Facilitating Active Learning

Clare MilsomMartyn Stewart

Academic Enhancement Unit

Facilitating Active Learning

AimTo provide an evidence-based rationale for active learning

Outcomes

1. Recognise the purpose of active learning2. Recognise how to structure a teaching session that actively engages students3. Identify strategies to promote student engagement

Is interactive learning really effective?

“Children have real understanding only of that which they invent themselves, and each time that we try to teach them something too quickly, we keep them from reinventing it themselves”

Jean Piaget

“Student-centred constructivist teaching methods are unguided methods of instruction ….. Activities involving free exploration of a complex environment can be cognitively detrimental to learning”

Kirschner et al. 2006

The student..…..…

LJMU 2012 Mirror Survey, Levels 4 & 5 : Top predictors of overall course satisfaction

The course is well organised & is running smoothlyThe range and balance of approaches to teaching has helped me learnThe course is intellectually stimulatingStaff are enthusiastic about what they are teachingPractical activities on my course have helped me to learnI have received sufficient advice & support with my studiesThe course has helped me present myself with confidenceStaff are good at explaining things

Where are students getting their dopamine ‘fix’ ?

The neuroscientist……

Dopamine is a key ‘reward’ neurotransmitter

Released in response to challenge, unpredictability, achievement

Attracts and sustains attention

Associated with activity and problem-solving

The philosopher…….

Power relationships – who owns knowledge? expert v novice?

What is ‘higher’ education?

Developing independent thinking or spoon-feeding?

Meta-analysis of 43 empirical studies of impact of PBL

Robust positive effect from PBL on skills of students (ES = 0.46)

Slight negative effect from PBL on knowledge base of students

Dochy et al (2003)

The wider evidence……..

Impact on learning1. Engagement and performance (Liu and Stengel 2011); (Prather and

Brissenden 2009); Laxman 2011)2. Combat conformity and shyness (Stowell et al. 2010)3. Student-reported increase in attention (Bunce et al. 2010) 4. Students report as ‘fun’ (Bachman and Bachman 2011)

Iterative (grouped) – stage 1Tips and techniques to develop questions Sullivan (2009)Which are probably Apatosaurus eggs?

Choice O

ne

Choice Two

Choice Thre

e

Choice Fo

ur

0% 0%0%0%

1. Choice One2. Choice Two3. Choice Three4. Choice Four

12

3

4

Iterative (grouped) – stage 2

Apatosaurus is a sauropod….

Choice O

ne

Choice Two

Choice Thre

e

Choice Fo

ur

0% 0%0%0%

1. Choice One2. Choice Two3. Choice Three4. Choice Four

12

3

4

Iterative (grouped) – stage 1 To which group does this fossil belong?

Bivalve

Brachiopod

Trilobite

Anomorph

0% 0%0%0%

1. Bivalve

2. Brachiopod

3. Trilobite

4. Anomorph

Iterative (grouped) – stage 2 Note: it is symmetrical across the valves. Change your mind?

Bivalve

Brachiopod

Trilobite

Anomorph

0% 0%0%0%

1. Bivalve2. Brachiopod3. Trilobite4. Anomorph

Iterative (grouped) – stage 3These fossils were found in a quarry in North Wales. What do they suggest about the age of the rocks?

< 65Ma

65 – 250 M

a

> 250Ma

0% 0%0%

1. < 65Ma2. 65 – 250 Ma3. > 250Ma

Benefits for the lecturer

Fast and frequent feedback Develops a classroom consciousness Changes delivery – contingent or ‘just-in-time’ teaching. Makes content count. Increases own confidence self efficacy

Genuine interaction… Increased confidence Instant rapport Immediate emotional engagement (Stowell and Nelson

2007). Improves the teaching (and learning) much more quickly. Raised assessment scores (Mayer et al. 2009) also (King

and Joshi 2008 – gender)

Builds a Learning Community

‘There is nothing like teaching a groupof happy, smiling, switched-on students’

Active learning: a critique of methods

1

2

3

45

6

Bachman, L.and Bachman, C. (2011) A Study of Classroom Response System Clickers: Increasing Student Engagement and Performance in a Large Undergraduate Lecture Class on Architectural Research, Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 22 (1)5-21

Briggs, C.L. and Keyek-Franssen, D. (2010) Clickers and CATs: Using Learner Response Systems for Formative Assessments in the Classroom, EDUCAUSE Quarterly 33(4).

Bunce,Di, Flens, E.Aand Neiles, K. (2010) How Long Can Students Pay Attention in Class? A Study of Student Attention Decline Using Clickers. Journal of Chemical Education, 87(12), 1438-1443

DeBourgh, G.A. (2008) Use of classroom ‘clickers’ to promote reasoning skills. Nurse Education in Practice, 8, 76-87.King, D.B. and Joshi, S. (2008) Gender differences and the uses and effectiveness of personal response devices. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 17, 544-552.

Howard-Jones, P.A. & Demetriou, S. (2009), ‘Uncertainty and engagement with learning games’, Instructional Science, vol. 37, pp. 519-536.

Liu, W. and Stengel, D.N. (2011) Improving Student Retention and Performance in Quantitative Courses Using Clickers. international Journal for Technology in Mathematics Education, 18 (1)51-58

Mayer, R.E. et al. (2009) Clickers in college classrooms: fostering learning with questioning methods in large lecture classes. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 34, 51-57.

Mollborn, S. and Hoekstra A. (2010) A Meeting of Minds”Using Clickers for Critical Thinking and Discussion in Large Sociology Classes Teaching Sociology 38(1) 18-27

Morling, B et al. (2008) Efficacy of personal response systems in large introductory psychology classes. Teaching of Psychology, 35, 45-50.Peterson, B (2008) Classroom performance systems, library instruction and instructional design. Project Muse, 8(3), 1-10.

Prather, E. And Brissenden, G. (2009) Clickers as Data Gathering Tools and Students' Attitudes, Motivations, and Beliefs on Their Use in This ApplicationAstronomy Education Review, 8(1)103-110

Piaget, J . (1970) ‘Piaget’s theory’, in PH Mussen (ed.), Carmichael’s Manual of Child Psychology, 3rd edn, vol. 1, Wiley & Sons, New York.

Sousa, D.A. (2000) How the brain learns, Corwin Press.