Experiential Learning/ Active Learning/ Learning By Doing What International Schools are all about

Active Learning What is Active Learning, how do we recognise it? What are the features of an active learning session?

Active Learning Based on a constructivist theory of learning: All students construct knowledge for themselves, Rather than knowledge coming from the teachers and being ‘absorbed’ by the student.

World famous views… “One must learn by doing the thing; though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try”. Sophocles (496 B.C. – 406 B.C.) A new idea?

World famous views… “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn”. Albert Einstein ( )

Learning is always an active process; helping students construct their own meaning. Teachers should try to construct learning activities that allow students to construct meaning. Learning is also socially constructed, through interaction with peers, teachers, parents, etc. Learning should always be contextualised – learning is connected to what we already know. Principles of Active Learning

Real ‘deep’ learning means thoroughly constructing knowledge, by exploring and revisiting; students can only construct meaning if they can see the whole, not just the parts. Teaching is about empowering the learner and allowing the student to discover and reflect on realistic experiences. Principles of Active Learning

Practical Implications Activities rely on hands-on materials Start with the whole, then move to the parts Effective questioning used by the teacher Teachers encourage student participation and contributions to understand their learning Lessons effectively plan activities and learning environment Assessment is seen as an integrated activity within teaching and learning – continuous assessment.

Methods Modelling – showing pupils how to do or think about a difficult task Scaffolding – providing a lot of support at the outset, which is gradually withdrawn Coaching – supporting students and providing constructive feedback while they are solving problems Articulation – expression of ideas Reflection – consideration given to activities completed Collaboration with others

A Learner’s Journey

A Learner’s Journey - Early 1900s Determined by institution A passive activity Rigid and inflexible Independent learning - found in libraries? One size fits all!

Still determined by institution Still a passive activity Still needing flexibility Additional resources to support independent learning A Learner’s Journey - more recent times

Reasons why we should adopt Active Learning!

How do you learn well? Most people’s views of how they learn well and how they became good at something are: practice trial and error having a go repetition experimenting

Your view of a learner? A vessel to be filled... A live wire to be activated...

Our Task... Take a lot of live wires and see that they are well-grounded!

Focus should be on the Individual Learner As they: vary in aptitude and ability have different prior knowledge experience and skills find some aspects of their programme easy or difficult work at different speeds have particular interests have differing levels of confidence or motivation have a preference for different methods and styles of learning have specific individual needs

Aptitude & Ability Learner Differences Prior Knowledge & Experience Work at Different Speeds Particular Interests Specific Individual Needs Learning Preferences & Styles Levels of Confidence & Motivation

Developing a ‘Learner-centred’ approach is key to success The learner is the beginning and the end point of the learning process The learner needs are the focus Learners need to be engaged and participate in education Learners should be able to access learning within a flexible, remote delivery model

21 st Century Learning

50-Minute Learning Curve

Active Learning v Traditional Teaching Time of class (min) % Retained lecture active learning From: McKeachie, Teaching tips: Strategies, research and theory for for college and university teachers, Houghton-Mifflin (1998)

Question Think back to the last time you attended a lecture or presentation? How much of what was said do you remember now? Research tells us that perhaps you retained as much as 5%.

Match the following percentage figures to the teaching methods ensuring that the learner retains information (a high percentage would indicate that the teaching method ensures maximum retention of learnt information. 10% 90% 30% 5% 75% 20% 50%  Reading  Teaching others, immediate use of learning  Demonstration  Listening  Practice by doing  Discussion group  Audio visual ACTIVITY What makes good teaching and learning?

Learners are increasingly active and challenged. Experience is increasingly practical and multi-sensory. Listening Practice by doing Teaching others, immediate use of learning Discussion group Demonstration Audio visual Reading 5% 10% % 20% 30% % 50% % 75% % 90% Which teaching method is most likely to ensure that learners retain the information?

Research has shown that: 35% of people are mainly visual learners 40% of people are mainly physical learners Only 25% of people are mainly auditory learners Kinaesthetic

Multi-sensory learning No matter what our preferred sense is, we seem to learn better if more than one sense is used and best if all three senses are used.

