Students learn more effectively through active learning techniques compared to traditional lecturing. Alternatives to lecturing include using clicker questions, demonstrations, discussions, worksheets and videos to actively engage students in the learning process. These techniques help students construct their own understanding of concepts by connecting new ideas to prior knowledge and receiving feedback on their developing understanding. Effective alternatives provide opportunities for students to practice skills, receive timely feedback, and take ownership of their learning.
The College Classroom (Wi14) Week 9: Alternatives to Lecture
1. What do you notice? What do you wonder?
(16th Century carving
Wikimedia Commons)collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu #tccucsd
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2. The College Classroom
March 4 and 6, 2014
Week 9:
Alternatives to Lecture
Unless otherwise noted, this work is licensed
under a Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
3. Key Finding 1
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Students come to the classroom with preconceptions about
how the world works. If their initial understanding is not
engaged, they may fail to grasp the new concepts and
information that are taught, or they may learn them for
the purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions
outside of the classroom. (How People Learn [1], p. 14)
Instructors must
draw out students’
pre-existing
understandings.
Instruction must be
student-centered.
4. Key Finding 2
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To develop competence in an area, students must:
a) have a deep foundation of factual knowledge,
b) understand facts and ideas in the context of a
conceptual framework, and
c) organize knowledge in ways that facilitate
retrieval and application. (How People Learn [1], p. 16)
These are
characteristics of
expertize
Instructors need to
give students
opportunities to be
more expert-like.
5. Key Finding 3
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A “metacognitive” approach to instruction can help
students learn to take control of their own learning by
defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in
achieving them. (How People Learn [1], p. 18)
Instructors need to
provide opportunities
for students to practice
being metacognitive
Metacognition: that
voice in your head
that checks your
understanding
6. Constructivist theory of learning
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Students need to construct their own understanding of
the concepts, where
each student assimilates new material into his/her
own framework of initial understanding and
preconception
each student confronts his/her (mis)understanding of
the concepts
A traditional, one-way lecture doesn’t give students an
opportunity to construct their own knowledge, practice a
skill, or receive timely, formative feedback.
7. before class
3-4 pg reading
online reading quiz
in class
mix of peer instruction,
instructor feedback,
worksheets,
demonstrations
before class
3-4 pg reading
in class
PPT slides
0–5 summative clicker
questions (not peer
instruction)
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Experimental SectionControl Section
0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48
Improved Learning in a Large-Enrollment Physics Class [2]
trad’l lecture
peer instruction
instructor feedback
worksheets
demonstration
8. Improved Learning in a Large-
Enrollment Physics Class [2]
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Remember: Experimental section instructors LD and ES had no
teaching experience but significant pedagogical content
knowledge – knowledge about how people learn physics.
average
41±1%
average
74±1%
10. Alternatives to Lecture
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What do you notice/wonder?
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos student-centered instruction
11. What do you notice? What do you wonder?
Archimedes Bath
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12. Start teaching before the bell rings
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Students arrive, ready to engage with you, your content:
Project a picture related to today’s lesson
Add prompts:
“What do you notice? What do you wonder?” [3]
Spend first few minutes leading a discussion:
every student can contribute because everyone can
wonder
you learn their pre-existing knowledge
activates concepts in their memories
Don’t let their enthusiasm slip away!
13. Alternatives to Lecture
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What do you notice/wonder?
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos student-centered instruction
15. In-class demonstrations
15
1. Instructor (meticulously) sets up the equipment, flicks
a switch, “Taa-daaah!
2. Students
don’t know where to look
don’t know when to look, miss “the moment”
don’t recognize the significance of the event amongst
too many distractions
To engage students and focus their attention on the key
event, get students to make a prediction (using clickers,
for example.)
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16. Clicker question
16
A ball is rolling around
the inside of a circular
track. The ball
leaves the track
at point P.
Which path
does the ball
follow?
P
A
B
C
D
E
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17. In-class demonstrations
17
After the prediction, each student
cares about the outcome (“Did I get it right?”)
knows where to look (can anticipate phenomenon)
knows when to look (sees phenomenon occur)
gets immediate feedback about his/her
understanding of the concept
is prepared for your explanation
More about Interactive Lecture Demos (ILDs)[4] and
using demonstrations to teach, not entertain [5]
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18. Alternatives to Lecture
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What do you notice/wonder?
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos student-centered instruction
19. What do you see?
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A) old lady
B) young woman
If you’re studying human
behavior, let your students
generate authentic data
For sensitive issues, clickers
can be set to “anonymous”
20. Alternatives to Lecture
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What do you notice/wonder?
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos student-centered instruction
21. Flipped class model
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students prepare
at home
reading quiz
(online or in class to
check knowledge
and reward effort)
in class, students are
prepared to engage
in natural, critical,
learning tasks [10]
22. Alternatives to Lecture
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What do you notice/wonder?
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos student-centered instruction
23. Whiteboards = practice
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Use whiteboards to give your students practice
analyzing summarizing deriving illustrating
computing drafting brainstorming presenting
Tips:
groups of 3-4 with 1 pen per person
encourage students to show their thinking, not just the
final analysis
train students to listen to each other’s presentations
see [6, 7] for resources
24. Alternatives to Lecture
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What do you notice/wonder?
