montevallo university workshop two lct august 24

8/4/2019 Montevallo University Workshop Two LCT August 24

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Helping Students Learn in a

Learner Centered EnvironmentDeveloped for The University of Montevallo

by Professor Terry Doyle

Ferris state University


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Learning Outcomes

As a result of participating in todays activitiesfaculty will:

1. Take away rationales explaining why LCT is the best

approach to college instruction.

2. Have a clearer understanding of the skills students willneed to be successful learners in a LCT environment.

3. Take away strategies for teaching students the learning

skills and strategies they will need to be successful inLCT environment.


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Not a single grad school or employment

recruiter has ever indicated that what they arereally looking for in a college graduate is:

A great note taker and someone who isexcellent at multiple choice tests!


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A Key to Understanding Learner

Centered Teaching

It is the one who does the work

that does the learning

www.wmin.ac.uk/.../Students-working-together.jpg


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The Definition of Learning

Learning is a change

in the neuron-patterns of the brain.

(Ratey, 2002, Goldberg, 2001)

www.virtualgalen.com/.../ neurons-small.jpg


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A Teachers Definition of Learning

Learning is the ability to use information after

significant periods of disuse

and

it is the ability to use the information to solve problemsthat arise in a context different (if only slightly) from thecontext in which the information was originally taught.

(Robert Bjork, Memories and Metamemories, 1994)


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What is the optimal learning outcome of any course?

What would make us happy (from all that we

taughtthe skills, content and behaviors) that our

students remembered and could use six months

after they finished our class?


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A Definition of

Learner Centered Teaching


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Learner Centered Teaching

Each decision we make as teachers is basedon one simple question

Given the context of my teachingassignment (# of students, learningenvironment or physical space etc.), will

this teaching action optimize my studentsopportunities to learn?


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Why Learner

Centered Teaching isin our Students Best

Interest


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Students need to Know WHY

One of the most

important aspects of

being a learner

centered teacher is toremember teaching is,

in most ways, no

different than any other

human to humaninteraction


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If I dont know WHY you want me to work on

a project or learn a concept or ifI cant see

how taking on a certain task has some benefit

to me I am hesitant to do it.


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3 Key Rationales for Explaining the Change to LCT

1. The best answer toWHY we have changedto a learner-centered practice is this is where

the research has led us.

.


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WHY Learner Centered Teaching

New discoveries about how the human brain

learns and the subsequent recommendations

for how to teach in harmony with these

discoveries has guided the development of a

learner centered approach to teaching


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Rationales for Explaining the Change to LCT

The learning tasks we

are asking our students

to take on, which

require them to adoptnew learning roles and

responsibilities, are

based on what we now

know optimizes the waythe human brain learns.


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3 Key Rationales for Explaining the Change to LCT

2. Readiness for Careers

The rationale for teaching many of the learning skills,behaviors, attitudes and critical thinking strategies thatare now part of learner centered college courses isthat our students will need these skills to be successfulin their careers.

As students understand this their buy in to LCT will begreater.


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3. Preparation for Life Long Learning(LLL)

One of the significant changes our students need to accept isthat college is no longer their terminal educationalexperience.

A college education gives students their learners permit.


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3. Preparation for Life Long

Learning(LLL)

Our responsibility as

college educators is to

prepare our students to

be life long learners.

Many of the LCT actions

we take are done to

develop LLL skills.


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For Example

One of the reasons

students are beingasked to take on moreresponsibility for theirown learning is because

they will be responsiblefor it the rest of theirlives.


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LCT means Sharing Power with Students

Having choices in what and how to learn and having

some control over the learning process and

accepting the responsibility that comes with choice

and control is an authentic expression of how thework place and the home place operate.

It is excellent preparation for life after college.


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Eight Skill Areas

Students Will

Need Help withto Succeed in a

LCT Classroom


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1. Helping Students Learn How to Learn on their Own

There are two important

messages:

1.Many of our students are

not well prepared to do agreat deal of their learning

on their own.

2.I

f they are to develop theskills needed to learn on

their own we will have to

teach them these skills.


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Learning on Ones Own

The broad categories include the ability to

handle four areas of task management:

1. Task analysis

2. Identifying resources and planning actions

3. Taking action based on planning4. Assessing actions and revising plans. (adapted from work done at the University of Surrey, University Skills Program.


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Rationales for Having Students Learn on Their Own

It teaches them to figure things out for

themselves and trust their own analytical

abilities in order to complete a task.


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Rationales for Having Students Learn

on Their Own

It teaches them to

generate their own

questions about what is

important to know andwhat is not important

to completing the task.


