TEAL Technology Enabled Active Learning

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TEALTechnology Enabled Active Learning

• Phillip Long, Ph.D.
• Sr. Strategist/Dir. of Learning Outreach

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The starting point.
1918
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Why TEAL?

• Decline in attendance over the semester
• 14 failure rate -
• Separating the wheat from the chaff?
• Is it our responsibility, too?
• Learning is not a spectator sport
• Need teaching from all directions

Innovating education, sharing technology
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Two Constraints

• It had to cost no more than current physics
  lecture-recitation course
• Needed to scale to current course size (600-700
  students)
• And a benefit
• Re-introduced experiments into first year physics
  which had been missing for 30 years

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What is Active Learning?
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_learning
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A Schematic of Active Learning In the Round
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A Schematic of Active Learning In the Round
Student functions
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A Schematic of Active Learning In the Round
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TEAL 26-159
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TEAL 26-159
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The Structure

• Teams of 3
• In groups 9
• In sections of no more than 118
• ltthan 80 optimal
• Teams constructed based on pre-test scores in
  sets of low, medium, high.

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26-159 with people!
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The Pattern

• Concept questions
• Demonstrations
• Mini-lectures
• Experiments
• Visualizations throughout
• ltrepeatgt

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Demos
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8.02 EM
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Mini-lectures
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TEAL hands-on experiments
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TEAL visualizations augment EM
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Visualizations Help Students See What Cannot Be
Seen
An animation used in Physics II, a course in
electromagnetism (8.02T). Click to see how
field lines move. For more information on the
Technology-Enabled Active Learning project, go to
http//web.mit.edu/8.02t/www.
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Visualizing Fields
Point Charge
Dipole
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Mapping Fields Applet
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Weird Field Contest Winners
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Interactive Java3D Applets
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Content developed with embedded animations
Innovating education, sharing technology
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TEAL 32-082
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Whats different here from TEAL 26-159?
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Keeping student attention still takes
invention,with or without technology
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TEAL in Action
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Does it work?
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Not in the beginning
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Technology-Enabled Active Learning Increased
Learning Gains

Source Dori, Y. J. J. W. Belcher (2005). How
Does Technology-Enabled Active Learning Affect
Undergraduate Students Understanding of
Electromagnetic Concepts? The Journal of the
Learning Sciences, 14(2)243-279.
Learning gains ltggt Correct post-test -
Correct pre-test
100 - Correct pre-test
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Increases Seen Long Term
Scores
n52 control n120 experimental
Source Dori, Y.J., E. Hult, L. Breslow, J. W.
Belcher (2005). The Retention of Concepts from
a Freshmen Electromagnetism Course by MIT
Upperclass Students, paper delivered at the
NARST annual conference.
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Active Learning Spaces

• Students need to be able to
• hear what the faculty member and other students
  say
• see what other people show, even if objects are
  small and many students are in the course
• replay this material, perhaps instantly
• try something someone suggests, then and there
• work for short times in small groups, observing
  and critiquing one anothers work
• respond to questions, from their peers as well as
  from the instructor (faculty need to be able to
  see perhaps display student patterns and use
  them to provoke further discussion)

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Characteristics of Future classrooms

• Designed for people, not for ephemeral
  technologies
• Optimized for certain learning activities it is
  not just stuffed with technology
• Enables technologies to be brought to the space,
  as well as be built into the space
• Allows invisible technology and adaptable use
• Emphasizes soft spaces
• Useful across the twenty-four-hour day
• Zoned for sound and activity

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Questions?
longpd_at_mit.edu
http//icampus.mit.edu/teal http//ocw.mit.edu/Oc
wWeb/Physics/8-02TSpring-2005/CourseHome/
http//ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Physics/8-01TFall-2004/
CourseHome/