Instructional Strategies that Really Work

Silent Statements are one way to engage a reader in dialogue with the text and the author’s voice. The statement should come from a quote that causes the reader to react from an emotional, perceptual, or associative stand point. The quotes should be open in structure allowing the reader to immediately bring personal context to the writing while creating an opening for the group or class to discuss various components of the author’s content.

This technique can be used the the learning management system, Canvas, by going into the collaborations tab in the left sidebar and choosing to use EtherPad or Google Drive as a platform for information exchange. Simply type the chosen quote(s) within either of these two venues and assign participants to highlight, comment, or edit the content by adding their thoughts, perspectives,and take on the subject at hand.

Pre-Conditions

In an article found in The English Journal, Bob Probst (1988) discusses the importance of having learners create a dialogue with a text. He recounts Rosenblatt’s (1985) principles for bringing the reader into a deep and personal conversation with the text:

Learners should be free to share and acknowledge personal reactions to the written quote provided.
Provision of “an initial crystallization of a personal sense of the work.”
The facilitator or group participants should look for a point of contact or connection between the opinions of the readers.
If the facilitator participates the influence should be, “an elaboration of the vital influence inherent in the literature {text} itself.”

For more information see Rosenblatt, L. M. (1985). “Language, literature and values”, Language, schooling, and society. (Ed). Stephen N. Tchudi. Upper Montclair, NJ: Heinemann.

Learning Outcomes

Students/Participants will communicate silently regarding a given text by highlighting and or writing about a chosen section of the given text.

Students/Participants will use the given question or scenario to guide comments about the content.

Students/Participants will interact with each other in written form (within given electronic statements) to challenge, support or defend others comments.

Assessment Strategy

Use history tab to identify the number of times a student/participant interacts with the text and others. Log number or interactions, research based support for comments, and relationship between the given prompt and student/participant text.

Instructional Strategy

Dr. Stokes has used this learning and teaching strategy in a variety of ways…Electronic Posting, Chart Paper Posting, Pass the Paper Posting. Each sharing of the text provides individual as well as group processing. The set up is easy the power of the strategy is in the process.

The Set Up:

Find a piece of text that causes an internal conversation for the reader.
Copy the quote onto a display that will allow the reader to comment on the text. Individual comments should be public to the group so that the conversation extends beyond the individual reader to a group conversation.
Direct the readers to consider on or more of Probst following focuses. You can either “post” the focus and the question or simply provide the guiding questions with each text selection.

Focus	Question
First Reaction	What is your first reaction or response to the text?
Feelings	What feelings did the text awaken in your? What emotions did you feel as your read the text?
Perceptions	What did you see happening in the text? Paraphrase it- or retell the major content.
Visual Images	What images were called to mind when reading?
Associations	What memory does the text call to mind- of people, places, events, sights, smells, or even of something more ambiguous such as a feeling or attitude?
Thoughts or Ideas	What ideas or thoughts were suggested by the text?
Judgments of Importance	What words would you choose as most important when connecting to your work?
Identification of Problems	What concerns do you have after reading the text or other comments? Do you need clarification or disagree with the content? If so, what specific concerns are apparent and how do you navigate these issues to come to a consensus about the usefulness of the text.
Author	Who is the individual who wrote the original text? What life or experiential influences might the author have that may be similar or different to your background?
Response	How did you respond to the text- emotionally, intellectually, associatively…?
Group Response	Did you agree with statements others made regarding the given text? Did you disagree? What connections did you make with the content provided by other readers?
Connections	Are there other authors that write on this subject that you referenced? Did other group members highlight research that supported or disproved the provided content?
Evolutions of Reading	How did your understanding of the overall content change through participation in this learning strategy?
Text Associations	Does this text bring to mind other texts? These do not have to be informational or research text. What connections did you make?

Next the process:

Without speaking have each participant write their comments (based on the focus or question) on each text. The participant text should relate directly to the chosen focus including specific concerns, connections, and perspectives of the individual. At times there may even be a need to require sources written to support the comments written. Then the reader should also respond to at least two other responses from the group.
It is important to note that omitting of verbal conversation creates both an internal and metacognitive processing to occur.
Once the participants have discussed each text based on the facilitator’s focus, a verbal conversation of the group can extend the processing of the text.

Team-Based Learning

Team Based Learning an Overview

Team based learning is an instructional design methodology that creates a venue for students to learn as an individual at the lowest level of Bloom’s Taxonomy and scaffolds the learners into a creation based learning experience through collaborative efforts.

The Description of the Artifact

This artifact is taken from a course on Instructional Design that was taught in the fall of 2013. The purpose of the course structure was to guide the learners from acquisition of content regarding design and development within instructional design to creation and evaluation of current practices within his or her organization. Each unit was constructed to include individual readings and quizzes, team based assessments, problems, and participation in team simulations.

