Determining and monitoring a student

1
Determining and monitoring a students prior
knowledge
A. Determine a students prior knowledge
the essential tasks of teaching
B. Promote learningactivity
C. Carry outcontinuous evaluation
2
Before teaching

• In both content and level, teaching should match
  the students needs. In other words, already
  during the planning stage, teachers should pay
  attention to what students already know and link
  new information to the students existing
  constructs of knowledge.
• Before the actual teaching starts, feedback
  already received can help the teacher to adjust
  the aims of the course, its content and level,
  the style of presentation, the pace and the
  manner in which topics are divided up.

3

• Some techniques for establishing the students
  prior knowledge

4
Question bank

• A store of true/false questions related to the
  topics of lectures
• Divide the questions into sets according to the
  topics of lectures
• Students can check the answers themselves against
  the answers provided by the teacher
• This technique is appropriate for courses which
  cover a good deal of factual information
• Students can then pay heed to the matters they
  dont know well enough
• The teacher can gather data which can be used to
  plan and adjust the foci of teaching

(Kekäle, J. 1994, p. 61)
5
Level test

• Level test
• To check the prior knowledge, the teacher can use
  a traditional test of the course literature or
  the test on the previous years course.
• The results guide the content of lessons.
• It is advisable for the test to include questions
  about
• the background of the students (age, major,
  profession, year of studies)
• special topics of interest and motives for
  learning
• their understanding of the core themes and
  principles covered in the course

(Kekäle, J. 1994, p. 60)
6
Diagnostic test

• A short test on the day before the lesson, the
  questions of which guide the planning of the
  central themes and sub-themes of the lecture
• The students can complete the test at home and
  mark it at the start of the lesson according to
  the instructions given.
• The test guides the teacher in planning and
  realising the lesson.

(Kekäle, J. 1994, p. 60)
7
Taking stock of the present state of knowledge

• The lesson begins with several minutes of
  independent work, during which each student jots
  down the thoughts that the topic triggers
• After max. 10 minutes, the students form groups
  of 4-5 people and take turns to give an account
  of what they wrote down.
• The thoughts from each group are compiled and
  students consider whether they have any questions
  which they would like to be answered during the
  lesson gt 10-15 minutes time allowed for this
  activity
• Finally, the groups report their thoughts and
  their questions, which the teacher can write down
  on the board or the OHP.

(Lonka Lonka, 1991, p. 38)
8
Activating writing task

• Activation of the students previous knowledge of
  a topic
• This is generally a 10-15 minute period of
  writing, in which each student jots down all s/he
  knows about a given topic.
• Example
• Write down all you know about dinosaurs.
• How is knowledge represented in the human memory?

(Lonka Lonka, 1991, p. 38)
9
Sticky note technique

• Give the students a task or question which is
  answered by listing items
• Example list the things you want to learn on
  this course.
• One item per sticky note
• The slips are collected after the given time and
  spread out on the board or wall.
• After arranging into related topics, the students
  discuss the topic on the basis of the items
  listed on the slips.
• The slips are moved around as the discussion
  progresses with the aims of creating an overview
  of the topic.
• Large groups can be divided into smaller groups
  of 4-6 students, who work together on producing
  their own overview.

(Vänskä, 1995)
10
Stimulus questions

• The questions are given to the students before
  the lesson
• The students have a chance to reflect and
  activate their knowledge connected with the
  situation.
• The questions can be considered orally or in
  writing.

(Lonka Lonka, 1991, s.38)
11
Students wish list

• The syllabus can be put together with the help of
  the list compiled by the students of the topics
  they hope to cover.
• The topics can be dealt with in more depth during
  the lessons.

(Kekäle, 1994, s. 62)
12
Student question time

• Before the lesson, each student gives the teacher
  one question s/he hopes will be answered.
• The students or teacher arrange the questions
  into groups so that the central themes become
  apparent.
• The lesson is organised around the needs of the
  group.

