Best Practices II Engineering Engineering Education 1

use active learning

Engineering Engineering Education

Best Practices II

Brian Hoyt & Timothy Raymond

Best Practices II Engineering Engineering Education 3

Best Practices--OutcomesParticipants will be able to: Identify several “best practices” in

engineering education. (write good objectives, teach through Kolb cycle)

Apply learning style theory in the design of course material. (applied Kolb to learning outcomes)

Define the differences between active, collaborative, cooperative and problem based learning.

Apply “best practices” in the design of their courses.

Best Practices II Engineering Engineering Education 4

The Active Learning Continuum

ActiveLearning

Problem-Based Learning

Make thelecture active

ProblemsDrive the Course

Instructor Centered

StudentCentered

CollaborativeLearning

CooperativeLearning

InformalGroupActivities

StructuredTeamActivities

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Best Practices

Outcomes Learning Style Theory

Active LearningActive Learning Collaborative Learning

Cooperative LearningProblem-Based

Learning

Best Practices II Engineering Engineering Education 6

Active LearningAny learning activity that engages

students in doing something other than listening to lectures and taking notes. These activities may involve students interacting with each other, writing, reading or reflecting individually.

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Goals of Active LearningGreater (and deeper) learningKnowledge is constructed, discovered,

transferred and extended by studentsLearning is a social enterprise in which

students need to interact with the instructor and classmates

Keep things interesting (pace change)

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Active Learning ActivityJot down a list of 5 ways you could add

active components to your lectures (Think)

Turn to your neighbor and share your list (Pair)

Share with the large group (Share)

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Making Lectures Active Change activities at least every 20 minutes Think-Pair-Share 1-Minute Paper Brainstorm Cooperative Note-

Taking Pairs Start a Problem Work out next step Others…

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Possible Problems? Identify the person who traveled the

farthest to get to Bucknell.That person will be Note-TakerBrainstorm a list of any possible

problems you might think will occur when you try to incorporate active learning into your lectures. (3 minutes)

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Best Practices

Outcomes Learning Style Theory

Active Learning Collaborative LearningCollaborative Learning

Cooperative LearningProblem-Based

Learning

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Collaborative Learning Students interact with one another as they

learn and apply course material Focus on student’s exploration of course

material not on instructor’s presentations of it Typified by “group” work—students work

together, generally rewarded and evaluated as individuals not as group members

Interactions are generally unstructured

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Best Practices

Outcomes Learning Style Theory

Active Learning Collaborative Learning

Cooperative LearningCooperative LearningProblem-Based

Learning

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Cooperative Learning “The most operationally well-defined

and procedurally-structured form of collaboration among students … [and it] has been the most researched and empirically well-documented form of collaborative learning in terms of its positive impact on multiple outcome measures” --Cueso 1992

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Cooperative Learning CL has a rich history of theory, research and

practice The research on CL has a validity and

generalizability rarely found in the education literature

CL affects many different instructional outcomes simultaneously

Quite a bit is known about the essential components that make it work

CL creates learning opportunities that do not exist when students work competitively or individually

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Cooperative Learning-The Structure (5 Tenets)

1. Positive Interdependence

2. Individual Accountability

3. Face-to-Face Interaction

4. Appropriate Use of Interpersonal Skills

5. Regular Self-Assessment of Group Functioning

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Cooperative Learning Is NOT

Students sitting around a table studying Group projects with 1 or 2 students doing all

the workHas Three Levels (Felder, 2004)

Informal - uses short-term ad-hoc groups Formal - use long-term structured teams Cooperative Base Groups – provide mutual

academic and personal support for years (advising)

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Informal Cooperative Learning Strategies Exercise (Jigsaw)

Break into your shape groupsBecome an expert on a tenet

Positive Interdependence (Circles with Prince in Lobby) Individual Accountability (Squares with Mastascusa Next Door) Face-to-Face Interaction Appropriate Use of Interpersonal Skills (Stars with Hanyak in Back) Regular Self-Assessment of Group Functioning

(15 minutes) (TRIANGLES – YOU CHOOSE TENET)

Return to your color groupsMake them experts on your tenet

(10 minutes)

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Teams Instructors should form them

Aim for mixed ability & common availability Early in curriculum - don’t have at-risk populations

(e.g. women in engineering) be outnumbered Teams of 3-4 work best Students need structured instruction on how

to function in teams Giving and receiving feedback Decision making Conflict resolution

Grade should reflect both team and individual performance

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Teams

The faculty role changes: Spend an increasing

amount of time developing learning situations

Spend an increasing amount of time coaching the teams

Less time lecturing

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Best Practices

Outcomes Learning Style Theory

Active Learning Collaborative Learning

Cooperative Learning Problem-Based Problem-Based LearningLearning

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Problem-Based LearningUses a problem situation to drive the

learning activities on a need-to-know basis

Working in teams, students figure out what they need to know, determine how to acquire the needed knowledge, apply the knowledge to solve the problem and assess the solution and the process

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PBL—Good Problems are the KeyMotivate1. Engage students’ interest and motivate

them to probe for deeper understanding of the concepts being introduced

2. Relate the subject to the real world

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PBL—Good Problems are the Key Require Decisions1.Require students to make decisions or

judgments based on facts, logic or rationalization from principles being learned

2.Require students to define what assumptions are needed

3.Require students to define what information is relevant

4.Require students to define steps/procedures to solve them

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PBL—Good Problems are the Key Require Cooperation1. Require positive mutual

interdependence

2. Not possible by divide and conquer strategies

3. Appropriate complexity and length

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PBL—Good Problems are the Key Encourage Interaction1. Opened ended (options about path)

2. Not limited to one correct answer

3. Connected to previously learned knowledge

4. Involves a controversial issue or decision

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PBL—Good Problems are the Key Achieve Objectives1. Incorporate content objectives2. Connect previous knowledge to new

concepts3. Connect new knowledge to concepts

in other courses4. Connect new knowledge to concepts

in other disciplines

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PBL—Completes the Transition in Faculty Role

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The Active Learning Continuum

ActiveLearning

Problem-Based Learning

Make thelecture active

ProblemsDrive the Course

Instructor Centered

StudentCentered

CollaborativeLearning

CooperativeLearning

InformalGroupActivities

StructuredTeamActivities

Best Practices II Engineering Engineering Education 30

Best Practices--OutcomesParticipants will be able to: Identify several “best practices” in

engineering education. (objectives, use Kolb cycle, active, cooperative, collaborative, PBL)

Apply learning style theory in the design of course material. (applied Kolb to learning outcomes – teach thru cycle to all learners)

Define the differences between active, collaborative, cooperative and problem based learning. (√)

Apply “best practices” in the design of their courses. (remains to be done)