Backing up a bit, suppose you were asked to design and deliver a class or training session that had to maximize educational outcome – meaning, it had to work as a learning tool more to the benefit of the students than the teacher – no holds are barred, and you knew of a technique that resulted in an 80% improvement over the traditional lecture method. Would you use that method? More to the point, could you justify not using it? Well that is what Deslauriers, Schelew and Wieman found (see Science article below) when they compared the lecture with a more interactive class they designed to teach physics. All things being equal, if you supplant the lecture with a presentation that is designed to work more in accord with how most people learn, test scores go from 41% for the garden-variety lecture class to 74% for the interactive class. Pretty impressive stuff.

So what is the nature of the design of the interactive class? Put simply, research in cognitive psychology suggests that learners will get better results if they use what they have just been given right away. The theme: Deliver new information, play with it, use it to solve problems, evaluate mastery of the skills and concepts, repeat as needed. Deslauriers, Schelew and Wieman’s physics students were hit repeatedly with questions during class that they had to answer with clickers. Students frequently worked in groups where they were challenged to use their new knowledge to solve problems. Lastly, the students were evaluated in part using two class tests rather than the traditional single mid-term exam.

Let’s make it clear, pouring the old wine in a new bottle does not make it sweeter. Content matters. Doing homework in class and listening to lectures at night is not “flipping the classroom.” Recording lectures and putting them on YouTube or iTunes U is no solution:

“A University of Maryland study of undergraduates found that after a physics lecture by a well-regarded professor, almost no students could provide a specific answer to the question, ‘What was the lecture you just heard about?’ A Kansas State University study found that after watching a video of a highly rated physics lecture, most students still incorrectly answered questions on the material.” — David H. Freeman, Discover Magazine

Even in the best cases of well-thought-out well-designed interactive classes some likely criticisms remain. There is an issue with the Hawthorne Effect that needs to be retired, but personal experience suggests that these findings are not surprising or unusual, at least in kind. Another question that surfaces is whether this kind of interactive class lends itself to subjects like literature, philosophy, history or political science. What are the limits of the approach?

Finally, we have to ask why if there is so much evidence and personal experience against lectures do we persist in giving them? The answer might well be wrapped in four prominent qualities of the practice: 1) lecturing is easy and cheap to do; 2) we have been taught to accept bad lectures as normal (for well over a thousand years!); 3), they (certainly the live version) create an illusion of interactivity between the presenter and audience that is not supported in actual observation (see D. Clark below); and 4), they stand as proof by the presenter and/or the institution that the material has been covered and “delivered” to the audience.

Pragmatically, and for the reasons above, lectures inherently favor the presenter and the institution. Lectures originated in a time when books and information were both scarce and expensive and colleges needed to solve a problem of distribution. Closer to the modern era lectures appear to be supported by tacit agreement with the dubious notion that teaching and telling are the same thing:

“The problem is not with the lecture but with the idea that receiving information is the key part of learning.” — Dominik Lukeš

The notion that the lecture’s time has come is finally reaching the Academy. Educators like Graham Gibbs (see below) have been questioning its value for over thirty years. More recently university professors like Stanford University’s (formerly) Sebastian Thrun have had their own epiphanies on the matter:

“Mr. Thrun told the crowd his move [away from Stanford] was motivated in part by teaching practices that evolved too slowly to be effective. During the era when universities were born, ‘the lecture was the most effective way to convey information. We had the industrialization, we had the invention of celluloid, of digital media, and, miraculously, professors today teach exactly the same way they taught a thousand years ago,’ he said.” — Nick DeSantis, Wired Campus

Dr Wieman likewise has his own concerns about his colleagues and the future of the lecture in science instruction. As recorded by David Freeman of Discover Magazine:

“But scientists who teach have proven reluctant to toss out the lecture, never mind the evidence that it doesn’t work. ‘They say this is the way it’s always been done, and it was good enough for them, so it’s good enough for their students,’ Wieman says. Were this attitude to hold in medicine we would still be bloodletting, in physics we would be trying to reach the moon with very large rubber bands, and in economics we would still be suffering major worldwide financial crashes. (Well, physics and medicine are advancing, anyway.)” — David H. Freeman, Discover Magazine

What seems certain is that we are on the foothills of a major shift in what happens in the classroom. What develops in terms of the effects on corporate, college and military training remains to be seen. After all, it might not result in a single universal one-size-fits-all form. How this upheaval in teaching feeds into distance learning and web-based training is another discussion that almost certainly has to rear its head. The resultant form of the instructional process is anybody’s guess, but what is certain is that whatever it evolves into, whatever we see as the best fit for our instructional purpose, teaching well will remain hard work.

