Short presentation on one aspect of scholarly teaching - The "active pause."

1. Being a successful
instructor:
Stir in some active learning
@ New Faculty Orientation
January 10th, 2020
Jeff Loats, Ph.D.

2. SETTING THE STAGE: DISCIPLINE ABUSE
Is there a specific topic in your field of expertise that non-
experts often have myths or misconceptions about?
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3. DISCIPLINE VS. CAREER
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Dunning-Kreuger effect:
• Expertise in a discipline probably makes us
underestimate our knowledge/skill.
• A lack of expertise in teaching probably makes
us overestimate our knowledge/skill.
Teaching is a fundamentally social activity,
regardless of topic or academic discipline.

4. SCHOLARLY TEACHING
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Goal 1:
Apply the rigor and scholarship of our academic
disciplines to the discipline of teaching.
Goal 2:
Choose teaching methods that are strongly
informed by the best empirical evidence
available.
Contrast teaching your subject with treating
diabetes…

5. CONSISTENT EVIDENCE-BASED THEMES
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• Active engagement during class time
• Effective preparation (students & instructors)
• Feedback loops and iterative learning

6. If you were to take an average, what fraction of your class
time is spent on lecture-based delivery of content?
Previous anonymous poll results (compiled):
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N = 267
13%
18% 22% 29% 19%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
0-20% 20-40% 40-60% 60-80% 80-100%

7. Changing The Classroom
If you lecture, will it be the best lecture on that topic given
by anyone this year?
Is the best lecture on that topic on YouTube?
If class time can be effectively replaced with a video... it
should be.
Do that part before class. Spend your precious hours on the
parts that deserve discussion, discovery and inquiry.
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8. Active Engagement – Active Pause
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Create an “active pause” in an otherwise didactic part of
class.
• 2 minutes to write a summary or question
• Ask a question about a part you know is hard
• Think-pair-share a muddiest point
• Ask a generic question like “how do you feel about
<blank>” with self-assessment options.

9. Consider a "deep thinking question" you could use to create
an "active pause" in the middle of an otherwise "straight
lecture" part of your class.
Would you be comfortable doing that?
A) Yes, and I can think of an example.
B) Probably, but an example eludes me.
C) Probably not, but I'm not sure why not.
D) No, and I can explain why not.
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10. Summary and Challenge
Challenge yourself to be a scholarly-teacher
Follow the evidence!
Be moderate… (perhaps follow the “10% rule”)
Engage with peers! Share, steal, and combine.
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11. Your Summary
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For yourself… or to share?
What nugget(s) from this talk do you want to
keep in mind in a month or a year?
Email: jloats1@msudenver.edu or jeff.loats@gmail.com
Twitter: @JeffLoats
Slides: www.slideshare.net/JeffLoats

12. References
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Dunning–Kruger effect:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Louis Deslauriers, Ellen Schelew and Carl Wieman (2011). Improved Learning in
a Large-Enrollment Physics Class. Science, Vol. 332 no. 6031 pp. 862-864 DOI:
10.1126/science.1201783
Freeman, Scott; Eddy, Sarah L.; McDonough, Miles; Smith, Michelle K.;
Okoroafor, Nnadozie; Jordt, Hannah; Wenderoth, Mary Pat; Active learning
increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics (opens as
pdf), 2014, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
Sappington, J., Kinsey, K., & Munsayac, K. (2002). Two Studies of Reading
Compliance Among College Students. Teaching of Psychology , 29 (4), 272-274.
Marrs, K.A. (2003). Just in Time Teaching enhances cognitive gains in biology. J.
Coll. Sci. Teach.
Bachhel R, Thaman RG. Effective use of pause procedure to enhance student
engagement and learning. J Clin Diagn Res. 2014;8(8):XM01–XM03.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4190777/

13. Aside: Learning Styles
“I think that many teachers teach in a way that makes sense
to them, according to their learning style […]”
Best current evidence: Learning styles don’t exist
References:
• “The Myth of Learning Styles”
by Cedar Riener and Daniel Willingham
• YouTube: Learning Styles Don’t Exist
• Scholarly review: “Learning styles: Concepts and
evidence”, Pashler et al, 2008
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