Carts & Horses in the Collaborative, Social Space

1. Carts & Horsesin the Collaborative, Social Space Deborah Keyek-Franssen Director, Academic Technology Unit Office of the GPB & CTO University of Colorado at Boulder

2. The argument • Technology is the cart.

3. So who’s the horse? • What we know about learning & disciplinary content should influence pedagogy. • All three should drive technology choices.

4. Cool! • There are three horses! • So we get to be the three horsemen of the apocalypse?

5. Sorry, no • There were four horsemen. • There is no mention of a cart. • And don’t you remember slide #2?

6. The argument • Technology is the cart. • Technology doesn’t get to ride the horses, not even metaphorically.

7. The postulate • Technology should NOT  be used as a solution in search of a teaching or learning problem.

8. The basics • Understand elements of learning • Articulate content goals • Find pedagogical method • Choose appropriate tool (sometimes a technology tool)(yes, yes, chalk is technology)

9. (Some) elements of learning • Working memory • Engagement • Motivation • Feedback • Reflection • Building on past knowledge • Don’t forget Douglas Adams

10. (and some others…) • Time on task • Structure and context of knowledge • Repetition and retention

11. Working Memory • Limited • Seven “chunks” at a time • What does this mean for pedagogy? • Chunking (both in-class and with scaffolding activities in- and out-of-class) and keeping working memory available for learning • Can technology be effective? • Technology can use up working memory that could be used for learning.

12. Point well-taken

13. That said… • Technology can also be used to free up working memory. • So, you remember DaVinci, right, and how he used light and perspective in his paintings. OK, now that you have that in mind…

14. A picture’s worth… • Particular gain with dynamic processes: cognitive load is less when you see what is happening, rather than hear a description of it.

15. Engagement • Self-define learning, self-evaluate • Challenging, complex, multidisciplinary (multi-sensory?) tasks involving sustained amounts of time • What does mean for pedagogy? • Designing in- and out-of-class activities that engage (including lecture, readings) • Can technology be effective? • Collaborative, social tools? Yes!

16. Motivation • What motivates students? • What does mean for pedagogy? • Build motivations into course: rewards for desired activity (class participation, e.g.) • Can technology be effective? • Can simplify the reward part (computer-graded online homework; online or clickers quizzes for pre-reading); social motivation can be stronger (socializing, group membership)

17. Feedback • Frequent, timely feedback enhances learning. • What does mean for pedagogy? • Formative assessments, communication • Can technology be effective? • Makes near-automatic feedback possible (computer-graded online quizzes, clickers, simulations); collaborative and social tools make peer-to-peer and instructor-to-student feedback easier (or possible)

18. Reflection • Explaining, and then critically evaluating own (and others) explanations • What does mean for pedagogy? • Self-evaluations, reflection papers • Can technology be effective? • Wikis, blogs promote evaluative and reflective writing

19. Building on past knowledge • Set curriculum or not, standards or not, past knowledge • What does this mean for pedagogy? • Built-in for higher education (pre-requisites, pre-tests); self-report of familiarity • Can technology be effective? • Clickers, online quizzes as pre- and post-tests; really revolutionary when students participate in building of “civilization’s” knowledge.

20. Back to the metaphor • Horses aren’t always there • Faculty and instructors aren’t universally aware of elements of learning or of effective pedagogical methods • Sometimes the cart is sleek and makes the ride enjoyable, sometimes it has square wheels • Sometimes faculty and instructors and (gasp) even IT folks put the cart before the horse

21. What PHET is up to • Simulations (engagement, motivation, feedback, time on task) • Clickers (engagement, motivation, feedback, reflection, build on past knowledge) • Communication (engagement, motivation, feedback, reflection, build on past knowledge)

22. Contextualizing PHET • Disciplinary challenges & goals • Reflection on pedagogical methods • Conscious decisions about technology

23. PHET simulations • phet.colorado.edu • Over 70 simulations, many addictive

24. PHET & clickers • Use clickers to poll • Did you take physics in high school? • Did you learn about electric circuits with batteries and light bulbs? • Rate your level of interest? • In the circuit shown, will light bulb #3 light up?

25. When switch is closed, bulb 3 will a. not light up. b. be brighter than bulb 2. c. burn out. 3 2 1 Inquiring minds…

26. Nice fit! • In large lecture classrooms, this sort of polling is often the only way to learn about students’ past knowledge • In large lecture classrooms, clicker quizzes are often the only way to provide quick, in-class feedback about students’ understanding of content • Better learning with “accountability” of clickers.

27. No, really: nice fit! • Challenging, but attainable mental task • Feedback on thinking (timely, specific) • Discuss in groups (learn, evaluate in student-student discussion, instructor listens) • Minimal (but non-zero) impact on grade • Not for attendance

28. PHET & communication tools • Technology to enhance communication and ability of instructor to serve as “thinking coach” and help other students do the same. • “High-touch” use of communication (online discussion, email) to extend capabilities of instructor as individual tutor, to understand and address students’ learning needs.

29. Where does this leave us? • If we can’t be the horsemen of the apocalypse… • If we’re *just* the cart… • Wait! Does faculty development get to be a horse?! That’s just not fair. • No, really, what’s our role?

30. Navigators? • Map collaborative tool use to learning elements • Investigate disciplinary differences, see how learning goals differ, have an impact on tools chosen. • Stop and ask for directions from the horses.