A hacker's translation of engineering education graduate school. How can we think about designing learning experiences? How do we understand ourselves as individual learners with distinct styles? How can we describe the way community interactions help us learn? These questions -- and more -- are tackled and illustrated with examples from Python development (and occasional pictures of cats). If you're a hacker, you're already doing awesome learning stuff -- now learn a vocabulary you can use to talk about it!

1. edupsych theoryedupsych theory
for python hackersfor python hackers
v.2.0v.2.0
(mel chua, pycon toronto 2013)(mel chua, pycon toronto 2013)
follow along at bit.ly/pycon-toronto-edupsychfollow along at bit.ly/pycon-toronto-edupsych

2. MEL CHUA
academic
hacker
academic

3. WAT

5. ure
doin
it
rite
ure
doin
it
riteCC-BY-SAfromhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/ykjc9/4143179870

6. 3 big ideas
1. learning is designable like code
2. our brains are snowflakes
3. we do not function standalone

7. 1Design your learning
the same way
you design your code
Design your learning
the same way
you design your code

8. think-pair-share

9. Which comes first?
A. (vague) specification
B. (occasionally-functional) prototype
C. (rough) test(s)

10. Example: test-driven development
def factorial(n):
"""Return the factorial of n, an exact integer >= 0.
>>> [factorial(n) for n in range(6)]
[1, 1, 2, 6, 24, 120]"""
result = 1
factor = 2
while factor <= n: (shamelessly stolen from
result *= factor http://docs.python.org/2/library/doctest.html)
factor += 1
return result

11. Example: test-driven development
def factorial(n):
"""Return the factorial of n, an exact integer >= 0.
>>> [factorial(n) for n in range(6)]
[1, 1, 2, 6, 24, 120]"""
result = 1
factor = 2
while factor <= n: (shamelessly stolen from
result *= factor http://docs.python.org/2/library/doctest.html)
factor += 1
return result
what should it do?
how will I know if it works?
ok, now how do I make it work?

12. Example: test-driven development
def learn_tdd(student):
"""Students should be able to analyze the relationship between
a doctest, thefunction under test, and the test output.
>>> [learn_tdd(student) for student in class]
[True, True, True, True, True]"""
fun_activity_thing()
student.doctestability = True
return student.doctestability

13. Example: test-driven development
def learn_tdd(student):
"""Students should be able to analyze the relationship between
a doctest, thefunction under test, and the test output.
>>> [learn_tdd(student) for student in class]
[True, True, True, True, True]"""
fun_activity_thing()
student.doctestability = True
return student.doctestability
content (goal)
assessment
pedagogy (activity)
Further reading: Understanding By Design

14. dependency:
articulate clear
and assessible goals

15. Example: test-driven development
def curriculum(student):
"""Students should be able to analyze the relationship between
a doctest, thefunction under test, and the test output.
>>> [curriculum(student) for student in class]
[True, True, True, True, True]"""
fun_activity_thing()
student.doctestability = True
return student.doctestability
Bloom's taxonomy

16. Bloom's Taxonomy
Cognitive Affective
create
evaluate
analyze
apply
understand
remember
characterize
organize
value
respond
receive

17. Example: test-driven development
def curriculum(student):
"""Students should be able to analyze the relationship between
a doctest, thefunction under test, and the test output.
>>> [curriculum(student) for student in class]
[True, True, True, True, True]"""
fun_activity_thing()
student.doctestability = True
return student.doctestability
behaviorism

19. bostonpythonworkshop.com

20. CC-BYhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/katrzyna/69324073
assessmentassessment
Formative: cookingFormative: cooking
Summative: servingSummative: serving

22. bit.ly/pycon-eduhistorybit.ly/pycon-eduhistory

23. Cognitive

24. ure
doin
it
rite
ure
doin
it
riteCC-BY-SAfromhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/ykjc9/4143179870

25. 3 big ideas
1. learning is designable like code
2. our brains are snowflakes
3. we do not function standalone

26. 2
Our brains are
like snowflakes.
Everyone learns
differently.

27. think-pair-share

28. ACTIVE
SENSING
VISUAL
SEQUENTIAL
REFLECTIVE
INTUITIVE
VERBAL
GLOBAL

29. ACTIVE: Let's try it out!ACTIVE: Let's try it out!
REFLECTIVE: Let's think it through!REFLECTIVE: Let's think it through!

30. Example: test-driven development
def factorial(n):
"""Return the factorial of n, an exact integer >= 0.
>>> [factorial(n) for n in range(6)]
[1, 1, 2, 6, 24, 120]"""
result = 1
factor = 2
while factor <= n: (shamelessly stolen from
result *= factor http://docs.python.org/2/library/doctest.html)
factor += 1
return result

31. This sucks.This sucks.
This sucks.This sucks.

32. ACTIVE: explainey-groups!ACTIVE: explainey-groups!
REFLECTIVE: claim your pauses.REFLECTIVE: claim your pauses.

33. think-pair-share

34. ACTIVE
SENSING
VISUAL
SEQUENTIAL
REFLECTIVE
INTUITIVE
VERBAL
GLOBAL

35. SENSING
INTUITIVE

36. (details)
(concepts)

37. (established methods)
(new shiny techniques)

38. (speed up)
(slow down)

39. How does this connect
with the world I know?
How can this
abstract more generally?

40. think-pair-share

41. ACTIVE
SENSING
VISUAL
SEQUENTIAL
REFLECTIVE
INTUITIVE
VERBAL
GLOBAL

42. bit.ly/pycon-eduhistorybit.ly/pycon-eduhistory
VISUALVISUAL

43. bit.ly/pycon-eduparadigmsbit.ly/pycon-eduparadigms
VERBALVERBAL

44. cc-by http://larjona.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/eclipse-pydev.png
environments matterenvironments matter

