A presentation I gave at California State University, Los Angeles on February 25, 2013 about using peer instruction with clickers to create interactive, student-centered instruction.

1. TEACHING (AND
LEARNING) WITH PEER
INSTRUCTION
Peter Newbury, Ph.D.
Center for Teaching Development,
University of California, San Diego
pnewbury@ucsd.edu
@polarisdotca
ctd.ucsd.edu #ctducsd
Unless otherwise
Monday, February 25, 2013
noted, content is licensed under a
Cal State LA Creative Commons Attribution

2. 2 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

3. The traditional lecture is based on
the transmissionist learning model
(Image by um.dentistry on flickr CC)
3 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

4. Scientifically Outdated, a Known
Failure
We must abandon the tabula
rasa “blank slate” and “students
as empty vessels” models of
teaching and learning.
4 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

5. Let’s have a learning
experience…
5 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

6. Here is an important new number
system. Please learn it.
1= 4= 7=
2= 5= 8=
3= 6= 9=
6 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

7. Test
What is this number?
7 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

8. New Number System
Here’s the structure of the “tic-tac-toe” code:
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
8 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

9. Test
What is this number?
9 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

10. Constructivist theory of learning
We know How People Learn [1]. There is research
that informs us. Let’s exploit the patterns of
learning to make instruction more effective.
10 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

11. What are the patterns
of how people learn?
(And how do we use
them?)
11
Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction (Image: entropy memory creativity by jef_safi on flickr CC)

12. Key Finding 1
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. Learn, p. 14)
(How People
Instructors must
draw out Instruction must
students’ pre- be student-
existing centered.
understandings.
12 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

13. Learning requires interaction [2]
13 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

14. Learning requires interaction [2]
Learning gain:
100%
0.50
% of class
time NOT
0 lecturing
pre-test post-test
14 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

15. Learning requires interaction [2]
1 2
3 4
15 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

16. Key Finding 2
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, p. 16)
These are
characteristics of There’s another…
expertize.
16 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

17. Key Finding 3
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, p. 18)
17 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

18. Aside: metacognition
Metacognition refers to one’s knowledge
concerning one’s own cognitive processes or
anything related to them…. For example, I am
engaging in metacognition if I notice that I am
having more trouble learning A than B.
(Flavell [3, 4], p. 232)
18 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

19. Key Finding 3
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, p. 18)
Instructors need to provide
opportunities for students to
practice being metacognitive
–
thinking about their own
thinking
19 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

20. constructivist
20
Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction (Image: stool II by tilaneseven on flickr CC)

21. traditional lecture student-centered instruction
21 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

22. student-centered instruction
peer instruction w clickers
worksheets
videos
interactive demonstrations
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
discussions
22 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

23. Evolution of the Solar System
Today, we’ve been learning about the formation of
the Solar System.
Just like a geologist
studies the exposed
layers on a cliff-face,
we study landforms on
other planets and
moons to find the
chronology (sequence)
of processes. (Image: NASA)
23 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

24. Clicker question
X Are features X and
Y ridges or valleys?
A) X=ridge,
Y=valley
B) X=valley,
Y=ridge
Y
C) both are ridges
crater
D) both are valleys
(EOSC / CWSEI, UBC)
24 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

25. Typical episode of peer
instruction
Alternating with 10-15 minute mini-lectures,
1. Instructor poses a conceptually-challenging
multiple-choice question.
2. Students think about question on their own.
3. Students vote for an answer using clickers,
colored/ABCD voting cards,...
4. The instructor reacts, based on the
distribution of votes.
25 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

26. In effective peer instruction
 students teach each other while students
they may still hold or remember learn and
their preconceptions practice
 students discuss the concepts in their to
how
own (novice) language think,
communicat
e like
 the instructor finds out what the students know
(and don’t know) and reacts experts
26 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

27. Effective peer instruction
requires
1. identifying key concepts, misconceptions
2. creating multiple-choice questions that before
require deeper thinking and learning class
3. facilitating peer instruction episodes that
spark student discussion during
4. resolving the misconceptions class
27 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

28. Clickers help students learn...
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
28 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen

29. Clickers help students learn...
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
29 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen

30. assess prior knowledge
Clicker question
Melt chocolate over low heat. Remove the
chocolate from the heat. What will happen to the
chocolate?
A) It will condense.
B) It will evaporate.
C) It will freeze.
(Question: Sujatha Raghu from Braincandy via LearningCatalytics)
(Image: CIM9926 by number657 on flickr CC)
30 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

31. motivate
Clicker question
In your opinion, which had the most positive
impact on the modern world?
A) coffee
B) tea
C) chocolate
D) spice
E) sugar
31 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction (Herbst, UCSD)

