Straightforward Backward Course Design

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Straightforward BackwardCourse Design

• Karl A. SmithCivil Engineering University of
  Minnesotaksmith_at_umn.eduhttp//www.ce.umn.edu/sm
  ithScience and Engineering Education Scholars
  Program B Seventh Annual ConferencePenn State
  MinnesotaJuly 2004

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To teach is to engage students in learning thus
teaching consists of getting students involved in
the active construction of knowledge. . .The aim
of teaching is not only to transmit information,
but also to transform students from passive
recipients of other people's knowledge into
active constructors of their own and others'
knowledge. . .Teaching is fundamentally about
creating the pedagogical, social, and ethical
conditions under which students agree to take
charge of their own learning, individually and
collectively Education for judgment The
artistry of discussion leadership. Edited by C.
Roland Christensen, David A. Garvin, and Ann
Sweet. Cambridge, MA Harvard Business School,
1991.
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Formulate-Share-Listen-Create (Think-Pair-Share)

• Individually read the quote To teach is to
  engage students in learning. . .
• Underline/Highlight words and/or phrase that
  stand out for you
• Turn to the person next to you, introduce
  yourself
• Share words and/or phrases that stood out and
  discuss

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It could well be that faculty members of the
twenty-first century college or university will
find it necessary to set aside their roles as
teachers and instead become designers of learning
experiences, processes, and environments James
Duderstadt, 1999
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Knowledge Probe

• Individually complete the knowledge probe
• Example from MOT 8221
• What would you like to know about the students in
  your courses?

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PM Q1
KM Q2
PMI Q3
EngSys Q4
IE/OR Q5
Mod/Sim Q6
MgmtSci Q7
6 Sigma Q8
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Spread Q1
PM Q2
Stat Q3
Mod/Sim Q4
DB Q5
Prog Q6
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Knowledge Probe

• Individually complete the knowledge probe
• Example from MOT 8221
• What would you like to know about the students in
  your courses?
• Talk with a partner

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Session Goals

• This session provides an opportunity for
  participants to
• Explore the pedagogical shift from providing
  instruction to enhancing student learning.
• Identify desired learning outcomes for students.
• Find out about and experience teaching methods
  that create active learning opportunities for
  students in a lecture setting.
• Discuss ways to help students think critically
  about the information presented in lectures and
  prepare them to apply it in real-world settings.
  
• Gain a conceptual understanding of cooperative
  learning and find out how to operationalize and
  use both informal and formal cooperative learning
  groups effectively.
• Determine acceptable evidence of students
  learning.
• Build cooperative teaching and learning skills
  while building a professional network of
  colleagues dedicated to enhancing student
  learning.

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Your Session Goals

• Participants Goals for the Workshop
• Choose three of the listed goals that are most
  important for you and your colleagues?

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Book Ends on a Class Session
See Cooperative Learning Handout for details
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• Book Ends on a Class Session
• Advance Organizer
• Formulate-Share-Listen-Create (Turn-to-your-neighb
  or) -- repeated every 10-12 minutes
• Session Summary (Minute Paper)
• What was the most useful or meaningful thing you
  learned during this session?
• What question(s) remain uppermost in your mind as
  we end this session?
• What was the muddiest point in this session?

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Advance Organizer AThe most important single
factor influencing learning is what the learner
already knows. Ascertain this and teach him
accordingly._at_ David Ausubel - Educational
psychology A cognitive approach, 1968.
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• Formulate-Share-Listen-Create
• (Think-Pair-Share)
• Informal Cooperative Learning Group
• Introductory Pair Discussion of a
• FOCUS QUESTION
• Formulate your response to the question
  individually
• Share your answer with a partner
• Listen carefully to your partner's answer
• Work together to Create a new answer through
  discussion

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Quick Thinks

• Reorder the steps
• Paraphrase the idea
• Correct the error
• Support a statement
• Select the response
• Johnston, S. Cooper,J. 1997. Quick thinks
  Active- thinking in lecture classes and televised
  instruction. Cooperative learning and college
  teaching, 8(1), 2-7.

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Minute Paper

• What was the most useful or meaningful thing you
  learned during this session?
• What question(s) remain uppermost in your mind as
  we end this session?
• What was the muddiest point in this session?
• Give an example or application
• Explain in your own words . . .
• Angelo, T.A. Cross, K.P. 1993. Classroom
  assessment techniques A handbook for college
  teachers. San Francisco Jossey Bass.

