A workshop and presentation by Anne Dwyer, European University, Barcelona.

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 'Pedagogically sound and unsound practice'

• A workshop and presentation by Anne Dwyer,
  European University, Barcelona.

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(How) do teaching and learning change from
generation to generation?
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What makes good teaching?

• Modelling excellence leads to excellence
• What makes a good teacher? Think of good
  teachers why were/are they good?
• What makes a bad teacher? Think of bad teachers
  what do/did they do?
• Why do students opinions of teachers vary?
• We all see the same tree, we all see a different
  tree

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Students say CCC

• Enthusiastic Motivating
• Caring Organized
• Clear explanations Passionate
• Clear grading Real life experience
• Concerned Reasonably demanding
• Correct workload Variety
• Fun
• Helpful
• Knowledgeable

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What is teaching? What is learning?
If students are to learn desired outcomes in a
reasonably effective manner, then the teachers
fundamental task is to get students to engage in
learning activities that are likely to result in
their achieving those outcomes...It is helpful to
remember that what the student does is actually
more important in determining what is learned
than what the teacher does. Thomas J. Shuell
(1986) cited in Biggs and Tang (2007)
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Some experts saydo you agree?

• Teaching is not rocket science. It is, in fact,
  far more complex and demanding work than rocket
  science. -Richard F. Elmore
• Teaching is about transmitting content,
  developing skills (competencies) and promoting
  attitude
• We can be more effective teachers if we know how
  our students learn
• The new generation needs to be taught and tested
  differently
• Clever organizations listen to and learn from
  their clients and employees, clever teachers
  listen to and learn from their students
• What do you think is good about your teaching?
• What would you like to improve?

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Our students The NExT/Playstation
Generationdigitally wired
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KEY Questions for us are

1. Does this generation of multitaskers really learn
   differently? Are they different to teach, easy
   to get to learn. What are their strengths?
2. What gaps and weaknesses do they have?
3. What skills will they need in the future?
4. What are best practices for running a class?
5. How can we best enhance progress?
6. How can they best see progress?

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1. The strengths of this generation are

• Twitch speed thinkers, strong short-term memory
• Tech friendly and savvy read and store off the
  screen
• Learning searching for meaning they solve
  problems through being connected
• Multitaskers operate in a multi-linear way
• Active learners before and after focus/tasks
• Understand the idea of kaizen/constant
  improvement
• Belief we have a right and an obligation to
  express views

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2. Their gaps, their weaknesses are

• Expect instant return, information overload,
  short retention
• Maximum 20m interludes (length of a playstation
  game)
• They are hooked on Facebook (24/7, 350
  contacts), Messenger (24/7, 10 conversations,
  150 contacts) and Youtube using video clips for
  communication
• Pampered, only children, individualistic,
  passive, used to getting their own way
• Underdeveloped skills for critical thinking and
  choosing data
• Not very proficient when it comes to reflection
• Use tricks and cheat sheets Is this a good/bad
  thing?

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3. What skills will they need in the future?

1. Self organisation setting goals
2. To know how to think (outside the box)
3. To be good at enquiry-based approaches
4. No more bluffing
5. Strategies to find solutions
6. Collaborative communication skills to share
   meaning and be good at thinking within/through
   networks
7. Active listening learning making choices and
   acting on them
8. Developed critical, reflective analytical skills

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For us, in 2010s this means

• increasing emphasis on social aspects of learning
  
• ideas and concepts need to be actively explored,
  constructed, applied, critiqued
• students need to actively engage with learning
  materials and problem solving, both individually
  or collaboratively
• the teachers role -gtmentor/facilitator model
  processes, challenge students to think more
  broadly and support students in this new
  environment.

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4. Common teaching practices pros and cons

• Formal lectures with notes given
• Group investigation/project/presentation
• Individual presentations by students
• Small group discussion (several groups working
  simultaneously)
• Case studies students complete an assignment
  whole class discussion, hand in assignment, no
  repair allowed.
• Whole class discussion sessions
• Assignments with more than one answer/approach

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Make class interactive! v ?
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Why Active Learning?
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3 Sound, 8 Unsound practices? Why?

