In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is."

Yogi Berra

Learning objectives for this lesson

Identify characteristics of “Millennials,” and generate ideas on how to effectively teach this generation of engineering students

Identify diverse characteristics of learners , and generate ideas on how to effectively teach and include different types of students in engineering

“Millennials” - and the next generation of college students – are well studied

Beloit College has compiled a list of traits of the next graduating class since 1998. From the Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2018: Students heading into their first year of college this year were generally

born in 1996. Among those who have never been alive in their lifetime are Tupac Shakur, JonBenet Ramsey, Carl Sagan, and Tiny Tim. On Parents’ Weekend, they may want to watch out in case Madonna shows up to see daughter Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon or Sylvester Stallone comes to see daughter Sophia.

For students entering college this fall in the Class of 2018... During their initial weeks of kindergarten, they were upset by endlessly

repeated images of planes blasting into the World Trade Center. Since they binge-watch their favorite TV shows, they might like to

binge-watch the video portions of their courses too. When they see wire-rimmed glasses, they think Harry Potter, not John

Lennon. Celebrity “selfies” are far cooler than autographs. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart has always been the only news

program that really “gets it right.” ….

Beware of “hardening of the references” –students are not the same every year!

What makes Millennials different?

Special –

Sheltered –

Confident –

Team-oriented –

Conventional –

Pressured –

Achieving –From The Teaching Professor Conference, 2007: http://www.teachingprofessor.com/

What are students likely to look like in the next decade?

The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Prospects: Who Will Reach College Age in the Next 14 Years? (Chronicle of Higher Ed, Jan 19, 2014): http://chronicle.com/article//144061/#00/0-1 Interactive maps show population distributions

based on ethnicity and race. Our notion of “majority” and “minority” student

populations will need to shift with the next generation.

Other Aspects of Diversity: Learning Styles

There are many ways to characterize how students best perceive, process and understand knowledge.

But there is much debate about whether “learning styles” actually exist.

Felder-Silverman Learning Style Model

Processing: Active Reflective

Perception: Sensing Intuitive

Input Modality: Visual Verbal

Understanding: Sequential Global

R.M. Felder and L.K. Silverman, "Learning and Teaching Styles in Engineering Education," Engr. Education, 78(7), 674-681 (1988). 

Active and Reflective Learners

Active LearnersTend to process

actively (doing something physical with presented material, then reflecting on it)

Think out loud“Let’s try it and see

how it goes”Tend to jump in

prematurelyLike group work

Reflective LearnersTend to process

reflectively (thinking about presented material, then doing something with it)

Work introspectively“Let’s think it through

and then try it”Tend to delay startingLike solo or paired

work

Materials adapted from the National Effective Teaching Institute, with permission (Richard Felder, Rebecca Brent and James Stice)

Sensing and Intuitive Learners

Sensing learners Focus on external input Practical Observant (notice details

of environment) Concrete thinking (facts,

data, hands-on work) Learn through repetition Methodical Like working with details Complaint about courses:

no apparent connection to the real world

Problems with exams: run out of time

Intuitive learners Focus on internal input Imaginative Look for meanings (miss

details) Abstract thinking (theories,

math models) Like variety in learning

experiences (bored with repetition)

Quick Like working with concepts Complaint about courses:

“Plug and Chug” Problems with exams:

Careless mistakes

Visual and Verbal Learners

Visual learners“Show me”Pictures, diagrams,

sketches, schematics, flow charts, plots

Verbal learners“Explain it to me”Spoken words,

written words, symbols (seen, but translated by brain into the oral equivalents)

Sequential and Global Learners

Sequential learners Build understanding in

logical sequential steps Function with partial

understanding of information

Make steady progress Explain easily Good at analytical thinking

(the trees)

Global learners Absorb information

randomly, then synthesize the big picture

Need the big picture (interrelations, connections to other subjects) in order to function with information

Large leaps in understanding with little progress between them

Can’t explain easily Synthesis, holistic thinking

(the forest)

The debate about learning styles

We know learning is hard, and that different concepts/ideas can be learned more easily in different ways. But there is little evidence that characterizing students by learning style is useful for teaching. Whether people can learn better in one way over another is not as important

in the classroom as the meaning we are trying to convey. We want students to learn material based on meaning; that meaning may be

best conveyed visually (i.e. a free body diagram), by text or equation (theory or mathematical method), or audibly (expert testimony)

Watch the commentary on this topic by Dr. Dan Willingham, cognitive psychologist and neurobiologist at UVA:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIv9rz2NTUkMore from Dr. Willingham (Learning Styles FAQ):http://www.danielwillingham.com/learning-styles-faq.html

A similar word of caution about personality types

“You can prove anything with statistics. I prefer interpreting anecdotes.” ~Carl Jung

Myers-Briggs® Type Inventory (MBTI) is based on Jung’s theories of personality Although very popular (especially in work environments), there is

very little scientific evidence, and no supporting research for MBTI

“Big Five” personality traits are based on research, but many generalizations made to interpret results

Like learning styles, personality types simply provide frameworks to describe the spectrum of students in our classrooms

Regardless of the questions, the answer is: Repetition and balance!

If students are taught only in their less preferred modes, they will be too uncomfortable to learn effectively

If they are taught only in their preferred mode, they will gain skills in those modes but will not develop equally important skills in their less preferred modes (i.e. we will not be developing lifelong learners)

We need to teach in multiple modalities, multiple times

Time for reflection

Watch the YouTube video of Dr. Willingham’s commentary and other materials on his website.

Write a reflection (1 page, double spaced) to defend or disagree with Dr. Willingham’s position. State your stance in the first sentence of your reflection. Clearly explain your understanding of learning styles and how this affects your stance.