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Informal CL (Book Ends on a Class Session) with
Concept Tests Physics Peer Instruction Eric
Mazur - Harvard B http//galileo.harvard.edu Pee
r Instruction www.prenhall.com Richard Hake
http//www.physics.indiana.edu/hake/ Chemistry
Chemistry ConcepTests - UW Madison B
www.chem.wisc.edu/concept Video Making
Lectures Interactive with ConcepTests ModularChem
Consortium B http//mc2.cchem.berkeley.edu/ STEM
TEC Video How Change Happens Breaking the
ATeach as You Were Taught_at_ Cycle B Films for the
Humanities Sciences B www.films.com Thinking
Together video Derek Bok Center B
www.fas.harvard.edu/bok_cen/
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Richard Hake (Interactive engagement vs
traditional methods) http//www.physics.indiana.ed
u/hake/
Traditional (lecture)
Interactive (active/cooperative)
ltggt Concept Inventory Gain/Total
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Lila M. Smith
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Lila M. Smith
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Cooperative Learning Research Support Johnson,
D.W., Johnson, R.T., Smith, K.A. 1998.
Cooperative learning returns to college What
evidence is there that it works? Change, 30 (4),
26-35. Over 300 Experimental Studies First
study conducted in 1924 High Generalizability
Multiple Outcomes
Outcomes 1. Achievement and retention 2.
Critical thinking and higher-level reasoning 3.
Differentiated views of others 4. Accurate
understanding of others' perspectives 5. Liking
for classmates and teacher 6. Liking for subject
areas 7. Teamwork skills
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Small-Group Learning Meta-analysis
Springer, L., Stanne, M. E., Donovan, S. 1999.
Effects of small-group learning on
undergraduates in science, mathematics,
engineering, and technology A meta-analysis.
Review of Educational Research, 69(1), 21-52.
Small-group (predominantly cooperative) learning
in postsecondary science, mathematics,
engineering, and technology (SMET). 383 reports
from 1980 or later, 39 of which met the rigorous
inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. The main
effect of small-group learning on achievement,
persistence, and attitudes among undergraduates
in SMET was significant and positive. Mean
effect sizes for achievement, persistence, and
attitudes were 0.51, 0.46, and 0.55,
respectively.
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Strategies for Energizing Large Classes From
Small Groups to Learning Communities Jean
MacGregor, James Cooper, Karl Smith, Pamela
Robinson New Directions for Teaching and
Learning, No. 81, 2000. Jossey- Bass
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Session Summary (MINUTE PAPER) PART A
DIRECTIONS Read the following questions, and
write a brief answer to each one. What is most
important point conveyed during this session?
What is one new teaching activity you are
willing to try? What is 1 question you have
about the session? PART B DIRECTIONS Read
each statement in the scale below. Circle the
degree to which you either agree or disagree with
it. SDStrongly Disagree DDisagree N
Neutral AAgree SAStrongly Agree 1. I was
comfortable with the pace of the session. SD
D N A SA 2. I found the content to be
relevant. SD D N A SA 3. I found the
activities to be useful. SD D N A SA
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Effective Course Design
(Felder Brent, 1999)
EC 2000
Blooms Taxonomy
Course-specific goals objectives
Classroom assessment techniques
Technology
Cooperative learning
Students
Assessment
Other experiences
Tests
Other measures
Lectures
Labs
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Straightforward Backward Design

• Stage 1. Identify Desired Results/Goals
• Stage 2. Determine Acceptable Evidence/
  Assessment
• Stage 3. Plan Learning Activities and
  Instruction

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A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for
Significant Learning L. Dee Fink. 2003. Creating
significant learning experiences. Jossey-Bass.
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Taxonomies Blooms taxonomy of educational
objectives Cognitive Domain (Bloom Krathwohl,
1956) A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and
assessing A revision of Blooms taxonomy of
educational objectives (Anderson Krathwohl,
2001). Facets of understanding (Wiggins
McTighe, 1998) Creating significant learning
experiences (L. Dee Fink. 2003)
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The Six Major Levels of Bloom's Taxonomy of the
Cognitive Domain(with representative behaviors
and sample objectives) Knowledge. Remembering
information Define, identify, label, state, list,
match Identify the standard peripheral
components of a computer Write the equation for
the Ideal Gas Law Comprehension. Explaining the
meaning of information Describe, generalize,
paraphrase, summarize, estimate In one sentence
explain the main idea of a written passage
Describe in prose what is shown in graph form
Application. Using abstractions in concrete
situations Determine, chart, implement, prepare,
solve, use, develop Using principles of operant
conditioning, train a rate to press a bar Derive
a kinetic model from experimental data Analysis.
Breaking down a whole into component parts Points
out, differentiate, distinguish, discriminate,
compare Identify supporting evidence to support
the interpretation of a literary passage
Analyze an oscillator circuit and determine the
frequency of oscillation Synthesis. Putting
parts together to form a new and integrated whole
Create, design, plan, organize, generate, write
Write a logically organized essay in favor of
euthanasia Develop an individualized nutrition
program for a diabetic patient Evaluation.
Making judgments about the merits of ideas,
materials, or phenomena Appraise, critique,
judge, weigh, evaluate, select Assess the
appropriateness of an author's conclusions based
on the evidence given Select the best proposal
for a proposed water treatment plant
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Facets of Understanding Wiggins McTighe, 1998,
page 44 When we truly understand,we Can
explain Can interpret Can apply Have
perspective Can empathize Have self-knowledge
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A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for
Significant Learning L. Dee Fink. 2003. Creating
significant learning experiences. Jossey-Bass.
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Understanding Understanding Stage 1. Identify
Desired Results Focus Question What does it mean
to understand? Stage 2. Determine Acceptable
Evidence Focus Questions How will we know if
students have achieved the desired results and
met the standards? What will we accept as
evidence of student understanding and proficiency
(Wiggins McTighe)
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• Understanding Misunderstanding
• A Private Universe 21 minute video available
  from www.learner.org
• Also see Minds of our own (Annenberg/CPB Math and
  Science Collection www.learner.org)
• Can we believe our eyes?
• Lessons from thin air
• Under construction

