Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Chapter 4: Why is it so hard for students to understand abstract ideas
- The mind finds it hard to absorb abstraction, and it needs concrete and familiar.
- There is rote, shallow and deep learning, and shallow is most common.
- Lack of deep learning could be due to lack of student attention.
- Another reason is it is difficult to fit together abstraction plus examples.
- Deep learning takes more work and time.
- Learning transfer occurs when we take old knowledge and applied to new problems.
- A difficulty is the different surface structure.
- Avoid distracting from learning objectives.
- This points to the value of analogies, providing examples and comparisons, having realistic expectations.
- Need application!
- Overall, it is hard to understand new and transfer it.
Implementing Practice 11 (links)
Principle 11: What You Think About Me Influences My Performance and Your Expectations
Principle 11. Teacher expectations
A similar impact occurs when instructors have high expectations of students, and they then perform better. These expectations have to be explicit, and matched with appropriate feedback. Additionally, learning objectives and desired responses have to match. Finally, a high level of support must accompany the expectations to help students master difficult concepts and a "growth mindset", with the idea that any student can learn the materials, needs to be prevalent.
Furthermore, studies have shown that the evaluation process can also be influenced by a "halo" effect where the first evaluation can influence how an instructor perceives later work:
Teachers’ expectations about their students affect students’ opportunities to learn, their motivation and their learning outcomes.
"The beliefs that teachers have about their students affect students’ opportunities to learn, their motivation and their learning outcomes. Psychological research has uncovered ways for teachers to communicate high expectations for all students and avoid creating negative self-fulfilling prophecies." Using the 'Top 20 Principles': These psychological principles will help your students learn more effectively
Principle 11 addresses the link between a teacher's expectation of a student and how that impacts the student's motivation and perception of performance. These expectations can be positive or negative. The "Hawthorne effect" is an experiment done in the 1920's and 1930's which illustrate the how people will perform more effectively when they know they are being watched. In this experiment, workers were evaluated on their productivity based on changing the lights in an electric company. However, it was noted that any increases in performance subsided after the experiment was over. It was realized it wasn't the lights that impacted performance but rather than employees were being watched.A similar impact occurs when instructors have high expectations of students, and they then perform better. These expectations have to be explicit, and matched with appropriate feedback. Additionally, learning objectives and desired responses have to match. Finally, a high level of support must accompany the expectations to help students master difficult concepts and a "growth mindset", with the idea that any student can learn the materials, needs to be prevalent.
Furthermore, studies have shown that the evaluation process can also be influenced by a "halo" effect where the first evaluation can influence how an instructor perceives later work:
In Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman relates how the halo effect led him to systematically mis-grade students’ essays. Quite reasonably, if a students’ first essay was awarded a high score, mistakes in later essays were ignored or excused. But Kahneman noticed problem:
Thus evaluation of material must include a process that reduces instructor bias. This can include blind grading of materials, peer evaluations, and multiple drafts to encourage constructive feedback that encourages motivation and reduces the halo effect.
For tips on how to implement the principles into practices, visit:
Additional Resources:
- Culture Re-BootTEACHER EXPECTATIONS
- THE IMPACT OF EXPECTATIONS ON TEACHING & LEARNING
- Expectations and Student Outcomes
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Students know more information about reality tv stars (video)
This video helps illustrate chapter three a little bit.
My New Favorite: Educational Web Tools and Mobile Apps (link)
My new favorite website is Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Spacing versus Massing: Let's Look at Art
In “Learning Concepts and Categories:
Is Spacing the ‘Enemy of Induction’?”, Kornell and Bjork (2008), initially
explored the influence of spacing on inductive learning and secondarily the
impact of massing and interleaving. The authors anticipated that spacing
learning sessions would reduce induction because people would be less able to
recognize the categories or groupings. For one experiment, they had
participants study 6 paintings each by 12 artists with half the artists’
paintings presented in a “mass” grouping and the other half “interleaved” with
other artists’ paintings and thus “spaced.” In a related experiment, they
presented all the works to a participant either massed or spaced. They asked
the groups to indicate which artist has painted the works thus discriminating
between categories. Afterwards, they asked the first group which of the massing
or spacing processes had felt most effective for their learning. Finally, they
presented new paintings and asked the participants to link these to the artists
to explore their learning into application.
The first major finding is that
participants performed better in the spacing process, even though they rated
the massing processing as more effective. This makes sense as I hear students
report to me that “all night cramming sessions” are building their knowledge
even though I see better academic results when studying is spaced. In this
“illusion” of learning, we can see that what may feel satisfying to learning
may not produce the greatest effects. Perhaps because spacing is a desirable
difficulty that produces more challenge, yet transfer this learning into
memory.
A second interesting point is that in
the experiment it is hard to discern whether it was the spacing or the
interleaving which had the greatest impact on the memory process. The
participants saw paintings that were spaced and mixed in with other artists, so
could it be the discrimination of categories which helped build the ability to
pick apart different artists’ work even more than the spacing? Further research
is needed, but it can be assumed that pairing the two methods produces a
significant positive impact on learning.
