220 likes | 430 Views
Adaptive Teaching: An Effective Approach for Learner-Centric Classrooms. Dr. Rami Haddad, Dr. Youakim Kalaani. Department of Electrical Engineering Georgia Southern University. Outline. Motivation Why we teach this way? What are the Implications? What can we do about it?
E N D
Adaptive Teaching: An Effective Approach for Learner-Centric Classrooms Dr. Rami Haddad, Dr. Youakim Kalaani Department of Electrical Engineering Georgia Southern University
Outline • Motivation • Why we teach this way? • What are the Implications? • What can we do about it? • How can we achieve a learner-centric classroom? • Conclusion
Why We Teach this Way? • We teach in the same way that we have been taught. • Largely based on the misconception that students are “empty vessels” and our role is to fill them with knowledge. • We teach in the same way we learn the best. • We are not fully convinced that the learning process is an interactive process. These teaching strategies will create an extra obstacle in the learning process.
What are the Implications? • Based on the teaching strategies discussed we favor students (only few) who tend to learn in certain ways. Inefficient teacher-centric classroom.
What can we do about it? • To be aware of differences in how our students take in and process information. • Be proactive in instituting interactive learning environments. • To balance instruction so that all learning styles are addressed at least some of the time.
What is a Learning Style? • The “characteristic strengths and preferences in the ways that [learners] take in and process information” -R. Felder
Felder-Silverman Model Four Learning Dimensions: • Sensing vs. Intuitive Perception • Visual vs. Verbal Input • Active vs. Reflective Processing • Sequential vs. Global Understanding
Index of Learning Styles (ILS) • A Google Form was used to conduct the Index of Learning Styles survey (44 Questions). • Conducted only once at the beginning of the semester. • The results of the ILS provided an insight about the cohort learning styles profile.
Cohort Learning Styles Profile Cohort Learning Style Profile
Teaching to All Learning Styles • We should use a balanced teaching approach between the extremes in each learning dimension. • Suggested approaches to incorporate while teaching: • Provide context for concepts addressed. • Balancing theories with demonstrations and examples. • Use figures, pictures and diagrams to supplement verbal instruction. • Use numerical examples to illustrate abstract concepts. • Provide time for both students’ participation and reflection. How can we make it adaptive?
Formative Feedback Process • Content: Was the content interesting? • Content: Was the focus of the talk good? • Content: Did you find the lecture useful? • Slides: Were they adequate in terms of the coverage of the subject? • Slides: Were they readable and helpful for the lecture? • Presentation: Was the lecture vocabulary understandable? • Presentation: Was the speech (pronunciation, speed) of the lecturer clear? • Interaction: Was the lecturer complete and precise in his answers to questions? • Interaction: Did the lecturer manage to capture your attention? • Overall: Do you think the use of class time was good? • Overall: What was your overall impression from the lecture?
Pre/Post Assessment We achieved statistical significance with a confidence level of 98.5%
Conclusion • Students bring to the classroom a great diversity of learning styles. • There is a mismatch between our teaching styles and our students’ learning styles. • Learning Styles Models help us bridge the initial gap. • Formative assessment/feedback help us achieve a learner-centric classroom using adaptive teaching.