Active Learning:

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• Active Learning
• Motivating Students to Learn
• Dr. Theresa R. Moore

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• I hear, and I forget
• I see, and I remember
• I do, and I understand.
• - Confucious

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Outline of Plenary

• Review goals of Title 3
• Course design
• What is active learning why do it?
• Learning theorists learning styles
• Active learning and technology (Isaac).

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Outcomes of the workshop

• Faculty will
• Know basic concepts related to a cognitive
  approach to learning styles
• Understand basic premises of active learning
• Engage in active learning with their peers
• Work individually and with their programs on
  purposeful alignment of outcomes, assessment
  methods, and instructional activities
• Have a toolkit of active learning approaches to
  apply to courses.

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Section I Goals of the Title III Project

• Goal 1 increase the use of outcomes based
  assessment in courses and programs to measure and
  improve student learning
• Goal 2 increase the use of active learning
  strategies and technologies to effect
  learner-centered instruction.

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Section II Course design
Active Learning
1. Situational factors
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Student learning outcome Students will
critically analyze the current educational
policies in the United States.
Primary instructional method lecture
Assessment method exams with critical thinking
items embedded
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Section III What is active learning why do it?

• Strategies that increase student engagement with
  material and are aligned with student learning
  outcomes
• Theory that derives from two basic assumptions
  (1) that learning is by nature an active endeavor
  and (2) that different people learn in different
  ways
• (Meyers and Jones, 1993).

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What is active learning?

• it is when students are engaged in more
  activities than just listening. They are involved
  in dialog, debate, writing, and problem solving,
  as well as higher-order thinking.
• (Bonwell, C., and Eison, J., 1991)

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Types of activities

• Small group work
• Presentations and debates
• Journaling
• Role playing
• Learning Games
• Field Experiences
• Case Studies
• Class Discussions
• Simulations.more!
• (Mc Keachie, 1994 and Silberman, 1996)

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Active learning types
simple tasks ad hoc exercises little or no
advanced planning e.g. think-pair-share
minute paper concept mapping
complex tasks longer duration, carefully
planned and structured
Cooperative learning a form of collaborative
learning that has 5 specific criteria to maximize
learning
Collaborative learning carefully structured,
group formation and student roles important
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Cooperative learning 5 key components

• 1. Positive interdependence (each individual
  depends on and is accountable to the others)
• 2. Individual accountability
• (each person in the group learns the material)
• 3. Promotive interaction
• (group members help one another, share
  information, clarify)
• 4. Social skills
• (emphasis on interpersonal skills)
• 5. Group processing
• (assessing how effectively they are working with
  one another).

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Why do active learning?
Sousa, D.A. (2000)
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Why do Active Learning?www.foundationcoalition.o
rg
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Research summary

• Longitudinal studies show that cohorts of
  students instructed using active learning
  techniques outperformed a comparison group on
  multiple measures retention, graduation and
  pursuit of graduate study
• (Felder, R., Felder, G, and Dietz, E, 1998)

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Research summary

• Scientists and engineers work mostly in groups
  and less often as isolated investigators.
  Similarly, students should gain experience
  sharing responsibility for learning with each
  other.
• Meta-analysis of research studies
• greater academic achievement,
• more favorable attitudes toward learning and,
• increased persistence in SMET courses and
  programs.
• www.wcer.wisc.edu/nise/cl1/CL/resource/R2.htm

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Why do active learning?

• Retention levels are enhanced when active
  learning methods are used (McKeachie, 1999
  Silberman, 1996)
• Active learning produces
• higher achievement,
• more positive relationships among students,
• healthier psychological adjustment. (Johnson, D.
  W., R. T. Johnson, and K. Smith , 1991)

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Section IV Learning theorists learning styles

• Behaviorism (B.F. Skinner) learning built on
  conditioning
• Constructivism (J. Dewey, J. Piaget, L. Vygotsky,
  others) learning built on prior knowledge

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• John Dewey (1916) 1) individual experience 2)
  collaboration w/others are important for learning
• School is primarily a social institution.
  Education is a social process.therefore it is
  a process of living, not preparation for living.

