The College Classroom Week 8: Alternatives to Lecture

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

1
Archimedes Bath
collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu #tccucsd
(16th Century carving, Wikimedia Commons)

Week 8:
Alternatives to Lecture
The College Classroom
November 19 and 21, 2013

Key Finding 1
3

Students come to the classroom with preconceptions about
how the world works. If their initial understanding is not
engaged, they may fail to grasp the new concepts and
information that are taught, or they may learn them for
the purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions
(How People Learn [1], p. 14)
outside of the classroom.
Instructors must
draw out students’
pre-existing
understandings.
collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu

#tccucsd

Instruction must be
student-centered.

Key Finding 2
4

To develop competence in an area, students must:
a) have a deep foundation of factual knowledge,
b) understand facts and ideas in the context of a
conceptual framework, and
c) organize knowledge in ways that facilitate
retrieval and application. (How People Learn [1], p. 16)
These are
characteristics of

expertize

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Instructors need to
give students
opportunities to be
more expert-like.

Key Finding 3
5

A “metacognitive” approach to instruction can help
students learn to take control of their own learning by
defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in
achieving them.
(How People Learn [1], p. 18)

Metacognition:
that voice in your
head that checks
if you understand

#tccucsd

Instructors need to
provide opportunities
for students to practice
being metacognitive

Constructivist theory of learning
6

Students need to construct their own understanding of
the concepts, where
 each student assimilates new material into his/her
own framework of initial understanding and
preconception
 each student confronts his/her (mis)understanding of
the concepts
A traditional, one-way lecture doesn’t give students an
opportunity to construct their own knowledge, practice a
skill or receive timely, formative feedback.

#tccucsd

Improved Learning in a Large-Enrollment Physics Class [7]
Experimental Section
7

Control Section

 before class

 before class
 3-4 pg reading
 in class
 PPT slides
 0–5 summative clicker
questions (not peer
instruction)





3-4 pg reading
online reading quiz

 in class


mix of peer instruction,
instructor feedback,
worksheets,
demonstrations
0

4

peer instruction
instructor feedback
worksheets
demonstration

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8

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

40

44

48

Improved Learning in a LargeEnrollment Physics Class [7]
8

Remember: Experimental section instructors LD and ES had no
teaching experience but significant pedagogical content
knowledge – knowledge about how people learn physics.

#tccucsd

9

traditional lecture

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student-centered instruction

10

What do you notice/wonder?
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos

#tccucsd

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

11
Archimedes Bath
collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu #tccucsd
(16th Century carving, Wikimedia Commons)

Start teaching before the bell rings
Students arrive, ready to engage with you, your content:
 Project a picture related to today’s lesson
 Add prompts:
“What do you notice? What do you wonder?” [2]
 Spend first few minutes leading a discussion:




every student can contribute
you learn their pre-existing knowledge
activates concepts in their memories

 Don’t let their enthusiasm slip away!
12


#tccucsd

13

surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos

#tccucsd

In-class demonstrations
14

1. Instructor (meticulously) sets up the equipment, flicks
a switch, “Taa-daaah!
2. Students




don’t know where to look
don’t know when to look, miss “the moment”
don’t recognize the significance of the event amongst
too many distractions


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Interactive Lecture Demos (ILD) [3]
15

To engage students and focus their attention on the key
event, get students to make a prediction (using clickers,
for example)


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Clicker question
16

A ball is rolling around
the inside of a circular
track. The ball
leaves the track
at point P.

B

C

D

A

E

P

Which path
does the ball
follow?

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(Mazur)

Interactive Lecture Demos (ILD) [3]
17

After the prediction, each student
 cares about the outcome (“Did I get it right?”)
 knows where to look (can anticipate phenomenon)
 knows when to look (sees phenomenon occur)
 gets immediate feedback about his/her
understanding of the concept
 is prepared for your explanation
 (don’t be afraid to mess with their heads – inclined
table example)

#tccucsd

18

surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos

#tccucsd

What do you see?
19

A) old lady
B) young woman
 If you’re studying human
behavior, let your students
generate authentic data
 Clickers can be set to
“anonymous”


#tccucsd

20

surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos

#tccucsd

Flipped class model
21

students prepare
at home


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reading quiz (online
or in class to check
knowledge and
reward effort)

students are
prepared to engage
in natural, critical,
learning tasks [4]

22

surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos

#tccucsd

Whiteboards = practice
23

Use whiteboards to give your students practice
analyzing summarizing deriving illustrating
computing drafting brainstorming presenting

Tips:
 groups of 3-4 with 1 pen per person
 encourage students to show their thinking, not just the
final analysis
 train students to listen to each other’s presentations
 see [5, 6] for resources

#tccucsd

24

surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos

#tccucsd

Gen-Ed astronomy class
25

Before beginning an in-class worksheet, be sure the
students are properly prepared:
The state (or phase) of matter – solid, liquid or gas – depends
on temperature.
Rocky (“terrestrial”) planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Gaseous (“Jovian”) planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Units in astronomy
 temperature measured in Kelvin
 distance measured in astronomical units (AU):
1 AU = distance from Earth to Sun

