Learning Styles, Active Learning, Generic Abilities: Strategies for Success Education Section Faculty Development Workshop Stephanie P. Kelly PT, PhD May 16-19th, 2013 Indianapolis, IN

My Academic Story 1996 PTA Faculty and ACCE 2000 PT Faculty and ACCE 2001 Started on PhD 2008 Completed PhD 2009 Interim Dean 2011 Dean, College of Health Sciences (KSPT, SOT)

Learning Objectives After the session, participants will be able to: 1. Value the use of active learning strategies when teaching. 2. Identify different learning styles and how these impact learning. 3. Develop a variety of strategies for teaching physical therapy content that actively involves the learner and accommodates a variety of learning styles. 4. Integrate development of affective behaviors into classroom activities.

“Beginning with the End in Mind…” Draw a picture or symbol that represents a characteristic or quality that should be present in an entry-level PT/PTA… Pike and Solem 1997 Refer to chart of generic abilities How do we teach those?

Affective Behaviors / Professional Behaviors for PTs See attached document Do our students have all of these behaviors went they enter the classroom? Can they be taught? Can they be developed?

Characteristics of Adult Learners Self-directed, not dependent on others for direction Accepts responsibility for learning Seeks education that is relevant; addresses perceived problems and needs Prefer learner-centered approach; teacher as a ‘guide-on-the side.’

How do they learn? PT students preferred deep or strategic approaches to learning over surface approaches to learning. Sellheim 2003 Students learned key concepts in PT through an active, experiential approach to learning -- use of discussion, use of visualization, use of experience. Graham 1990

Learning Styles Individuals have preferences for how they prefer to take in and process information May vary based on situation May change over time Variety of means of categorizing Visual / Auditory / Kinesthetic or Tactile Active / Reflective Sequential / Global Experience (feeling)/Conceptualize (thinking) Experiment (doing) / Reflect (watching)

THINK, PAIR, SHARE Consider how you would most commonly teach these activities. What learning style does that method best match? How you might teach it differently? Think individually (1-2 minutes) Share an idea with a partner /small group (3-4 min) Share key points with larger group (3-4 min) Silberman 1996 “The Power of Two” Gait training Reimbursement

Teaching Styles and PT Students Preferred active experimentation more than other disciplines (Hauer et al 2005) Performed better on collaborative projects when paired with opposite learning style (Sandmire and Boyce 2004) Preferred instructional activities that involved learning by doing and that were highly structured and organized (Olson and Scanlan 2002)

Teaching Styles & Learning Styles The learning experiences used by the teacher influenced the learning approach selected by the student (Sellheim 2003) Surface approach: lack of relevance, assessment focused on recall, passive teaching, curricular overload Deep approach: awareness of relevance, interactive learning, time to reflect / share, connections between past learning and new knowledge, assessment focused on reflection and clinical reasoning

Learning in the Brain Learning is a change in neural networks in the brain Stronger when connected with existing networks Stronger when neurons are fired more frequently

Characteristics of Adult Learners Self-directed, not dependent on others for direction Accepts responsibility for learning Seeks education that is relevant; addresses perceived problems and needs Prefer learner-centered approach; teacher as a ‘guide-on-the side.’

Active Learning When participants do most of the work….and acquire knowledge and skills rather than merely receive them (Silberman) Anything students do in a classroom other than merely passively listening to an instructor’s lecture (Paulson & Faust) Involves students in doing things and thinking about the things they are doing (Bonwell)

Active Learning Leads to… Silberman discusses use of visuals as an adjunct to presentations as they are processed with very little effort and are retained better than words / spoken or written Increased problem solving, increased motivation, change in attitude, increased retention. Have to be engaged in the process, have choices and input, understand purpose of the activity.

Perceived Barriers to Active Learning? Cannot cover as much content Devising active learning strategies takes too much time Large class sizes prevent implementation Self-perception as a good lecturer Lack of materials or equipment Student resistance Need foundational material first

Active Learning: Evidence in Physical Therapy Study compared two sections of a physiology course: one lecture and one group discussion / active learning model Students in an active learning section of physiology scored better on the written test; however, perceived they learned less and that the instructor was less effective Lake, 2001 What generic abilities were addressed in addition to course content?

Active Learning: Evidence in Physical Therapy Study compared 2 cohorts; each were taught specific content area in cardio using traditional lecture vs on-line with in-class discussion. Student performance on written exam was higher with content taught via on-line/discussion method; especially at the higher cognitive domains Bayliss, Warden 2011

Active learning: Evidence in Physical Therapy Students learning medical screening and patient referral scored higher on a written test, reported higher self confidence and were more satisfied with their educational experience when participating in a student/faculty role playing session than those in a traditional lecture session. Boissonnault 2006 What generic abilities were addressed in addition to course content?

Active Learning: Evidence in Physical Therapy Service learning was used to teach competencies related to health promotion and wellness Performed musculoskeletal screenings at a local high school Students perceived an increase in knowledge of MS concepts and understanding of HP and Wellness Brown and Wise, 2007

Active learning: Evidence in Physical Therapy A hybrid computer-assisted instruction format for teaching physical agents resulted in similar learning outcomes as a traditional model. Course evaluations via focus group yielded more positive view of the hybrid course. Adams, 2013

Active Learning: Evidence in Physical Therapy Students reviewing content from an entire curriculum participated in a modified jigsaw session. Student participating in the jigsaw review scored significantly higher on content quizzes than after independent study Student feedback was positive Wong CK and Driscoll M (2007)

TIPS FOR USE: Get students active from the start Don’t overload students -- maybe try a new technique once a week Opening and/or wrap-up activities are a good place to start Provide clear instructions and a wrap-up that make the relevance explicit Consider learning styles and generic abilities to give you ideas

Learning Objectives Participants should now be able to: 1. Value the use of active learning strategies when teaching. 2. Identify different learning styles and how these impact learning. 3. Develop a variety of strategies for teaching physical therapy content that actively involves the learner and accommodates a variety of learning styles. 4. Integrate development of affective behaviors into classroom activities.