A presentation on Active Learning using clickers. (CC) S. Raj Chaudhury, Auburn University. Can be used with attribution.

1. HDFS Brown Bag Seminar
S. Raj Chaudhury
schaudhury@auburn.edu
Sep. 16, 2011

2. "Teaching with Technology:
Tools and Strategies to Improve
Student Learning"

3. Not really…

4. Active learning

5. Fred Reif, Millikan Lecture, 1994

6. Si

7. How to define Sj?
How to define Sj
• Initial State Si
– What knowledge, skills, beliefs, attitudes
do the students have?
– How do they think?
• Final State Sf
– What knowledge, skills, beliefs, attitudes
should they have? (those of a scientist?)
– How should they think? (like a scientist?)

9. Shiladitya “Raj” Chaudhury
• B.A., M.S., Ph.D. in Physics (all in the U.S.)
• Taught Physics for 15 years
– Smaller, state universities (NY and VA)
• Science Education Research
– Improve undergraduate STEM Education
• 2003 Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of
Teaching & Learning (CASTL)
– How People Learn Science and Mathematics
• 2009 Auburn University Biggio Center for the
Enhancement of Teaching and Learning
• Courtesy appointments in Music, Curriculum &
Teaching

10. Emmanuel College, MA
Q1. Have you ever been to a great lecture?
A. Yes
B. No

11. Somewhere in European Union
Q2. Have you been to two great lectures in your life?
A. Yes
B. No

12. Q3. Have you been to 45 great lectures in a row?
A. Yes
B. No

13. Do they just sit there?
Raipur, Nursing College, India

14. Physiological information during lecture

15. Active learning

16. Good Practice In Undergraduate Education
Chickering & Gamson, AAHE, 1987
1. Encourages Student - Instructor Contact
2. Develops and Encourages Cooperation Among
Students
3. Encourages Active Learning
4. Gives Prompt Feedback
5. Emphasizes Time on Task
6. Communicates High Expectations
7. Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning

17. Traxoline is a new form of zionter. It is
montillated in Ceristanna. The Ceristannians
Factual Question
gristerlate large amounts of fevon and then
bracter it to quasel traxoline. Traxoline may well
be one of our most lukized snezlaus in the future
because of our zionter lescelidge.
Based on this information, how is Traxoline
quaselled?
A. Via gristerlation
B. Via bracteration
C. Via lukization
D. Via montillation
(Duncan, 2005)

18. Why Clickers?
Quick, easy ways to get feedback from
students about:
• Prior knowledge
• Preconceptions/misconceptions
• Opinions
• Understanding
• Confusion
• Satisfaction

19. Prof. Eric Mazur, Harvard University, Physics
Peer Instruction
1.Ask a question
2.Students think
3.Respond individually
4.[View histogram]
5.Discuss with neighbor
6.Re-vote on question
7.View results histogram
8.Discuss concept/results

20. Your learning…
• When you listen you pay attention to others
• When you think, you have to not pay attention
to others and pay attention to yourself.
– Clare Elmendorf, age 8 -

21. Consider a tiny acorn,
and a giant oak tree.
A log from that
tree weighs 10,000x
as much as the acorn.
Where does MOST of
the mass come from?
A. Sunlight
B. Water
C. Soil
D. Minerals in the soil
E. The air
Then peer discuss
Dr. Douglas Duncan, Univ. of Colorado

22. Photosynthesis
6 CO2 + 12 H2O → C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + 6 H2O
Carbon dioxide water glucose (sugar) oxygen water
The correct answer is “The Air.”
Carbon dioxide from the air!
Dr. Douglas Duncan, Univ. of Colorado

23. You are a soccer referee. Two players punch
each other. What should you do (proper order)?
A. Send both players off
B. Summon substitutes
C. Write down their jersey numbers & time
D. Blow your whistle to stop play
Respond with a string of letters – e.g. ABCD

24. Proper procedure
• D – blow whistle
• C – write down information
• A – send players off
So correct string “DCA”

25. Active learning

26. Histogram 1
What would you do if you got
this response from your
students?
- Correct Answer is ‘A’

27. Histogram 2
What would you do if you got this
response from your students?
- Correct answer is ‘B’
21/170 answered “C”

28. Histogram 3
What would you do if you got this
response from your students?
- Correct answer is ‘D’

29. Histogram 4
What would you do if you got this
response from your students?
- Correct answer is ‘C’

31. 2003
2005

33. Not your mother’s lecture…