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on Their Own

It teaches them to

identify resources and

learn first hand which

methods ofinvestigation are helpful

and which are a waste

of time.


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on Their Own

It teaches them how to

organize their findings

and prepareappropriate ways to

communicate their

results.


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But perhaps the most

valuable outcome of

learning on ones own is--

The satisfaction and

confidence that

comes whenstudents are

successful.


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When students realize

they are capable of

thinking for themselves,

and figuring out how tofind and use knowledge

to solve real world

problems, they grow in

confidence as learners.


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2. Learning to work with others

Knowing and learning arecommunal acts.

They require many eyes andears, many observationsand experiences. Theyrequire a continual cycle of

discussion, disagreement,and consensus over whathas been seen and what itall means (Parker Palmer, 1987 p. 24).

www.osucascades.edu/.../images/two_students.JPG


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Three Vital Questions

1.What do our students know about effectively working

with other students?

2. What have their previous experiences taught them

about how groups and teams work?

3. What concerns do they have about working with

others?


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A Rationale for Working with Others

The rationale for

students learning to

effectively work with

others is a simple oneif they cant learn to

do it fairly well their

career success may be

in jeopardy.


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Of the three main

modes our students use

to learn, writing,

reading and speaking--the one that is least

used is speaking (Nystrandand Gamoran ).


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Speaking is also the onewhich teachers most often

give students a pass on.

The irony of this is thatspeaking to others is one ofthe most important, if not

the most importantprofessional and personal

skill that students musthave for success.


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Some Advice for Faculty

Teachers like to talk andthey cant stand silenceso they fill it up withtalk!

However, the bestadvice for facilitating

students discussion isfor us to keep ourmouths shut!


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3. Helping Students take Charge of their Learning

As instructors we areconditioned to be incontrol of the learningprocess -- moving away

from that idea makesmany of usuncomfortable.

This uncomfortableness is

shared by our studentswhen we ask them totake more control of theirlearning.


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Some Good Reasons to Share Power.

1. Our students cannot

improve their abilities to be

more responsible for their

learning with out being

given greater responsibility

for it.

.


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Some Good Reasons to Share Power.

2. When students have

some control over how

they learn they can

discover their strengthsand weakness as

learners, a vital

metacognitive skill they

will need as life longlearners


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Some helpful reasons to share power.

3. The more control our

students take and the

more choices we can

offer them the greatertheir desire and

willingness to engage in

the learning process.

( Zull p.52)


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Some helpful reasons to share power.

4.When students make a

choice they also must

learn to live with that

choice. This is a verypowerful life lesson.


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Who Makes the Decision?

Teacher Students Together NA

1. Course Textbook

2. Number of exams

3. When in the course exams will be given

4. Attendance policy

5. Late work policy

6. Late for class policy

7. Course learning outcomes

8. Office hours

9. Due dates for major papers

10. Teaching methods/approaches

11. How groups are formed

12. Topic of writing or research projects

13. Grading scale

14. Discussion guidelines for large or smallgroup discussions

15. Rubrics for evaluation of self or peerswork

16. If rewriting of papers will be allowed

17. If retesting will be allowed


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Each decision we make about our teaching

sends some message to our students.

For Example

When we fail to maintain order in the

classroom the message is we dont really care

about their learning.


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When we share power with our students by offering

learning choices the message is:

We trust their judgment.

We trust them to act in

ways that are in their bestinterest.

We believe they will makedecisions that are in thebest interest of the wholecommunity of learners.


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Let Students Teach Each Other

Teaching others requires

the person doing the

teaching to thoroughly

understand the knowledge

or skill sets being taught.

Teaching others promotes

deep learning for the

student doing the teaching.www.csulb.edu/depts/chls/images/MorenodiceLat...


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Teaching Students how to Teach

OthersLearning benefits:

1. Students must determinehow best to learn about theassigned or chosen topic.

2. Students must locate andevaluate sources of

information that arecredible


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Teaching Students how to Teach

Others

3. Students must seek out

resource people on

campus and around the

world via the Internet.

4. Students will need to

spend some face to face

time with the course

instructor.


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Teaching Students how

to Teach Others

4. Having students teach

promotes independent

learning and the taking on

of increased responsibility

for their own learning.


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Learning from the Other Side of the

Desk

A positive outcome of

students teaching each

other is that the

students will gain anincreased appreciation

for the effort and skills

that we (their

teachers)must displayto effectively teach

them.


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5.Helping Students with Presentations and

Performance Assessments

Your work will be made public!

www.uog.edu/dns/NSF/mbCl_files/image004.jpg


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By making work public

1. Take their work more

seriously.