Active Learning “Is a process whereby learners are actively engaged in the learning process, rather than “passively” absorbing lectures. Active learning involves reading, writing, discussion and engagement in solving problems, analysis, synthesis and evaluation” Definition of ‘Active Learning’ from National Teaching and Learning Change Programme, Glossary: Teaching, Training and Learning Strategies

Bloom’s Taxonomy Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Bloom(1956).Taxonomy of Educational Objectives

Bloom’s Taxonomy High cognitive demand - reasoning required Evaluation (give a judgement) - critically appraise, compare and contrast Synthesis (respond creatively) - solve problems, write, design Analysis (consider the parts) - analyse, give reasons Application (do after being shown how) - apply, calculate Comprehension - explain, categorise, describe Knowledge - state, recall, list Low cognitive demand - little reasoning required Developmental Tasks Mastery Tasks

The Jabberwocky Problem ‘ Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. 1.What were the slithy toves doing in the wabe? 2.How would you describe the state of the borogoves? 3.What can you say about the mome raths?

The Jabberwocky Problem ‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. 4. Why were the borogroves mimsy? 5. How effective was the mome raths’ strategy?

Do learners need to Understand material in order to answer simple questions correctly? The Jabberwocky Problem

A new idea? I hear, I forget. I see, I remember. I do, I understand. Confucius BC

World famous views… “One must learn by doing the thing; though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try”. Sophocles (496 B.C B.C.)

World famous views… “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn”. Albert Einstein ( )

Conclusion Knowledge tasks are fine as a start, but if we stay at the knowledge level, surface learning may result. Knowledge tasks may be necessary, but they are never sufficient. Deep learning in contrast to surface learning requires higher order tasks than knowledge. The higher the task the more likely deep learning will result. The full spectrum of Bloom’s Taxonomy should appear at every academic level.

Evaluation/Synthesis Judge or critically appraise Give arguments for and against Compare and contrast Report on Criticise Consider evidence Solve a problem Give constructive suggestions for improvement Design a leaflet/policy or strategy Analysis/Application Analyse a situation Describe what is happening Classify Categorise Compare Deduce Apply Use Choose Comprehension/Knowledge Explain Interpret Classify Reorganise State Define Recall Describe FULL BLOOM The full spectrum of Bloom’s Taxonomy should appear at every academic level

Evaluation/Synthesis Judge or critically appraise Give arguments for and against Compare and contrast Report on Criticise Consider evidence Solve a problem Give constructive suggestions for improvement Design a leaflet/policy or strategy Analysis/Application Analyse a situation Describe what is happening Classify Categorise Compare Deduce Apply Use Choose Comprehension/Knowledge Explain Interpret Classify Reorganise State Define Recall Describe Analysis Remember: MEE M ake the point E xplain the point What are the E ffects of the point Evaluate Remember: ADD DO A gree – the good things are D isagree – the bad things are D ecide – make a judgement D epends O n – any other factors to consider

Activity Identify an active learning session that worked well: A brief description of the session and the approach(es) used. Identify why these approaches were chosen. What impact did the session have on learning and how did it benefit the learner? What checks or assessment for learning were included in the session? Was the session multi-sensory? How? Did the session allow for differentiation? How? Were there any issues or drawbacks? How were they overcome?

What are the Benefits of Active Learning?

a ‘Learner-centred’ approach Benefits of Active Learning focus on the direct involvement of the learner more interesting and fun high levels of participation learner is more engaged promotes learner autonomy provides opportunities for collaborative learning makes use of prior experience or knowledge allows for development of generic communication & interpersonal skills provides flexibility in terms of the place, pace, time and content of learning allows for critical reflection

What is Active Learning? students solve problems, answer questions, formulate questions of their own, discuss, explain, debate, or brainstorm during class Active Learning Problem- Based Learning Cooperative Learning Learn By Doing Inquiry-based learning

What is Active Learning?

What is the purpose? Increase student participation Increase student engagement Increase student retention More student ownership in course Less lecturing by instructor More exciting classroom experience Higher level thinking

Traditional vs. Active Learning Traditional Methods Instructor sets learning goals Instructor gives answers or solutions to student Primarily uses auditory learning Feedback typically provided via tests or assessments Active Learning  Instructor and student set learning goals  Instructor poses problems for student to solve, building on skills  Utilizes a variety of learning styles and senses  Instructor provides feedback throughout instruction Proliteracy and The UPS Foundation Increasing Intensity of Instruction Project

Traditional vs. Active Learning Traditional Methods Instructor-led Instructor contains knowledge, student lacks knowledge Develops memorisation skills Instructor controls the pace of learning Student less likely to retain knowledge over a period of time Active Learning  Student-centred  Instructor utilises student’s experiences & current knowledge  Develops critical thinking skills  Student helps control the pace of learning  Student more likely to use and retain knowledge over a period of time Proliteracy and The UPS Foundation Increasing Intensity of Instruction Project

Concerns & Issues What are your concerns about using active learning activities & techniques?