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In-class worksheets
26

 carefully-designed sequence of questions guide
students through the exploration of a concept
 first few questions may be trivial – checks students
read intro paragraph, gives them confidence
 give formative feedback along the way
 most effective when done collaboratively (group
reaches consensus before answering)
 long, evidence-based history via “Washington
Tutorials” and “Lecture Tutorials for introductory
astronomy” (interactive activities in Prather et al. [2]
is primarily lecture-tutorials + peer instruction)

#tccucsd

In-class worksheet assessment
27

 don’t “go over” the worksheet


that only encourages students to
sit and wait for your solutions

 don’t post solutions later



again, encourages non-participation
students bring last year’s sol’ns to class

force students
to self-assess
their answers:
metacognition

 good alternative: ask a clicker question(s)


if students get the question right, they can be
confident they successfully completed the worksheet


#tccucsd

Clicker question
28

Astronomers have discovered massive gas giant planets like
Jupiter orbiting companion stars closer than 0.7 AU (about
the distance of Venus’s orbit).
Why don’t astronomers believe that these gas giant planets
originally formed at these locations?
A) The planets’ gravity would have been too large to form that
close to the star.
B) The temperature in the early solar nebula was too high at
these distances.
C) Their orbital periods are too long for them to be located that
close to their companion stars.
D) A young star’s solar wind would have blown the planets
farther away.

#tccucsd

(Prather et al., [4])

29

surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos

#tccucsd

Discussions
30






students share their understanding, opinions, ideas
students hear other students’ ideas, viewpoints
students practice communicating like experts
students get timely feedback from peers and
instructor


#tccucsd

Discussions: Implications for instructors
31

 ensure students come to class prepared to contribute
to the discussion


pre-readings that students want to complete (marks?)

 must orchestrate activity so EVERY student speaks (no
just enthusiastic volunteers)


talking stick, whiffle balls, pass the duck, popsicle sticks,
pass around an artefact

 build in time/tasks for listening, getting feedback
from peers and instructor

#tccucsd

32

surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos

#tccucsd

Archimedes’ Principle
33

In today’s Physics class, we’re going to study buoyancy
and Archimedes’ Principle.
http://tinyurl.com/TCCdemo
(Paul Hewitt video)

(Image: Wikimedia Commons – public domain)

#tccucsd

Opinion: Videos in class
34

In your opinion, the Paul Hewitt video
A) is engaging
B) is entertaining
C) is interactive
D) stimulates deep thinking


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Videos in class
35

Unlike you, the students do not
 select the video
instructor does this
 check it contains key events before class
 anticipate key events instructor does this unconsciously,
 recognize key events the “curse” of expertise
 interpret key events This is what you want to discuss
 relate key events to in class! Anticipate & recognize
are pre-requisites.
class concepts


#tccucsd

Videos: implications for instructors
36

 Coach the students how to watch the video like an
expert:
As you watch this video, try to…
watch for when the A starts to B.
count how often the C does D.
watch the needles on the scales as water drains.
 Don’t “give away” the key event (Notice the buoyant
force is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced.)
That’s what the follow-up discussion is for: help the
students get prepared for that discussion.

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Veritasium (Derek Muller)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KZb2_vcNTg
37

As you watch the
video, notice how
Derek talks to the
people he interviews.


#tccucsd

Is Lecture Dead?
No! There is still a time and place for lecture. You can
lecture (for 10-15 minutes) when the students are
prepared to learn
 the alt-to-lecture activities have activated the
concepts in their memories
 they’ve tried, failed, received feedback, tried again
and are waiting for confirmation [4]
 they’re prepared to intellectually appreciate your
expertise you’re about to share with them

38


Week 9:
First Day of Class
The College Classroom
March 6, 2013

References
40

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

National Research Council (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience,
and School: Expanded Edition. J.D. Bransford, A.L Brown & R.R. Cocking
(Eds.),Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Get the full story of ILDs at
serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/demonstrations/index.html
Prather, E.E., Slater, T.F., Adams, J.P., & Brissenden, G. (2007). Lecture Tutorials
for Introductory Astronomy. (2e). San Francisco, CA: Pearson Addison-Wesley.
Bain, K. (2004) What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press.
Noschese, F. The $2 Interactive Whiteboard. Retrieved November 18, 2013,
from fnoschese.wordpress.com/2010/08/06/the-2-interactive-whiteboard/
Seddon, S. Biological Whiteboarding - The use of mini whiteboards in my
Biology class. Retrieved November 18, 2013 from
totallylearnedas.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/biological-whiteboarding/
Deslauriers, L., Schelew, E., & Wieman, C.E. (2011). Improved Learning in a
Large-Enrollment Physics Class. Science 332, 862 – 864.


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The College Classroom Week 8: Alternatives to Lecture

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