References
How the Smart Get Smarter: My Thoughts on Chapter 2
Willingham addresses how useful should we consider factual
learning in Chapter 2. This is a notion that has haunted my curriculum
instruction for the past several years. In an attempt to be novel and
experiential, how do I also incorporate the foundational learning necessary for
my students to build up their base knowledge like I have? We might think that
in today’s instant Internet environment students should be taught critical
evaluation of such information rather than focus on fact building. Yet research
shows that students must still have the factual base to be able to develop the
critical thinking skills that will help them evaluate. This is because for our
brains, critical thinking processes rely on background knowledge. Thus, the
essence of this chapter is that factual knowledge must precede the skill development.
A second prominent point is how this
concept shows gaps in our educational system. Although it isn’t the focal point
for this book, my better understanding of how factual knowledge impacts all
future learning provides a better understanding for achievement gaps (See what
I did there? Super meta). This acquired knowledge base promotes reading
comprehension to go deeper than the surface level. When I have the background
of a topic, I can understand better what is being asked and there are less gaps
in my understanding. I can use my working memory to tie pieces of information
together and “chunk” them – but only when I have the factual knowledge base
built.
Furthermore, when my “brain database” has facts added in, I
can add at a more rapid pace than a peer who has less accumulation because of
the building upon effect. Which leads to the understanding that this
foundational background knowledge lets us chunk information into patterns that
make sense, thus clearing working memory to make more room and allowing us to
comprehend complex ideas more quickly. We need background knowledge for both
cognitive skills and to improve our memory. So for kiddos who lag behind in
elementary school, this gap becomes more pronounced in advanced years unless an intervention for catch
up occurs.
Willingham, D. (2010). Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive
Scientist Answers Questions About How The Mind Works And What It Means For The
Classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Views of the Teaching Machine
Assignment:
Write a blog post about what you think of the “teaching machine.” How do the approaches or above thinkers support (or go against) your thoughts? What would they like about the Teaching Machines approach? What would they oppose, and what alternatives would they propose?
My first impression of the teaching machine was to chuckle at the antiquated nature of the machine. Then I realized how predictive this video was of current computerized teaching/learning programs such as ALEK and what we use at CSU with PACe. There is a value to learners being able to move at their pace, receive corrective information to alter their behaviors, and be free of the judgment that can sometimes occur within communal learning environments. Additionally, teaching machines, or computers as we now know them, can support individualization to give learners the exact levels they need to help push them forward.
Yet it is the absence of "connectivism" which I find as an impeding point. With the teaching machine model that Dr. Skinner proposed, there is no connectedness outside of the individual learner and machine. Paulo Freire would have appreciated the knowledge being generated by the learner, yet would have exclaimed that education is a social act. This disconnect with other learners means that what is taught stays at an "information level" and misses the critical thinking exercises promoted by other's questioning that make it deeper learning. It is what take a novice to an expert level by practicing and sharpening what they think and why.
This communal nature of developing expertise is what communities of practice help support. If computers can support interactivity with others and develop a group of learners into critical thinking experts, then this point of contention can be eliminated. Because it is moving beyond the static what into the more dynamic "why" about the topic studied. I think Freire would advocate for the more vibrant community of learners who don't simply learn to learn, but do so to liberate and promote equity and justice. He likely would caution for the danger of a single story and question who are making the teaching machines and what messages are "they" intending to send.
Since Freire was exiled from his beloved Brazil because of his free thought, he would questioned whether teaching machines are just a newfangled automated version of the "bank method," which he so opposed. Conversely, he might have appreciated that the technology would make learning more accessible to a wider audience of people. Learning machines could be sent to remote areas where people who may not have access to a wall and mortar school could still have their brains activated with learning. At least I'd like to think he would pontificate such points!
And I would be in complete agreement with him. If teaching machines are simply a self-paced banking method replacement of a person, they don't contribute to the possible liberation that I hope education works toward. And simultaneously, I think technology has the opportunity to contribute to connectivism with a new method of delivery. Will it ever be as deep as people interactions? I am not sure, but I have never advocated that we have to go one way or the other. I am ultimately a supporter of hybrid models that meet halfway.
Monday, February 1, 2016
The Why
This quote stood out to me from the timeline of field of instructional design:
Thomas Edison proclaimed "Books will soon be obsolete in schools….It is possible to teach every branch of human knowledge with the motion picture." (1913)
Now juxtapose the above with this blog entry from Black Girl Dangerous on How Telling Each Other To ‘Google It’ Hurts Our Movements, which address social justice movements and the need for social connections as opposed to the sometimes inaccessible and impersonalization of technology.
This is why we need social connections within the learning process. Such interactions serve as a catalyst for change. Technology enhanced learning is the method not the entirety of the process.
Thomas Edison proclaimed "Books will soon be obsolete in schools….It is possible to teach every branch of human knowledge with the motion picture." (1913)
Now juxtapose the above with this blog entry from Black Girl Dangerous on How Telling Each Other To ‘Google It’ Hurts Our Movements, which address social justice movements and the need for social connections as opposed to the sometimes inaccessible and impersonalization of technology.
