Learning strategies in PBL Team skills and Conflict management Lars Peter Jensen 1

Agenda Learning strategies in PBL –Learning styles –Learning in a team project Team behaviour and skills Conflict management 2

3 What is ’learning’? Yes, it’s actually true – you can get a degree by repeating everything the teacher says.

4 Learning Environment - traditional teachers and textbooks as main learning resources

5 Teaching = Learning ?

6 Effectivity of educational formats (after Bales) 5 % 10 % Lecture Reading Audiovisual Demonstration Discussion group Practice Teaching others Average retention 20 % 30 % 50 % 75 % 80 %

7 Experience based learning Test Generalization Reflection Experience Kolb’s learning cirkel, with the word of John Cowan’s (Cowan 1998). Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experiences - David Kolb Learning is a function of the activity, context, and culture in which it normally occurs, thus it is situated - Jean Lave & Etienne Wenger

How much are you aware of your learning? –Preferred method –Strength –Weaknesses How much are you aware of the changing process of your learning? Exercise: Close your eyes and

Learning styles Individuals’ different ways of taking in and processing information - Richard Felder 9

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How do you do reading? Some people… sometimes… 13

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 14

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 15

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 Everybody is sometimes active and sometimes reflective. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild. It is hard for both learning types sitting through lectures without getting to do anything physical but taking notes, particularly hard for active learners. 16

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. 17

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. 18

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. 19

Strong (-) Moder ate (-) Mild (-) Mild (+) Moder ate (+) Strong (+) Active(- )/Reflective( +) Sensitive(- )/Intuitive(+) Visual (-)/Verbal (+) Sequential(- )/Global(+) The learning styles of the 493 students divided into strong, moderate and mild preferences, AAU, 2003 (Kolmos & Holgaard 2008) 20

Learning style preferences related to disciplines at Aalborg University (Kolmos & Holgaard 2008) ProfessionActive % Sensing % Visual % Seque ntial % Architecture & Design (N=77) Building & Civil Engineering (N=63) Computer Engineering & Science (N=70) Physics & Nanotechnology (N=25) Electronics (N=57) Mathematics (N=14) Global Business Development & Industry (N=73) Chemistry, Bio- & Health Technology (N=62) Geography, Land Surveying and Planning & Environment (N=52)

Summary All types of learners are needed in every profession All learning styles are needed to addressed and satisfied in teaching Now take Felders learning style test (ILS): felder/public/ILSpage.html 22

Break for 30 minutes 23

Complementary skills Wider perspectives Team project A forum for discussion and reflection Challenges Learning opportunities Motivation and supports Good teams are collections of differences and companies would like to get cross-functional teams Domination by an individual Using too much time Taking one’s own purpose Slipping into conformity and groupthink How can a team benefit a project? How can a team damage a project? 24

How clear, relevant and realistic is your goal? 25

Have you done team building excise? 26

How do you conductmeetings? 27

The team performance curve High performing team Real team Potential team Pseudo team Working group Interact with each other Share informaiton, experiences Help each other Do not share a common goal No shared goal Do not know how to collaborate Personal conflict No interest in joining forces Weak group Try to set up clear goals Try to collaborate Try to share work But a long way to go… Complementary skills Committed to common goals and working approaches Good social environment Do more At the best level 28

Integration Crystallization of roles Sub-groups Deeper communication We - feeling Conflicts Divide /rule Alliances Management Maturity Clear goals and role Mutual respect Clear communication of facts and feelings Constructive criticism Consensus Honeymoon “ Nice ” communication Unity and generosity Idealization The initial phase Uncertainty Vague norms and roles Power struggles The Group Process (Lenneer-Axelson and Thylefors 1993) 29

30 Conflicts – WHAT? WHY? HOW? WHAT? Behaviour exhibited by one (or more) person(s) which bothers another (or other) person(s) and/or prevents them from doing something they would like to do. WHY? Disagreement, “bad chemistry”, fight about power, lack of respect, cultural insensitivity e.g.. HOW? It is easy to start a conflict – but it might be hard to solve it satisfactorily!.

