This document discusses alternatives to traditional lecture-based college instruction. It provides several key findings from research on how people learn: 1) Students come to class with preexisting understandings that must be engaged; 2) To develop expertise, students must have in-depth knowledge within a conceptual framework and be able to apply and retrieve their knowledge; 3) Students must learn metacognition, or thinking about their own thinking. The document advocates for student-centered instruction using techniques like interactive videos, demonstrations, worksheets, and clicker questions to actively engage students in class.

1. Week 8:
Alternatives to Lecture
The College Classroom
February 27, 2013

2. 2
traditional lecture student-centered instruction
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3. Key Finding 3
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 [1], p. 18)
Instructors need to provide
opportunities for students to
practice being metacognitive
–
thinking about their own
thinking
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4. Key Finding 2
4
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
(How People Learn [1], p. 16)
retrieval and application.
These are characteristics
of expertize
(together with
metacognition)
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5. Key Finding 1
5
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 Learn [1], their
(How People to p. 14)
preconceptions outside of the classroom.
Instructors must
draw out Instruction must
students’ pre- be student-
existing centered.
understandings.
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6. Learning requires interaction [2]
6
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7. Learning requires interaction [2]
7
Learning gain:
100%
0.50
% of class
time NOT
0 lecturing
pre-test post-test
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8. Learning requires interaction [2]
8
1 2
3 4
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9. 9
student-centered instruction
peer instruction w clickers
worksheets
interactive demonstrations
videos
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
discussions
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10. Archimedes’ Principle
10
In today’s Physics class, we’re going to study
buoyancy and Archimedes’ Principle.
http://tinyurl.com/TCCdemo
(Paul Hewitt video)
(Image: Wikimedia Commons – public domain)
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11. Opinion: Videos in class
11
In your opinion, the Paul Hewitt video
A) is engaging
B) is entertaining
C) is interactive
D) stimulates deep thinking
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12. Videos in class
12
Unlike you, the students do not
 select the video instructor does this
 check it contains key events before class
 anticipate key events instructor does this
 recognize key events unconsciously,
the “curse” of expertise
 interpret key events This is what you want to
 relate key events to discuss in class! Anticipate &
class concepts recognize are pre-requisites.
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13. Videos: implications for
13
instructors
 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
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14. 14
student-centered instruction
peer instruction w clickers
worksheets
interactive demonstrations
videos
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
discussions
collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu #tccucsd

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
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16. Interactive Lecture Demos (ILD)
16
[3]
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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17. Clicker question
17
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?
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(Mazur)

18. Interactive Lecture Demos (ILD)
18
[3]
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
 (don’t be afraid to mess with their heads –
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19. 19
student-centered instruction
peer instruction w clickers
worksheets
interactive demonstrations
videos
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
discussions
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20. Gen-Ed astronomy class
20
Before beginning an in-class worksheet, be sure
the students are properly prepared:
Stars have various
 diameters and surface areas
 temperatures (hot stars are blue,
cooler stars are red)
A star’s luminosity is the rate at
which it emits energy.
Orion by John Gauvreau
APOD 2008 October 15
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21. 21
In class, we did a worksheet about cooking
spaghetti and then, by analogy, the temperature,
size and luminosity of stars.
The worksheet is removed from this slide deck
because it is copyrighted.
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22. In-class worksheets
22
 carefully-designed sequence of questions
guide students through the exploration of a
concept
 first few questions may 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)
 long, evidence-based history via “Washington
Tutorials” and “Lecture Tutorials for introductory
astronomy” (interactive activities in Prather et
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23. In-class worksheet assessment
23
 don’t “go over” the worksheet
 that only encourages students to force
sit and wait for your solutions students to
 don’t post solutions later self-assess
 again, encourages non-participation
their
answers:
 students bring last year’s sol’ns to class
metacogniti
 good alternative: ask a clicker question(s)
on
 if students get the question right, they can be
confident they successfully completed the
worksheet
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24. Clicker question
24
You observe two stars with the same luminosity
and determine that one is larger than the other.
Which star has the greater temperature?
A) the smaller star
B) the larger star
C) the temperatures are the same
D) there is insufficient information to answer this
question
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(Prather et al., [4])

25. 25
student-centered instruction
peer instruction w clickers
worksheets
interactive demonstrations
videos
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
discussions
collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu #tccucsd

