1. Infusing Research Based Success Strategies into Academic Courses
Christine Harrington Ph.D.
Middlesex County College
January 9, 2015

2. Agenda Success Strategies Reading Textbook
Self-Regulation and Learning Strategies
Increasing Feedback Opportunities

3. Unsettling Statistics…. Sikorski, et al. (2002)
Over 78% of freshman and sophomore students reported not reading the textbook at all, or reading it only sparingly, for at least one introductory course

4. Reading Compliance is Decreasing
Direct from Burchfield and Sappington, 2000

5. Why are students not reading the textbook as much as we expect them to?

6. Prediction Time….
What percentage of the textbook/assigned readings are students reading BEFORE class?
What percentage of the textbook/assigned readings are students reading BEFORE an exam?

7. The Results…. Clump, Bauer, & Bradley (2004)

8. Students “Know” they Should Read
Students don’t expect to do well if they just skim or don’t read the textbook
(Elias, 2005)

9. Students Realize Reading is Linked to Academic Performance Stratten (2011)

10. Students know their professors expect them to read Berry, Hill, and Stevens (2011)

11. Reasons for Lack of Reading (Lei et al., 2010)
Students
Reading comprehension difficulties
Lack of self-efficacy
Lack of interest in content
Underestimate the importance of reading
Faculty
Fear of negative evaluations
Developmental Student Mindset
Discouraged by prior attempts not working
Believe students are responsible for reading

12. Interventions
What can professors do?

13. The Student Perspective
What do students say will work?

14. What would make it more likely for you to read? Stratton (2011)
Time
Professor Actions
Reading Quizzes
Lectures that do not “cover” everything

15. Increasing Accountability for Reading

16. SSSS SSST STTT Question! Technique
What technique will result in better long term memory?
Technique
SSSS
SSST
STTT
S = Study
T = Test

17. Quizzing is a Powerful Memory Tool!
Roediger, H., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test- Enhanced Learning: Taking Memory Tests Improves Long-Term Retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), doi: /j x

18. The Study Roediger, & Karpicke (2006)
Study Technique
SSSS
SSST
STTT
180 college students
Retention of
Information
S = Study; T= Test

19. Retrieval is a MEMORY tool!!!
Roediger & Karpicke (2006)

20. An Alternative to the “Pop Quiz”- Random Quizzing Works!
Ruscio (2001)

21. Testing until you get it correct
Quizzing Research
Weekly quizzing
Testing until you get it correct
Landrum (2007); Di Hoff, Brosvic, & Epstein (2003); Epstein, Epstein, & Brosvic (2001)

22. How can you put this research into action?
Quizzing in your Class
How can you put this research into action?

23. Quizzes versus Focused Worksheets Ryan (2006)
124 Psychology students
Planned Quizzes (10-12 Multiple Choice Questions)
Focus Worksheets with Check, Check Plus, Check Minus
Focus Worksheets with Feedback
25% of Grade
Classes were randomly assigned to:

24. Focus Worksheet
Direct from Ryan (2006)

25. The Results… Ryan (2006)

26. On-line Discussions of Text Lineweaver (2010)
Read more carefully
Reported higher level of understanding
Felt more prepared for exam
But no significantly different results in exam scores were found

27. Making Changes in our Reading Assignments
General
Specific
Read Chapter 1
Read Chapter 1
Focus on major psychological theories
Answer questions
Use Power Point to take notes

28. More Ideas… Group Work Informal Presentations
Inter-teaching
Informal Presentations
Online Homework (Publisher Tools)

29. Inter-teaching Boyce & Hineline (2002)
Prep Reading Guide to be completed before class
10-12 questions
10-15 pages
Clarifying Lecture
Based on prior record sheets
Pair with another student to review Reading Guide
Professor answers questions
Record sheet on discussion, identifying difficult concepts

