T pi he workshop 1
- 1. Teaching Practice in Higher Education Workshop 1: Large and small group teaching in Higher Education Camilla Maclean and David Felstead (WBS) Sara Hattersley (LDC) May 2018
- 3. Learning outcomes • To consider the benefits and issues, and differences between small and large group teaching, including the role of the tutor and students (A2, A4, V2). • To begin to plan for learning, incorporating active strategies and student-centred approaches (A1, A2, K3) • To experience and evaluate techniques for teaching groups, critically evaluating them with peers and within and beyond subject-disciplinary contexts (A2, A4, K2, K3).
- 4. From the TPiHE forum…. ”For PhD students who have teaching duties, a major limitation is that tutors often have little control over course materials and learning outcomes. Nevertheless, tutors can help creating a PBL environment by promoting active participation of students.” “…making it clear to students how their learning fits within the constructive alignment is key – and aids their learning to contribute towards meaningful results.” “Previously, I thought it is going to be a good teaching session, as long as everything is explained clearly. However, I realize that teaching is not only about explaining carefully, but also about making students engaged. Otherwise, students might get bored and lose focus. In this case, no matter how clear everything is explained, no one would actually get information from the teaching. Some ways to include students in the seminars are learnt.” “I did strategic learning a lot even now. In order to achieve a high grade, I try to give guesses what teachers or examiners are actually after. Giving them what they want to see is the key but actually a lazy solution. I do not learn much by simply satisfying others not my own needs.” “I'm very interested in Problem-based learning (PBL) because I've personally experienced it as a fabulous way of communicating knowledge as well as facilitating learning.”
- 5. How to access Responseware on your mobile device: Go to: http://responseware.eu Enter the session ID 294199 OR: Download the App:
- 6. Homework task: did you…..? A. Do the task as soon as you received it in the email. B. Read the tasks and do them later. C. Read the tasks but not do them. D. Didn’t see the tasks
- 7. How much notice do students need for a short, pre-session task? A. 24 hours B. 48 hours C. A week’s notice D. More than a week’s notice
- 8. Is it effective to ask students to prepare something ahead of a lecture? A. Yes B. No C. Maybe
- 9. Is the lecture a format that has ‘had its day’ in Higher Education? A. Yes, definitely! B. Perhaps so C. I’m not sure D. I think I still like them. E. No way – lectures should stay!
- 10. On balance, I have had more good lectures than bad ones. A. True B. False
- 11. Homework tasks* • 29/36 have visited the Moodle site this week • 23/36 have posted on the ‘Welcome Wall’ • 7/36 have posted on the group forum • 17 post-its on the ‘Lectures: Fab or Drab’ wall (3 of them were Sara’s….) • ??? have read the short article *as of 7pm Wednesday 2nd May
- 12. 1. Most universities now record their lectures, so missing the lecture in the set place and time doesn’t harm your studies – it improves it. 2. I graduated with a 2:1 in history, I never attended lectures because I believe most of the learning comes from outside the class. 3. Students who choose to watch the video instead of attending the lecture miss out on the opportunity to ask questions then and there, or participate in discussion. Teuta Hoxha, Is Missing Lectures Harming my Studies? The Guardian online, 11/12/15 https://www.theguardian.com/educ ation/2015/dec/11/is-missing- lectures-harming-my- studies?utm_content=buffer10b7b &utm_medium=social&utm_source =twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffe r
- 13. In lectures, after what time do students start to lose their concentration?
- 14. Jeopardy… Or how to get them to work together and pay attention… “The jeopardy-style game we played was quite good. I know it's not easy (and maybe not possible) to fit every topic into a game (and I don't expect all lectures to be games too...), it would good to have one every once in a while.”
- 15. Introducing interactivity in lectures does not necessarily aid learning….. Ferris Beuler clip http://bobnational.net/record/279437
- 16. Large Group Teaching Top Trumps Activity: In small groups, look over the 10 strategies for interactivity in large groups/lectures. Consider their worth, and their ‘risks’ and try to rank them in some sort of preferential order. Use the Teaching Grid to display your cards and additional post-it notes alongside the cards to offer further explanation or example.
- 17. A basic lecture structure • Introduction and overview • purpose and context of lecture • overview of main points of lecture • revision of earlier material to provide foundation • Main points (3-4) • summary of first main point • development and explanation of ideas • examples • restatement of first point • Summary and conclusions • restatement and review of main points • conclusion or implications • details of next lecture, preparations, etc. Context Content Closure
- 18. A comparative structure • Introduction and overview • Theory A • Theory B • Criteria for comparing theories • Comparisons and contrasts between theories A and B • Summary and conclusions
- 19. Plan a 50 minute lecture Activity: in small groups, plan a 50 minute lecture with consideration for: •Timing, breaks and opportunities for ‘change’ •Learning outcomes •Relationship of lecture to remainder of the module •Resources, activities and approaches •Lecture structure •Interactivity (use at least one method discussed) •Assessment and evaluation A1, A2, K3
- 21. The flipped classroom model can support: • Differentiation • Higher order thinking skills with peers • Development of ‘threshold concepts’ (Mayer and Land, 2003). K4
- 22. E-Strategies for Large Lectures
- 23. Welcome back!
