My keynote presentation at the 2017 British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) School of Transportation Development Day on October 31, 2017. Peter Newbury UBC Okanagan CC-BY

1. The right
Peter Newbury, Ph.D.
Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning, and
Senior Advisor for Learning Initiatives, UBC Okanagan
peter.newbury@ubc.ca peternewbury.org @polarisdotca
October 31, 2017
1
 tool for the job
 job for the tool


2. “fish is fish” by Leo Lionni
We started with a conversation about the “cow-fish” imagined by Fish
when his friend, Frog, described a cow.
Fish’s cow-fish isn’t what a cow looks like. And his teacher, Professor Frog,
needs to do more than just lecture about cows. Frog should get students
to demonstrate their understanding by, say, drawing pictures of cows.
Then Frog should wander around the classroom see what his students get
(and what they don’t get.) Without witnessing his students’ ideas about
cows, and responding to correct misconceptions, there’s a risk students
will leave class with strongly-held, incorrect understandings…
2

3. The traditional
lecture is based on
the
transmission
model
of learning
3
um.dentistry on flickr CC

4. Important new number system. Please learn it.
4
1 = 4 = 7 =
2 = 5 = 8 =
3 = 6 = 9 =

5. What’s this number?
5

6. Transmission
model
of learning
proven to be less
effective than
active learning
“the equivalent
of blood-letting”
(Wieman, 2014)
6
We must abandon the
“students as empty vessels”
model of teaching and
learning.

7. Important new number system: tic-tac-toe code
7
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9

8. What number is this?
8

9. New learning is
based on knowledge
you already have.
You store things in
your long term
memory through a
set of connections
with your existing
memories.
9
Rebecca-Lee on flickr CC
learning is done
by individuals
Constructivist
model
of learning

10. What
is the
right tool
to help
individuals
learn?
efficiency
10

11. What
is the
right tool
to help
individuals
learn?
efficiency
quality of
output
11

12. What
is the
right tool
to help
individuals
learn?
efficiency
quality of
output
urgency
12

13. What
is the
right tool
to help
individuals
learn?
efficiency
quality of
output
urgency
skill of
“user”
13

14. What
is the
right tool
to help
individuals
learn?
efficiency
quality of
output
urgency
skill of
“user”
required
training
14

15. What
is the
right tool
to help
individuals
learn?
efficiency
quality of
output
urgency
skill of
“user”
required
training
opportunity
for learning
15

16. 16

17. How
People
Learn
(2000)
Available for free
from the National
Academies Press
17

18. Key Finding #1
18
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.

19. Key Finding #2
19
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.

20. Key Finding #3
20
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.

21. Metacognition
thinking
about
thinking
“I am engaging in
metacognition if I
notice that I am
having more
trouble learning
A than B.”
(J. Flavel, 1976)
21
cognitionmeta

22. Key Finding #3
22
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.

23. Connect the dots: match each Key Finding with an Implication and an Environment
23
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.
Designing Classroom Environments
Schools and classrooms must be learner centered.
Implications for Teaching
Teachers must teach some subject matter in
depth, providing many examples in which the
same concept is at work and providing a firm
foundation of factual knowledge.
Designing Classroom Environments
To provide a knowledge-centered classroom
environment, attention must be given to what is
taught (information, subject matter), why it is
taught (understanding), and what competence or
mastery looks like.
Implications for Teaching
Teachers must draw out and work with the
preexisting understandings that their students
bring with them.
Key Finding #2
To develop competence in an area of inquiry, students
must
• have a deep foundation of factual knowledge,
• understand facts and ideas in the context of a
conceptual framework, and
• organize knowledge in ways that facilitate
retrieval and application.
Implications for Teaching
The teaching of metacognitive skills should be
integrated into the curriculum in a variety of
subject areas.
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.
Designing Classroom Environments
Ongoing assessments designed to make students’
thinking visible to both teachers and students are
essential. They permit the teacher to grasp the
students’ preconceptions, understand where the
students are in the “developmental corridor”
from informal to formal thinking, design
instruction accordingly, and help both teachers
and students monitor progress.
Adapted fromHow People Learn (NAP,2000)

24. Key Finding #1
24
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.

25. Implications for Teaching
25
Teachers must draw out and work with the preexisting understandings that
their students bring with them.