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos student-centered instruction
25. Gen-Ed astronomy class
25
Before beginning an in-class worksheet, be sure
the students are properly prepared:
The Speed of Light
light travels through space at a very fast (300,000
km/s) but finite speed
a light-year (abbreviated “ly”) is how far light
travels in one year
Please complete the worksheet in groups. Work
together. Try to reach consensus on each answer.
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26. In-class worksheets
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carefully-designed sequence of questions guide students
through the exploration of a concept
first few questions can be trivial – checks students read
intro paragraph, gives them confidence
give formative feedback along the way
most effective when done collaboratively (group reaches
consensus before answering)
strong, evidence-based history via “Washington
Tutorials” and “Lecture Tutorials for introductory
astronomy” (interactive activities in Prather et al. [8]
(“25% interactive”) is lecture-tutorials + peer instruction)
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27. In-class worksheet assessment
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don’t “go over” the worksheet
that only encourages students to
sit and wait for your solutions
don’t post solutions later
again, encourages non-participation
students bring last year’s sol’ns to class
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good alternative: ask a clicker question
if students get the question right, they can be
confident they successfully completed the worksheet
(and you know if they achieved the learning outcome
of the activity)
force students
to self-assess
their answers:
metacognition
28. Clicker question
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Imagine that you simultaneously receive two pictures of two
people that live on planets orbiting two different stars. Each
image shows the people at their 21st birthday parties.
Which of the following do you think is the most plausible
interpretation?
A) Both people are the same age but at different distances
from you.
B) The people are actually different ages but at the same
distance from you.
C) The person that is closer to you is actually the older of
the two people.
D) The person that is farther from you is actually the older
of the two people.
[9]
29. Alternatives to Lecture
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What do you notice/wonder?
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos student-centered instruction
30. Discussions
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students share their understanding, opinions, ideas
students hear other students’ ideas, viewpoints
students practice communicating like experts
students get timely feedback from peers and
instructor
31. Discussions: Implications for instructors
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ensure students come to class prepared to contribute
to the discussion
pre-readings that students want to complete (marks?)
orchestrate activity so EVERY student speaks (not just
enthusiastic volunteers)
talking stick, whiffle balls, pass the duck, popsicle sticks,
pass around an artefact
build in time/tasks for listening, getting feedback
from peers and instructor
32. Alternatives to Lecture
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What do you notice/wonder?
peer instruction with clickers
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
whiteboards
worksheets
discussions
videos student-centered instruction
34. Opinion: Videos in class
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In your opinion, the Paul Hewitt video
A) is engaging
B) is entertaining
C) is interactive
D) stimulates deep thinking
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35. Unlike you, the students do not
select the video
check it contains key events
anticipate key events
recognize key events
interpret key events
relate key events to
class concepts
Videos in class
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instructor does this
before class
instructor does this unconsciously,
the “curse” of expertise
This is what you want to discuss
in class! Anticipate & recognize
are pre-requisites.
36. Videos: implications for instructors
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Coach the students how to watch the video like an
expert:
As you watch this video, try to…
watch for when the A starts to B.
count how often the C does D.
watch the needles on the scales as water drains.
Don’t “give away” the key event (Notice the buoyant
force is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced.)
That’s what the follow-up discussion is for: help the
students get prepared for that discussion.
38. Is Lecture Dead?
Alternatives to Lecture38
No! There is still a time and place for lecture. You can
lecture (for 10-15 minutes) when the students are
prepared to learn
the alt-to-lecture activities have activated the
concepts in their memories
they’ve tried, failed, received feedback, tried again
and are waiting for confirmation [9]
they’re prepared to intellectually appreciate your
expertise you’re about to share with them
40. References
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1. National Research Council (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded
Edition. J.D. Bransford, A.L Brown & R.R. Cocking (Eds.),Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
2. Deslauriers, L., Schelew, E., & Wieman, C.E. (2011). Improved Learning in a Large-Enrollment Physics
Class. Science 332, 862 – 864.
3. Newbury, P. (23 Aug 2013). You don’t have to wait for the clock to strike to start teaching. Retrieved
3/3/2014 from ctd.ucsd.edu/2013/08/you-dont-have-to-wait-for-the-clock-to-strike-to-start-teaching/.
4. Get the full story of ILDs at
serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/demonstrations/index.html
5. Miller, K. (2013). Use demonstrations to teach, not just entertain. The Physics Teacher 51, 570 – 571.
6. Noschese, F. The $2 Interactive Whiteboard. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from
fnoschese.wordpress.com/2010/08/06/the-2-interactive-whiteboard/
7. Seddon, S. Biological Whiteboarding - The use of mini whiteboards in my Biology class. Retrieved
November 18, 2013 from totallylearnedas.wordpress.com/2013/11/18/biological-whiteboarding/
8. Prather, E.E., Slater, T.F., Adams, J.P., & Brissenden, G. (2007). Lecture Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy.
(2e). San Francisco, CA: Pearson Addison-Wesley.
9. Prather, E.E., Adams, J.P., Loranz, D.J., Brissenden, G., Slater, T.F., Watson, L, & Wallace, C.S. (2013).
Lecture-Tutorials for Introductor Astronomy, Instructor’s Guide. (3e). San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education
Inc.
10. Bain, K. (2004) What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.