Course Design Workshop SeriesMark Potter

Director, Center for Faculty Development

mpotte10@mscd.edu

Following this workshop, participants will Be able to assess and identify their individual

comfort level with active learning; Establish for themselves specific steps to

make learning more active in their classes.

Take about 2-3 minutes and write your response to the following question: “What do you see as your primary role in your position as instructor?”

Turn to the person next to you and discuss the thoughts you each wrote down in response to the previous question.

Read Teaching Professor handout. Brainstorm as a group to this question:

“What are the pros/cons of lecturing during class?”

Learning by doing. General characteristics of an active

learning approach include: Students are involved in more than listening. Less emphasis is placed on transmitting

information and more on developing students’ skills.

Students are involved in higher-order thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation).

Students are engaged in activities (e.g. reading, discussing, writing).

Greater emphasis is placed on students’ exploration of their own attitudes and values.

Research shows that “give a faculty almost any kind of class in any subject, large or small, upper or lower division, and they will lecture” (Blackburn et al., 1980)

What do you think are the barriers preventing faculty from adopting active learning approaches in their classes?

Students retain what they have learned better than they do in classes with only lecture (The Teaching Professor).

Active learning, more than lecture alone, contributes to significant learning experiences (L. Dee Fink, 2003).

Active learning helps students achieve outcomes in line with demands for lifelong learning. (AAC&U).

“Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just by sitting in class listening to teachers… They must talk about what they are learning, write about it, relate it to past experiences, apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves”—Chickering and Gamson (1987).

Incremental: Adopt one or two techniques in one class and assess effectiveness. Requirements: identify current approaches ,

comfort level, and the specific techniques suitable for adoption

Consider situational factors and risk Integrated: Build active learning into a

course design

From L. Dee Fink, Creating Significant Learning Experiences (2003)

The Key Components Of INTEGRATED COURSE DESIGN

One of the benefits of this model is that it allows us to see the importance

S i t u a t i o n a l F a c t o r s

Teaching and

Learning Activities

Feedback & Assessment

Learning Goals

Alignment of learning activities with objectives is important, whether you are taking an integrated or incremental approach to designing active learning.

Examples Pro/Con grid: Analysis, evaluation Think/Pair/Share: Comprehension, analysis Minute paper: Knowledge, comprehension,

analysis, synthesis, learn how to learn.

Discuss specific learning activity: Have you used this learning activity in the

past? What was your experience? Would you be comfortable using this learning

activity in the future? Why, or why not? What learning objectives might this activity

support?

Specific context of the teaching/learning situation Size of class Lower- or upper-division Length and frequency of class meetings Delivery method of course (online, face to face, hybrid)

Expectations of external groups Accreditation expectations for particular active learning

experiences Alignment of course learning goals and curricular

learning goals Nature of subject

Characteristics of learners Life or professional goals Prior experiences, knowledge, skills, and

attitudes Students’ learning styles

Characteristics of the teacher Comfort level with material Comfort with shifting control to students Comfort with risk level of active learning

strategy

Dimension Low-Risk Strategies

High-Risk Strategies

Class Time Required Relatively short Relatively long

Degree of Structure More structured Less structured

Degree of Planning Meticulously planned

Spontaneous

Subject Matter Relatively concrete Relatively abstract

Potential for Controversy Less controversial Very controversial

Students’ Prior Knowledge of the Subject Matter

Better informed Less informed

Instructors’ Prior Experience with Teaching Technique

Considerable Limited

Students’ Prior Knowledge of Teaching Technique

Familiar Unfamiliar

Pattern of Interaction Between faculty and students

Limited among students

On your 4x6 card mark your name and department.

Write yourself a brief note indicating what active learning strategies you intend to adopt, for what class, and in what time frame.

I will send you that note at the appropriate time to remind you of your goals.

Angelo, T.A. & Cross, K.P. (1993). Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Bean, J.C. (2001). Engaging Ideas. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Bonwell, C.C. and Eison, J.A. (1991). Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1. Washington, DC: The George Washington University, School of Education and Human Development.

Chickering, A.W. & Gamson, Z.F. (1987). “Seven Principles for Good Practice.” AAHE Bulletin 39: 3-7.

Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Weimer, M. (2002). Learner-centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Find “Web Resources” at the CFD Web site: www.mscd.edu/cfd/resources.