- 24. The best group approaches are active and ensure that students are involved and engaged. • Active learning is individual but can be supported and enhanced in groups. • Active learning roles can be varied • Group work also needs to be managed Active learning strategies
- 26. • The application of games-based elements and approaches to non-games contexts. • Includes concerns for motivation, awards, competition, progress through levels, instructions and social elements. • There are a number of educational technology tools which can support this approach: Gamification K4
- 27. Philosophies of small group teaching • Vygotsky – zone of proximal development • Dewey – experiential learning • Piaget – social constructivist learning • Exley and Dennick – both content and process • Brookfield – interaction, democratic education • Petty – active learning • Knowles – adult learning based on experience
- 28. HEA: Manifesto for Small Group Teaching Key strengths of small group teaching: (Mills, D and Alexander, P. ‘Small Group Teaching: a toolkit for learning’ The Higher Education Academy, March 2013) Flexibility Interactivity Reflexivity Engagement
- 29. Open space learning Interdisciplinarity is an important, current theme in Warwick Teaching. Open-space learning often forms a key part of this work. Industrial and creative partners (e.g. RSC) sees ‘education’ entering spaces outside of institutions, and traditionally ‘non-teaching’ approaches being integrated.
- 30. The Pedagogy Clinic Activity: take common pedagogical ailments (one student, one tutor) and consider the symptoms and underlying causes. Diagnose the problem and offer treatments which could offer either short term or longer term relief, support or cure! Your ideas may be reviewed by a senior clinician….
- 31. Problems with PBL? For Students • Prior learning experiences do not prepare students well for PBL. • PBL requires more time and takes away study time from other subjects. • It creates some anxiety because learning is messier. • Sometimes group dynamics issues compromise PBL effectiveness. • Less content knowledge may be learned. For Instructors • Creating suitable problem scenarios is difficult. • It requires more prep time. • Students have queries about the process. • Group dynamics issues may require faculty intervention. • It raises new questions about what to assess and how. How to ensure theory is embedded?
- 32. I’m so bored…
- 33. ResponseWare… or legitimate use of mobile phones… “Prefer question being asked through the polls. Its really fun to know what majority thinks” “More interactivity through the voting clickers”
- 34. How many notice their students doing the following during a lecture and/or seminar? A. Surfing the net on their laptops? B. Reading or sending text messages on their cell phone? C. Answering or talking on their cell phone? D. Using any digital device for something other than educational purposes?
- 35. I have reprimanded a student for non-educational use of a laptop or mobile phone or other device during a lecture or seminar. A. True B. False
- 36. Students who are ‘heavy’ media multi-taskers are less susceptible to distractions than those who are ‘light’ media multi-taskers. A. True. B. False.
- 37. Can anything be done? “More interactive lectures and more examples…” “…more student engagement”
- 38. What is ‘Play’? • Hughes (2010) says no simple definition, blurred boundaries between play and other activities e.g. work, exploration, and learning… elements typical of play include: 1. Intrinsically motivated (vs. work as more extrinsically motivated). 2. Freely chosen – exercise of freedom. 3. Pleasurable (positive affect). 4. Nonliteral (element of make believe, distortion of reality to accommodate player’s interests). 5. Actively engaged by the player (physically or psychologically or both i.e. behavioural, cognitive, and affective engagement.
- 39. Trading Game “The Trading Game was really good. Is it possible to do more activities like this…”
- 42. The Rules 1. You will be dealt 7 cards at the start of the round. 2. Your goal is to ‘corner’ the market on the ownership of one particular commodity. 3. You must trade cards with other players to get all of one commodity in your hand. 4. To win, you must have (here given the audience size) 4 cards of the same commodity in your hand. 5. When you have done that, ring the ‘bell’ (shout out) to win the first round.
- 43. What Typically Happens 1. We look for rule adherence • There is often large scale cheating (surely not here with the staff…) 2. We look at who breaks the rules i.e. gender influence or ‘cartels’ • Often it is friends who cheat with each other or students from the same country; boys more than girls, but girls happily cheat as well. 3. We look at rule monitoring / enforcement • When observers intervened, cheating lessened. 4. We look for any discussion of the commodity itself being traded. • Never…
- 44. Concerns and Worries • General Worries • Students paying for a PhD to teach (high expectations) • Nerves • Technology / new facilities • Balancing work load • Poor lesson plan / no compliance with syllabus • High number of students in a seminar / class / lecture • (Not) having all the answers (being prepared for all eventualities)
- 45. Common Challenges: Silence is Not Golden
- 46. Common Challenges: Silence is Not Golden 1. Student presentations as ice breaker (can initiate these on your own) 2. Break students into smaller groups • Each assigned to discuss one seminar question • Each answer the same questions from a different perspective. • Groups to feed back into larger group at end (one as ‘recorder’ and one as ‘reporter’ before they start talking) 3. Use / encourage student ‘co-chairs’ 4. Random or cold calling – use the attendance sheet 5. Occasionally prowl the room. 6. Use students comments to build on each other e.g. “Aashna has made a good point, do others share this view or does someone have a different perspective?”
