Energize Your Classroom: Innovative Teaching Techniques

1. Energize Your Classroom:Innovative Teaching Techniques Dr. Scott D. Lipscomb UTSA Division of Music Summer Teaching Institute (May 1998) sponsored by the UTSA Teaching & Learning Center

2. Excerpting Shamelessly from … • Larry Michaelson - “Designing Productive and Involving Team-Learning Tasks • Dee Fink - “Developing and Assessing Learning Objectives” • Marilla Svinicki - “Teaching Abstract Concepts to Diverse Learners” • Susan Nummedal - “Using Classroom Assessment Techniques to Improve Student Learning” • Barbary L. McCombs & Patricia A Lauer - “Impact of Learner-Centered Instruction on Student Motivation and Academic Performance” and “Defining and Assessing Learner-Centeredness in Your Classroom” Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

3. Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives… in the Cognitive Domain (1956) • Knowledge • Comprehension • Application • Analysis • Synthesis • Evaluation Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

4. Specific Teaching Techniques • Develop Clear Learning Objectives • methods of assessment • Motivate Students • Incorporate Team-Learning Tasks to Engage Students • assignment to groups • Readiness Assessment Tests (RATs) • not everything must be covered in class Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

5. Teacher Beliefs Survey Where Do You Stand?

6. Statement of Objectives ...Higher Levels of Learning • Coming to KNOW … • How to THINK about … • How to DO … [something] • How to KEEP ON LEARNING about ... • Working with one’s SELF on … • Interacting with OTHERS … Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

7. Diverse Learners:Learning Abstract Concepts Involves … • studying one or more prototypical examples of a concept, getting a definition • poor learners stop here … memorize the prototype • examining the features of multiple examples (and non-examples) • average learners stop here and use the categories they see to classify new examples Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

8. Good Learners: • Generate hypothesis about the concept • Test the hypothesis with new examples and non-examples, getting feedback • Reconsider (or re-examine) examples in light of this feedback Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

9. The Scientific Method • Ask a question of the Real World • Review research literature • Design study • Collect Data • Analyze & Interpret Data • Propose or reassess model • Submit model to further tests Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

10. Characteristics of LearnersThat Affect Learning • Content Issues • Cognitive Issues • Motivation Issues Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

11. Characteristics of Learners:Content Issues • Prior knowledge and experience • Structural knowledge • concept map of how discipline is put together • Language deficits • Technical skills Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

12. Characteristics of Learners:Cognitive Issues • Level of formal reasoning • Level of epistemology • Processing preferences • Learning strategies • Metacognitive awareness Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

13. Characteristics of Learners:Motivation Issues • Goal orientation • Mastery goals vs. Performance goals • Level of task-specific motivation • Self-efficacy for area • Self-concept as student Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

14. Understanding Motivation to Learn • Learning & motivation to learn are natural human capacities in social contexts that are supportive of the learner and in content domains perceived as personally relevant and meaningful. • What & how much is learned is a function of each learner’s view of him or herself and the learning process, including self-concepts of ability, personal goals, expectations, and interpretations of task requirements. • Insecurities and other forms of negative cognitive conditioning interfere with or block the emergence of learners’ natural motivation to learn. • Handout - “How Schools Stifle Motivation” Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

15. Motivational Outcomes Associated with Learner-Centered Practices • engage in independent learning activities • seek out further information about topics of interest • want to learn more about a range of topics and interests • continue to refine skills in chosen area • go beyond minimal assignments Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

16. Motivational Outcomes Associated with Learner-Centered Practices • are willing to persist in the face of learning challenges • take responsibility for their own learning • engage in learning for understanding vs. grades • are involved with learning and school governance decisions • achieve high academic & personal standards Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

17. What is “Learner-Centered?” • a research-based framework • focused on well-defined content standards and defined learning objectives • focused on human needs related to motivation and learning • a balance of teacher and student control • a balance of learner and learning needs • concerned with high levels of learning and motivation • rigorous and challenging • shared teacher and student responsibility for learning and achievement Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

18. Learner-Centered Instruction • 14 Learner-Centered Psychological Principles • Cognitive & Metacognitive Factors • Motivational & Affective Factors • Developmental Factors • Individual Differences Factors Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

19. Learner-Centered Psychological Principles: Cognitive & Metacognitive Factors • Nature of the Learning Process • Goals of the Learning Process • Construction of Knowledge • Strategic Thinking • Thinking about Thinking • Context of Learning Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

20. Learner-Centered Psychological Principles:Motivational & Affective Factors • Motivational & Emotional Influences on Learning • Intrinsic Motivation to Learn • Effects of Motivation on Effort Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

21. Learner-Centered Psychological Principles:Developmental Factors • Developmental Influences on Learning • Social Influences on Learning Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

22. Learner-Centered Psychological Principles:Individual Differences Factors • Individual Differences in Learning • Learning & Diversity • Standards & Assessment Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

23. Team-Learning Assignment to Groups

24. Activity 1: What Characteristics Make Concepts Difficult? • List several concepts from your own area that you have found are difficult for students • List several general concepts—not from any particular field—that are difficult to understand (e.g., truth, beauty, etc.) • Working with several colleagues, compile a list of your general concepts. Then examine them for what they have in common that caused you to add them to the list. Are there characteristics that difficult concepts have in common? Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

25. Traditional Teachingvs. Team Learning

26. Team Learning & the Developmentof Higher-Level Cognitive Skills Effect of Small Group Discussion on Sources of Information for Learning Complex Concepts and Applications Basic Concepts Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

27. Readiness Assessment Tests An Example

28. Assessment:The “RSQC2” Technique • Recall: List the most interesting, useful, and/or significant points you can recall from the previous session • Summarize: Summarize the important points you can recall in one meaningful, grammatically correct sentence • Question: Raise any remaining questions you have about that session • Comment: Write down a word or phrase describing how you felt about that session while you were in it • Connect: Connect what you learned in that session with what came before, what comes next, or with your own experience, with professional experience, or with information from another course ... Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

29. Report from the Front Lines Dr. Jim Balentine

30. Learner-Centered Instruction:Stages of Change • Phase I - Developing Awareness, Will to Change, and Ownership of Need to Change • showing change is possible, inspiring hope • Phase II - Observing Models & Building Understanding of Personal Domain Practices • seeing models, discussing “what and how” • Phase III - Adapting Strategies, Building Skills, and Developing Personal Responsibility for Continuous Learning & Change • tailoring strategies, coaching, trying out, revising • Phase IV - Adopting & Sustaining Attitudes and Practices that Contribute to Continuous Learning and Self Development • on-going self-assessment, networking, support Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998

31. Effective Course Design:Integrating These Teaching Techniques • What do you want students to be able to do when they have completed your course? • What will students have to know to do #1? • How can you identify the concepts students have successfully mastered through individual study or group activities? • How can you tell if students will be able to use their knowledge? Lipscomb - Summer Teaching Institute 1998