Developing Interactive Lectures

1. Developing Interactive Lectures David Steer Department of Geology & Environmental Sciences University of Akron August 2007

2. A Story of Change • Three questions • How much learning occurs during a typical general education course? • What activities can instructors use to assess ongoing student learning? • Can we best promote student learning in the geosciences?

3. The Tourist: Teaching as Telling • Teaching has traditionally focused on the delivery of information • Little instructor- student communication • Student not engaged in the learning process • Instructor attributes problems to unchangeable student- or class-related factors If they don’t understand, say it again . . . only louder.

4. Teaching Behaviors and Learning Three instructors taught a ASU Physics course during the same semester. Prof A emphasized concepts, careful, logical; Prof B used demonstrations and took extra preparation time; Prof C had a problem solving emphasis. All used the same textbook and covered the same chapters. All professors received similar evaluations. Pre-test scores for each class were almost identical. Predict which professor’s class showed the greatest gain in post-test score. A. B. C.D.No difference Halloun, I.H. and D. Hestenes, American Journal of Physics, 1985. 53(11): p. 1043-1055.

5. Does More Material = More Learning? • Pre- and post-tests of student comprehension were compared for large introductory biology courses for non-majors and majors with comparable class sizes. The majors course presented more content. Mean pre-test score for the non-majors was 29% and the for the majors was 35%. • Predict the post-test score in the non-majors and majors courses. • 35/41% c. 56/48% • b. 40/41% d. 48/56% Sundberg, M.D., M.L. Dini, and E. Li, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1994. 31(6): p. 679-693.

6. What about the Geosciences? Pre- and post-test results of 30-question Geoscience Concept Inventory applied to introductory geology courses at 30 institutions. • Paired pre/post results matched for 930 students • Pre-test mean = 43%+/-11% • Post-test mean = 47%+/-12% • Improvements occurred almost exclusively for students with the lowest pre-test scores (<40%) Geoscience Concept Inventory:http://newton.bhsu.edu/eps/gci.html Libarkin, J.C., & Anderson, S.W., 2005, Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 53, p. 394-401

7. A Semester of (Little) Learning Students in only 8 of 30 courses analyzed using the Geoscience Concept Inventoryshowed a statistically significant improvement in pre/post-test scores after a semester of instruction. Libarkin, J.C., & Anderson, S.W., 2005, Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 53, p. 394-401

8. Understanding Student Learning More instructor understanding of learning • On-going assessment through student dialog in small classes Learning assessment systems • Instructor grading of short answer and essay questions • Computer grading of multiple choice questions using bubble-sheets Less instructor understanding of learning

9. The Gardener: Teaching as Doing An effective teacher will: • Know the characteristics and needs of their students • Place students in an appropriate learning environment • Monitor student learning regularly and make necessary adjustments • Provide students with sufficient conditions for intellectual growth

10. Appropriate Learning Environment An Active Learning Class • Pre-class preparation as homework or for reading quizzes • Lecture broken into short segments, separated by assessments (called Interactive Lectures) • Students work together in groups • Formative exercises during class used to assess student understanding and progress http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/whatis.html McConnell, D.A., Steer, D.N., & Owens, K., 2003, Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 51, #2, p. 174-183.

11. Active Learning Class Setting • Traditional Class • Passive students • Quiet • Instructor-focused • Information from instructor-to-student • Students work as individuals • Competitive learning environment • Limited assessment opportunities • Active Learning Class • Active students • Noisy • Student-focused • Information from instructor-to-student, student-to-student, student-to-instructor • Student collaboration • Supportive learning environment • Multiple assessment opportunities http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/howto.html

12. Conditions for Intellectual Growth Teaching and learning goals can be ordered using Bloom’s Taxonomy memorization and recall understanding using knowledge taking apart information reorganizing information making judgements Text Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Conceptests Muddiest Point Venn Diagrams Concept Maps Evaluation Rubrics Open-ended questions can be used for all categories.

13. Comprehension Surveys Teaching and learning goals can be ordered using a Comprehension Survey Level 1 - I understand part of a concept. Level 2 - I understand multiple parts of a concept. Level 3 - I understand the concept well enough to explain it to others. Level 4 - I understand the concept well and can answer challenging questions about it.