References.
Freeman, David, H., Impatient Futurist: Science Finds a Better Way to Teach Science

http://homepage.ntu.edu.tw/~jiayang/me1005/2011f/2011%20Science-%20Improved%20learning%20in%20a%20large-entrollment%20Physics%20class.pdf

Gibbs, G., “Twenty Terrible Reasons for Lecturing,” SCED Occasional Paper No. 8, Birmingham. 1981.

Clark, Donald, “Don’t Lecture Me” – ALT-C 2010.

Clark, Donald, “Lectures selling students short: evidence from ‘Science’ “

Lukeš, Dominik, “Putting lectures in their place with cautious optimism“

DeSantis, Nick, “Tenured Professor Departs Stanford U., Hoping to Teach 500,000 Students at Online Start-Up“

Deslauriers, Loius, Schelew, Ellen and Wieman, Carl, “Improved Learning in a Large-Enrollment Physics Class” Science 13 May 2011: Vol. 332 no. 6031 pp. 862-864

Is the Internet Changing the Way We Learn?

I like the infographic (see below) “How the Internet is Revolutionizing Education.” It presents an interesting timeline of developments in educational delivery and provides a handy reminder of some things that I’ve forgotten with regard to trends and current industry buzz. And yes, education in all its forms is an industry and has its buzz.

First, looking at the history of distance learning and non-traditional (i.e., non-lecture/classroom) modes of content delivery, writers rarely admit anything that comes before television. Frankly, I never see radio mentioned. Maybe that’s because to most, television is the first “modern” technology. But, that said, there is a long tradition (Boston, 1728) of correspondence education that rises through the Victorian Era (University of London, 1858) that seems important in laying the groundwork of several notable non-residential K-12 programs and even, I suspect, to the acceptance of modern online universities. Perhaps not surprisingly, the British Open University is the first school on the graphic to enter the fray in the early 1970s using television as its primary mode of disseminating lectures to the masses. Funny how television never really materialized as a great training tool. In retrospect, is that surprising?

This is the first of my jogged memories from the chart:

The UO (as it is known) makes perfect sense to me but when it was tried in the US it failed miserably (not so in the UK). You can read about it here. For those of you wondering, the flip side is also true in my case: Schools like the University of Phoenix (as they currently exist) do not make perfect sense to me and yet they are thriving in the US (scroll down the chart a bit), educational bubble notwithstanding. So much for my role as an industry pundit. In ancient times I would have been stoned to death.

Overall this graphic fosters a meme that I consider somewhat dubious: the Internet is changing the way we learn. I think you have to be careful with this one. First and foremost it is probably not the case that we are learning any differently than our forefathers. It is probably the case that we utilize new and different methods for obtaining information, gathering the rudiments of new skills and assessing our mastery of a subject or topic. But beyond that the need for engagement, practice, recall and synthesis seem to be standard among members of our species. As an example of some old wine in a new bottle masquerading as a new instructional form witness the Khan Academy. Is the actual process of learning  – that is, the embedding of new knowledge or skills – any different here? Does it have to be to be important? This brings me to the second reminder:

Given the explosion in alternate forms of content delivery, I don’t know anyone who would go to a traditional college or classroom as a first choice.

Isn’t that odd? I have to confess, if I had to bone up on linear algebra or differential equations, say, I’d go to the Khan Academy (note mathematics as the example) or the Open Courseware Consortium, not to the local college. What’s that tell you about: a) my prior experience at university, b) the reputation of quality of American higher/continued education, c) the role of technology in my lifestyle, d) my lifestyle, e) the cost and accessibility of higher/continued education in America, f) the fact that too many of us have (had to) become consumer-oriented with regard to our learning (in contrast to our “certification”). Take your pick.

Interestingly, given the apparent rise of e-learning since 1999, you would think that we have a viable alternative to instructor-lead training in online web-based tutorials. On the whole nothing could be farther from the truth. Sadly, even though traditional classroom instruction might be foundering as designers search for compelling new forms to save live presentations, it’s hard to find evidence that e-learning as a genre ever succeeded in a big way. Taken as a whole completion rates for online courses are and have been deplorable, levels of engagement minimal (possibly explaining the previous point), and even when they are completed online courses don’t often meet educational objectives except in the most superficial ways when compared to control groups. E-learning does have some notable traits that distinguish it in the pantheon of educational delivery methods: it is a cost-effective way to broadcast information to a population that might have geographical and temporal constraints; and, it does drive consumers to virtual and brick-and-mortar classrooms when provided as an option.

Frankly, if I were saddled with the task of saving e-learning, I would go to YouTube.

Maybe what that says is that even though Television failed as an educational panacea in the early days of distance learning, Son of Television is back, bigger and better than ever before. But does any of this change what I have to do to learn linear algebra? Enough said.