30. Inter-teaching

31. Reading Assignment Activity
Let’s Try It….
Reading Assignment Activity

32. Increasing Reading Comprehension

33. Activity Time…
Baseball Knowledge
Low
Moderate
High

34. Importance of Background Knowledge Recht and Leslie (1988)
High Baseball Knowledge
Low Baseball Knowledge
Good reader
31.4
18.8
Poor Reader
27.5
13.9

35. How Can We Help Students Build Prior Knowledge BEFORE reading?
Mini-Lecture
Before Assigning Reading
Reading Assignment Questions
Organizational Tools such as Power Point slides
Teach Skills
Chapter Summary
Table of Contents

36. Power Point Slides or Outline

37. A Research Study Austin, Lee, & Carr (2004)
Traditional
Lecture
No Visual Aid
No Notes
Slides
Visual Aid Used
Slides not Provided
Slides Plus Guided Notes
Most of Slide Information Provided

38. The Results Austin, Lee, & Carr, (2004)

39. Teach Reading Skills

40. Reading Strategies Work!
3R McDaniel, Howard, & Einstein (2009)
SQ3R Artis (2008); Carlston (2011)
Read
Recite
Review
Survey
Question
Read
Recite
Review

41. Providing Online Support

42. Learning Strategies that Work!

43. Self-Regulation Process
The Academic
Self-Regulation Process

44. The Academic Self-Regulation Process

45. The First Step:
Establishing a Goal!

46. What do you think is the MOST IMPORTANT characteristic of a goal?

47. Goals Should Be CHALLENGING!
Challenging Goals, Better Results
Locke and Latham (2002)
Wicker, Hamman, Reed, McCann, & Turner (2005)

48. Depression: Is there a Downside to Challenging Goals
Depression: Is there a Downside to Challenging Goals? Reynolds & Baird (2010)
1979
Ages 14-22
12,686 participants
1992
9,016 participants
Highest Degree
4,892 participants
New shutterstock photo

49. Goal Attainment? Reynolds & Baird (2010)

50. Results… Go Ahead Challenge Yourself Reynolds & Baird (2010)
No evidence of “emotional cost” (depression) for unrealized goals
Higher expectations were associated with lower levels of depression

51. ABCS Framework Aim High Believe in Yourself Care and Commit
Specify and Self-Reflect

52. Learning Strategies that Work!
The Second Step:
Learning Strategies that Work!

53. The BEST Learning Strategies
Test Yourself Over and Over
Teach Someone
Elaboration and Organization
Use Visual Images

54. The Testing Effect Einstein, Mullet, & Harrison, (2012)
Will participating in a demonstration of the testing effect increase the use of testing as a study strategy?
Testing effect- Testing yourself is a very powerful way to remember

55. The Study Einstein, Mullet, & Harrison, (2012)
Who? 52 college students taking an upper level course on Memory
Study-Study
Read and Study passage 4 minutes
Study-Test
Recall as much as possible for 4 minutes
Self-Assessment
How well did you remember the content?
Presentation
20 Minutes on Testing Effect

56. The Results Einstein, Mullet, & Harrison, (2012)
But… Students thought they did equally well

57. The Results Einstein, Mullet, & Harrison, (2012)
Students were MORE likely to USE TESTING as a study tool after this demonstration!
67% used testing during reading
82% used testing strategy when studying

58. Distributed Practice Works Best! Schwartz, Son, Kornell & Finn (2011)
Require students to space out studying through:
Quizzes
Assignments
Online Support Tools

59. Teach Someone: Learning is Social! Rubin & Hebert (1998)
In or out of class study groups
Turn and talks
Mini-presentations

60. Elaboration: Student Examples
Reflection and Processing Time
One Minute Papers
Think, Pair, Share
In Class or Online Discussions
Assignments

61. Power of Organizing Dickinson and O’Connell (1990)
Research Question: Does how long you study or how you study matter more? What study approach works best?
Tom Peterson, Middlesex County College

62. The Study Dickinson and O’Connell (1990)
113 Undergraduate Students
Reading
Reviewing
Organizing
Recorded Study Time and Strategy WHILE studying
Test Grade