This is why we need social connections within the learning process. Such interactions serve as a catalyst for change. Technology enhanced learning is the method not the entirety of the process.
Tying it Together: Further Reflections on the Articles
I waited to read my classmates blogs until I had the chance to post my saved blog. This process illuminated exactly what the articles had posed- my learning deepened with each article I read. I thought more about "connectivism" as the fourth epistemological framework/pillar and how it isn't just connectedness to other learners but also other fields. I also thought about how in the internet world I shift from learner to teacher because of the flexibility of both roles in this medium, sometimes so much more possible in the digital realm because of the power dynamics of what occurs live in the classroom.
Furthermore, I reflected about the blurring lines and two-way transfer made possible, and gave further thought to what is the role of the educator in this process. One of my classmates considered what is "an expert" as posed by the Siemens article. They emphasized that the instructor is needed so that “knowledge (is) a creation process… not only knowledge consumption” (Siemens). I agree wholeheartedly with how this addressed my concerns over uninformed and static learning communities.
While it is evident that my understanding of the article was deepened by the exposure to my colleagues thoughts, it is complemented by the questions and comments offered live in person in the classroom. This is where the technological methods used to teach matter. My learning may have deepened by reading other blogs but it needs an additional step to shape from 2-dimensional to 3-D. This last step is where the reformation of thought becomes external, and where instructor "experts" can be the catalyst.
Furthermore, I reflected about the blurring lines and two-way transfer made possible, and gave further thought to what is the role of the educator in this process. One of my classmates considered what is "an expert" as posed by the Siemens article. They emphasized that the instructor is needed so that “knowledge (is) a creation process… not only knowledge consumption” (Siemens). I agree wholeheartedly with how this addressed my concerns over uninformed and static learning communities.
While it is evident that my understanding of the article was deepened by the exposure to my colleagues thoughts, it is complemented by the questions and comments offered live in person in the classroom. This is where the technological methods used to teach matter. My learning may have deepened by reading other blogs but it needs an additional step to shape from 2-dimensional to 3-D. This last step is where the reformation of thought becomes external, and where instructor "experts" can be the catalyst.
Week 1 Articles: The Need for a Critical Learning Node
A relevant trend through all three recent class articles for me is the concept of "learning connectedness." This includes the idea that learners engage in the process of transferring information into knowledge through the external contact with others who help make this information take on meaning. I boiled it down to that information in the head comes to life when it leaves the head to take shape in the world. It is also interesting in I read the three pieces in a different order with the journal entry first, and then layered in the article and forum discussion piece last.
Initially, I found myself disagreeing with the Kop and Hill article, as I questioned whether learning is dependent of others. Do I need to be tethered to a "node" in order to experience learning? What if my community of practice doesn't deepen the information, but simply instructs the people to absorb what is given? Sort of like a Trump rally or Palin debate. Or better yet, both combined. Sorry, I couldn't resist.
As I absorbed the Brown article and considered the way technology has changed our ways of learning, I also appreciated how I now have new ways in which I engage in material. I can read articles and engage in dialogue with others about the topic. This can help me expand my insights by being stretched in my thinking with others invested in the topic, which may be outside my previously known circle of friends. Yet, the same potential downfall is present in that this group may be uninformed or simply debate without rational logic.
This is where the third article by Siemens informed my understanding by addressing the role of the educator in this learning process. We can have some very informed learning processes occurring over the digital world, but unless we have someone questioning the information and encouraging critical thinking, we are not deepening the learning. We are simply passing the play doh along with our hands to another person, and never diving in to consider and mold the play doh with our partner into a new form. The educator will always be needed in my opinion, to make this new form of learning across digital platforms "come alive." Or else it is merely a new medium for information to stay as information without going deeper into our consciousness.
Initially, I found myself disagreeing with the Kop and Hill article, as I questioned whether learning is dependent of others. Do I need to be tethered to a "node" in order to experience learning? What if my community of practice doesn't deepen the information, but simply instructs the people to absorb what is given? Sort of like a Trump rally or Palin debate. Or better yet, both combined. Sorry, I couldn't resist.
As I absorbed the Brown article and considered the way technology has changed our ways of learning, I also appreciated how I now have new ways in which I engage in material. I can read articles and engage in dialogue with others about the topic. This can help me expand my insights by being stretched in my thinking with others invested in the topic, which may be outside my previously known circle of friends. Yet, the same potential downfall is present in that this group may be uninformed or simply debate without rational logic.
This is where the third article by Siemens informed my understanding by addressing the role of the educator in this learning process. We can have some very informed learning processes occurring over the digital world, but unless we have someone questioning the information and encouraging critical thinking, we are not deepening the learning. We are simply passing the play doh along with our hands to another person, and never diving in to consider and mold the play doh with our partner into a new form. The educator will always be needed in my opinion, to make this new form of learning across digital platforms "come alive." Or else it is merely a new medium for information to stay as information without going deeper into our consciousness.
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