Suggestions Describe to the students what is happening and why State expectations Incorporate assessments with activities Start off simple (low risk) Ask questions, walk around classroom, be attentive to student questions Have students rely on each other

Learning Styles

Preferred Learning Sense All new information enters the brain through one of our senses. touch hear smell taste see

Research has shown that: 35% of people are mainly visual learners 40% of people are mainly physical learners Only 25% of people are mainly auditory learners

Teaching dominated by a “sit still, face the front and listen to me”.

This approach may suit auditory learners

but will frustrate the 75% of students who are visual or physical learners.

What is your learning style? Auditory Kinaesthetic Visual

AUDITORY Use their voices and their ears as the primary mode of learning. Remember what is hear and what is said Enjoy talking about something difficult. Love class discussion.

AUDITORY listen carefully in class. tape record-both classes and notes for review and practice tests. discuss material with another student or instructor.

Visual Want to see: the actual words written down, a picture of something being described, a time line to remember events in history the assignment written on the board. a visual aid or handout and be able to follow it

Visual Want to review and study material by reading and organising, maybe even recopying. use mapping techniques and mental videos. Use written instructions/labels to accompany diagrams and pictures.

Kinaesthetic Prefer and actually learn better when they: touch and are physically involved act out a situation, do a project take lots of notes (and never re-read them!)

Kinaesthetic highlight or underline written materials use a computer act or walk through instructions or demonstrations make models

We all have a we seem to learn better if more than one sense is used and best if all three senses are used. This multi-sensory approach has key implications for teaching. What are the implications of this for our teaching?

we all have a preferred learning style BUT we all seem to learn better if more than one sense is used

and best if all three senses are used.. What are the implications of this for our teaching?

We must present information and deliver activities taking account of preferred learning styles, make the student aware of their preferred learning style. teach a variety of learning strategies and styles so information is adapted to suit individual needs

A multi-sensory approach to taking in information can be as simple as: Reading and visualising the information …….. it has been seen. Making up questions and answering them out loud ………it has been heard. Writing down the answers to questions and circling the major points ……… it has been done

Bloom's (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives 1.0 knowledge 2.0 comprehension 3.0 application 4.0 analysis 5.0 synthesis 6.0 evaluation

Example: Pythagorean Theorem 1.0 Memorize: A 2 + B 2 = C Comprehend The sum of the square of the two legs of a right triangle equals the square of the hypotenuse. 3.0 Apply: If A = 3 and B = 4, find C.

4.0 Analyze: Derive the Pythagorean Theorem

Higher Level Thinking Skills COMPARE, CONTRAST, CLASSIFY, CATEGORIZE, ANALYZE CREATE, INVENT, COMPOSE, DESIGN, PREDICT, CONSTRUCT, IMAGINE, PRODUCE, SYNTHESIZE JUDGE, SELECT, DECIDE, CRITIQUE, JUSTIFY, VERIFY,DEBATE, ASSESS, RECOMMEND, ARGUE, EVALUATE BRAINSTORM

Improving Lectures Plan objectives Include graphics, charts, graphs, etc Plan what you want to annotate Learn students’ names Cue important points Give short activities Give students time to generate questions Have students summarize major points

? Questions&Questioning ? ? ? ?

Introduction to questioning techniques Consider how effective the questioning technique is in the following video clip anyone, anyone

Questions & Questioning “I had six honest serving men. They taught me all I knew :Their names were Where and What and When and Why and How and Who.” Rudyard Kipling ?

Questions & Questioning By the end of this session you should : be able to recognise the main types of questions (closed & open) & their purposes have improved questioning skills have devised a set of questions to elicit pupils’ understanding of a concept

Questions & Questioning Activity – Why is Questioning so Important? Why should Questions be Asked? When should Questions be Asked? ?

Questions & Questioning Teachers ask questions for one third of their classroom time…. …..on average about two questions every minute, up to 400 in a day, around 70,000 questions per year. Some ask sensible, useful probing questions spontaneously and naturally……(Socratic people)….. ……but most of us need to plan and prepare, even to the extent of writing them into a lesson plan. This avoids the embarrassment of asking ‘dumb’ questions….. Jerry Wellington(2000) ‘Teaching& Learning Sec Science’ Importance of questions

Questions & Questioning Why ask questions ? to gain & keep attention (control) to get pupils to think to keep them active & attentive (no spoon feeding) to stimulate curiosity & interest to test/ confirm knowledge or understanding identify /diagnose any problems to lead, step-by-step through a topic (Socratic questioning) to elicit prior knowledge (to know where they are ?) to revise a topic to get feedback on what they have learnt (evaluation) Jerry Wellington(2000) ‘Teaching& Learning Sec Science’

