College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences

Graduate TA Training Workshop

Fall 2017

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

INTRODUCTION ACTIVITIESCOLLABORATIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIES

SUMMARY ACTIVITIES

Dr. Lisa BensonDr. Eliza Gallagher

This first set of activities sets the stage for the class period and can be a

great way to work in a quick review from the last class or lab session.

INTRODUCTION ACTIVITIES

The reading or note quiz will include questions from the most recent reading assignment or lecture notes. You can facilitate the quiz verbally by having a few questions ready (approximately five to seven, since you want to make sure you have time to review the answers) or you can create a short paper quiz. You can have the students work on the paper quiz individually or in pairs.

READING QUIZ/ NOTES QUIZ

This activ ity does a quick review of the previous class/lab, assesses what students learned, and gets students up and actively involved. Before class, put 4-5 main topics from the previous session on the board. As students come in, give them each dif ferent colored markers and ask them to write anything remembered from lecture about each topic. They should be al lowed to “feed of f” information written by others. A rainbow of colors should result . When everyone sits down, star t the discussion from what is on the board. An addit ional method is the Know-Want-Learn (KWL) (what do you Know, what do you Want to learn, and what have you Learned) .

RAINBOW BRAIN DUMP

This “study ski l l” activity can be especial ly helpful to students at the beginning of the semester, and may encourage students to manage their priorit ies ef fectively throughout the semester. Have students review their syl labi and create a t imeline for studying for an upcoming quiz, completing assigned reading, or completing homework or other assignments. In the best case scenario, each student wil l bring his calendar and syl labus with him, and wil l be ready to create his own t imeline for completing the tasks. I f some come unprepared, ask them to work on a t imeline anyway and they can transfer dates to their calendars at a later t ime.

CREATE A CALENDAR

One way to review a chapter or for an exam with your c lass:

¡ Start with a circ le in the middle of the board and put the main subject of the chapter in it .

¡ Extend other c irc les out from the primary circle with al l of the subtopics from the main idea.

¡ Add more circles from each subtopic to include related ideas from each of these.

This mapping of the main concept helps students to see the overal l ideas presented in the lecture before the big discussion begins.

CONCEPT MAP

http://www.flaguide.org/cat/conmap/conmap7.php

Websites for creating concept maps:https://bubbl.us/

http://www.sof tschools.com/teacher_resources/concept_map_maker/

http://www.nwmissouri .edu/library/courses/research/conceptMap.html

As a group, summarize the lesson from the previous class/lab period. You may have to provide prompts for the students. For example, “The first concept discussed was the ideal gas law. What were the most important variables involved with this?” You may want to ask them to try summarizing without looking at their notes; however, if they are having a dif ficult time remembering, tell them to refer to their notes.

SUMMARIZE PREVIOUS LESSON

All information asked about on the syllabus quiz is contained on the course syllabus. Ask things such as due dates for homework and projects, grading policies, attendance policies, exam dates and material to be covered on the exams. Make the quiz short enough so that there is time afterwards for students to use their syllabus to go back and check/correct their answers.

SYLLABUS QUIZ

Raymark, Patrick H., and Patricia A. Connor-Greene. "The syllabus quiz.“ Teaching of Psychology 29.4 (2002).

This is just a fun way of taking notes and can often be combined with other techniques. At the beginning of the session, ask students to take out a clean sheet of paper and write “Questions” at the top. Tell them to write down any questions they may have as the session progresses. As students ask questions throughout the session, remind everyone to write them on their l ist, along with brief answers in their own shorthand. Instruct students to refer back to their l ists towards the end of the session for closure.

A RUNNING LIST OF QUESTIONS

http://www.smekenseducation.com/question-predict.html

Prepare a multiple-choice question on a key concept before class. Allow a volunteer to answer the question using 3 possible “life lines:”§ Phone the professor (i.e.

refer to notes)§ 50/50 (eliminate two of

the incorrect answers)§ Ask the audience (poll

the participants)

“WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Wants_to_Be_a_Millionaire_(U.S._game_show)#mediaviewer/File:WWTBAM2010falllogo.png

R e f e r e n c e : B a r k l e y , E l i z a b e t h F . , K . P a t r i c i a C r o s s , a n d C l a i r e H o w e l l M a j o r . C o l l a b o r a t i v e l e a r n i n g t e c h n i q u e s : A h a n d b o o k f o r c o l l e g e f a c u l t y . J o h n W i l e y & S o n s , 2 0 1 4 .

MAIN ACTIVITIES

This set of activities is good for getting students to work in groups, be active

with the material, and retain additional information.

Select several brief topics over related material. Divide students into groups. Give each group one topic and have them write out a mini-lesson, using their books and class notes, on a transparency or at the board. Have each group come up and teach their topic in as much detail as they can. Have them show their thought processes and methods used in deciding what to talk about and what to leave out. Encourage students in other groups to ask questions.

