Master of Science – Introductory Semester Lars Peter Jensen Learning strategies in team project, Communication and group dynamics + experience exchange Master of Science – Introductory Semester Lars Peter Jensen

Agenda Learning strategies in PBL Learning styles Learning in a team project Communication Oral presentation Experience exchange from project work until now

How much are you aware of your learning? Preferred method Strength Weaknesses How much are you aware of the changing process of your learning? Lets make a test: Close your eyes …

Learning styles Individuals’ different ways of taking in and processing information - Richard Felder

How do you do reading? Some people… sometimes…

Factors Influencing Learning Styles Before entering the University Native ability (IQ) Background (past experiences) At the University Learning environment e.g. match between learning style and teaching style

Purpose of Testing Learning Style To know about yourself - ‘in which way a student is smart’ rather than ‘whether this student is smart or not’ To help learners to develop learning strategies and improve their learning by balancing it. To work with our teaching style to match and maximize student learning But not to Divide people into a set category as blood types – instead, it is just measuring height or weight along some point in life

Different learning styles 1 Active Learners Retain and understand information best by doing something active Like discussion or applying it or explaining it to others ‘let’s try it out and see how it works’ Like group work Reflective Learners Think about it quietly before talk Let’s think it through first Prefer working alone quietly It is hard for both learning types sitting through lectures without getting to do anything physical but taking notes, particularly hard for active learners. Everybody is sometimes active and sometimes reflective. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

Different learning styles 2 Sensing Learners Tend to like facts Like solving problems by well-established methods and dislike complications and surprises Be patient with details and good at memorizing facts and doing hands-on work More practical and careful don’t like courses that have no apparent connection to the real world Intuitive Learners Prefer discovering possibilities and relationships Like innovation and dislike repetition Be better at grasping new concepts and more comfortable with abstractions and mathematical formulations Work faster and more imaginative Don’t like courses that involve a lot of memorization and routine calculation Everybody is sometimes sensing and sometimes intuitive. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

Different learning styles 3 Visual Learners Remember best what they see - ‘Show me’ Pictures Diagrams Sketches schematics Flow charts plots Verbal learners Getting more out of words - ‘Explain it to me’ Spoken words Written words Everybody is both visual and verbal. Preferring one does not mean that you don’t learn in the other way. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

Different learning styles 4 Sequential Learners Gain understanding in linear steps Follow logical stepwise paths in finding solutions Feel comfortable explaining things Global Learners Learning in large jumps, absorbing materials almost randomly without seeing connections, and suddenly ‘get it’. Need big picture to function Solve complex problems quickly or put things together in novel ways once they have grasped the big picture Feel difficult to explain Which is your preference? Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

Summary All types of learners are needed in every profession All learning styles are needed to addressed and satisfied in teaching

The learning styles test Find the test at: http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSpage.html Result:

Take the test: http://www4. ncsu Take the test: http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSpage.html Please discuss with your group members: How can you make best of and learn from each other based on your individual strengths and weakness? www.comestic.com

Work! and break until 13.30 Deadline is deadline !

Communication - a definition - from ancient Latin: communis - ”common” - sharing, making commonly known Merriam-Webster: ( www.m-w.com ) a: to convey knowledge of or information about : make known <communicate a story> b: to reveal by clear signs <his fear communicated itself to his friends> c: to transmit information, thought, or feeling so that it is satisfactorily received or understood

Ways of communication One-on-one Few-on-few One-on-many Participants Characteristic Two-way ’Multi-way’ One-way Oral Discussion Group discussion Presentation Written Letters, e-mail Working papers Notes for a course

Positive communication How to achieve positive communication to support learning?

Passive Listening Builds on the ability to: Be silent Express acknowledgement Invite others to go into details using encouraging words: ”Yes”,”No”,”I see”,”Hmmm” and openers: ”Tell more”, ”How would you” etc.

Active Listening Builds on the ability to: ’Mirror’, (repeat with your own words) what the other person says Communicate on the other person’s premises Show understanding and respect for the other persons opinion Interpret – not judge or condemn.

Aktiv lytning Positive dialogue Active Listening Coding Decoding

Body language of a listener A listening person: Has eye contact Has an open posture Is leaning slightly forward Nods at intervals Is conscious of own and receiver’s body language

Positive discussion Contributions furthering discussion Make proposals Search for information via questions Give information Summing up the discussion Elaborate and further develop ideas Test own and others’ understanding of the topic under discussion

Positive discussion Contributions improving ’climate’ Praise and encourage others Support others in being listened to Follow and support ideas of others Openly express change of opinion Show openness Listen actively

Negative discussion Contributions blocking discussion Disagree without constructive alternatives Attack proposals of others Defend own proposals aggressively Speaking all the time without listening Talk about other subjects

Positive communication Reflexive writing and ‘marking rounds’ Can be used before, during and after a decision-making process: Five minutes ’time-out’, where All speaking in the group is forbidden and Each student spontaneously writes down his or her thoughts about the form of the discussion and the issues discussed at the moment After 5 minutes take a ‘marking round’ where everyone explains their thoughts

Positive communication Reflexive writing and ‘marking rounds’ ..are good tools in team work because they: Give those who have ’dropped out’ of the discussion a possibility to come back in. Give everybody a possibility to put forward their views and opinions. Make the communication process open and visible because of the writing. GOOD ADVICE: Let the less speaking student start!!

