Teach Your StudentsTwo New Science Study Strategies

James H. Wandersee Renee M. ClaryLouisiana State University Mississippi State University

http://EarthScholars.com

The Pomodoro TechniqueT/F/A Monitoring™

© 2010 EarthScholars Research Group

Study Strategy #1.T/F/A Monitoring

• TFA = Thinking, Feeling, & Acting• A theory-based, paper-and-pencil tool we developed to

collect helpful, daily student feedback during the teaching and learning of a science unit.

• Aids student reflection about what was taught and learned

• Based on philosopher D. B. Gowin’s ideas• Definition of educating = a change in the meaning of

everyday experiences for a particular science learner• The very best educating promotes the harmonizing

of the learner’s thoughts, feelings, and actions about a specific science topic

© 2010 EarthScholars Research Group

Our T/F/A Survey FormOur T/F/A Survey Form

How We Used the T/F/A Form

1. We first gave the class an example of a past lesson and how it might be rated on the blank form in their hand, based on what the teacher and students did in class that day.

2. We reviewed the T/F/A rating rules on the form.3. We emphasized making READABLE comments and dark

circling.4. We gave out the day’s blank form ~5 min. before each

class ended and asked them to complete it and hand it in on their way out.

5. We shared the T/F/A survey results with the class weekly, and also at the end of the unit, during review time.

6. We gave students the option to complete a form whenever they finished a science studying session at home.

Our T/F/A Graphing Inspiration

In science,we call thisa TernaryPlot.

c o m p o s i t i o n s

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© 2010 EarthScholars Research Group

Our T/F/A Tracking Form for a UnitOur T/F/A Tracking Form for a Unit

© 2010 EarthScholars Research Group

Interpreting Results of T/F/A Daily Score Interpreting Results of T/F/A Daily Score PlotingPloting

Our Research: What We Did

• N = 103 high school biology students• Plotted each individual student’s T/F/A

numbers each day• Plotted only the T/F/A average scores for

the entire class for each day• Plotted each student’s daily T/F/A scores

for the whole unit on one graph.• Plotted only the daily averages for the

whole unit on one graph

Our Research: What We Found• It gave the teacher a basis for a unique science

conversation with each student about the unit on any day.

• The teacher could gauge the relative effects of the day’s teaching and the unit’s teaching as perceived by students.

• The teacher could adjust unit content and instruction on the basis of students’ daily feedback.

• Each day’s lesson survey results were typically skewed toward just one (or two) of the three variables: T, F, or A.

• But, across an entire unit, the average T/F/A percentages were higher for T than for F than for A.

• A given lesson often produced differential effects on males and females.

Instructions for Study Strategy #2.

• http://www.pomodorotechnique.com

Study Technique No. 2.

• We have introduced Francesco Cirillo's PomodoroPomodoro TechniqueTechnique for time management, which originated in Italy, to science education the United States.

• Pomodoro is the Italian word for tomato• It has found wide acceptance there among

computer code writers, but is virtually unknown and unused by US science educators

Meet the Originator

I created the Pomodoro Technique™in the late 1980s while searching fora way to stay focused on my university studies. Over twenty years later, I'm adaily user of the technique whether I'm doing research at home in Rome orworking with teams abroad..

Hi, my name is Francesco Cirillo, creator of the Pomodoro Technique.

I believe in the value of simplicity and quality work. I believe in the values of efficiency and real world application.

I believe that knowing how to react quickly and proactively to changesin the workplace is fundamental to survival in the modern world.

Productivity and processimprovement have become thecornerstone of my life's work.

1 Pomodoro = 25 minutes• The basic unit of work is the Pomodoro.

(Record your Pomodoro tally per day.)• Choose a study task to be accomplished. • Set the timer to 25 minutes. • Work on the task until timer rings, then put

a check on your sheet of paper • Take a short break (5 minutes). • Every 4 Pomodoros, take a longer break.

Simple…yet effective

Q. Do Science Students Really Need Time Management Strategies for Studying? A. Yes!

• One of the first things that students discover as they move toward adulthood is that there is never enough time in the day “to do it all.”

• Many times, college students, for example, have never learned how to manage their time efficiently during all their prior years in school.

• Developmentally, any child older than 10 can master time management.

• The key is not just “spending” time, but “investing” it.

• Time management is really “self management.”

No Interruptions Allowed Within a Pomodoro!

• Interruption elimination is the key.• Everyday interruptions during studying are the

MAIN barrier to managing your time effectively. • Research shows that the average interruption

lasts 10 minutes, plus, it takes about 5 minutes to recover your focus and get back to work.

• That’s an average loss of 15 minutes per interruption!

The Secret of Productivity

CONCENTRATION is the secret of strength.CONCENTRATION is the secret of strength.------Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson

Interval Measuring is Everything!