PEER LESSONS

Create a set of incomplete notes by presenting the group an outline with some of the parts missing.

Example: Cell Cycle1.

1. G1:_______________________________________2.3. G2: _______________________________________

2.1. Prophase:_______________________________________2.3. Metaphase:_______________________________________4.5. Telophase:_______________________________________

The group must then work through their notes to figure out how to fil l in the outline. The incomplete outline is an excellent means of helping students recognize the main points and the organizational pattern of information given in lecture. It can also be used for textbook information. Determining the major points can help to sort information and locate the ideas being communicated, making connections easier to find and understand. It helps the students figure out what’s important.

INCOMPLETE OUTLINE

Many students do not read ahead or even know what an instructor will discuss in the next day's class. Use part of a session and the course syllabus to help students determine what material will be covered in the next session. Have them use their textbook (or online notes, if available) to make an outline of this material. Point out bold and highlighted text. While they do this (primarily without your help), they should be making a list of questions they have. This activity works well r ight after a test.

PREPARE FOR THE NEXT CLASS

This is a great “ in-depth” strategy. Students are divided into two groups, A & B, and each group is assigned a comprehensive concept or section to research and i l lustrate on large paper or on the board. Then half of group A (A2) goes to group B and vice versa. The remaining half of the group A(A1) then explains the concept to half of group B (B2) while the remaining half of group B (B1) explains the concept to A2. Then the remaining groups exchange places and both A groups are at the B paper and the B groups are at the A paper. A2, who has learned from B1, can explain the concept to A1 and B2 explains to B1. Those who moved first must understand well enough to explain to their teammates.

JIGSAW

Aronson, Elliot. The jigsaw classroom. Sage, 1978.

Put students in groups of two or three and assign them to write a test question for a specific topic, ensuring that all topics have been covered. Ask students to write their question on the board for discussion. Students will have the benefit of learning to think like the teacher and they’ll be able to see additional questions that other students have written. If you do this activity often, you can keep a list of questions and use them for a practice test in a later session.

PREDICT TEST QUESTIONS

Hopper, Carolyn. Practicing college learning Strategies. Cengage Learning, 2012.

Have students make several sheets of paper using the following directions:

1. Create a Recall Column by drawing a vertical line down the page about 1” from the left margin

2. Create a Summary Area by drawing a horizontal line across the page about 1” from the bottom

Have students take notes in the main area of the page, leaving the left and the bottom blank. Assign them to take notes, using this format, during the next class or lab session.

CORNELL METHOD OF NOTE TAKING

This is a fun way to check if students know the material well enough for a test or quiz . The key is being well prepared with about 30-35 “answers” at dif ferent levels of dif ficulty and in dif ferent categories. Form small groups and let them know the rules: No book or notes. Designate a dif ferent person to answer each question but the team can discuss the concept before giving the answer. I f the question is missed, other teams can steal. Teams keep control of the board with correct “questions” or alternate from group to group.

JEOPARDY

http://blog.niklasdaniel.com/2014/06/01/axis-flight-school-on-jeopardy/

Information presented in textbooks is often related to the other information (in the textbook, other readings, or class notes) and other topics. A matrix is a good way for students to learn to see the relationships between these sources. At first, you can provide the framework for the matrix and have the students fill in the information. Eventually, have the students come up with the framework and fill in the information.

MATRIX

Find sample questions (from the study guide, the textbook, another textbook, make up your own, have students make them, divide students into two teams and have on team make up questions for the other team etc.) and compile a practice quiz. Give students time to take the quiz on their own and then have them compare answers with another student. Bring the whole class together at the end to discuss any questions that remain unclear.

MAKE/TAKE A PRACTICE QUIZ

http://www.citizenship-aei.org/2012/04/americans-failing-citizenship-test-again/#.U-kw2ONdVGg

Note cards can be used for vocabulary, formulas, concepts, questions, etc. Determine a use for note cards for your class and show the students how to make them and how to use them. Take a stack of index cards with you and actually have students make note cards during the session. Write the cue or question on one side of the card and write the definition, description, or answer on the other side.

NOTE CARDS

Online flashcard resources:http://www.studyblue.com/online-

flashcards/http://www.flashcardmachine.com/

http://www.quizlet.com/

Sometimes when you arrive at your session expecting to discuss information from either an assigned reading or the text, NO ONE has read it. What do you do?§ Divide up the material into smaller sections and

assign one to each student. § Give them 10 to 15 minutes to read, absorb, and

outline the content. § Then give them each an appropriate amount of time

to report on the assigned section with questions and, of course, discussion to follow.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

A Venn Diagram can be used to compare the similarities and dif ferences between two concepts, systems, or theories. Two overlapping circles are drawn on the board with each circle labeled as one of the two concepts. Students will then write the similarities in the overlapping portion and the dif ferences in the outer portion of the circles. This is a good visual technique for reviewing similar yet contrasting concepts.