31 Preventing Conflicts ”Prevention is better than cure” - also when it concerns conflicts in a group!! ”Remember that the sooner a conflict is identified and handled, the less dramatic it is. Prevention of conflicts builds on mutual understanding and respect for diversity.

32 Preventing Conflicts Conflicts are best prevented by: Knowing and understanding expectations, opinions and feelings - your own as well as those of others (dialogue, I-messages) Agreeing on rules, roles and relations in the group, (co-operation agreement) Evaluating your group co-operation regularly (’hot chair’, team health profile).

33 ’I’-messages The ’I’-message is a clear, unambiguous and honest message about your thoughts and feelings You can share your thought and feelings with others but they cannot deny them or say that they are ’wrong’ Using ’I’-messages is the same as assertive communication!!

34 How to use ’I’-messages to tell others about something you don’t like PhaseExample Start (state the factual behaviour) ”You didn’t tell me that the meeting was cancelled. Consequence (describe the consequence of this behaviour for you) So I have wasted my time coming here. Feeling (describe how you feel about this) This makes me angry and I feel that you disrespect me and my job. Alternative (point out another way to behave) If you had notified my secretary she could have notified me.”

35 Evaluating personal relations: The ’Hot chair’ Every 2-3 weeks group members evaluate each other one at a time according to the following rules: The person in the ‘hot chair’ is not allowed to comment, she/he is supposed to listen to the constructive and loyal criticism of other group members All the others have to give positive and negative feedback e.g. Two things they like about the person’s behaviour within the group, and two things they don't like

36 Evaluating personal relations: The ’Hot chair’ 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

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

38 Conflict behaviour and conflict solving 1.How to spot a conflict 2.Personal conflict behaviour 3.Conflict solving 4.Consequences of conflicts

39 How to spot a conflict Very loud discussion in stead of dialogue – nobody is trying to understand each other Very long arguing but no decisions Goes ‘for the man’ not ’for the ball’ Postulate in stead of reasoning Formation of cliques Talk about people behind their backs REMEMBER: Deal with conflicts, the sooner the better !!!

40 Personal conflict behaviour ProfileCharacteristic individual behaviour Avoidance ’drawing’ Avoid, deny, ignore, turn away. Adjusting ’smooth things out’ Forthcoming, abandon personal goals, relations to others is more important. Win/loose ‘forcing’ Dominating, aggressive, want to win, demonstrates power. Compromising ’do compromises’ All shall gain something – there is different ways to do things, compromises. Problem solving ’confronting’ Acceptance of conflicts. Everybody's needs are legitimate and important. Respect for personal relations. Make allowances

41 Personal conflict behaviour Goal Relations Important Not importantImportant Smooth things outConfronting ForcingDrawing Compromising

42 One way to solve a conflict  Those involved in the conflict tell How they have experienced the situation How they have contributed to creating the problem How they can contribute to a solution  Mediator and persons involved participate in the development of possible solutions.  The group agrees upon trying one of the solutions and the mediator writes down the agreement. Everyone evaluates the process and states whether they are satisfied with the solution.

43 Conflicts – negative or positive ? A conflict can be destructive, but it can also bring forward different sides of a case Enhance creativity and stimulate learning. Also, a satisfactorily solved conflict is likely to Create better co-operation, more trust and deeper friendships, and Improve the ability to handle conflicts in the future – both in the group and in a later job situation. It is not the conflict itself, but the lack of ability and will to solve it, that creates problems.

44 Remember: Conflicts arises !!! It is your choice whether they shall lead to positive or negative results. It depends upon whether your mental frame is positive or negative ! What do you read here? OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE

Exercises in group room Finish Felders Learning style test (ILS): felder/public/ILSpage.html Discuss with your group members: How can you improve learning from each other based on your results from the learning style test (Index of Learning Style) Take a Team Healt Test and discuss the results: 20health%20test.doc 45