a long way to go… Potential team No shared goal Do not know how to collaborate Personal conflict No interest in joining forces Weak group Pseudo team

31. The Group Process • Maturity • Clear goals and role • Mutual respect • Clear communication • of facts and feelings • Constructive criticism • Consensus • The initial phase • Uncertainty • Vague norms and roles • Power struggles • Honeymoon • “Nice” communication • Unity and generosity • Idealization • Conflicts • Divide /rule • Alliances • Management • Integration • Crystallization of roles • Sub-groups • Deeper communication • We - feeling (Lenneer-Axelson and Thylefors 1993)

33. Diversity of group situation

34. Diversity of group situation

35. Professional communication (oral presentation) Group work • To make a ‘do’ list for making oral presentation • To make a ‘donot’ list for making oral presentation

36. The short presentation plan • Tell them what you are going to tell them! • Tell them! • Tell them what you have told them!

37. The longer presentation plan Questions to ask: • Who is to know? Receiver, code, power • What is my point? Message • Why do I want to tell? Motivation • How much do I know? Competence • How should I tell it? Focus, media • Where/when to tell? Situation • How do I behave? Attitude

38. The longer presentation plan • Things to think about: • Content - message, structure • Appearance - confident, open, lively (eye-contact, hands) • Articulation - clear, fluent, correct terminology (write) • AV-aids - blackboard, OHP, PowerPoint, posters, film • Time-management - organise, message • Group collaboration - organise, message • Plan - rehearse - evaluate – review – rehearse etc.

39. Oral presentations - body language • Elements in body language • eyes • facial mimic • gesture • posture • position • dressing

40. Oral presentations - body language • Be aware of your body language – often there is a contradiction between what you say and what your body tells • Some examples which may well be culturally biased??

41. How do you think of these?

42. How do you think of these?

43. How do you think of these?

44. Nervousness . . . . . . . • Everyone is nervous, insecure and/or exited - the only thing that helps is practice. • Prepare • Rehearse • in front of friends • in front of mirror • Write introduction + conclusion

45. Strategies • Using manuscript • Using clue card with keywords • Design of slides (put more words) • Choosing certain audience to have eye contact • Remember: You are the one knowing the subject in most details, often much better than censor and lecturer.

46. Asignment 1 • Please prepare for a powerpoint presentation which cover: • A brief introduction to your P0 project • Project management (goal, time plan, resources, methods, expectation, etc) • Team management (how you work together, e.g. Code of conduct, collaboration agreement, etc) • Make a team based, max 8 minutes long presention next time (Oct 3rd)

47. Asignment 2 Please look through a 7th semester project report and discuss in your group: • Please list 3 good points (what you can learn from it) • Please critize constructively on 3 points (what could be done to make it better)