VENN DIAGRAM

Differences DifferencesSimilarities

Use a hat or basket or even paper bag to throw a list of topics, problems, definitions, questions, etc. Have individual students or teams take turns selecting an item from the grab bag. You can turn this into a game where a person or team gets points for correctly answering their question or defining their term or explaining their topic. You can decide whether questions get thrown back into the bag after answered and could even throw in some “lose a turns” or “5 extra points.”

GRAB BAG

http://www.stampinpretty.com/grab-a-bag-of-stampin-up-products.html

Prereq Solution Steps New Problem

BOARDWORK MODEL

When working a specific problem at the board, use four columns to divide the 1. Needed prerequisite knowledge, 2. The solution, 3. The written description of the steps in the solution, and 4. Identification or solution to a similar problem.

Have a difficult time getting all students involved and getting them to communicate with each other? Try giving each student or pair of students a problem with several steps. They should form a circle, solve step 1 of their problem, and pass their paper to the next group. Group 2 should check the work of the first group, and complete step 2. This should continue until everyone has their original paper back. For a variation, tell students they can’t correct the previous group’s work- this will allow you to highlight common mistakes.

PASS THE PROBLEM

SUMMARY ACTIVITIES

The final set of activities help students review what was taught in the class or

lab, by either summarizing, creating an outline of material, or working

together to create new problems to try.

This strategy helps students put all of the important ideas together as a review. Five to seven questions should be sufficient. Questions should not be difficult, but should emphasize recall of key points or minor points related to key points. Use questions that require short multiple answers and focus on current material and include two or more concepts the instructor wants the students to understand. Review the answers. Restating the question before the answer is given. Don’t feel that you have to start with number 1 and go down the list; feel free to jump around. Don’t let wrong answers stand, but try to see why they may have gotten that answer.

INFORMAL QUIZ

Ask each student to tel l what he or she thought was the most important concept, idea, or new understanding they learned during the session. “ I f you could only take home one thing from the information presented, what would it be?” Ask each student to of fer a dif ferent “take home.” Students of ten feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information they have to deal with and this technique helps them identify and organize the information presented. You may have students write this down before sharing with the group. Compile student’s responses. This can also provide good feedback on what students are or aren’t understanding.

IDENTIFY THE “BIG IDEA”

http://www.preaching.com/resources/articles/11549242/

This is the time to review the student’s timeline with respect to their homework, upcoming quizzes and tests and long-term projects that may be coming due soon. Reminders, along with suggestions on how to get ready for and complete the tasks, are good ways to train them to think ahead to their overall responsibilities for their education. Utilize the syllabus after seeing how many dates/assignments students can remember.

STUDY PLAN TIMELINE

This technique helps students prepare for new material, especially if it can be connected to information they have just mastered in the session. Have students predict the next class topic. Help them see new connections between the last class and the next one.

PREDICT THE NEXT CLASS TOPIC

This technique reviews the process of the learning that has taken place. It is important to cover how an answer was obtained rather than just making sure the answer was correct. This technique will assure that they will be able to satisfactorily complete more of the same type of problems in their homework. Have students look back at problems they’ve already completed. Have them tell you step-by-step how they solved the problem. Write these steps down. Then have students use these steps to solve a similar problem.

SUMMARIZING THE PROCEDURE/STEPS

Occasionally getting feedback from your group can be very helpful. Ask them how they feel the session went: § Were all of their questions answered? § Did they feel comfortable during the session? § Were there aspects of the session that could have

been improved or done differently? § What suggestions would they make for being able

to cover more material or to cover it more thoroughly?

They may have valuable ideas that you may be able to utilize in your next session.

ASSESS THE SESSION

Ask students to take out a sheet of paper and write continuously for one minute about things discussed in today’s session (see question design) . They can include questions they st i l l have, formulas and definit ions you’ve covered, concepts/topics discussed, etc. Ask them to be as specific and detai led as possible. You can close by having students share with others one or two things they wrote on their paper. You can compile this l ist on the board. You might also state, before lett ing students begin, that you wil l have them switch papers af ter t ime is up. A review of how to successful ly uti l ize this strategy is located here.

¡Questions Designed to § Assess Student Interests§ Identify Perceived

Relevance of Course Concepts

§ Assess Student Attitudes/Opinions

§ Check Student Comprehension

§ Assess Conceptual Connections

ONE-MINUTE PAPER

Go around the room asking each student to describe one thing they picked up from today’s session and possibly how they will use or apply that information. Follow up their statement with some open-ended questions directed to the entire group. Tell students at the beginning that answers cannot be repeated, so whoever goes first will have more things to choose from. Make a list of these things on the board. Make sure students write down what their classmates say.

ONE THING…