2. Adds more accountabilityfor their work .

3. Take more time and care in

preparing their work.

4. Allows for additional

audiences to assess our

students work.


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Your work will be made public!

Letting others see and

hear our students

ideas, solution orfindings represents an

authentic model of how

information is used,

studied and evaluated.

www.iowasenatedemocrats.org


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Making Presentations

Rationales for usingpresentations

For a presentation to beeffective students must

know their informationvery well.

Presentations will drivestudents to engage more

thoroughly with thematerial leading todeeper learning.

www.fortlewis.edu/.../Quintana-Yates.JPG


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Presentations enhance

the development of our

students organization

and communication skills.

Students must consider

what structure or pattern

will make the informationeasiest for their audience

to understand. www.usyd.edu.au/.../visiting%20professors.JPG


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Presentations can alsohelp to improve thecomfort levels ofstudents that strugglewith public speaking.

Our classrooms shouldbe among the safestplaces to practice thisvery important careerenhancing skill.

www.uog.edu/dns/NSF/mbCl_files/image002.jpg


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Presentations are an

authentic expression of

what professionals do

all the time.

Ideas are of little value

to if they are not

shared.

www.csuchicoag.org/.../C05AGRI1for%20website.JPG


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Performance Assessment

We can teach students

how to do math, do

history and do science,

not just knowthem.

(Jon Mueller)


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6.Helping Students Become Life Long Learners

An undergraduate

degree clearly is just a

starting point.

It is their learners permit

lifelonglearning.cqu.edu.au/.../lllc-2008.gif


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Teaching LLL Skills

By age 38 today's

college students will

change employers or

change occupationswhile working for the

same employer 10-14

times

( U S. Department of Labor, 2008)


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Helping Students to Understand the Need to

Learn LLL Skills

Eighty percent of all thescientists who have everlived are alive today and

every minute they add2000 pages to humansscientific knowledge.

Nearly a million newbooks were published lastyear (International Association ofLibraries).


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India and China

In India and China alone

there are 600 million

honor students who

will be seeking thesame high paying jobs

as our graduates.


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Metacognitive Skills and LLL

Metacognitive skills areamong the most importantLLL skills.

Metacognition consist oftwo basic processesoccurring simultaneously:monitoring your progress asyou learn, and making

changes and adapting yourstrategies if you perceiveyou are not doing so well.(Winn & Snyder, 1998)


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Metacognitive Skills and LLL

Metacognitive skills

include:

taking conscious controlof learning,

planning and selecting

strategies,

monitoring the progressof learning,

correcting errors,

analyzing the

effectiveness of learning

strategies,

and changing learning

behaviors and strategies

when necessary( Ridley D.S. Schultz, PS, Glanz, R.S and

Weinstein, CA 1992).


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7. Helping Students Recognize What They Know, Dont Know

and Misunderstand

Students range of priorknowledge, skills, beliefsand concepts significantlyinfluence what they noticeabout the environment andhow they organize andinterpret it.

This, in turn, affects their

abilities to remember,reason, solve problems andacquire new knowledge.(Bransford, et. al. p.10)


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7. Helping Students Recognize What They Know, Dont Know

and Misunderstand

If the only learning tool

our students have is

memorization thaneverything we teach

them will likely be seen

as something to be

memorized.


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7. Helping Students Recognize What They Know, Dont Know and

Misunderstand

We need to do a greatdeal of checking.

Preexistingunderstandings amongcollege age and olderstudents often persisteven after new models

have been taught thatcontradict their naveunderstandings. (Bransford et.al.p.16)


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Misunderstand

We need to ask our

students to tell us what

they have learned in

their own words, usingexamples and

analogies.


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Misunderstand

Even our brightest students

filter the new course

material through their own

prior knowledge and may

arrive at conclusions

different from what we

intended.

If we dont check

we wont know


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Misunderstand

We must create activities

and conditions that allow

our students thinking to be

revealed.

Formative feedback helps

learners identify gaps that

exist between their desired

goal and their currentknowledge, understanding.(Ramaprasad, 1983; Sadler, 1989).


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Misunderstand

The most helpful type

of feedback provides

specific comments

about errors andspecific suggestions for

improvement (Bangert-Drowns,Kulick, & Morgan, 1991; Elawar & Corno, 1985).

FEEDBACK


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Misunderstand

Make certain that

students are using the

feedback they have

been given.

Expect to see the

improvements in their

future work.


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8.Helping Students to EvaluateThemselves, Others and the

Teacher

Friend to Groucho Marx:

Life is difficult!