26. TRANSMISSION MODEL CONSTRUCTIVIST MODEL
26
1 = 4 = 7 =
2 = 5 = 8 =
3 = 6 = 9 =
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
unsupported, unfamiliar built on pre-existing knowledge

27. Implications for Teaching
27
Teachers must draw out and work with the preexisting understandings that
their students bring with them.

28. Implications for Teaching
28
Teachers must draw out and work with the preexisting understandings that
their students bring with them.
Designing Classroom Environments
Schools and classrooms must be learner centered.

29. Key Finding #2
29
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.

30. 30

31. Implications for Teaching
31
Teachers must teach some subject matter in depth, providing many
examples in which the same concept is at work and providing a firm
foundation of factual knowledge.

32. Implications for Teaching
32
Teachers must teach some subject matter in depth, providing many
examples in which the same concept is at work and providing a firm
foundation of factual knowledge.
Designing Classroom Environments
To provide a knowledge-centered environment, attention must be given to
what is taught (information, subject matter), why it is taught
(understanding), and what competence or mastery looks like.
Development of
Expertise
Key Finding #3:
metacognition

33. Development of Expertise
33
aware
unaware
novice expert
Behaviour
Level of Expertise
Adapted from Sprague & Stewart (2000)

34. Development of Expertise
34
Behaviour
Level of Expertise
1
aware
unaware
novice expert
Adapted from Sprague & Stewart (2000)

35. Development of Expertise
35
Behaviour
Level of Expertise
1
2
aware
unaware
novice expert
Adapted from Sprague & Stewart (2000)

36. Development of Expertise
36
Behaviour
Level of Expertise
1
2 3
aware
unaware
novice expert
Adapted from Sprague & Stewart (2000)

37. Development of Expertise
37
Behaviour
Level of Expertise
1
2 3
4
aware
unaware
novice expert
Adapted from Sprague & Stewart (2000)

38. Development of Expertise
38
Behaviour
Level of Expertise
2 3
aware
unaware
novice expert
Adapted from Sprague & Stewart (2000)

39. Development of Expertise
39
Behaviour
Level of Expertise
1
2 3
4
5
aware
unaware
novice expert
Adapted from Sprague & Stewart (2000)

40. Development of Expertise
40
Behaviour
Level of Expertise
2 3
4
aware
unaware
novice expert
Adapted from Sprague & Stewart (2000)

41. Think about the place you’re living…
How many windows are there?
As you counted the windows, did you see them
from inside or outside?
41
4 5

42. Key Finding #3
42
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.

43. Implications for Teaching
43
The teaching of metacognitive skills should be integrated into the
curriculum in a variety of subject areas.

44. Implications for Teaching
44
The teaching of metacognitive skills should be integrated into the
curriculum in a variety of subject areas.
Designing Classroom Environments
Formative assessments — ongoing assessments designed to make
students’ thinking visible to both teachers and students — are essential.

45. Why do you think instructors, speakers,
helpdesk staff,… ask “Any questions?”
to signal they’re at the end of a section or concept
so they can check if it’s okay to continue
so they can check if the audience understands
so the audience can check if they’re ready to continue
45
“What questions do you have for me?”
…and give them enough time to ask a useful question
hand gestures by H Alberto Gongora CC-BY

46. To choose the right tool for the job, consider
 what do you mean by “right”?
efficiency o quality of output o urgency
skill of “user” o required training o opportunity for learning
 right for who?
 how people learn:
we need to create opportunities for individuals
to construct their own understanding
46




47. The right
Peter Newbury, Ph.D.
Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning, and
Senior Advisor for Learning Initiatives, UBC Okanagan
peter.newbury@ubc.ca peternewbury.org @polarisdotca
October 31, 2017
47
 tool for the job
 job for the tool


48. References
Flavell, J. H. (1976). Metacognitive aspects of problem solving. In L. B. Resnick (Ed.), The nature of intelligence (pp.
231-236). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Lionni, L. (1970). Fish is Fish. New York, NY:Pantheon Books.
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.
Sprague, J., & Stuart, D. (2000). The speaker’s handbook. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt College Publishers.
Wieman, C.E. (2014). Large-scale comparison of science teaching methods sends clear message. Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, 11 (23), 8319-8320.
48