Bringing theory into practice

NLII Focus SessionMarch 9, 2005

Malcolm BrownDartmouth College

malcolm.brown@dartmouth.edu

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Goals

• Review learning principles• Identify practices• Analysis method• Develop connections

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Just what do you think might be wrong with this

particular slide?• One possibility is that there is nothing wrong; after

all, beauty is merely in the eye of the beholder. I designed this slide; so what could possibly be wrong with it?

• I have information to convey and it is important that it be conveyed thoroughly and accurately and that not a word is to be missed by the unwashed and ignorant masses that are my audience.

• This is indeed the slide from hell. The point is that technical proficiency does not guarantee good practice.

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“Giving professors gadgets withouttraining can do more harm than good in the classroom” —Chron Higher Ed, Nov 12, 2004

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T&Lpractice

Generationalfactors

Institutionalfactors

TechnologyLearningtheory

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Exercise

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To be, or not to be: that is the question:Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortuneOr to take arms against a sea of troubles,And by opposing end them.

Poem 1

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GADJI BERI BIMBA CLANDRIDILAULI LONNI CADORI GADJAMA BIM BERI GLASSALA GLANDRIDEE GLASSALA TUFFM I ZIMBRA

BIM BLASSA GALASSASA ZIMBRABIMBLASSA GLALLASSASA ZIMBRABIM

Poem 2

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Constructivism

• Knowledge acquisition is construction• Act of reconciling new with the old• Information is

– transformed– organized– elaborated– “scaffold-ed”

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How People Learn

• Learning is an active process• Based on paradigms• Learner’s context is significant• Expertise =

– factual extent– conceptual framework– organized for retrieval and application

• Metacognitive: learning about learning

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Implications

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Learning is active

• Challenging• Exploratory• Conceptual and critical• High order thinking• Peers• Experts

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This entails…

• Debate• Research• Study abroad• Interdisciplinary study• Progressively challenging• Intense focus• Quiet deliberation• Problem solving• Assessing alternatives

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Learning is contextual

• Learner-centric• Dialectic of content and learner

context• Clear basis on

– prerequisites– student context

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This entails…

• Resources that are relevant• Application and problem solving• Progressive and cumulative• Learning roadmaps• Models, schemas, examples

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Learning is engaged

• Options for tailoring to the learner• Multiple paths• Path choices• Involvement in the work of others• Discovery and experience• Interactive content

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This entails…

• Explicit goals and standards• Diverse media• Choices• Opportunities for transfer• Specific feedback• Direct involvement

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Learning is locally owned

• By faculty• By students• Learner assumes responsibilities• Independent thought• Expanding expertise

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This entails…

• Reflective portfolio• Self-critique• Reading logs, content summaries• Public review of work• Choices about what and how to

study• Formative assessments

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Learning issocial

• Feedback and interaction• Team-based projects• Debate-driven

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This entails…

• Mentoring• Collaborative learning• Team-based learning• Instructor participation• One-on-one interaction with

instructor• Messaging

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Roles

• Student roles– Builder– Listener– Peer mentor– Publisher– Team member– Writer

• Faculty roles– Architect– Consultant– Expert– Guide– Lecturer– Reviewer

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Breakout

• Repeat as time allows:1) Identify practice2) Identify the LCP3) Identify the faculty and student

roles4) Identify the technology

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Example

• Briefly describe the practice or scenario:– instructor sets up tests and

mechanisms that enable students to quiz each other as a way to see if they have sufficient mastery of a topic.

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Example (cont)

• Which learner-centered principles does it reflect? – Metacognitive: formative assessment

enables students to monitor their own progress and make adjustments in their learning paths

– Social: promotes interaction among all course participants

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Example (cont)

• What roles do the faculty and students play? – Instructor: guide; consultant– Student: peer teacher and/or mentor

• Which technologies?– Quizzing tool; virtual whiteboard;

chat

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URL for survey

http://nliisurvey2.notlong.com