63. The Results! Dickinson and O’Connell (1990)

64. The Results! Dickinson and O’Connell (1990)

65. Defining Organizing Dickinson and O’Connell (1990)
Put information into your own words
Create links between concepts via a hierarchical structure
Create examples to help concepts come alive

66. What Can YOU do to help your students ORGANIZE content?

67. Some Ideas… Modeling Summarize concepts in own words
Create concept maps

68. Organizing

69. Visual Images Identify images connected to content
Focus on charts, graphs, and images

70. Self-Reflection and Modifying Behaviors as needed!
The Third Step:
Self-Reflection and Modifying Behaviors as needed!

71. Research on Self-Reflection Dietz-Uhler & Lanter (2009)
Will students who complete a four question self-reflection activity before a quiz perform better than students who complete this activity after the quiz?

72. The Study Dietz-Uhler & Lanter (2009)
107 undergraduate students
Reflection First
Self-enhancement topic
Prisoner’s dilemma topic
Quiz First

73. The 4 Questions
Identify one important concept, research finding, theory or idea in psychology that you learned while completing the activity.
Why do you believe that this concept, research finding, or idea in psychology is so important?
Apply what you have learned from this activity to some aspect of your life.
What question(s) has the activity raised for you? What are you still wondering about?
Direct from Dietz-Uhler & Lanter (2009) p. 40

74. The Results! Dietz-Uhler & Lanter (2009)

75. How Can YOU incorporate Self-Reflection Questions into your Course?

76. A PROBLEM: Illusions of Competence
Students who simply studied thought they did the best but they did not!
Direct from Karpicke & Blunt (2011)

77. The Problem with Over-Confidence
Students may stop studying too soon!

78. How Can YOU help students increase accuracy when making judgments about their progress?

79. New tom photo
Post-exam Reflection

80. Post-Exam Reflection

81. External Standards are Best!
Grades or other FEEDBACK
Models- Sample Papers or Presentations
Rubrics for Assignments

82. Re-thinking Assignments: An Equity Issue (Taras, 2006)
Challenging Assignment
First Draft or Attempt
Feedback
Second Draft or Attempt
Final Product

83. Scaffolding Assignments
Low-High Stakes to Build Self-Efficacy
Breaking Down Assignments to Benefit from Feedback
No Stakes
Low Stakes
Moderate Stakes
Higher Stakes
Topic
Sources
Outline/Draft
Paper

84. Many Learning Opportunities
Feedback should be given early and often!

85. Characteristics of Effective Feedback (Wlodkowski, 2008):
Connected to a “standard” (i.e. rubric)
Informs the student
Specific and constructive
Prompt and frequent

86. Feedback
How Much Feedback? What Type of Feedback?

87. Feedback: Too Much? Ackerman & Gross (2010)

88. Feedback: Faculty Comments Stern and Solomon (2006)
Method:
30 student portfolios (all their work during college) were randomly selected
A total of 598 papers were reviewed

89. Feedback: Faculty Comments Stern and Solomon (2006)
Only 8% used a rubric!
No major differences between type of comments, except that English faculty made more technical comments

90. Feedback: Faculty Comments Stern and Solomon (2006)

91. Feedback: Faculty Comments Stern and Solomon (2006)
Is this what we want to emphasize?

92. Feedback Ideas Facey (2011)
Peer Feedback on Specific Elements
Main Idea Locator
Missing Information Checker
Citation Police

93. Power of Verbal Feedback

94. Feedback: Linking Assignments?
Rough Draft
Individual Paper
Power Point Slides
Presentation

95. Let’s Self-Reflect….
Identify one important concept, research finding, theory or idea that you learned from today’s session.
Why is it important to infuse study skills into your courses?
How can you apply what you have learned from today’s session to your class?
What question(s) has the session raised for you? What are you still wondering about?
Adapted from Dietz-Uhler & Lanter (2009)

96. Thank You and Best Wishes Infusing Study Strategies into your Class!
Questions? Contact me at