Using Instructional Technology to Promote Student Learning With Understanding > Donald P. Buckley, Ph.D. Professor of Biology Director of Instructional Technology, School of Health Sciences Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT Apple Distinguished Educator Smithsonian Computerworld Laureate > Hamilton College - 25 April 2002

We Are History This is Our Revolution

The Information Age Has Changed the Educational Landscape 1800’s1900’s2000’s Industrial Age Information Age Learning Goals Have Changed The meaning of ‘knowing’ has shifted from being able to repeat and remember information able to repeat and remember information to being able to find and use it Herbert Simon, Nobel Laureate Bransford et al., 2000

Student Preparation Standards May Be Lower Now Vocabularies of entering college freshman 1962: 10,000 words Today: 4,000 words The region of our brain most related to language has multiple duties: 1.Communication 2.Synthesis 3.Long term memory

Educational Consequences: e.g., Scientific Literacy In the early 1990's... The United States ranked 13 out of the top 14 industrial nations of the world By the late 1990's... The United States ranked halfway among the worlds nations

An Emerging Reform In Science Education 1980’s1990’s2000’s A Revolutionary Opportunity Has Emerged Learning Standards NRC How People Learn Bransford, Brown, and Cocking today Content Standards NRC National Science Education Standards

A Revolution in Education? 1. The Decade of the Brain: 1. The Decade of the Brain: New insights about the cognitive development of learning 2. Soul-searching about alarming levels of literacy: 2. Soul-searching about alarming levels of literacy: Emergence of the Learning Paradigm 3. Information technology: 3. Information technology: Data collection/analysis & authoring SimulationCommunication Formative Assessment Data collection/analysis & authoring SimulationCommunication Formative Assessment

emphasis on Delivery of Content emphasis on Delivery of Content emphasis on Learning with Understanding emphasis on Learning with Understanding A Revolution In Education Learning Paradigm Instructional Paradigm

But Where Do We Start? Bransford, Brown and Cocking, 2000.

Principle Educational Goals 1. Teaching so students learn with understanding 2. Promoting student experience of investigation 1. Teaching so students learn with understanding 2. Promoting student experience of investigation

study understanding defer judgement collect evidence BELIEF study understanding Hypothesis A Hypothesis B Hypothesis A Hypothesis B The Process of Critical Inquiry BELIEF This is how the brain seems to be wired! Geunther 1998

Principle Educational Goals 1. Teaching so students learn with understanding 2. Promoting student experience of investigation 1. Teaching so students learn with understanding 2. Promoting student experience of investigation

Three Key Principles of How People Learn Overall - Learners Must Construct Knowledge In Order To Learn With Understanding 1. Reconstruction of Misconceptions 2. Constructive Learning Is Knowledge-centered 3. Metacognition - Reflective Monitoring of Progress Overall - Learners Must Construct Knowledge In Order To Learn With Understanding 1. Reconstruction of Misconceptions 2. Constructive Learning Is Knowledge-centered 3. Metacognition - Reflective Monitoring of Progress

Learning with Understanding Students Must Grapple With Foundational Information Students Need to Construct Their Own Meaning Transfer Learn for Understanding Application to Solve New Real World Problems

Constructing of Knowledge: Novice versus Expert Knowledge Systems: “Big Ideas” expert novice factoid

Constructing of Knowledge Requires Chunking with Background Knowledge (schema) Then same with letters …back to 7 again, but no progress thereafter because there was no schema to organize letter strings Train to remember digit strings From 7 to over 70 within 30 days Train to remember digit strings From 7 to over 70 within 30 days Break big strings into smaller number of elements (chunking) Each chunked element was remembered with a trick: races (background knowledge …schema) = 9.41 seconds for 100 yards 3591 = 3 minutes, 59.1 secs for 1 mile Break big strings into smaller number of elements (chunking) Each chunked element was remembered with a trick: races (background knowledge …schema) = 9.41 seconds for 100 yards 3591 = 3 minutes, 59.1 secs for 1 mile

Expertise new chunked content Expertise schema Learning for Understanding Involves an Iterative Construction of Knowledge TRANSFER new chunked content revised schema new chunked content revised schema schema chunked content revised schema new chunked content student interests, emotions, initial understanding new chunked content early schema:

emphasis on Delivery of Content emphasis on Delivery of Content emphasis on Learning with Understanding emphasis on Learning with Understanding How Do We Make This Happen? Learning Paradigm Instructional Paradigm

Emphasis on Delivery of Content Emphasis on Delivery of Content Emphasis on Learning with Understanding Emphasis on Learning with Understanding How Do We Make This Happen? Learning Paradigm Instructional Paradigm Pedagogical Potential of Instructional Technology Pedagogical Potential of Instructional Technology

COMMUNICATING VISUALIZING ANALYZING MODELING DATA COLLECTION Technology can be an Enabler COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS SIMULATING BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium

Current Practice Is Mismatched with the Pedagogical Potential of Instructional Technology Learning Paradigm Instructional Paradigm Pedagogical Potential of Instructional Technology Pedagogical Potential of Instructional Technology Learning Paradigm Emphasis on Delivery of Content Emphasis on Delivery of Content Emphasis on Learning with Understanding Emphasis on Learning with Understanding

