The Interactive/Collaborative Classroom Environment

Staff Development: Le Cordon Bleu, College of Culinary Arts

Dr. Barbara Packer-MutiDr. Michael Simonson

Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to: Describe & contrast cooperative learning,

collaborative learning, and active learning Demonstrate examples of at least three

interactive classroom techniques Discuss the responsibilities of the instructor

and the learner Demonstrate at least two active listening

techniques

Out with the old…in with the new! Changing paradigms: The Old!

Transferring knowledge from faculty to students

Filling passive empty vessels with knowledge Sorting students into categories Conducting education in a context of

impersonal relationships Maintaining a competitive structure Assume that content experts can

teach..without training to do so

The new paradigm

Jointly constructed knowledge Students actively participate, discover Faculty develop students’ competencies and

talents Personal transactions Cooperative learning in the class & among

faculty Teaching requires training

Lectures: What’s wrong with them?

Research shows 1. Students recall 70% of the material

covered in the 1st 10 mins; 20% of the material in the last 10 minutes

2. Students are “tuned out” of a 50 minute lecture about 40% of the time

One technique for your consideration

Steps to building an cooperative class Read the assigned material in advance Instructor does a “highlights lecture” for the 1st

20 minutes Students break into 3-5 groups to work on a

pre-determined, assigned problem Reconvene class for a brief closing lecture

and common questions

Some Definitions: Active Learning

Anything students do in a classroom other than passively listen to a lecture

Cooperative Learning Subset of active learning; groups of 3 or more

usually formally assigned, usually complex tasks

Collaborative Learning Instructor & students on equal footing working

on designing assignments, choosing texts, presenting material

Techniques of Active Learning

The One Minute Paper Muddiest (or Clearest) Point Affective Response Daily Journal Reading Quiz Clarification Pauses Response to a demonstration or other

teacher-centered activity

Class Activity!

Form seven groups Hand out’s 5 Minutes to prepare 2 Minutes to present Summary Feedback/Critique

Ten Tips for Effective Teaching Teach according to your personality Hand out a complete syllabus and course instructions

on the first day Vary your teaching methods Let students choose their grades Don’t take attendance Take a hard line on late and incomplete work Give students options for assignments Require clear and coherent work Combat plagiarism Get out of the way!

What are your responsibilities?

Content knowledge Clear messages Clarifying Constructive feedback Classroom management Other thoughts? What else?

What are “their” responsibilities?

Active interest Responsible for their own learning Being “engaged” What else?

The Syllabus Exercise

Hand out a sample syllabus

Find a partner (or 2) Work together to find 3

questions about the course that are not clear

Present! Summary & feedback!

The Communication Process Effective communication is key!

The message The source Field of experience Communication competence Encoding/decoding The channel The receiver Feedback Shared Meaning/Reality The effect Noise The relationship The context/situation

Questions and Answers

Suggestions to “tweak” our questioning techniques to increase student involvement & comprehension

Wait Time

Instructor poses question, then waits 15 or so seconds.

No hand raising or calling out Forces all students to think about the

question Ask for volunteers or call upon a student “Cold calls” “Warm calls”

Student Summary of Another’s Answer Promotes active listening Call upon a second student to summarize the

first student’s response Benefits include active participation; students

must listen to one another; fosters the idea that learning is shared

The Fish Bowl

Students are given index cards Students asked to write one question re:

course materials (consider applications of the material to practical contexts)

Questions are deposited into the fish bowl Instructor chooses to respond or combines

the previous techniques discussed!

Quiz/Test Questions

Students become involved in creating quizzes or tests by constructing some (or all) test items

May be assigned as homework and may be evaluated

Instructor may use these as the basis for the review

May begin the process of considering higher level thinking skills

Share/Pair

Grouping students in pairs provides opportunities for sharing their own personal viewpoints. It’s almost impossible for someone to avoid participating in this sort of environment.

One more activity! Get into a “pair” Choose one of the

following techniques: Discussion Note comparison Evaluation of another

student’s work

Discuss and report back!

0102030405060708090

1stQtr

2ndQtr

3rdQtr

4thQtr

EastWestNorth

0

50

100

1stQtr

3rdQtr

EastWestNorth

One more activity! Form a pair Choose one of the

following techniques Discussion Note comparison Evaluation of another

student’s work

Report back to the group!

Effective Listening!

Be a model Increased knowledge of the subject at hand Greater self-confidence Improved relationships

Don’ts!

Interrupts in mid-sentence or finishes the sentence!

Poor use of the thinking/speaking time differential

Changing the subject to fit the listener’s agenda

Talking while the speaker is talking Information overload

Non-verbal behaviors of poor listeners

Signs of impatience Lacks direct eye contact Maintains a closed body position Fidgets Fakes attention

Do’s! Limit your own talking Ask questions/clarify Paraphrase Avoid interrupting Concentrate on the message/speaker Make positive comments Listen for the feelings behind the words Maintain control over your emotions Make an effort to listen Develop a Listening Challenge Plan

Listening Challenge Plan

Name of person Reasons for difficulty Specific steps I will initiate How will I know I’ve achieved my goals?

7 Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education Encourage student-faculty contact Encourage cooperation among students Encourage active learning Give prompt feedback Emphasize active learning Communicate high expectations Respect diverse talents and ways of learning

Chickering, A., & Gamson, Z. (1987).

Collegial Support Groups

Definition:Consists of 2-5 instructors who have the goal of improving each others’ instructional expertise and promoting each others’ professional growth

Keys to success in such groups

Frequent professional discussions of cooperative learning – successes are shared & problems are solved

Coplanning, codesigning, copreparing and coevaluating curriculum materials relevant to cooperative learning takes place

Coteaching and reciprocal observations of peers’ teaching lessons takes place

Leadership challenge!

Challenging the status quo Inspiring a vision of what the school/college

can be Empowering through cooperative teams Leading by example Encouraging the heart

packerb@nova.edu

Thank you for actively listening!

Email me with questions/ideas

See you again soon!