You Can Lead Students to Knowledge and You Can Make Them Think

1. You Can Lead Students to Knowledgeand You Can Make Them Think Feedback in Smaller Classes: An Experiment BI’s Inspiration Day Roberta Wiig Berg, Ass.Prof. June 3, 2009

2. Feedback in Smaller Classes:An Experiment: Plan • BI’s Goal and Pedagogical Theory • The Experiment • Examples • Results • Discussion / Feedback

3. 4 Assumptions • BI’s Goal: to deliver quality education • A deep approach to learning (understanding) is better than a surface approach (regurgitation) • Formative assessment (non-punitive feedback on work in progress) is a prerequisite for deep learning • A dialogical approach to feedback encourages self-examination and opens the door to understanding other worlds of meaning – to creating meaning together.

4. Formative Evaluation • Non-punitive feedback on work in progress so students can produce similar work of a higher quality: • Knowledge of standards – guild knowledge • Ability to see gap between standard and own work • Ability to close gap in new work • Feedback through dialouge • We can lay out standards, but we create meaning together together when they’re tried out and then discussed

6. We’re sending the wrong message! • Resources used on grading (summative assessment): exams, double-grading, registration of grades. • Lack of resources used on the learning process: class-size and opportunity to engage individual students. • Opportunities for making mistakes and learning from them are not built into our system: these opportunities are vital.

7. We’re not grading for learningbut for validation. • A grade received before students have interiorized feedback invariably interferes with the assimilation and understanding of this feedback. (Taras 2001) • Grades on their own – and particularly a series of bad marks, can lead to a downward spiral for learning. (Black and William 1998)

8. INS 2000 – Internal Communication • Mintzberg (2000) describes the job of a leader or manager as ten organized sets of behavior – and all ten of these roles involve communication.

9. Experiment • Purpose: to ”deep learn” essential aspects of course • Oral presentations (2) of cases based on course theory/models • Form • Organizational elements • Delivery skills • Content • Demonstrate ability to apply course models • Practice model cases before exercises

10. Evaluation • Case #1 – 5% - provisional • Raised (not lowered) in connection with Exercise #2 • If Exercise #2 = A • B or C on Ex.#1 = A • D or E on Ex.#1 = B • F on Ex. #1 = C • Case #2 – 35% • The presentation • Student’s evaluations of his or her peers • Self-evaluation

11. Criteria for Evaluation • 3 Parts • Organizational Elements: Tell them what you’re going to say, say it, and tell them what you’ve said. (Winston Churchill) • Delivery Skills • Content • Interdependent

12. Exercise #1 – Presentation ofCoorientation Model Case • Individual cases: issue, organization, internal stakeholder group • Analyze case, fill in model, make suggestion for how (or if) your leader should take action • Prepare a 5-7-minute PowerPoint presentation: Classic Style • Bring handouts of your slides (6/page)

13. Ex.#1 – Coorientation Model • Presentation – taped • Peer evaluation • ”Guild” evaluation, no grade • Self evaluation in response • ”Guild” response with grade • Dialogue

14. Ex.#2 – Mutual Learning Model • Theory in class – practice cases • Write own cases – on a difficult communication situation they have been a part of in their teams • Analyze cases in the MLM flow chart • Prepare 8-10-minute PowerPoint presentation, handouts of slides • Same feedback procedure as for Coorientation Model presentation

15. Trouble Spots • Organization • Purpose vs Motivation • Transitional phrases • Conclusion • Delivery • Watching the screen • Content • Missing vital points

16. Examples of Feedback: Purpose, Motivation • Purpose statement unclear • Student: I see that you think my purpose statement was unclear, but I clearly stated that the MLM model was important. • Response: The word ”important” can be very empty. You need to tell why it is important – how it can help. You also completely omitted the motivation statement. Your purpose statement tells why you are making this presentation and your motivation statement makes it clear to your audience why they should listen – what’s in it for them. This is where you ”market” your pres. Purpose and motivation are two sides of the same coin and you need to distinguish between them. Please take a look at the examples on Blackboard.

17. Examples of Feedback:Transitional Phrases • Student: I could have used transitional phrases more but I felt that it was ackward and choppy if I had to interrupt myself to use these phrases. • Response: Yes – it takes practice to use them, but their purpose is to help avoid choppiness by showing your audience how the parts hang together. If we understand when and how you move from section to section in your presentation, we’ll understand you better – and you want to be understood!

18. Examples of Feedback:Delivery • Student: I observed that I used ”humming” sounds as a way of pulling myself together when I’m nervous. It’s become a bad habit, but I think when I’m standing up there that that’s better than silence. But I realize that maybe these sounds are worse because it seems that they make the audience think I’m unsure of myself. • Response: Exactly. Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with a simple pause. Silence lets your audience associate ”thinking” with you – which is good. The sound makes you seem more uncertain. Remember, however, that you have a very good stage presence and do not need to be so nervous!

19. Examples of Feedback:Delivery • Student:I know that I watched the screen too much. I also noticed that my stance was uneasy and that I scratched my arm at times – but tried to stop doing that! • Response: It will help if you use key words on your slides – not sentences. And next time, perhaps hold something in your hand – like a pen. This helps many. Just don’t click the pen! 

20. Examples of Feedback:Slides • Student: I agree that I could have used more time on the body, but I disagree that I was unclear about who the stakeholder was. • Response: I’m sure you said this. However, both the TA and I had trouble following your points, and I was referring to the lack of labelling on the slide. Perhaps the speed of delivery combined with the lack of labelling in the model was what made it difficult to follow.

21. Examples of Feedback:Content • Student: I don’t agree that this presentation was an E. I received E last time and we both seem to agree that this delivery was better. • Response: Yes, it was. I understand that it is discouraging to get the same grade even when you have improved in 2 of 3 areas. However, the content this time was worse. In your case, you went from ”Give up” control to take control – which are both aspects of the maintaining control model – and not the MLM. This missed the whole point of the flow chart and was a lethal mistake. It could have failed you. No matter how good a presenter’s delivery and organizational skills are, if the content is simply wrong, it cannot be called a successful presentation. Nevertheless, precisely because you had improved 2 areas, you received a passing grade. You are moving in the right direction and I hope you will keep this up. Please get some help with the MLM before the exam! Hang in there!

22. Results:Grades from Ex.#1 to Ex.#2 • Same for both 2 • Improvement 1 grade 8 • Improvement more 10 • Worse 0

23. Ex.#1 Same 2 Differs 1 10 Differs >1 8 Ex.#2 Same 14 Differs 1 5 Differs >1 1 Results:Self-Evaluation / Teacher

24. Conclusion • Two-exercises – other classes, but without dialogue before grade • Grades better second time • Significant difference? • Yes: students have been led to knowledge, have engaged in thought and dialogue, and achieved deep learning.