14. Level 1: Think-Pair Share Place the following events that were described in the earlier chapters of the book in the correct relative chronological order, from earliest to most recent. • Tsunami struck Japan. • Ice sheet was present in India (Pangaea). • Asteroid collided with Earth (Chicxulub). • Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines. • Wegener developed the continental drift hypothesis. Think-Pair Share: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/tpshare.html

15. Level 2: Conceptests In what order were the layers formed (from oldest to youngest)? • C,D,B,A • C,B,D,A • B,C,D,A • B,C,D,A Conceptest http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/conctest.html

16. Level 2: Muddiest Point What aspect of the reading/class did you least understand? • Promotes metacognition • Involves students in their own learning • Provides a low-stakes method of interacting with instructor • Can show class-wide trends

17. Level 2: Venn Diagram Use the Venn diagram to answer the questions that follow. Plutonic Volcanic a. b. c. High silica rocks. a. b. c. Low silica rocks. a. b. c. Form deep in the earth. a. b. c. Form at the surface. a. b. c. Large-grained. a. b. c. Small-grained. a. b. c.

18. Level 3: Longer Activities Place the rock units in their order of formation, oldest to youngest and answer related questions. Examine the rock types identified by the symbols in the diagram, and determine which rock units best match the following descriptions. ___ Coarse-grained clastic sedimentary rocks overlying an erosional surface ___ A rock containing a foliation Think-Pair Share: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/activity.html

19. Level 3: Concept Maps Complete the following weathering concept map by selecting the correct term for the questions that follow.

20. Level 4: Synthesis Exercise Construct a diagram that illustrates a cross section of rock units that would account for the configuration listed below (not in order). Draw a relative time cross section that illustrates the correct order for these features. • Rhyolite cross cuts and covers all units except sandstone. • Dark, fine-grained igneous rock cross cuts and covers conglomerate and older units. • Oldest rocks are made of black, biochemical layers that were later tilted. • Coarse-grained clastic rock is deposited immediately over coal. • Opaque chemical sedimentary rock is deposited directly over basalt. • River cuts partially into limestone. • Medium-grained clastic rock is deposited over small-grained, high silica volcanic rock.

21. Level 4: Evaluation Rubric Students analyze scenarios and recommend specific courses of action. Q: Who gets earthquake preparedness funding?

22. Does this make a Difference? Traditional Class Peer Instruction Classes Mazur’s results for Introductory Physics after using conceptests and peer instruction 3 4 2 1 1 Began PI FCI score gain on post-test Refined conceptests 2 3 Changed text FCI pretest score Open ended reading questions 4 n = 117 - 216 Crouch, C.H., Mazur, E., 2001, American Journal of Physics, v. 69, #9, p.970-977

23. The Value of Conceptests Students taught key concepts using one of four methods. Student learning assessed by proportion of correct answers to open ended questions on same concepts on final exam % correct answers Teaching method No demonstration Observation of demonstration w/explanation Prediction prior to demo with a conceptest Prediction prior to demonstration using discussion & a later conceptest 61 70* 77* 82* n = 158-297; * = statistically significant result vs. no demonstration Crouch, C.H., Fagen, A.P., Callan, J.P., & Mazur, E., 2004. American Journal of Physics, v.72 #6, p. 835-838.

24. The Value of Collaborative Learning Control Group: Students took test individually. Experimental Group: Students took physics test individually, then again as a pair. Proportion of pairs of students who both got the question wrong on the first test but correct on “paired” test: 29% Students in both groups answered similar questions on a second exam two weeks later. Mean score on second exam for experimental group: 74% Mean score on second exam for control group: 64% Singh, C., 2005. American Journal of Physics, v.73 #3, in press.

25. The Value of Collaborative Learning Green = teams Red = no teams Same population characteristics both semesters Same exercises, HWK and exams More As and fewer Fs using team approach (green)!

26. Why Does this Work? The Testing Effect - testing promotes learning and retention by making the next learning opportunity more effective • The sooner a test is given after learning, the greater the retention • Testing has a greater positive effect on short-term (1 week) and long-term (5 months) retention than additional study • Tests involving the production of information yield greater benefits than multiple-choice tests that rely on recognition of correct answers • More thorough instructional feedback improves later learning Questions asked during interactive lectures serve as mini-tests to enhance student learning in or out of class Roediger, H.L., &Karpicke, J.D., 2006. Perspectives on Psychological Science, v.1 #3, p.181-210.

27. Thank You! Any Questions?