32. provoke thinking
Clicker question
A leopard goes into a deep cave
where there is no light. After an
hour, can it see in the dark?
A) No because there is no light.
B) No because its eyes have not had enough time
to adjust.
C) Yes because its eyes have adjusted to the
darkness.
D) Yes because leopards can see in the LearningCatalytics)
(Question: Paul Simeon from Braincandy via dark.
(Image: Villy at the “door” of his cave by Tambako the Jaguar on flickr
32 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction CC)

33. predict
Clicker question
A ball is rolling around C
the inside of a circular B D
track. The ball A E
leaves the track
at point P.
P
Which path
does the ball
follow?
33 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction (Mazur)

34. Clickers help students learn...
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
34 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen

35. probe misconception
Clicker question
How many of these are reasons for the seasons?
 the height of the Sun in the sky during the day
 Earth’s distance from the Sun
 how many hours the Sun is up each day
A) none of them
B) one
C) two
D) all three
35 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

36. analysis
Clicker question
Select the line that A Fast rode the knight
B With spurs, hot and reeking,
you feel has the C Ever waving an eager sword,
strongest imagery D "To save my lady!"
E Fast rode the knight,
in “Fast rode the F And leaped from saddle to war.
knight” by G Men of steel flickered and gleamed
Stephen Crane H Like riot of silver lights,
I And the gold of the knight's good
(1905). J banner
K Still waved on a castle wall.
L .....
M A horse,
N Blowing, staggering, bloody thing,
O Forgotten at foot of castle wall.
P A horse
Dead at foot of castle wall.
36 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction (David Kurtz, via LearningCatalytics)

37. evaluation
Clicker question
Which of the following is an incorrect step when
using the substitution method to evaluate the
definite integral 4 2 3
x 1 x dx
0
3
u 1 x 1 4
A) C. u du
3 0
du 2
x dx
B) 3 D. none of the above
37 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction (adapted from Bruff (2009))

38. exercise skill
Clicker question
Susan throws a ball straight up into the air. It goes
up and then falls back into her hand 2 seconds
later.
Draw a graph showing the velocity of the ball from
the moment it leaves her hand until she catches it
again. velocity
time
0 2 sec
38 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction (CWSEI UBC)

39. Which one is the closest match to your graph?
exercise skill
velocity velocity
A B
time time
0 2 sec 0 2 sec
velocity velocity
C D
time time
0 2 sec 0 2 sec
E) some other graph
39 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction (CWSEI UBC)

40. Clickers help students learn...
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
40 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen

41. demonstrate success
Clicker question
Which point on the phylogenetic tree represents
the closest relative of the frog?
A
B E
D
C
(UBC CWSEI)
41 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

42. review / recap
Clicker question
For the data set displayed in the following
histogram, which would be larger, the mean or the
median?
A) mean
B) median
C) can’t tell from the given histogram
42 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction(Peck, mathquest.carroll.edu/resources.html)

43. “big picture”
Clicker question
In your opinion, which had the most positive
impact on the modern world?
A) coffee
B) tea
C) chocolate
D) spice
E) sugar
43 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction (Herbst, UCSD)

44. Clickers help teachers teach...
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
44 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

45. Clickers help teachers teach...
Are they ready for the next topic?
What do they already know?
Do they care about this?
What DO they care about, anyway?
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
45 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

46. Clickers help teachers teach...
Where are they in the activity?
Are they getting it?
Do I need to intervene?
Did they notice key idea X?
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
46 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

47. Clickers help teachers teach...
Did they get it?
Can I move to the next topic?
Did that activity work?
How did I do?
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
47 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction

48. constructivist
peer instr’n w
clickers
Peter Newbury, Ph.D.
Center for Teaching Development,
University of California, San Diego
pnewbury@ucsd.edu
@polarisdotca
ctd.ucsd.edu
48
Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction (Image: stool II by tilaneseven on flickr CC)

49. References
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. Prather, E.E, Rudolph, A.L., Brissenden, G., &
Schlingman, W.M. (2009). A national study assessing the
teaching and learning of introductory astronomy. Part I. The
effect of interactive instruction. Am. J. Phys. 66, 64-74.
3. Flavell, J. H. (1976). Metacognitive aspects of problem
solving. In L. B. Resnick (Ed.), The nature of intelligence
(pp.231-236). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
4. Brame, C. (2013) Thinking about metacognition. [blog]
January, 2013, Available at:
http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/2013/01/thinking-about-
metacognition/ [Accessed: 14 Jan 2013].
49 Teaching (and learning) with peer instruction