26. Clicker question
26
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)
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27. Typical episode of peer
27
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. Typically
1. “turn to your neighbor, convince them you’re right”
2. 2nd vote
3. Instructor orchestrates class discussion,
concluding with explanation of solution (plus why
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wrongs are

28. In effective peer instruction
28
 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
 the instructor finds out what the students know
e like
(and don’t know) and reacts experts
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29. Effective peer instruction
29
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
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30. Clickers help students learn...
30
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
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31. Clickers help students learn...
31
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu #tccucsd

32. assess prior knowledge
Clicker question
32
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)
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33. motivate
Clicker question
33
In your opinion, which had the most positive
impact on the modern world?
A) coffee
B) tea
C) chocolate
D) spice
E) sugar
(Herbst, UCSD)
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34. provoke thinking
Clicker question
34
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
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35. predict
Clicker question
35
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?
(Mazur)
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36. Clickers help students learn...
36
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu #tccucsd

37. probe misconception
Clicker question
37
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
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38. analysis
Clicker question
38
A Fast rode the knight
Select the line that B With spurs, hot and reeking,
you feel has the C Ever waving an eager sword,
D "To save my lady!"
strongest imagery E Fast rode the knight,
in “Fast rode the F And leaped from saddle to war.
knight” by Stephen G Men of steel flickered and gleamed
H Like riot of silver lights,
Crane (1905). I And the gold of the knight's good
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
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(David Kurtz, via LearningCatalytics)

39. evaluation
Clicker question
39
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 1 4
u 1 x C. u du
A) 3 0
du 2
x dx D. none of the above
B) 3
(adapted from Bruff (2009))
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40. exercise skill
Clicker question
40
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
velocity
again.
time
0 2 sec
(CWSEI UBC)
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41. 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
41 (CWSEI UBC)
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42. Clickers help students learn...
42
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu #tccucsd

43. demonstrate success
Clicker question
43
Which point on the phylogenetic tree represents
the closest relative of the frog?
A
B E
D
C
(UBC CWSEI)
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44. review / recap
Clicker question
44
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 givenmathquest.carroll.edu/resources.html)
(Peck, histogram
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45. “big picture”
Clicker question
45
In your opinion, which had the most positive
impact on the modern world?
A) coffee
B) tea
C) chocolate
D) spice
E) sugar
(Herbst, UCSD)
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46. Clickers help teachers teach...
46
the learning cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
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47. Clickers help teachers teach...
47
Are they ready for the next topic?
What do they already know?
Do they care about this?
the learning
What DO they care about, anyway? cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
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48. Clickers help teachers teach...
48
Where are they in the activity?
Are they getting it?
Do I need to intervene?
the learning
Did they notice key idea X? cycle
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
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49. Clickers help teachers teach...
49
Did they get it?
Can I move to the next topic?
Did that activity work?
the learning c Howcdid Ie
y l do?
BEFORE DURING AFTER
setting up developing assessing
instruction knowledge learning
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50. What makes a good clicker
50
question?
YES NO
 starts a conversation  exam question with
between students exactly 1 correct
 “lays bare” the heart of answer
a juicy problem  memorization question
 prepares student to (you either remember
grasp expert’s or you don’t)
explanation
 part of discouraging
 doesn’t answer the
Lots of practice writing,
lecture-quiz-lecture-
problem: that’s what
peer discussions AND running peer instruction
quiz-lecture... cycle
YOU are for in SGTS Practical
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51. Week 9:
First Day of Class
The College Classroom
March 6, 2013

52. References
52
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. Get the full story of ILDs at
serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/demonstrations/index.html
4. Prather, E.E., Slater, T.F., Adams, J.P., & Brissenden,
G. (2007). Lecture Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy.
(2e). San Francisco, CA: Pearson Addison-Wesley.
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53. 53
student-centered instruction
peer instruction w clickers
worksheets
interactive demonstrations
videos
surveys of opinions
reading quizzes
discussions
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54. Discussions
54
 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
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55. Discussions: Implications for
55
instructors
 ensure students come to class prepared to
contribute to the discussion
 pre-readings that students want to complete
(marks?)
 must orchestrate activity so EVERY student
speaks (no just enthusiastic volunteers)
 “talking stick”, wiffle balls, pass the duck, popsicle
sticks
 build in time/tasks for listening, getting feedback
from peers and instructor
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