Post on 11-May-2015
Creating a Culture of Pedagogical Learning
Changing our cultural perceptions to create a new culture of learning
Fumiko FutamuraDepartment of Math and CS
Southwestern University
What is culture?
From a behavioral psychologist’s point of view,
We have implicitly learned how to teach and how to learn about teaching.
Culture is: learned behavior patterns and perceptions.
Why change the culture?
• To expose more instructors to more techniques, so they can find one that works best in their classroom.• To learn and utilize recent advances in
neuroscience and learning research.• To create a stronger sense of community.• To help our students learn better.
Using the science of change
1. How Obama is Using the Science of Change, by Michael Grunwald, TIME 4/12/09
2. How People Learn, J. Bransford, A. Brown, R. Cocking, editors, National Research Council
3. The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell
How Obama is Using the Science of Change by Michael Grunwald, TIME 4/12/09
1. Provide knowledge.
2. Make it easy.
3. Make it popular.
4. Make it lucrative… or required.
1. Provide knowledge.
• Teaching journals• The Teaching Professor, JoSoTL, Math Forum list
• Listservs and newsletters• NITLE: Peer Communities, Stanford: Tomorrow’s Professor…
• Center for Teaching websites• Vanderbilt, U of Iowa, U of Kansas, Derek Bok Center at Harvard• AASL Best Websites for Teaching and Learning
• Books• How People Learn, What the Best College Teachers Do, The
Teaching Gap, The Art of Changing the Brain…
• Create a file cabinet of articles, syllabi, etc.
2. Make it easy.
• Start a “Teaching Circle”.– Meet every week/2 weeks/month.– Have possible topics and info ready, but ask for suggestions.– Create lesson plans, projects, syllabi, etc. during the
meeting.
• Send reminder emails.
• Make the binder readily accessible.
3. Make it popular.
The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell
"the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.“ –Bryan Walsh, “A Green Tipping Point”, TIME magazine, Oct 2007.
What creates the tipping point?1. Law of the Few
Find people who either: 1. knows everybody and is very charismatic (connectors)2. keeps up-to-date on the latest research on teaching (mavens)3. is very persuasive (salespeople)
2. Law of Stickiness3. Law of Context
3. Make it popular.
What creates the tipping point?1. Law of the Few2. Law of Stickiness
Make it stick… what makes it stick?
What can we learn about stickiness from How People Learn
J. Bransford, A. Brown, R. Cocking, editors, National Research Council
3. Law of Context
?
How People Learn J. Bransford, A. Brown, R. Cocking, editors, National Research Council
What makes it stick?• Learner centered: Respond to their interests. Focus on
their preconceptions and habits. Don’t lecture.• Knowledge centered: Present new techniques/ideas
and allow them to explore and understand how it might apply to their teaching
• Assessment centered: Allow for discussion about their experiments, provide feedback.
• Community centered: Cultivate a helpful, open, supportive, and dedicated community.
How People Learn J. Bransford, A. Brown, R. Cocking, editors, National Research Council
What makes it stick?• Learner centered: Respond to their interests. Focus on
their preconceptions and habits. Don’t lecture.• Knowledge centered: Present new techniques/ideas
and allow them to explore and understand how it might apply to their teaching.
• Assessment centered: Allow for discussion about their experiments, provide feedback.
• Community centered: Cultivate a helpful, open, supportive, and dedicated community.
How People Learn J. Bransford, A. Brown, R. Cocking, editors, National Research Council
What makes it stick?• Learner centered: Respond to their interests. Focus on
their preconceptions and habits. Don’t lecture.• Knowledge centered: Present new techniques/ideas
and allow them to explore and understand how it might apply to their teaching.
• Assessment centered: Allow then to share experiences, provide feedback.
• Community centered: Cultivate a helpful, open, supportive, and dedicated community.
How People Learn J. Bransford, A. Brown, R. Cocking, editors, National Research Council
What makes it stick?• Learner centered: Respond to their interests. Focus on
their preconceptions and habits. Don’t lecture.• Knowledge centered: Present new techniques/ideas
and allow them to explore and understand how it might apply to their teaching.
• Assessment centered: Allow then to share experiences, provide feedback.
• Community centered: Cultivate a helpful, open, supportive, and dedicated community.
3. Make it popular.
What creates the tipping point?1. Law of the Few2. Law of Stickiness3. Law of Context Make it convenient for the busy.
1. Meet during lunch or afternoon tea.2. Prepare for classes for next semester.
3. Create a highly accessible binder with contact information
4. Make it lucrative… or required.
• Establish teaching awards.
• Obtain grants to compensate you for your time and effort.– Internal grants– http://www.ntlf.com/html/grants/titles.htm– http://www.colleges.org/faculty_renewal/index.html
• Tell colleagues they are already signed up to attend meetings, unless they email to opt-out.
Can we change the culture of pedagogical learning?
Yes we can!slides available: http://www.slideshare.net/dr.f