Marx to Friend: Compared

to what?

imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/CLASS/1. ..


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Student Self-evaluation

Self-evaluation is definedas students judging thequality of their work,based on evidence and

explicit criteria, for thepurpose of doing betterwork in the future (Rolheiserand Ross, 1999).

d lf l i


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When we teach

students how to assess

their own progress, and

when they do so againstknown and challenging

quality standards, a

great deal of learning

can take place.

S d S lf l i


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Self-evaluation is a

potentially powerful

technique because of its

impact on studentperformance through

enhanced self-efficacy

and increased intrinsic

motivation (Rolheiser and Ross,1999).


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Peer Evaluation

The reason to involve

students in peer

evaluation is that it is awin-win situation for

both the reviewer and

the one receiving the

feedback.


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Peer Evaluation

Those receiving the

feedback discover theaccuracy of their self

assessment.


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Peer Evaluation

The reviewer benefits by developing abilities

to recognize good work from bad work, frame

feedback in clear and helpful ways and deliver

feedback in a positive manner.


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How to Do Peer Evaluation

Peers should focus theirfeedback on a fewimportant aspects ofthe work.

Using a rubric or set ofquestions that focusesthe peer review processwill improve thefeedback.


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Seeking Students' Feedback

Ask students three questions

1. What do you like about thecourse and courseinstruction?

2. What would you changeabout the course or courseinstruction?

3.W

hat could you do to makethe learning in this coursebetter for you and yourpeers?

A t f l i t


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Are your out of class assignments

doing what you want them to do?

When giving a

homework assignment

ask students to tell you

if the assignment wasuseful in helping them

understand and learn

the material.

www.spl.surrey.bc.ca/NR/rdonlyres/2ABACBB7-A6...


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References

Angelo, T.A. & Cross, P.K. (1993). Classroom Assessment Techniques, 2ndEdition.San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass

Bjork, R.A. (1994). Memory and Metamemory Considerations in the Training ofHuman Beings. In J. Metcalfe and A. Shimamura (Eds.) Metacognition: Knowing

About Knowing. (pp. 185-205). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Givens, Barbara, Teaching to the Brains Natural Learning Systems, ASCDPublications, 2002.

Ratey, John.A Users Guide to the Brain. Pantheon Books, New York, 2001.

Sousa, David. How the Brain Learns, 2ndEdition. Ed 2001 Corwin Press, INC,Thousand Oaks, CA

Doyle, Terry. Helping Students Learn in a Learner Centered Environment: A Guideto Teaching in Higher Education. 2008.Stylus, Sterling, Virginia


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References

Rethinking Teaching in Higher Education, Edited by Alenoush Saroyan, CherylAmundsen, Stylus Pub.2004

Sprenger, Marilee. How to Teach so Students Remember. ASCD Publication, 2005.

Sylwester, Robert.A Celebration of Neurons: An Educators Guise to the Human

Brain. ASCD Publication, 1995. Zull, James. (2002), The Art ofChanging the Brain. Sterling, Virginia: Stylus

Publishing.

Tagg, John. The Learning Paradigm College. Anker Publishing , Bolton MA 2003

Covington, M. V. (2000) Goal , theory motivation and school achievement: AnIntegrated reviewin Annual Review of Psychology ( pp 171-200)

Dweck, Carol ( 2000) Self Theories: Their roles in motivation, personality anddevelopment. Philadelphia, PA Psychology Press


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References

How People Learn by National Research Council editor John Bransford,NationalResearch Council, 2000

Goldberg, E. The Executive Brain Frontal Lobes and the Civilized Mind ,OxfordUniversity Press: 2001

Ratey, J. MD :A Users Guide to the Brain, Sprenger, M. Learning and Memory TheBrain in Action by, ASCD, 1999

Pantheon Books: New York, 2001

Damasio, A. R. (1994). Descartes' error: Emotion, reason, and the human brain.New York, NY, Grosset/Putnam

Damasio AR: Fundamental Feelings.Nature 413:781, 2001.

Damasio AR: The Feeling ofWhat Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making ofConsciousness, Harcourt Brace, New York, 1999, 2000.


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References

Weimer, Maryellen, 2002, Learner Centered Teaching, Jossey Bass, San Francisco.

Smith, Peter, 2004. The Quiet Crisis; How Higher Education is Failing America,

Anker Publishing, Bolton MA

(Barbara L. Mcombs & Jo Sue Whistler, The Learner-CenteredClassroom & School,

1997)

montevallo university workshop two lct august 24

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