Teaching and Learning If you don’t know anything about learning… You don’t know anything about teaching! Telling is not TEACHING Listening is not LEARNING !

Learning Principles Consider steps in the learning process --how do students learn? Plan instructional events --to facilitate the learning process Use learning principles to design course

Steps in the Learning Process Reception Expectancy Retrieval to working memory Selective perception Semantic encoding--entry into LTM Responding Reinforcement Retrieval Generalization

Learning Interference Proactive interference --Each item you learn can interfere with the next item(s) to be learned Retroactive interference --Each item you learn can interfere with what you know or have just learned

Information Overload Avoid "information overload" --lengthy lectures promote interference In any instructional period we remember more of what comes -- at the beginning (primacy) and -- at the ending (recency) We remember least well material taught -- at or just past the middle position

Curriculum Design Analyze and break down course content into --instructional goals (units of study) --skills/knowledge/attitudes --steps and sub-steps to achieve unit goals Develop performance objectives Chunk and sequence objectives into lessons Develop course outline: units and lesson plans

Design course of study and lessons carefully --chunk and sequence objectives --build meaning to enhance learning Avoid learning interference by planning --more “chunks” --more “beginnings and endings.” Curriculum Design

Guide students through levels of thinking Use Bloom’s taxonomy-- cognitive knowledge a.) basic knowledge b.) comprehension c.) application d.) analysis e.) synthesis f.) evaluation

Curriculum Design Guide student learning in logical sequences Use Gagne’s schema for cognitive knowledge a) Intellectual skills--discriminations, concepts (concrete, abstract), rules b) Cognitive strategies --techniques of thinking, ways of analyzing and problem solving c) Verbal Information (basic knowledge)

Instructional Events Gain/maintain attention; motivate learners Inform learners of the learning objectives Stimulate recall of prior learning Present educational material to be learned Provide learning guidance Provide performance feedback Assess performance (evaluation) Enhance retention and transfer of material

Curriculum Alignment Align... Performance objectives --teaching/learning content Teaching /learning activities --instruction, assignments, exercises Evaluation strategies --tests, quizzes, lab exercises, etc.

Lesson Introduction What will students learn? --inform students of learning objectives Why is it important? --provide student moivation How will they learn? --tell students how you will proceed and what is expected of them

Lesson Development Present new information with --visual, verbal illustrations, analogies --frames of reference, and examples Provide learner-centered/learner active application activities --application and writing exercises --discussion groups, Q & A Provide student feedback on practice

Lesson Summary Review lesson objectives --draw conclusions --develop generalizations Involve students interactively in reviewing --where you were, where you are and where you’re going next Listen to student feedback --how well did they understand

Teaching Tips Use a variety of media and methods Give concrete examples when explaining theory Form bridges between lessons to --build and reinforce previous ones --set the stage for subsequent ones

Teaching tips Focus on --how your students are going to learn rather than on what you are going to teach For each instructional period, --design learner-centered/learner active learning activities --provide learner guidance to enable -- semantic encoding and --entry into long term memory

Evaluation Use quizzes, tests, application exercises --to assess student learning --to identify material to re-teach Design valid and reliable assessment strategies to --evaluate student achievement of course objectives