Via: OnlineEducation.net

This mural by Eileen Clegg and Val Ibarra of Visual Insight chronicles the development of corporate and executive education from 1880 to present. I assume it reflects American trends - the notes do not say. The size of the mural is approximately 4 feet x 12 feet but you can explore it on screen using zoom and grab/drag. You might have to install Microsoft's Silverlight plug-in (free) to do so however. A scaled-down jpeg of the mural can also be viewed here.

Some of the milestones from the timeline include:

• 1880 ... the Industrial Revolution ... informal training via apprenticeships
• 1910 ... rise of the Factory Model ... training for efficiency, "scientific" management
• 1940 ... rise of the Organization ... training to create a formal management structure
• 1960 ... rise of the Individual ... modern educational theory and instructional design blossom
• 1980 ... rise of the Information Economy ... industrial model declines, lifelong learning ascends
• 1990 ... rise of the Internet ... global communications, virtual organizations, electronic media
• 2010 ... the Present ... "natural" learning emerges (again), asynchronous, acoustic environments

What is meant by "natural" learning is not spelled out by the authors, but it is is interesting to ponder which of the trends from the post-agricultural era (1880 onward) were particularly "unnatural." I am going to go out on a limb and suggest that the current post-literate environment we find ourselves in is taking us back to a period before the industrial revolution when apprenticeships and the oral tradition ruled. Ergo the current interest in experiential and immersive learning environments, informal learning, podcasts and the inverted classroom.

References.

History Map: Corporate and Executive Education

The History of Education Mural]]> http://www.hg2s.com/blog/2010/12/30/a-history-of-corporate-education/feed/ 0 http://www.hg2s.com/blog/2010/01/20/think-of-it-as-data-compression-texting-ok-for-learning/ http://www.hg2s.com/blog/2010/01/20/think-of-it-as-data-compression-texting-ok-for-learning/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:41:56 +0000 Jack McShea http://www.hg2s.com/blog/?p=998

(c) 2009 Jeff Parker, Florida Today.

“We began studying in this area initially to see if there was any evidence of association between text abbreviation use and literacy skills at all, after such a negative portrayal of the activity in the media. We were surprised to learn that not only was the association strong, but that textism use was actually driving the development of phonological awareness and reading skill in children.  Texting also appears to be a valuable form of contact with written English for many children, which enables them to practice reading and spelling on a daily basis."

"The research, carried out on a sample of 8-12 year olds over an academic year, revealed that levels of 'textism' use could even be used to predict reading ability and phonological awareness in each pupil by the end of the year."

"In short, we suggest that children’s use of textisms is far from problematic. If we are seeing a decline in literacy standards among young children, it is in spite of text messaging, not because of it.”

"We began swating n dis area initialy 2C f der wz Ny evidnce of asociatn btw txt abbr uz n literacy skilz @ ll, aftr sucha neg portrayal of d activity n d media. We wr surprisd 2 lern dat nt 1ly wz d asociatn strong, bt dat textism uz wz actuly drivN d dvlopmnt of phonological awareness n readN skill n kids. txtN also appears 2B a valuable 4m of contct W ritN en 4 mnE children, wich enables em 2 prctic readN n sp on a daily basis."

"d rsrch, carried ot on a sampL of 8-12 yr olds ovr an academic yr, revealed dat lvls of 'textism' uz cUd evn B uzd 2 4tell readN ability n phonological awareness n ea pUpl by d Nd of d yr."

"n short, we sugest dat children’s uz of textisms S fr frm problematic. f w'r seein a ebb n literacy stdz among yung children, itz n spite of txt msgN, nt coz of it."

"Today’s students expect constant access to information—in the classroom and beyond. Which is why more and more faculty are using iTunes U to distribute digital lessons to their students. And now, with the 3.0 software update for iPhone and iPod touch, iTunes U is directly accessible over both cellular and Wi-Fi networks through the iTunes Store."

"Recent evidence has shown that a mismatch between an instructor's teaching style and a student's learning style can result in the student learning less and being less interested in the subject matter (Borg and Shapiro 1996; Ziegert forthcoming). This finding implies that either educational administrators should strive to ensure a good match between the instructor's teaching style and the students' learning styles (a difficult task) or that concerned instructors should use a portfolio of teaching styles so as to appeal to a variety of student learning types. Unfortunately, a majority of introductory economics courses are taught using only one teaching style--the traditional lecture format (Becker and Watts 1995)."

"Inverting the classroom means that events that have traditionally taken place inside the classroom now take place outside the classroom and vice versa."

"Based on the SGID analysis performed on the course, student acceptance of the inverted classroom process has been well-received. Over eighty-five-percent of the students (in a class of twenty) have responded favorably to the inverted classroom structure, while over ninety-percent prefer the short learning activities over more prolonged assignments. In regards to the use of podcasting as a lecturing medium, students have indicated that the ability to use the play, pause, reverse, and fast-forward capabilities of the podcasted videos beneficial to their ability to learn the material."

