College of Engineering and Science - PowerPoint Presentation

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College of Engineering and ScienceGraduate TA Training WorkshopDay 2: Engaging Students

Dr. Lisa BensonMs. Justine Chasmar

August 12 - 13, 2014

CES GTA Training Workshop

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Hyperlinks

Note: Each of the slides has a hyperlink to a reference with more information on the collaborative learning activity presented.

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U

tilize collaborative learning strategies in their class or lab Teach students new study strategiesSuggest using collaborative learning in group work

How to use these strategies

Barkley, Elizabeth F., K. Patricia Cross, and Claire Howell Major.

Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty

. John Wiley & Sons, 2014.

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This first set of activities set the stage for the class period and can be a great way to get in a quick review from the last meeting.

Introduction Activities

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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

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This activity does a quick review of the lecture and at the same time gets students up and actively involved. As the student are coming in, put 4-5 main topics from the lecture on the board. Give different colored markers to each student and ask everyone to write anything remembered from lecture about each topic. They should be allowed to “feed” off of information written by others. A rainbow of colors should result. When everyone sits down, start the discussion from what is on the board. An additional method is the KWL or KLEW Chart. These are great tools to assess understanding and begin the class with engagement.

Rainbow Brain Dump

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This “study skill” activity can be especially helpful to students at the beginning of the semester, and may encourage students to manage their priorities effectively throughout the semester. Have students review their syllabi and create a timeline for studying for an upcoming quiz, completing assigned reading, or completing homework or other assignments. In the best case scenario, each student will bring his calendar ad syllabus with him, and will be ready to create his own timeline for completing the tasks. If some come unprepared, ask them to work on a timeline anyway and they can transfer dates to their calendars at a later time.

Create a Calendar

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One way to review a chapter or for an exam with your class: Start with a circle in the middle of the board and put the main subject of the chapter in it. Extend other circles out from the primary circle with all 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 overall 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.softschools.com/teacher_resources/concept_map_maker/

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

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As a group, summarize the lecture from the previous class. You may have to provide prompts for the students. For example, “The first concept discussed was Civil Liberties and Public Policy: what did we/the professor highlight regarding this?” You may want to ask them to try summarizing without looking at their notes; however, if they are having a difficult time remembering, tell them to refer to their notes.

Summarize Lecture

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Reviewing exact terminology for the course is imperative. Therefore, using technical terms rather than a translation will encourage better understanding of the material. Pick the key terms from the lecture and compare them with other terms in the same topic. Ask for a parallel example to the one given in the lecture or text.

Vocabulary Review

Carr

, Eileen M. "The vocabulary overview guide: A metacognitive strategy to improve vocabulary comprehension and retention." Journal of Reading (1985): 684-689.

http://gallerylanguages.net/how-to-help-learners-expand-their-vocabulary/

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Discuss lectures notes in class, lab, or office hours. If possible, look around the room during lecture to see how students are reacting to the material being presented or ask as a follow-up. For example, if the professor is discussing graphs, the students may have difficulty copying graphs while taking notes about them. During the discussion on note taking you can suggest they use the Cornell Method of note taking (see later slide).

Taking Lecture Notes

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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).

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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 list, along with brief answers in their own shorthand. Instruct students to refer back to their lists towards the end of the session for closure.

A Running List of Questions

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

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Have a multiple-choice question over a key concept ready. Allow a volunteer to answer the question using 3 possible “life lines:”Phone the professor (i.e. notes)50/50Ask 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

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Main Activities

The middle set of activities are good to use for getting students to work in groups, be active with the material, and retain additional information.

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Ask students how they currently mark their textbook. Generate a discussion concerning your class:Why read the chapter?What are your goals for reading the chapter?Why mark the text?What do you do with your markings? Pick a Chapter from their text and have them read 2-4 pages and mark. Have students compare their markings. Then ask:Did you read before you marked?Were you selective?Did you use your own words?Did you cross-reference different parts of what you read?

Marking the Textbook

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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

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Create a set of incomplete lecture notes by presenting the group an outline with some of the parts missing. Example: Cell Cycle G1:_______________________________________ G2: _______________________________________ Prophase:_______________________________________ Metaphase:_______________________________________ Telophase:_______________________________________ The group must then work through their notes to figure out how to fill 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

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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 lecture. 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 right after a test.

Prepare for the Next Class

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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 illustrate 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.

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Have students make an outline using the headings from the chapter. Be sure to point out that the size and the placement of the heading is important for determining the main ideas and supporting details. After you have this “skeleton” outline of the chapter, have the students read to determine the important points under each heading. If the students have trouble determining the important points, have them turn the heading into questions and then read to find the answers. The answers are (more than likely) the important points. What, why, and how are good questions with which to being. Have students compare important points with other students.

Outline Text Chapter

Title

Subject 1

Item 1: Description

Item 2: Description

Item 3: …

Subject 2

Item 1: Description

Item 2: Description

…

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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.

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Have students make several sheets of paper using the following directions:Create a Recall Column by drawing a vertical line down the page about 1” from the left marginCreate 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 lecture.

Cornell Method

of Note taking

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This is a fun way to check to see if students know the material well enough for a test or quiz. The key is being well prepared with about 30-35 “answers” at different levels of difficulty and in different categories. Form small groups and let them know the rules: No book or notes. Designate a different person to answer each question but the team can discuss the concept before giving the answer. If 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/

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Information presented in textbooks is often related to the other information (in the textbook, in other reading, in lecture 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

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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

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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/

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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

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A Venn Diagram can be used to compare the similarities and differences 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 differences in the outer portion of the circles. This is a good visual technique for reviewing similar yet contrasting concepts.

Venn Diagram

Similarities

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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

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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.

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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

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Summary Activities

The final set of activities are helps students review what was covered in the class period, by either summarizing, creating an outline of material, or working together to create new problems to try.

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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

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Ask each student to tell what he or she thought was the most important concept, idea, or new understanding they learned during the session. “If you could only take home one thing from the information presented, what would it be?” Ask each student to offer a different “take home.” Students often 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/

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This is the time to review the student’s timeline in regards 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

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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 lecture topic. Help them see new connections between the last lecture and the next one.

Predict the Next Lecture Topic

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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

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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

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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 still have, formulas and definitions you’ve covered, concepts/topics discussed, etc. Ask them to be as specific and detailed as possible. You can close by having students share with others one or two things they wrote on their paper. You can compile this list on the board. You might also state, before letting students begin, that you will have them switch papers after time is up. A review of how to successfully utilize this strategy is located here.

Questions Designed to Assess Student InterestsIdentify Perceived Relevance of Course ConceptsAssess Student Attitudes/OpinionsCheck Student ComprehensionAssess Conceptual Connections

One-Minute Paper

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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…