Pomodoro Timers

Requirements: red color and not a clock

How to Eliminate Interruptions

• Tell your friends and family you are using the Pomodoro Technique, and explain that it forbids all interruptions.

• Turn off your phone and let it go to voicemail. whenever you are working on a Pomodoro.

• Close the door to your study room and post a big sign to indicate you are studying.

• Clear your table or desk of all distractions.• Face a blank wall.• No clock or music or TV.• No Internet surfing or E-mail checking.

Research Summary

• Results of our 5-month in-depth case study of a single science student indicated that her self-management of the focus-quality of her study time and total cumulative study time, as well as her quality of life, were all substantially improved in measurable ways using the Pomodoro Technique.

• Our study participant was initially intrigued by its simplicity, economy, and the ease with which she could apply it to her daily routine.

• Her end-of-the-research-study perception was that there were two keys to her success: (a) the Pomodoro Technique’s “time-boxing” structure, and (b) its vigilant insistence upon proactive interruption avoidance during study times.

Confirmatory EvidenceThe latter finding aligns well with the recently published human productivityresearch of Heath and Heath (2010).

Major goals are a bridge too far. Humansneed a series of rules to follow, a set ofprecise actions that will each achieve a minor goal, and thus move them one step closer to a major one.

Small changes to one's environmentcan have a big effect.

If you REALLY want to change, then youIf you REALLY want to change, then youMUST change your study environment!MUST change your study environment!

The Pomodoro Technique Web Site

• Were you able to understand and master the technique using www.pomodorotechnique.com/ ?

• Yes! I found the website easy to understand and highly informative. I first read the FAQ section and downloaded the “cheat sheet” to get a general idea about the technique. But, after reading that, I decided to download the entire e- book (for free) to fully understand and appreciate all aspects of this Technique. I found the website and the free e-book to be very encouraging. They both made me excited to try this new “miracle” time-management method!

“Describe your own progress in using the Technique.”

• At first, I found it hard to complete a full Pomodoro without giving-in to distractions. I tend to check my e-mail frequently, and had to force myself not to do so during a Pomodoro. I also found myself daydreaming, or feeling “antsy” and wanting to stand up and walk away from the desk. I remember keeping track of my distractions and marking a total of 11 distractions during my first Pomodoro. The total number of distractions dropped to 6 during the second Pomodoro, and to almost zero by the fourth Pomodoro.

• Now I find it relatively easy to complete a Pomodoro with no distractions at all. Also,I have been able to more accurately predict how much time (or how many Pomodoros) will be needed to finish each study task--which leads to less stress and less wasted time.

• Stick to the plan. • Work during Pomodoros, relax during

breaks.”• This Technique is a simple yet powerful

time management strategy. • You will see results if you can reduce

distractions and stay focused during each Pomodoro.

“What other advice can you give to somebody who wants to use the Pomodoro Technique?”?

“Do you prefer a mechanical or a software Pomodoro timer?”

• Francesco Cirillo, the mastermind behind the Technique, encourages users to have a ticking timer, as this encourages the user to “feel” time and stay focused. Recently, I began using a manual timer given to me as a gift. Though I first found the loud ticking to be slightly distracting, the act of winding up the lighthouse helps me focus on starting.

• Also, I have found most of my distractions are computer-based (example: checking email or looking up information) and therefore I try to avoid using the computer during Pomodoros if at all possible.

• When I find myself using the computer to complete a task during a Pomodoro I prefer a software timer, specifically “Pomodoro” for Mac (http://pomodoro.ugolandini.com/). This keeps a running timer on my desktop, which I can easily glance at to remind myself to stay on task.

Clock-Management Skill

Use Time BoxingUse Time BoxingWorkWorkUninterruptedUninterrupted

Eliminate DistractionEliminate Distraction Prioritize &Prioritize &ConquerConquer

What’s the Value of Case Study Research?

• In an interesting discussion of the value of case study research, Flyvbjerg (2006) addresses a key misunderstanding about case study research,

• The charge is "that one cannot generalize on the basis of a single case is usually considered to be devastating to the case study as a scientific research method" (p. 224).

• However, citing single cases, experiments, and experiences of Galileo, Newton, Einstein, Bohr, and Darwin, Flyvbjerg shows that both the human and the natural sciences can be advanced by a single case.

• He also argues that formal generalizations based on large samples are greatly overrated in their contribution to scientific progress.

Case Study Research Characteristics

• The detailed description in a case study can create an image: "a vivid portrait of excellent teaching, for example--can become a prototype that can be used in the education of teachers or for the appraisal of teaching" (Eisner, 1991, p. 199).

• Further, Erickson (1986) argues that since the general lies in the particular, what we learn in a particular case can often be transferred to similar situations. It is the reader, not the researcher, who determines what can apply to his or her own context.