Learning Theories Workshop Course Design Strategies to Promote Active Learning & Student Engagement

Natasha Kenny, PhD Educational Development Associate Teaching Support Services

Agenda
Reflect upon the concepts of active learning and student engagement Actively explore the elements of an effective and learner-centred course outline Discover the art (and simplicity) of intentional course design Develop effective course learning objectives Handouts

What does it really mean?

What do the concepts of active learning and student engagement really mean? Reflecting upon your experiences in higher education, what are some practical course design strategies that promote active learning and student engagement?

Defining Student Engagement and Active Learning

A common element in all *active learning+ is that something happens to stimulate students to think about how as well as what they are learning and to increasingly take responsibility for their own education. (Brown and Ellison, p. 40) ...the student actively engages in the learning process, which is different from tradition where the teacher engages the student (Newmaster et al., 2006) Active learning is generally defined as any instructional method that engages students in the learning process (Prince, 2005, p. 1) Active learning = doing Student engagement = involvement

From theory to practice

Writing: Reflective journals, term papers Discussing and Debating: in-class, on-line, informal, formal Peer Teaching/Collaborative Learning: Learning Teams, Peer Assessment Research: Design, discover, explore, present Practice: Laboratories, studios, extension service learning, problem-based learning, case-based learning, design, model, create

Intentional Course Design

Learning Objectives

Activities

Assessment

An example course outline

Course outline checklist Does the course outline cover all the bases?

Example Course Outline

How to write an effective learning objective
Observable and measurable knowledge, skills and values (Blooms Taxonomy) Defines Action clearly Specifies minimum level of learning to be demonstrated

Learning Objectives

Activities

Review learning objectives

Level of development Which are Knowledge, Skills, and Value-Based?

Assessment

Course Learning Objectives

By the end of the semester, successful students should be able to do the following: Develop and demonstrate critical thinking through individual research and scholarship in landscape architecture; Critique, assess and discuss research and scholarship in landscape architecture; Collaborate to form a positive peer-support network that shares ideas, resources, philosophies, and strategies for successfully completing a Master of Landscape Architecture thesis; Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills through the preparation and presentation of individual research projects; and, Discuss and demonstrate scholarly and professional values such as objectivity, love of learning, independence of thought, depth and breadth of understanding, global understanding, moral and aesthetic maturity, and personal and professional ethics.

Backwards Course Design

Define Learning Objectives Determine how you will assess the students ability to acquire these knowledge, skills and values Fill in the middle (e.g. Activities to promote development of these knowledge, skills and values)

Learning Objectives

Activities

Assessment

Assignments and Assessments

Even the most thoughtful, dedicated teachers spend enormously more time worrying about their lectures than they do about their homework assignments, which I think is a mistake....to ensure that the necessary extended effort is made, and that it is productive, requires carefully designed homework assignments, grading policies, and feedback (Weiman, 2007, p. 13). Assessments have a strong influence on what, how and when student learn, and assignment marks are typically a better predictor of long-term learning than exams (Gibbs, 2006)

How do we assess learning?

The link between assessment and Learning

LEARNING

Traditional
Sustained

Semester (Time)

Your first (or next!) course

Imagine you are preparing your first course outline. How are you going to align your Learning Objectives, Activities and Assessment Strategies to promote active learning and student engagement?
What knowledge, skills, values (KSV) will successful students gain in the course? Try to write one! What assessment strategies will you use to evaluate the development of this K, S, or V? What course activities will allow students to acquire these K, S,or V?

Concluding thoughts
Authentic learning and intrinsic motivation
Extrinsically motivated students are more likely to engage in the course for reasons of external rewards, such as grades...Individuals who are intrinsically motivated engage in an activity for the value of the activity itself (McKeachie and Svinicki, 2006) Authentic Learning engages the student through intrinsic inquiry where a student takes ownership in the products of their education. This moves the student from extrinsic inquiry to an internally motivated learning mechanism (Newmaster et al., 2006). Personal relevance, societal contribution, practical application

Sustained effort and formative feedback ...assessment has an overwhelming influence on what, how and how much students study. (Gibbs, 2004-05, Learning and Teaching in Higher Education)