Online Instructor Design Series

1. Online Instructor Design Series Instructional Strategies for Improving Content RetentionFebruary 19, 2013 2 pm - Collaborate Instructional Strategies for Improving Content Retention What do you want your students to remember from your class a decade from now? Approaches for helping students retain course content

2. What is the Issue? • Research shows that students capture only 20-40 % of a lecture’s main ideas in their notes. • And without reviewing the lecture material students remember less than 10 % after three weeks.

3. Online Instructor Design Series eTROY Instructor Tracy Newvine CJ3375 Introduction to Social Scientific Inquiry course Basically a research methods class for criminal justice majors What I would like my students to remember from this course is: How to interpret polls and understand sampling How to analyze data from national surveys How to actually collect survey data How folks create academic journal articles and publish

4. Online Instructor Design Series eTROY Instructor Tracy Newvine In an online course how do you achieve these goals: Audio lectures Posted examples Assignments that incorporate those concepts

5. Too much content, not enough thinking, and too little FUN!(DiCarlo, 2009) • Important that students develop an interest and love for lifelong learning. • Once students are inspired and motivated, there are countless resources • available to learn more about a subject. Thus, teachers must abandon the mistaken notion that unless they “cover the content” students will be unprepared for the future and they will have failed as teachers. • Rather than worrying about covering content, teachers must design activities to • focus student learning on how to solve important questions. • Memorizing anything discourages deep thinking. • Deep thinking is essential because understanding is the residue of thinking! To encourage thinking we must create a joy, an excitement, and a love for learning. • We must make learning fun because if we are successful, our students will be impatient to run home, study, and contemplate–to really learn.

6. How to improve student content retention: • A tale of two classrooms (Bethune, 2011) • The goal in all teaching for content retention: • --Leave students with the feeling “I have this new skill / understanding that I did not have at the start of class!” • --Ensure students understand the concepts involved rather than just demanding rote memorization 1. Teacher introduces and explains a new concept 2. Teacher demonstrates several sample uses 3. Teacher gives students related problems to solve in class 4. Students complete homework and eventually take a quiz, both of which contain similar problems to the ones in class “Don’t worry about understanding the math: just try to get the questions right.” OR • 1. Teacher presents a problem • 2. Students attempt to solve this problem using their existing understanding. • 3. The teacher works with the class, using the process to help students deduce a new concept

7. Enhanced learning and retention through “Writing to Learn”… (Stewart, Myers, and Culley, 2010) • Microthemes = short in-class writing assignments designed to facilitate active learning, as pedagogical tools in psychology courses. • Active learning and retention of course material, and writing development • Students who completed microthemes throughout the semester scored higher than comparable students who did not on writing quality and on knowledge and application of material taught 10 weeks earlier.

8. Using collaborative, modified peer led team learning to improve student success and retention…(Biggers, Yilmaz, and Sweat 2009) • Collaborative, modified peer-led team learning - student-centered instruction working in small groups facilitated by a peer leader • Findings: using undergraduate leaders to implement a peer-led team • learning model can be effective in promoting achievement and retention • Dr. Casille’s peer-to-peer project: • -- Students are more engaged when the assignment is about them. • -- Collectives provide a good balance of individual responsibility and minimal coordination while still providing social support. • -- Students generally appreciate thoughtful peer-to peer feedback.

9. Experiential learning enhances student knowledge retention... (Bauerle and Park, 2012) • Question: would experiential learning improved homework scores among students who participated in a field trip by asking if simply attending the field trip increased the homework score? • Results: participating in a field trip experience when coupled with a homework assignment increased student homework scores.

10. Virtual Field Trip / Hands-on Art Projects Creed, Starry Night over Iraq

11. What our student’s say about retaining content… I have thoroughly enjoyed this course.  Initially, I was nervous about having everything online.  I thought the course would be like reading a textbook online and that is not something I would enjoy.  However, the modules are great!  I like the mixed media and that it quizzes you as you progress.  I think that has definitely helped me retain more information.  Now, I wish more classes would utilize mixed media instead of just a textbook …Not only are the modules well organized and enjoyable, but they are interesting.  -Rebekah The article I found discussed adding the use of external mental stimulators to motivate you prior to logging in to begin classes.  Although one is self-motivated and has many tools at your disposal, brain teasers can offer definite advantages to learning. I have included the link below. http://onlinelearningtips.com/2012/05/24/avoid-your-mental-plateau-with-brain-teasers/-Darwin

12. Online Instructor Design Series Student FORUM March 5, 2013 2 pm - Collaborate What do our eTROY students have to say? Students will share their thoughts during a discussion forum: Experiences with online courses Ways instructors can help students reach their educational goals through richer, engaging eCourses How to improve teacher/student interaction in an online learning environment with today’s tech-savvy students

13. Contact Your Designer http://trojan.troy.edu/etroy/facultydevelopment/index.html

14. References Bauerle, T. L., & Park, T. D. (2012). Experiential learning enhances student knowledge retention in the plant sciences. HortTechnology , 22(5), 715-718. Bethune, J. (2011, February 5). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.knewton.com/blog/edtech/2011/02/05/how-to-improve-student-content-retention-a-tale-of-two-classrooms/ Biggers, M., Yilmaz, T., & Sweat, M. (2009). Using collaborative, modified peer led team learning to improve student success and retention in intro cs. Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education, March 3-7. Bligh, D. A. (2000). What's the use of lectures?. In J. R. Davis (Ed.), Better teaching, more learning: Strategies for success in postsecondary settings. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Custers, E. J. F. M. (2010). Long-term retention of basic science knowledge: A review study. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 15, 109-128. doi:10.1007/s10459-008-9101-y. DiCarlo, S. E. (2009). Too much content, not enough thinking, and too little fun!. Advances in Physiology Education, 33, 257–264. doi:10.1152/advan.00075.2009.Kiewra, K. A. (2002). How classroom teachers can help students learn and teach them how to learn. THEORY INTO PRACTICE, 41(2), 71-80. Stewart, T. L., Myers, A. C., & Culley, M. R. (2010). Enhanced learning and retention through ''writing to learn'' in the psychology classroom. Teaching of Psychology, 37(1), 46-49. doi:10.1080/00986280903425813.