45. think-pair-share

46. ACTIVE
SENSING
VISUAL
SEQUENTIAL
REFLECTIVE
INTUITIVE
VERBAL
GLOBAL

48. newcoder.io/dataviz

49. learnpythonthehardway.org/book

50. think-pair-share

51. ACTIVE
SENSING
VISUAL
SEQUENTIAL
REFLECTIVE
INTUITIVE
VERBAL
GLOBAL

52. We teach the way we learn.
more: bit.ly/hackerschool-learningstylestories
(Felder & Silverman)

53. the world is socially constructed

54. the world is socially constructed
(of course it is)

55. Watch those assumptions.
If it's hard, something's wrong with me

56. Watch those assumptions.
If it's hard, something's wrong with the
learning strategy I'm using
(I can fix that!)

57. Motivation

58. Motivation (Deci, Ryan)
1. amotivation
2. external regulation
3. identified regulation
4. intrinsic motivation
autonomy
relatedness
competence
(thanks to Jon Stolk, Rob Martello, Mark Somerville, and the Olin College I2E2 crew)

59. Attribution theory (Dweck)
Fixed vs Growth mindsets
aka
Nature vs Nurture

60. Self-efficacy (Bandura)
1. doing it
2. seeing people (like me) do it
3. social persuasion
4. your own body
(Bandura also did social learning, which is a lot of fun – look it up!)

62. Learning Over Time (Fullan)

63. Piaget In One Slide
assimilation: adding another module
accommodation: REFACTOR EVERYTHING

64. assimilation
------------accommodation------------------------------------------------
assimilation

65. Situative

66. ure
doin
it
rite
ure
doin
it
riteCC-BY-SAfromhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/ykjc9/4143179870

67. 3 big ideas
1. learning is designable like code
2. our brains are snowflakes
3. we do not function standalone

68. 3
We do not learn
standalone.
Importing is
important.

70. WARNING:
POLYSYLLABIC
WORDS
IMMINENT

71. accidental learning in cognitive
apprenticeships within authentic
communities of practice with
metacognition models and
formative feedback to develop
self-efficacy and self-
determination

72. Accidental
learning.

73. Cognitive apprenticeship.
modelmodel
coachcoach
scaffoldscaffold
fadefade bit.ly/pycon-cogapp

74. Dreyfus Model of Skill
Acquisition
expert
proficient
competent
advanced beginner
novice

75. CC-BY-SAbywoodleywonderworks(http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/2985216277/)
context?context?

76. CC-BY-SAbyeschipul(http://www.flickr.com/photos/eschipul/278768722/)
context!context!

77. clarityclarity constraintconstraint
freedomfreedom frustrationfrustration
CC-BY-SAbyginnerobot (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ginnerobot/4487647471/)
CC-BYbyNatalieMaynor(http://www.flickr.com/photos/nataliemaynor/2539937014/)

78. Community of practice.Community of practice.
domaindomain
communitycommunity
practicepractice

79. In a cognitive apprenticeship within a
community of practice...
zone of proximal development
legitimate peripheral participation

80. Zone of proximal development:
learning to bike
1. watching
2. somebody pushes you
3. wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

81. Zone of proximal development:
learning to program
1. watching
2. somebody pushes you
3. wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

82. Zone of proximal development:
learning to program
1. watching
2. pair programming, code review, etc...
3. wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

83. MYTHS:
not skilled enoughnot skilled enough
not technical enoughnot technical enough
(perhaps later but surely not now)(perhaps later but surely not now)

84. Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Task Criteria
1. mission critical
3. nobody really cares

85. Legitimate Peripheral
Participation Task Criteria
1. mission critical
2. we have no time
3. nobody really cares

86. accidental learning in cognitive
apprenticeships within authentic
communities of practice with
metacognition models and
formative feedback to develop
self-efficacy and self-
determination

87. Why? Because this.

88. ''...thefirst steps on this journey do not feel like progress....thefirst steps onthis journey do not feel like progress. TheThe
voice diminishes in volume; it lacks... even the derived authorityvoice diminishes in volume; it lacks... even the derived authority
of thosewho... can assume as theyparrot... they speak theofthosewho... can assume as theyparrot... they speak the
truth... The inner voice turns critical; it tells themtheir ideastruth... The inner voice turns critical; it tells themtheir ideas
may be stupid.Women at this position think before they speak;may be stupid.Women at this position think before they speak;
and, becausetheir ideas must measure up to certain objectiveand, becausetheir ideas must measure up to certain objective
standards, they speak in measured tones.standards, they speak in measured tones.
Often, theydo not speak at all.Often, theydo not speak at all.
But this is not a passive silence; on the other sideof this silence,But this is not a passive silence; on the other sideof this silence,
reason is stirringreason is stirring.' --Women's Ways ofKnowing.' --Women's Ways ofKnowing

89. '...confirmation and community are prerequisites rather than'...confirmation and community are prerequisites rather than
consequences ofdevelopment.'consequences ofdevelopment.'
--Women's Ways of Knowing--Women's Ways of Knowing

90. ure
doin
it
rite
ure
doin
it
riteCC-BY-SAfromhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/ykjc9/4143179870

91. 1. learning is designable like code
2. our brains are snowflakes
3. we do not function standalone
3 big ideas

92. 1. learning is designable like code
2. our brains are snowflakes
3. we do not function standalone
process
empathy
vocabulary
3 big ideas

93. that's all, folks. questions?that's all, folks. questions?
this talkthis talk
myworkmywork
bit.ly/pycon-toronto-edupsychbit.ly/pycon-toronto-edupsych
melchua.com/contactmelchua.com/contact