Positive communication Constructive feedback Feedback must: Describe behaviour – not interpret motives Express your own feelings directly – not indirectly Be specific – not general Only address issues which can be changed Make room for change Be non-judgmental Only be given when asked for/agreed upon – not uninvited Be motivated by a wish to help others – not to hurt

Positive communication A good advice to remember !! Be towards others as you wish them to be towards you!!

The short presentation plan Tell them what you are going to tell them! Tell them! Tell them what you have told them!

The longer presentation plan- 1 Questions to ask: Who is to know? Receiver, code, power What is my point? Message Why do I want to tell? Motivation How much do I know? Competence How should I tell it? Focus, media Where/when to tell? Situation How do I behave? Attitude

Plan - rehearse - evaluate – review – rehearse etc. The longer presentation plan- 2 Things to think about: Content - message, structure Appearance - confident, open, lively (eye-contact, hands) Articulation - clear, fluent, correct terminology (write) AV-aids - blackboard, OHP, PowerPoint, posters, film Time-management - organise, message Group collaboration - organise, message Plan - rehearse - evaluate – review – rehearse etc. Content work backwards from the point it makes it clearer Appearance (hands- body language) Eye contact - slides Lars Peter Articulation AV-aids not telling the story but supporting it Excepting title and agenda OH you should count on 3-5 minutes talk for each overhead - you need to have something to say. Time-management practice Group collaboration support each other do not criticise

Oral presentations - body language Elements in body language eyes facial mimic gesture posture position dressing

Body language Be aware of your body language – often there is a contradiction between what you say and what your body tells Some examples which may well be culturally biased??

Signals defence and insecurity despite the smile Confident, committed and confidence-inspiring Superior and self-confident; don’t turn your back to the audience

Defensive and keeping his distance A little nervous; holding a pencil or a pointing device will look more natural Aggressive, determined

Cautious and a little insecure Open and honest Insecure, holding his own hand

Nervousness . . . . . . . Everyone is nervous, insecure and/or exited - the only thing that helps is practice. Prepare Rehearse In front of friends In front of mirror Write introduction + conclusion It is also a positive thing, it makes you think faster! Remember I are the one knowing the subject in most details, often much better than censor and lecturer.

Strategies Using manuscript Using clue card with keywords Design of slides (put more words) Choosing certain audience to have eye contact Remember: You are the one knowing the subject in most details, often much better than censor and lecturer.

Lecture: On reflection and learning WHAT is reflection? WHY use reflection? HOW to reflect? Introduction to cross-group work

Examples of reflection: WHAT is reflection? Examples of reflection: A student is reflecting when: She notices that important information is missing in a text, thinks about possible reasons for leaving out the info and looks up the info in other places. She realises that the given math exercise is different from the standard exercises in the book, identifies the difference and knows what to do differently. He looks back at an overruled time plan, identifies the time-consuming activities and makes allowances for these kinds of activities in the next time schedule.

WHAT is reflection? Oxford English Dictionary The action, on the part of surfaces, of throwing back light or heat (rays, beams, etc.) falling upon them; But also The action of turning (back) or fixing the thoughts on some subject; meditation, deep or serious consideration. From the examples: Notice Think about Look back at Identify Plan based on experience

Engineers of today need methodological competencies, such as: WHY use reflection? Engineers of today need methodological competencies, such as: Flexibility and capacity for change. Such competencies are closely connected with ’lifelong learning’ which can be achieved through awareness about learning processes. Awareness about learning processes can be achieved through reflection upon learning processes.

HOW to reflect? Make conscious observations by asking questions: WHAT went well until now? … and WHY did it go well? WHAT went wrong until now? and WHY did it go wrong? The reflection is embedded in the WHY? questions Reflection as a tool for development and improvement of methodological competencies can be used in connection with learning processes within all areas of engineering but in the POPBL course we focus upon learning processes in the area of project organised group work.

Introduction to cross-group work Start out with a round of presentation, giving name, project topic and supervisor Do a series of rounds describing how your project group organised the following: Project management, team work, co-operation with your supervisor. Do a series of rounds of analysing and assessing your project process, taking your point of departure in the questions: WHAT went well until now? … and WHY did it go well? WHAT went wrong until now? and WHY did it go wrong?

Introduction to cross-group work (cont.) 4. From the answers to the above questions generalise in the following format: What we will continue to do What we will do differently and better in the future Give ’Good advice’ to yourself and your fellow students (and possibly also to your supervisors) aimed at improving the project work process in the rest of the semester, and in the future projects Write down the ’Good advice’ on a slide (e.g. Power Point) and prepare a short presentation in room A4-106.

…and now the cross-group work! At 3.30 p.m. the presentation starts – please select one member from each cross group to present your slides.