(Kekäle, 1994, s. 63)
13
Topic survey

• Students give a response to statements
• Ask the students to respond to the statements
  twice before and after the lesson.
• Answer A, if you agree with the statement.
• Answer B, if you disagree with the statement.
• Example statements on the topic of dinosaurs
• Dinosaurs are the most successful group of land
  animals ever to roam the Earth
• Paleontology is the study of fossils.
• Human beings belong to the Zenozoic Era.
• Most dinosaurs have Greek names.
• Some dinosaurs are named for places in which
  their fossilized remains were found.
• Dinosaurs ruled our planet for over 150 million
  years.
• Dinosaurs had small brains
• (http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students
  /learning/lr1anti.htm)

14
K-W-L-H technique I

• A model for stimulating active thought while
  reading
• K prompts the students to remember what they
  already know
• W prompts the students to decide what they want
  to learn
• L prompts the students to monitor what they
  learn while reading
• H prompts the students to consider HOW they can
  learn more
• Example the topic of dinosaurs
• (http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/l
  earning/lr1kwlh.htm)

15
K-W-L-H technique II
What do we KNOW about the topic? What do we WANT to know about the topic? What have we LEARNed? HOW can we learn more?
Dinosaurs are dead. Dinosaurs lived a long time ago. Why did they die? How do we know what they looked like? Most dinosaurs were herbivores, but some ate meat. Some dinosaurs were really big, but they had small brains. Museums Field studies
16
Spider Map
Example

• Visual organisers are aids for gaining an
  impression of the students previous knowledge of
  a topic.
• They can be used to deal with a thing, a process
  or a concept, or to help formulate a proposition
  about a particular issue.
• Significant questions What is the central idea?
  What are its attributes? What is it for?
• (http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/l
  earning/lr1grorg.htm)

17
Series of Events Chain

• Can be used to describe the components of an
  object, the stages in a process, a series of
  events and a historical event or aims and
  achievements of a historical figure
• Key frame questions
• What is the object, process or initial event?
• What are its stages/components?
• How do the stages/events proceed
• What is the final result?
• (http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/l
  earning/lr1grorg.htm)

18
Continuum scale

• A scale which represents historical events, age,
  degree (weight), assessment (grades)
• Key frame questions
• What is the entity represented along the scale?
• What are its two extremes?
• (http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/l
  earning/lr1grorg.htm)

low
high
19
Compare/Contrast Matrix

• Used to represent the similarities or differences
  of two things (people, places, events, ideas)
• Key frame questions
• In what way are the things similar?
• In what way are the things different?
• (http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/l
  earning/lr1grorg.htm)

name 1 name 2
property 1
property 1
property 1
20
Problem/Solution Outline

• Used to represent a problem, alternative
  solutions and a final outcome
• Key frame questions
• What is the problem?
• For whom is it a problem?
• Why is it a problem?
• What can be done to solve the problem?
• Are the attempts successful?
• (http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/l
  earning/lr1grorg.htm)

21
Network tree

• Used to represent, for example, relationships
  and hierarchies
• Key frame questions
• What is on the uppermost level?
• And the subordinate levels?
• How are they related?
• How many layers are there?
• (http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/l
  earning/lr1grorg.htm)

22
Human Interaction Outline

• Representation of the interaction between two
  people or groups
• Key frame questions
• Who are the people or groups?
• What are their objectives?
• Are they in conflict or do they work
  cooperatively?
• What is the outcome for each individual or group?
• (http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/l
  earning/lr1grorg.htm)

23
Fishbone Map

• Used to represent complex events or the causal
  interaction of phenomena (elections, learning
  difficulties, youth crime)
• Key frame questions
• Which factors cause X?
• How are the factors related?
• (http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/l
  earning/lr1grorg.htm)

24
Cycle

• Used to represent series of events which always
  produce similar outcomes (weather phenomena, life
  cycles)
• Key frame questions
• What are the critical events in the cycle?
• How are they related?
• In what way are they self-reinforcing?
• (http//www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/l
  earning/lr1grorg.htm)

25
References

• Kekäle, J. 1994. Luento-opetuksen kehittäminen.
  Vähemmälläluennoimisella parempiin tuloksiin.
  Korkeakoulupedagogiikan perusmateriaali. Oulu.
• Kuittinen, M. 1994. Mitä luennoinnin sijaan?
  Malleja opiskelijan itsenäisen työskentelyn
  lisäämiseksi. Korkeakoulupedagogiikan
  perusmateriaali. Oulu.
• Lonka, K Lonka, I. (toim.) 1991. Aktivoiva
  opetus. Käsikirja aikuisten ja nuorten
  opettajille. Kirjayhtymä, Helsinki.
• Vänskä, M. 1995. Antoisaan opiskeluun. Käsikirja
  opiskelun ja opetuksen kehittämiseen. Helsingin
  yliopiston ylioppilaskunta.