IBSTPI Competencies Met

Planning and Analysis- 8

Select and Use analysis techniques for determining instructional content.

Review of scores from individual quizzes allowed for construction of instructional content that would best meet participant learning needs. As seen in the screenshot above, the participants were provided readings to create a knowledge base regarding planning and analysis within instructional design. Each person was then required to complete an individual quiz based on learnings. A group review of content learned based on each question provided me with an opportunity to review the construction of the questions or modify learning content based on the need for additional information. This is why there is a section for additional resources. The intent was to used participant knowledge to drive selection of additional needed content to support the highest level of learning possible.

Design and Development- 11

Organize instructional programs and or products to be designed, developed and evaluated:

Determine overall scope of program
Identify sequence of instructional goals
Specify and sequence anticipated learning

The artifact shows a sequencing of learning that moves from individual recall to interactive team based learning to support exchange of ideas to create a synthesis of learned content. Each unit within the course was designed in the same scope and sequence to provide a usable framework that supports repetition and consistency of learning methodology.

Reflection

The structure of the team based learning gives participants the ability to own the learning sequence of content thus enabling individual movement through each unit with confidence. The appeal process after each individual quiz is beneficial for both the students and the instructors. This process created clarification of content, reassessment of thinking when responding to questions, and opportunities for learners to provide additional or outside resources to promote higher level learning and ownership of response.

A concern with this methodology that should be considered is the ownership of individuals effort within the team process. Although learners are adults, the ownership of equal participation within team problems and simulations was not always evident. Students on some teams share frustration with team members who did not participate fully within the process.

Using team charters, facilitating team conflict, and learning about the use of collaboration on projects in the world of work are all areas that should be intentionally taught to students to enhance their participation with these assignments.

I continue to use this methodology due to the scaffold learning and require ownership of learning by the student. The structure creates a venue that supports higher level thinking and problem solving instead of a regurgitation of content with little or no connections.

Academic Curation

“‘Stories of art’ are produced through the curatorial process of selection, juxtaposition and interpretation of art as exhibitions and ‘permanent’ displays. These processes affect not just what the visitors see but how they are encouraged to construct meaning and understand their experiences. Additionally, catalogs and other exhibition publications enable curatorial decision-making to be disseminated far beyond visitor communities.” (Robbins, 2005).

Curating in the field of education requires these same attributes as espoused by Robbins – selection, juxtaposition, and interpretation – with different
content: that which is to be learned. The authors contend that curation of curriculum should be the story of selected content, which provides learners with opportunities to experience or view differing perspectives. The “permanent display” of educational curation allows the learner limitless opportunities to re-view and re-experience the multiple perspectives, with the ability to construct meaning each time the content is experienced. ” (Stokes, Donnell, Eaton, Sherman, in press)

Academic Curation Model

The model, as drawn above, implies equal weight between the cognitive, social, and design elements, but in practice the relative weight of these dimensions depends on what the desired learning outcomes are and the values of those participating in the instruction. In practice the model could look like any of the following since the design of each learning situation is unique and optimized based on the needs of the learning community.

Finding the right combination is an iterative process as well as an evolving one to meet the needs of the community and the learning situation. A hypotrochoid results from the interaction of two circles where one circle draws a curve as it rotates around the other. The Spirograph is a toy that demonstrates the construction of these curves.
As the inner circle rotates inside the outer circle it draws a curve that represents the interaction between them. The combination of multiple circles or elements can create some interesting patterns. So it is with academic curation. We can consider the weighted interaction of three elements to design a blended educational experience. Although the process is not linear; an explanation of the process will take that form to simplify the description of each piece.

Instructional design of learning is a craft that includes identification of experiences that are carefully woven into a tapestry of experiences. Using the Academic Curation Model as an instructional method requires seeking or taking the time to look, listen and observe the world around you. Identifying those strategic nuggets of gold that propel the learning experience into another dimension. In short, knowing what components are needed to transform existing educational structures into relevant problem based learning venues that increase student learning. Seeking, finding and linking content and instruction is only the first step within Academic Curation. Next the professor or instructor needs to bring a sense of ownership and relevance into the mix. Jarche (2010) describes the act of sensing as igniting passion within the learning context. Identifying ways to create just enough discourse to propel the learner into a place where wrestling with new perspectives causes the learner to question and challenge status quo thus moving learning from a receptive act to one of expression. The final step in Academic Curation is the structure of the engagement. As a designer of instruction, the question should be asked, “How can a challenging exchange of content be constructed to support mutual engagement between and among students?”

References

Jarche, H. (2010). Network learning: Working smarter with PMK. Retrieved July 2013 from Jarche.com/2010/10/network-learnning-working-smarter/.

Robbins, C. (2005). ‘Engaging with Curating’, International Journal of Art and Design Education, 24(2), 149-158.