- 47. Common Challenges: Silence is not Golden • Bring chocolate / crackers for early morning or last in the evening sessions. • Have a ‘Plan B’ – when students are not talking and the tutor needs to step in or when students ask “what if” questions. • Using ‘story time’ (and beginning yourself) for when students run out of things to say about the readings e.g. asking them to provide a fictional or actual account of an experience that relates to the topic. • Find examples to provide the context that makes the content or theory meaningful for the students.
- 48. Common Challenges: The Facilitative Environment
- 49. Common Challenges: The Facilitative Environment Think about your approach: •Ask for contributions in positive manner (“Sam, we’d love to hear your opinion on this…”) •Praise students for their contributions and use them to ‘add on’ knowledge (“That’s an excellent point, have you thought about this?”) •Use humour appropriately (be careful that this does not appear as being patronising) •Provide relevant and meaningful examples •Do not use shame as a classroom technique!
- 50. A Facilitative Atmosphere Above all: Try to be energetic (through tone and presence) and – hopefully, but not always - they will be energised! If you think the material is interesting, the students are more likely to think it is interesting too!
- 51. Themes in small group teaching • Game-based learning • Open-space learning • Peer learning and reciprocal teaching • Case-based learning • Problem-based learning • Technology-enhanced learning
Editor's Notes
- #16: Ferris Beuler clip also for discussion http://bobnational.net/record/279437
- #18: 11.15 Briefly run through the 4 lecture structures before reflecting on them in groups. Exley an Dennick provide further examples if you are interested. Purpose and overview of lecture…. Research (Habeshaw) students think all lectures same identical. Student expectations -> What’s your role and theirs in terms of questions, activities etc. / notes Reassurance. Revision of earlier material -> activate prior learning. Constructivist view Main - dev and exp of ideas. signposting… Remind the students of where we are in the lecture, main points and what we are going to do next. Key points they really need to know. Giving examples, make them real and relevant. Chemistry / Sciences Timing. 1 hour lecture slot….. Actually 50 mins Think about practicalities – next session etc. Closure is often missing!
- #19: Could be a comparison of two arguments, concepts, works, processes, systems, problem solving techniques, etc. Discuss strengths & weaknesses Could be an ideal structure for student involvement with students – get them to vote at end. important to build on their prior learning and to signpost the lecture well so that they don’t get lost
- #32: https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/problem-based-learning-benefits-and-risks/
- #33: Zhu, E., Kaplan, M., Dershimer, R. C., & Bergom, I. (2011). Use of laptops in the classroom: Research and best practices (No. 30). CRLT Occasional Papers. Center for Research on Teaching and Learning: University of Michigan - found that use of laptops, in particular, can have a positive effect on student attention and learning—if these tools are used for course-related, instructional purposes. However, when in-class laptop-use was not a required part of the class, the students in these studies reported lower levels of engagement and learning. In addition, Samson, P. J. (2010). Deliberate engagement of laptops in large lecture classes to improve attentiveness and engagement. Computers in Education, 20(2), 22–37 found —again, when in-class laptop-use was not a required part of the class — a negative correlation between use of laptops and grade even after controlling for academic preparation and aptitude. Robinson and Stubberud (2012) noted data from a 2009 study that reported that more than half of all university students had Internet-capable and climbing. Norris, Hossain, & Soloway (2011) suggests that even elementary and high school students will use a form of mobile learning device within five years.
- #34: As noted by Watson and Ogle (2013), the key will be “sound pedagogy and instructional design” (p. 5) that will appropriately enable the hands-on learning that is relevant to the total learning experience. Particularly in a “flipped classroom” where the reading and learning of material is done by students before class time and class time is used for application, exercises, and what used to be called homework, smartphones can be effectively used to carry out these activities
- #38: performing multiple, simultaneous activities in different media, including print, television, computer-based video, music, text messaging, instant messaging, web-surfing, email…heavy media multi-tasking was related to a reduced ability to ignore distractions and focus on pertinent information—even after accounting for potential differences in academic aptitude, personality and performance on standard creativity and memory tasks. Ophir, E., Nass, C., & Wagner, A. D. (2009). Cognitive control in media multitaskers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(37), 15583–15587. Grinols and Rajesh 2014 – Instant access to mobile phones and messaging often leads to multitasking without regard to the immediate environment or task at hand. Subconscious multitasking refers to the concept that a conscious mind can focus on only one task at a time, while the subconscious mind can accomplish a number of different tasks at one time. Pg 90: “Smartphones have been designed to make many activities easier and more efficient for their users, yet multitasking with a smartphone may actually decrease overall productivity due to the added number of inputs the brain must process (Dzubak, 2012).”
- #43: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7e1hExmFsY