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Active learning from the Constructivist School

• Jean Piaget we come to know the world by
  building new experiences on old experiences
• Lev Vygotsky students learn better by engaging
  with more capable others

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Constructivist principles

• Knowledge is constructed from experience
• Learning results from personal interpretation of
  knowledge
• Learning is an active process
• Learning is a collaborative process.

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Benjamin Bloom

• Viewed education as goal attainment, not
  competition
• Acknowledged individual differences and
  environment as crucial
• Studied high achieving adults - found they
  excelled because of MENTORSHIP.

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Three Domains of Learning (Bloom,1956)

• Cognitive mental skills
• Affective growth regarding feelings, emotions
• Psychomotor manual, physicality, environment

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Blooms Taxonomy of LearningHigher Order
Thinking Skills

• Synthesis
• Comprehension
• Application
• Analysis
• Knowledge
• Evaluation
• Alone or with a neighbor
• 1) define each skill
• 2) align in a hierarchy.

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Blooms Taxonomy of Learning

• Evaluation compare and discriminate between
  ideas. Question Cuesassess, decide, grade,
  test, measure, recommend, convince, select, judge
• Synthesis use old ideas to create new ones.
  Question Cuescombine, integrate, modify,
  substitute, plan, create, design, invent
• Analysis identification of components.
  Question Cuesanalyze, separate, order, explain,
  connect, classify, arrange, divide, compare,
  select
• Application use of concepts/methods in new
  situations. Question cues apply, demonstrate,
  illustrate, examine, solve
• Comprehension understanding of meaning.
  Question cues summarize, describe, interpret,
  predict
• Knowledge recall of information. Question
  cues define, identify, list, match

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Learning styles

• Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic (VAK)
• Kolbs learning style inventory (LSI)
• Meyers Briggs (MBTI)

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VAK learning styles

• Visual learners have two subchannels
• visual-linguistic
• visual-spatial
• Auditory learners
• Kinesthetic learners have two subchannels
• kinesthetic (movement)
• tactile (touch)

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Section V Active Learning Technology
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Bibliography

• Bloom, B.S. (Ed.) (1956). Taxonomy of educational
  objectives The classification of educational
  goals Handbook I, cognitive domain. New York
  Toronto Longmans, Green.
• Bonwell, C. and Eison, J. (1991). Active
  learning Creating excitement in the
  classroom.ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No.
  1.
• Bonwell C. and Sutherland, T. (eds.). (1996).
  Using Active Learning in College Classes A Range
  of Options for Faculty. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
• Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New
  York Collier Books.
• Felder, R.M., Felder, G.N., Dietz, E.J. (1998).
  A Longitudinal Study of Engineering Student
  Performance and Retention V. Comparisons with
  Traditionally Taught Students. Engineering
  Education, 98(4), 469-480.
• Fink, L. D. (2003). Creating significant learning
  experiences An integrated approach to designing
  college courses. Jossey-Bass San Francisco.
• Huba, M. E. and Freed, J. E. (2000).
  Learner-centered assessment on college campuses
  Shifting the focus from teaching to learning.
  Allyn and Bacon.
• Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., and Smith, K.
  (1991). Active learning Cooperation in the
  college classroom, Edina, MN Interaction Book
  Company.
• Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning
  Experience as the source of learning and
  development. Prentice Hall.

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Bibliography

• Mc Keachie, W. J. (1994). Teaching Tips
  Strategies, research, and theory for College
  Teachers. 9th edition. Lexington, Maryland D.C.
  Heath.
• Meyers, C. and Jones, T.B. (1993). Promoting
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• Paiget, J. (1970). The Science of Education and
  the Psychology of the Child. NY Grossman.
• Silberman, M. (1996). Active learning 101
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• Sousa, D. A. (2000). How the brain learns A
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• Stice, J. E. (1987). Using Kolbs Learning Cycle
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