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Backward Design

• Stage 1. Identify Desired Results
• Filter 1. To what extent does the idea,
  topic, or
• process represent a big idea or
  having
• enduring value beyond the
  classroom?
• Filter 2. To what extent does the idea,
  topic, or
• process reside at the heart of
  the discipline?
• Filter 3. To what extent does the idea,
  topic, or
• process require uncoverage?
• Filter 4. To what extent does the idea,
  topic, or
• process offer potential for
  engaging
• students?

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Worksheet 1 Worksheet for Designing a Class
Ways of Assessing Actual Teaching-Learning Helpful Resources
Learning Goals for Class This Kind of Learning Activities (e.g., people, things)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
List 3-5 goals for a class you teach -- At the
end of this class session my students will . . .

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Backward Design

• Stage 2. Determine Acceptable Evidence
• Types of Assessment
• Quiz and Test Items
• Simple, content-focused test items
• Academic Prompts
• Open-ended questions or problems that
• require the student to think critically
• Performance Tasks or Projects
• Complex challenges that mirror the
  issues or
• problems faced by graduates, they are
  authentic

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Worksheet 1 Worksheet for Designing a Class
Ways of Assessing Actual Teaching-Learning Helpful Resources
Learning Goals for Class This Kind of Learning Activities (e.g., people, things)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
List assessment Procedure for one goal
List 3-5 goals for a class you teach -- At the
end of this class session my students will . . .

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Backward Design

• Stage 3. Plan Learning Activities Instruction
• What enabling knowledge (facts, concepts, and
  principles) and skills (procedures) will students
  need to perform effectively and achieve desired
  results?
• What activities will equip students with the
  needed knowledge and skills?
• What will need to be taught and coached, and how
  should it be taught, in light of performance
  goals?
• What materials and resources are best suited to
  accomplish these goals?
• Is the overall design coherent and effective?

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Active Learning Cooperation in the College
Classroom

• Informal Cooperative Learning Groups
• Formal Cooperative Learning Groups
• Cooperative Base Groups

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Cooperative Learning is instruction that involves
people working in teams to accomplish a common
goal, under conditions that involve both positive
interdependence (all members must cooperate to
complete the task) and individual and group
accountability (each member is accountable for
the complete final outcome). Key
Concepts Positive Interdependence Individual
and Group Accountability Face-to-Face Promotive
Interaction Teamwork Skills Group Processing
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Informal Cooperative Learning Groups Can be
used at any time Can be short term and ad hoc May
be used to break up a long lecture Provides an
opportunity for students to process material
they have been listening to (Cognitive
Rehearsal) Are especially effective in large
lectures Include "book ends" procedure Are not as
effective as Formal Cooperative Learning or
Cooperative Base Groups
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• Professor's Role in
• Formal Cooperative Learning
• Specifying Objectives
• Making Decisions
• Explaining Task, Positive Interdependence, and
  Individual Accountability
• Monitoring and Intervening to Teach Skills
• Evaluating Students' Achievement and Group
  Effectiveness

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Course/Session Design - Cooperative Learning
Format TASK Complete the course design
project. INDIVIDUAL Everyone
contributes. COOPERATIVE One plan from the
group, strive for agreement, make sure everyone
is able to explain or demonstrate the learning
activity. EXPECTED CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS
Everyone must be able to explain. EVALUATION
Does the learning strategy fit the selected
goal? INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY One member
from your group may be randomly chosen to explain
or demonstrate the activity. EXPECTED BEHAVIORS
Active participating, checking, encouraging, and
elaborating by all members. INTERGROUP
COOPERATION Each group will describe or
demonstrate their activity to one other group.
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Team Member Roles

• Task Recorder
• Checker check to make sure each member
  understands and can explain
• Timekeeper

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Worksheet 1 Worksheet for Designing a Class
Ways of Assessing Actual Teaching-Learning Helpful Resources
Learning Goals for Class This Kind of Learning Activities (e.g., people, things)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
List assessment Procedure for one goal
Plan Instruction
List 3-5 goals for a class you teach -- At the
end of this class session my students will . . .

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Resources

• Workshop Handouts Resources http//www.ce.umn.ed
  u/smith
• University of Minnesota - Center for Teaching and
  Learning Services -- http//www1.umn.edu/ohr/teach
  learn/
• Richard Felder -- http//www.ncsu.edu/felder-publi
  c/RMF.html
• Contact Information
• Kathleen ODonovan odono004_at_umn.edu
• Karl Smith ksmith_at_umn.edu
• Connie Tzenis tzeni001_at_umn.edu

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http//clte.asu.edu/active