Teaching, Learning, and Active Engagement Why is active engagement so important for learning?

How Do Students Learn 1? They learn by actively participating Observing, speaking, writing, listening, thinking, drawing, doing They must be engaged to learn Learning is enhanced when students see potential implications, applications, and benefits to others Learning builds on current understanding How People Learn (NRC, 1999)

Learning Styles How does the person prefer to process information? Actively – through engagement in physical activity or discussion Reflectively – through introspection Questionnaire - Barbara Soloman & Richard Felder http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html Thanks to Robyn Dunbar and Marcelo Clerici-Arias, Stanford University Center for Teaching and Learning

Your Learning Styles Active Reflective

Learning Styles What type of information does the person preferentially perceive? Sensory – sights, sounds, physical sensations, data … Intuitive – memories, ideas, models, abstract…

Your Learning Styles Sensory Intuitive

Learning Styles Through which modality is sensory information most effectively perceived? Visual – pictures, diagrams, graphs, demonstrations, field trips Verbal – sounds, written and spoken words, formulas

Your Learning Styles Visual Verbal

Learning Styles How does the person progress toward understanding? Sequentially – in logical progression of small incremental steps Globally – in large jumps, holistically

Your Learning Styles Sequential Global

How Do Students Learn 2? Different people are most comfortable learning in different ways Multiple representations enhance the learning of all students

Context for Morning Sessions Active engagement is important for learning Students have different learning styles Expand your “toolbox” of teaching strategies Most students most students passive active