Creating activity and interactivity in large group teaching Stephen Bostock

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Creating activity and interactivity in large
group teachingStephen Bostock
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Lecture

• Originally because books were rare
• Concise Oxford Dictionary(i) a discourse before
  an audience or class on a given subject usually
  by way of instruction(ii) admonition, reproof
• Traditionally talk and chalk by tutor, listen
  and write by students

passive role
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Whats the use of lectures?Donald Bligh 1972 etc.

• as effective as other media
• not effective
• not very effective

• His review of research into what (traditional)
  lectures might be good for
• transmitting information ?
• promoting thought ?
• changing student attitudes ?

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Lecturing to large groupsAndreson 1990

• Faced with bigger classes and/or more classes,
  two responses are possible for lectures
• Refinement as theatre enhance style,
  techniques, presentation skills technology
• Augmentation with student activity, feedback,
  dialogue, using other media

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Modes of engagement in large groups

• Didactic, tutor talk information delivery
  without feedback, no learning activity beyond
  listening note taking
• Enhanced presentations more effective/ memorable
  information delivery with slides and handouts
  e.g. PowerPoint and flexibility e.g.
  Interactive Whiteboard
• Student activity problem solving, small group
  discussion, asking questions etc.
• Student tutor interactivity QA at start/end
  of lectures or instant feedback to tutor through
  a personal response system, then feedback to
  students on their performance

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Examples of student activity

• Solve a problem
• Buzz groups
• Gapped handout
• Reading break
• Shared note-making
• Video clip
• Recap slot
• Quiz
• Write questions

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3. Activity

• Active learning requires students to do tasks
  that force the cognitive processing needed for
  understanding.
• Look at the list of example activities.Discuss
  in small groups for 3 minutes what student
  activities in large groups you have seen, been
  part of, or taught with.

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Active-passive (Smith 97)
active
recall

• Practice in reality
• Simulation
• Role play
• Give a talk
• Seeing and hearing
• Seeing
• Hearing
• Reading

passive
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Activity

• Good teaching involves purposeful student
  activities so that a motivated student cannot
  avoid achieving the learning outcomes(John
  Biggs 2003 Teaching for Quality Learning at
  University)

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4. Interactivity

• In large groups most will not volunteer and hence
  not communicate to the tutor, some many offer
  but not be chosen to speak
• Too many students to give individual feedback
  from the tutor
• Individual students questions and answers may
  not be relevant to others
• We need technology Personal Response Systems
  allow all students to make an individual
  response, maybe anonymously

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Advantages of Interactivity

• Interactivity is often good because it demands
  student learning activity as their part in it
• It provides feedback on their understanding, or
  views, communicated to the teacher
• The teacher checks how much is being understood
  and can modify his/her actions
• Students are motivated to see the teacher is
  taking note of their performance or views

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Response technologies

• Voting handsets
• anonymous but can opt out
• automatic counting and display
• electronic high risk for teacher, training
  needed
• expensive
• Colour cubes
• almost anonymous depending on seating
• Manual teacher counting/ estimating
• low tech, low risk, no training
• cheap
• Similar pedagogical techniques

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With your colour cube

• How many modes of engagement for large groups
  are there? Answer 1,2,3,4,5
• Would you like me to
• Stop now
• Explain the difference between activity and
  interactivity again
• Say more about electronic Personal Response
  Systems
• Say more about colour cubes

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Types of questions with a response technology

• Multiple choice quiz/problem solving on content
  just delivered
• Multiple choice quiz/problem solving at start to
  diagnose initial understanding
• Students self-report level of understanding
• Students opt for revision topic
• Students self-report relevant experience
• Combine MCQ with small group discussion or
  activity

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Personal Response Systems PRS

• Infrared/radio handsets with unique codes in a
  set. Codes are detected and numbers fed to
  software that displays the results, maybe through
  PowerPoint.
• Cost 80-150 per handset, plus detector, plus
  software, plus anti-theft devices
• Sophisticated versions have mini screens for
  individual feedback
• Some interactive whiteboards have detectors

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Colour Cubes

• Coloured cards, post-its etc. have been used in
  the past for voting, cubes refine that idea
• Cubes give up to 5 number choices
• Best in a raked lecture hall with benching
• Spreadsheet or mechanical pie chart for results
  display
• IPR owned by Stephen Bostock
• Different uses in small/medium groups
• Pedagogic practice is developing