• Anchoring (associating a message with nonverbal
  behaviour)
• Asking students to read aloud
• Handing out full notes before the class
• Powerpoint presentation in a dark room
• Projecting an abbreviated version of the handout
• Reading aloud (when everyone has the text in
  front of them)
• Sitting down
• Using a podium
• Using rhetorical questions
• Walking and talking across the stage
• Walking and talking up and down the room

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To prepare our students for the future, sound
pedagogic practice

• Be open and fair and know how to listen
• Understand and use not confuse the brain
• Be able to exploit the skills of a newly-wired
  generation
• Encourage critical thinking and problem solving
• Encourage collaboration across networks
• Have Agility and adaptability and keep up to date
• Acknowledge signs of initiative and
  entrepreneurialism
• Be clear/persuasive in our oral/written
  communication
• Encourage curiosity , imagination and different
  answers
• Give tasks that require finding and evaluating
  data
• The last seven are the 7 skills for the future
  described by Tony Wagner.

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Planning a class From Trailer to Review

• Every class needs a beginning, a middle and an
  end AIDA (attention, interest, desire, action)
  is a useful formula
• Create or identify the information gap
• Appeal to motivation instrumental, integrative,
  intrinsic
• Have SMART (specific, measurable, achievable,
  reasonable, timely) outcomes
• Address, contemplate and respect a variety of
  learning styles
• Check learning group (m/c) quiz, 1min paper,
  assignments
• Learning has not taken place until behavior has
  changed

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Engagement Keep em interested!

1. Enable collaborative and cooperative learning
2. Move from familiar contexts to new, unfamiliar
   contexts for maximum understanding, we need to
   apply the skill in a variety of contexts
3. Incorporate humor stress reducer it boosts the
   immune system it enhances alertness and memory
4. Use Rhetorical Questions no risk participation
5. Initially, accept all responses without comment
   (no disconfirmation or disqualification)
   search for better answers ASK What else?

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The meaning of the message is in the mind of
the receiver
If what you are doing is not getting the desired
results, try something different!
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Be Clear and that means ?

• Content relevant, engaging, format, language,
  explanations
• Criteria fair
• Outcomes. Before and After
• Tasks and instructions relevant for evaluation
• Voice pronunciation, pacing and pausing
• Slides NO BLOCK CAPITALS, Tiny print and
  extravagant fonts
• - NOT in a dark room
• - AVOID full sentences - When full sentences
  are written teachers and presenters tend to feel
  the need to read out loud thereby losing
  contact with the students or audience and
  displaying, quite often, not very effective
  reading skills AND confusing the brains of the
  audience.

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People are more likely to believe something
fervently if they arrive at the idea themselves
Complete the cycle Studying ? knowledge,
reflection ? learning, observation ? wisdom
SO doobserve-reflectmodifydo-
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Be Complete

• Complete not too much, not too little
• The brain links all new learning to existing
  knowledge so start with the students prior
  knowledge and information
• Trying to solve problems makes the brain grow
  exploring, not having the correct answer is key.
• Assignments be reasonable 1 page of good
  writing requires 1 hours work (average)
• Assignments be appropriate what skill is this
  developing?
• Have students reflect on their own learning and
  progress

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Emotions drive cognition
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Be Cordial

• Rapport Use positive affirmations. The social
  climate matters it affects cognition.
• Appropriate emotion drives attention and
  affects learning .The use of threats is damaging,
  literally.
• The brain craves novelty present materials in
  different ways and Use color.
• Use sound music, story telling, tapes vary your
  voice tone, volume, and pace.
• Type of language produced and required
• Assignments appropriate, motivating, useful

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Thank you for your attention remember to do
your homework ?
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Any Questions?

• In the handout you have Homework!!!
• 1. Questions for you to work through and some
  Sample Answers
• 2. Links for further exploration
• 3. A list of assignments to try out with your
  students
• 4. Notes on points 5 and 6 enhancing and seeing
  progress