How People Learn Mary Pat Wenderoth University of Washington

J. Bransford, National Research Council Address students’ alternative conceptions Three major findings: 2. Build BOTH a deep foundation of factual knowledge AND strong conceptual framework. 3. Enhance students’ ability to monitor learning (metacognition)

1. Address students’ alternative conceptions. What causes the seasons? summer spring winter autumn Summer in North America Winter in South America!

2. Build BOTH factual knowledge AND conceptual framework. Pages published in PNAS

How People Learn, Chase & Simon 1973 The value of conceptual frameworks The chessboard challenge

Correctly place the 25 chess pieces

Chess masters – Class A players – Beginners

Board #2

2. Build BOTH Factual knowledge Conceptual framework

What are the key conceptual frameworks in your field?

3. Enhance students’ metacognition. KNOWLEDGE about cognition What to study How to study When and why to study How to help your students learn to monitor their understanding? REGULATION of cognition Plan studying Monitor studying Evaluate effectiveness of study strategies Schraw 1998 Instructional Science 26:113

-Due every Friday at 10 am -Respond to question posted on web

Results: 85% noted a positive influence on learning Got them to stop for a moment in their busy worlds. Final Question: How has reflecting on your learning each week influenced your learning in Biol 350?

“Some weeks no matter how much I thought I was paying attention in class it would be Thursday night and I’d be thinking ‘Huh? What did I learn this week? Oh yeah….’ which got me to examine what was going on in class and the learning process before the weekend completely wiped everything away.” Student comment:

National Research Council Address alternative conceptions 2. Build conceptual framework 3. Monitor learning------metacognition How to implement in classroom? Three major findings:

Audio-visual Demonstration Discussion Lecture Practice Reading Teaching Science of Learning NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science 300 N. Lee Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA

Audio-visual Demonstration Discussion Lecture Practice Reading Teaching Science of Learning NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science 300 N. Lee Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA

Audio-visual Demonstration Discussion Lecture Practice Reading Teaching lecture reading teaching practice discussion demonstration audio-visual Science of Learning The National Training Laboratories of Alexandria VA The New Science of Teaching and Learning by Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa 2010 Students talking Faculty talking

How to implement in your classroom? Use of Clickers and Peer Instruction

Smith et al. Science 2009 Smith et al. CBE- Life Science Education 2011 revote Q2: Isomorphic question

Smith et al. Science 2009 Smith et al. CBE- Life Science Education 2011 Alone Peer Instructor explains “Priming” Q2 Q1

“Ask, Don’t Tell” Guiding Principles The person doing the talking is doing the learning

Knight, J. and B. Couch presentation at SABER 2013 Senior level- Developmental Biology course Small group (4-5 students) work in class of 50 Two sections of same class Use of clicker questions Record, transcribe, analyze conversations for reasoning % of transcripts 0 - no reasoning noted 1 student gave explanation 2 or more students exchanged ideas 3-two or more students exchanged ideas and gave warrants

Answer-Centered class Reasoning-Centered Class prompt “Discuss your answers with your table and re-vote. Then I’ll explain the correct answer.” “Discuss your answer with your table and focus on the reasons for your answer. Then I will ask you to share your reasons.” Quality of reasoning Knight, J. and B. Couch presentation at SABER 2013 Senior level- Developmental Biology course significantly higher quality of reasoning

Avoid “ Clicker Abuse ” 1. Pose a challenging higher order question (< 60% correct) 2. First, let students answer alone 3. Do not show results 4. Encourage peer discussion 5. Revote 6. Instructor led debrief - asking for LOGIC behind answer Smith et al. Science 2009 Smith et al. CBE- Life Science Education 2011 Mazur Peer- Instruction Your prompts are key

Increased Course Structure Improves Performance in Introductory Biology Freeman, Hake, & Wenderoth (2011) CBE—LSE 10, 175–186 Bloom ALL exam questions from Fall Bloom level increased from 2.7 to 3.1 Fall lecturing --Socratic method LOW Spring lecturing --clicker Q --reading Q MEDIUM Fall No lecturing (at all) --6+ clicker Q -- weekly practice exam -- daily reading Q --15 random calls HIGH

Spr ‘02 Spr ‘03 Spr ‘05 Fall ‘05 Fall ‘07 Fall ‘09 < %15.8%10.9%11.7%7.4%6.3% Increased Course Structure Improves Performance in Introductory Biology Faculty talking Student learning Freeman, Hake, & Wenderoth (2011 ) CBE—LSE 10, 175–186

Cognitive Science of Learning

Fixed vs Fluid Thinkers Self-Theories by Carol Dweck

Fixed vs Fluid Intelligenceset amountunlimited Risk-tolerancelowhigh Failurevalidationchallenge

Aronson, Fried & Good- Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 38, 113–125 (2002) Reducing the Effects of Stereotype Threat on African American College Students by Shaping Theories of Intelligence 79 Stanford Undergrads 42 Black White

Malleable pen palControl pen pal 3- 1 hr sessions over 10 days Write a letter to a struggling middle school student from an impoverished community. Brain is “like a muscle”Intelligence composed of many different abilities Scholastic Pen Pal Program

Malleable pen palControl pen palnon pen pal Series of questions- malleable fixed mind set 6 1 BlackWhiteBlackWhiteBlackWhite Mind set GPA

… Tiger Blocked OR Interleaved How to teach and study? Birnbaum, Kornell, Bjork, & Bjork (2009 ) 16 different types of butterflies CopperStreakNymphMark

Please identify the image. Which of the following is it? Admiral American Baltimore Cooper Eastern Tiger Hairstreak Harvester Mark Painted Lady Pine Elfin Pipevine Spright Tipper Tree Satyr Viceroy Wood Nymph. Birnbaum, Kornell, Bjork, & Bjork (2009 )

Which students are most confident? Actual results Birnbaum, Kornell, Bjork, & Bjork (2009 ) “Desirable Difficulty”

Learners are poor judges of effective study techniques Bjork, Roediger, Karpicke “Desirable Difficulties” Interleave vs block

Cognitive Science of Learning Group 1SSSSTest Test Group 2SSSTTest Test Group 3SSTTTest Test Group 4STTT Test Test “Testing Effect”-- Retrieval 1 st 2nd 12 word pairs Swahili-- English 5 min -week

Roediger and Karpicke 2004

Re-study or re-reading creates “Illusions of knowing” Testing enhances learning “Testing Effect”

1. Challenge alternative conceptions 2. Build frameworks 3. Enhance metacognition How People Learn Fixed vs Fluid mind set “Desirable Difficulties” (interleaving) “Testing Effect”

“Ask, Don’t Tell”