Questions & Questioning When to ask questions ? at the start introduction phase during class activity at end of activity at the end of lesson

Questions & Questioning Types of questions closed questions open questions

Questions & Questioning Bloom’s Taxonomy Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Bloom(1956).Taxonomy of Educational Objectives

Bloom’s Taxonomy High cognitive demand – Evaluation - critically appraise, compare and contrast Synthesis - solve problems, write, design Analysis - analyse, give reasons Application - apply, calculate Comprehension - explain, categorise, describe Knowledge - state, recall, list Low cognitive demand - Developmental Tasks Mastery Tasks

The Jabberwocky Problem ‘ Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. 1.What were the slithy toves doing in the wabe? 2.How would you describe the state of the borogoves? 3.What can you say about the mome raths?

The Jabberwocky Problem ‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. 4. Why were the borogroves mimsy? 5. How effective was the mome raths’ strategy?

Do learners need to Understand material in order to answer simple questions correctly? The Jabberwocky Problem

Conclusion Knowledge tasks are fine as a start, but if we stay at the knowledge level, surface learning may result. Knowledge tasks may be necessary, but they are never sufficient. Deep learning in contrast to surface learning requires higher order tasks than knowledge. The higher the task the more likely deep learning will result. The full spectrum of Bloom’s Taxonomy should appear at every academic level.

Applying Bloom’s Knowledge – List the items used by Goldilocks while she was in the Bears’ house. Comprehension – Explain why Goldilocks liked Baby Bear’s chair the best. Application – Demonstrate what Goldilocks would use if she came to your house. Analysis – Compare this story to reality. What events could not really happen. Synthesis – Propose how the story would be different if it were Goldilocks and the Three Fish. Evaluation – Judge whether Goldilocks was good or bad. Defend your opinion.

Your Turn to Guess... The Story of Red Riding Hood 1. Illustrate the main idea of the story on a poster. 2. Rank the characters from best to worst and explain how you ranked them. 3. Create a new story by placing Red Riding Hood in a modern-day city. Did you answer Application 2. Evaluation 3. Synthesis

Your Turn to Guess... The Story of Red Riding Hood 4. Describe what Red Riding Hood did when she first saw the Wolf. 5. Tell what happened to the grandmother in the story. 6. Write out the main events in the story. Cut them apart and sequence them in proper order. Did you answer Comprehension 5. Knowledge 6. Analysis

Bloom’s Taxonomy Activity – Look at the table of questions and identify, by ticking the appropriate column, which level of questioning they relate to.

More Effective Questioning Techniques Consider the following video clips and end of session activity MathsVideos\openquestions.mov MathsVideos\studentreflect.mov Countdown Plenary

Questions & Questioning Effective questioning reinforces & revisits leaning objectives includes ’staging’ questions to draw pupils towards key understanding or to increase the level of challenge in a lesson as it proceeds involves all pupils engages pupils in thinking for themselves promotes justification and reasoning creates an atmosphere of trust where pupils’ opinions and ideas are valued

Questions & Questioning Effective questioning Questioning in ways which match the direction and pace of the lesson to ensure that all pupils take part; Using open and closed questions, skilfully framed, adjusted and targeted to make sure that equal numbers of girls and boys, and pupils of all abilities are involved and contribute to discussions; Asking for explanations; Giving time for pupils to think before Inviting an answer and deciding when it is apt to have a ‘no hands up’ approach: Listening carefully to pupils’ responses and responding constructively in order to take forward their learning Challenging their assumptions and making them think

Effective Questioning 1. Pose the question to the whole class. 2. Pause – allowing all students to think of the answer. Wait time should be between 3 to 5 seconds in most cases; longer in some and up to 10 seconds in higher-order questions. 3. Pounce - select students at random to answer by nominating/naming a student. 4. Listen to the answer and again wait before responding. 5. Respond and reward correct answers. 6. Create a comfortable environment where being right doesn’t always matter.

Questions & Questioning Pitfalls Don’t fall into the trap of : asking too many closed questions asking questions to which the answer is a simple yes or no asking too many short-answer, recall-based questions asking bogus ‘guess what I’m thinking’ questions starting all questions with the same stem

Questions & Questioning Pitfalls Don’t fall into the trap of : pursuing red herrings dealing ineffectively with incorrect answers or misconceptions focussing on a small number of pupils (ie not involving all) making the sequence of questions too rigid not giving pupils time to reflect /pose their own questions asking questions when another strategy might be more appropriate

More Effective Questioning Techniques Consider the following video

Questions & Questioning “I had six honest serving men. They taught me all I knew :Their names were Where and What and When and Why and How and Who.” Rudyard Kipling ?