Pedagogical Feature Set of Instructional Technology Interactivity: Interactivity: fosters active-learning experiences Multimedia: Multimedia: engages important cognitive processes Communication: Communication: promotes social construction of knowledge Computing components: Computing components: experience with professional tools & skills experience with professional tools & skills simulations to develop critical inquiry skills simulations to develop critical inquiry skills authoring tools for construction of knowledge authoring tools for construction of knowledge integration of powerful formative assessment tools integration of powerful formative assessment tools

Goals of Formative Assessment To improve the communication of learning goals To improve the communication of learning goals To foster mindful engagement …by promoting reflection and metacognition To foster mindful engagement …by promoting reflection and metacognition To construct learning cycles...”chunking” To construct learning cycles...”chunking” To provide timely feedback To provide timely feedback To build incentive systems for competency-based learning To build incentive systems for competency-based learning To collect diagnostic clues about individual needs To collect diagnostic clues about individual needs Adaptive assessment …conditional learning paths Adaptive assessment …conditional learning paths

Instructional Technology Assessment Tools Vary with Learning Goals Open-ended assessment styles Structured assessment styles Utility of CompetingAssessmentStyles Learn Facts Learn Inquiry Learn Concepts main learning goal foundational information

Examples

Assessment of Open-ended Simulations A Contradiction in Terms? Student portfolio model …authoring & construction of knowledge Iterative, analogous scenarios to build meaning …HPL Perhaps some structured assessment But needs epistemological scaffolding …e.g., 3P's 1. Problem posing (hypothesis generating) 2. Problem solving (data collection and analysis) 3. Peer persuasion (formulating an argument before peers) Path analysis …monitor decision making Student portfolio model …authoring & construction of knowledge Iterative, analogous scenarios to build meaning …HPL Perhaps some structured assessment But needs epistemological scaffolding …e.g., 3P's 1. Problem posing (hypothesis generating) 2. Problem solving (data collection and analysis) 3. Peer persuasion (formulating an argument before peers) Path analysis …monitor decision making

Course Management Systems: An Enabling Technology?

Institutional Transition Process Lone Rangers Entrepreneurs Lone Rangers Entrepreneurs Boutique Phase Transformation Scalability Early Adopters Boutique Phase Transformation Scalability Early Adopters Systemic Phase Transformation Scalability Later Adopters Systemic Phase Transformation Scalability Later Adopters Local R&D, Mentoring, & CMS 1-on-1 Authoring Hartman, NLII 2001

Registrar CMS Database Course Management Systems: The Enabling Technology Infrastructure? Faculty ContentComm ToolsAssessment Student Experience on the Web Student Portfolios

Some Emergent Goals for Utilizing CMS Technology: Technology-assisted Facilitation of Learning-centered Teaching Styles Content Delivery Communication Assessment Lecture Content delivery Activities Problem-based Project-based Case-based Episodic Pervasive Situate learning in social interactions SummativeFormative Teacher-centeredLearner-centered CMS Pedagogical Tools A Continuum of Teaching Styles

-- A Model for Coupling the Feature Set of Course Management Systems to Learning Centered Principles Smart Tutor Web-based Homework for foundational information Research Simulation Emulating the Process of Professional Investigation Revision of Class Time content delivery system Complementing lectures with Discovery Activities Mitigating the Coverage DilemmaDeveloping Epistemological Skills Building Meaning

A Dilemma Coverage Learning & Inquiry NOW Emphasis on Delivery of Content Emphasis on Effective Learning

A Solution to the Dilemma? GOAL Coverage Emphasis on Delivery of Content Learning & Inquiry Emphasis on Effective Learning

Can we use technology to mitigate the Coverage Dilemma? Routine Online AssessmentIn Class Traditional Approach Web Assisted Foundational Information Inquiry-orientation and powerful pedagogies smart tutor homework

SUMMARY

Learning with Understanding Sudying Facts Is Necessary to Develop Expertise, …but Memorization Is Not Enough Sudying Facts Is Necessary to Develop Expertise, …but Memorization Is Not Enough Students Need to Construct Their Own Meaning Transfer Learn for Understanding Application to Later Learning and Solution of New Real World Problems Application to Later Learning and Solution of New Real World Problems

S U M M A R Y We need to integrate pedagogies that are learning-centered and inquiry-oriented. Interactive, sensory-rich, assessment-rich technology learning environments can foster these goals in scaffolded activities that allow students to build meaning. Research simulations promote student experience in the process of investigation. Communication technology and authoring tools can promote cooperative learning experiences and help students to build meaning, when coupled with pedagogies such as case-based and problem-based learning activities. The Coverage Dilemma. These time-intensive pedagogies are commonly viewed as a conflict with coverage demands. However, assessment-rich web “homework” systems may be able to move the coverage of foundational information to student time with a competency-based learning standard, making room for more learning- centered and inquiry-oriented pedagogies in class time. New course management systems will provide an enabling technology infrastructure. A three-tiered model is suggested to exploit current CMS’s.

Buckley, D EDUCAUSE Review 37(1): (Jan/Feb)