Search - finding the PLE diagrams

Sample - grabbing ones that weren't already easily saveable

Sequence - tumblr? how to get in a mediaRSS feed

Record - my own PLE diagram

Perform - cooliris and wii controller?

Share - blog it

"You may find the metaphor of 'educator as DJ' doesn't work for you - fine. Maybe it's 'educator as mashup artist'. Maybe it's 'educator as painter.' maybe it's 'educator as architect'. But... I URGE you to seek out the metaphor YOU ALREADY BRING to your teaching practice, because inevitably you do. Becoming conscious of it is important not only because of how it lets you expand on it, but because the act of teaching IS the supreme metaphorical act; just as metaphor allows us new understanding by using a familiar vehicle that conveys attributes to a specific tenor, so do you as teachers seek to help your learners move from their existing understanding to somewhere new."

Our books might feel like your current book – for a minute. They are written by leading experts and are peer-reviewed, edited, and highly developed. They are supported by test banks, .ppt notes, instructor manuals, print desk copies, and knowledgeable service representatives. There the similarity ends. Instead of $100 plus, our books are FREE online. We don't even require registration! Students enter the URL they're given by their instructor and start reading. It's that easy. No tricks. No popup ads. No "a premium subscription is needed for that". In fact, our free online books go beyond what standard print editions provide with integrated audio, video, and interactive features, powerful search capabilities, and more.. Even better – include the book where the rest of your course is! If you are an instructor using an Course/Learning Management System (like Blackboard, Angel, etc.) you will be able to integrate our book (and our instructor supplements) directly into your LMS (beginning March 09). Yep. Still free. It is what it is. Just great books, by great authors, at a great price – zero. But we are NOT an eBook publisher... Don't want to read online? Don't. Read "Convenient Choices" below to learn about the convenient and affordable choices we offer students.

Some will read online. Some won't. Some want print books. Some don't. We're not smart enough to figure it out. So we won't. Now there's a novel idea. Let instructors adopt the best book for their class. Let students adopt the best format and price for them. Kayo doesn't read books online. She orders the black and white softcover for about $29 bucks. It shows up in a few days. Too bland for her friend Sam - he orders the color edition for $59. Not Sharon. She commutes everyday, so nothing but the audio book on her iPod will do. Then there's Chaz. He's indecisive. He decides, well, not to decide. He'll order the self-print .pdf chapters when he needs them for $1.99 per chapter. Cool. And don't forget Tessa. She never has enough time. She'll cut to the chase with our mp3 study guides, mobile flash cards, and online practice quizzes with feedback. That's convenient. That's choices. That's Flat World Knowledge.

Use our books “off-the-shelf”. After all, they're crafted to meet market needs. But when was the last time you thought of yourself as “the market?” We thought so. So go nuts. Use our “build-a-book” platform. Drag-and-drop chapters into a new table of contents that suits your syllabus. Don't cover the last chapter? Trash it with a click. Beginning Summer 09, you will be able to edit Flat World open textbooks down to the sentence level. Replace our example with one of yours. Add a paragraph on your pet research topic. When you're done, click “adopt” and we'll give you a special URL for your students. If they buy a print version, it'll be of your unique book. Thank you print-on-demand technology! And thank you, Creative Commons. That's our open license that allows you to do everything above and more, without any special permissions.

• The Impending Demise of the University
• End the University as We Know It
• Will Higher Education Be the Next Bubble to Burst?
• Universities will be 'irrelevant' by 2020, Y. professor says
• The Disadvantages of an Elite Education
• Is College Obsolete?
• Student challenges prof, wins right to post source code he wrote for course

1. Content provisioning
2. Research - conducted, archived, disseminated
3. Help provided to a student with a question on content
4. Social life
5. Issuing credentials

• Schools are preparing students for a world that no longer exists.
• Classrooms have not changed substantially over the last century.
• Mass education is a product of the mechanical age and the production line.
• Education was designed to slow and control the processes of personal growth and change.
• Students are furnished with rigid and isolated "bodies of knowledge."
• Competition is the chief motive force in mass education.
• The lecture system, the "...least effective [mode] ever devised by man, served well enough in an age that demanded only a specified fragment of each human being's whole abilities."
• New technologies are not as central to tomorrow's schooling as are new roles for student and teacher.
• There will no distinction between work and play as the student will be totally involved.
• The main work of the future will be education.
• The University will become an integral part of the community offering degrees of "membership" corresponding to varied levels of participation.

• The learning process must be interactive or two-way.
• Learning styles must be taken into consideration.
• Standardized one-size-fits-all courses are out. Same for tests and evaluations.
• The University (read: curriculum or degree program) should not have walls.
• Learning should be asynchronous.
• Courses must be timely, relevant and engaging.
• Failure is part of the learning feedback loop; not an end of the process.
• Responsibility for learning will be shifted away from the student and towards the instructor or institution.
• Portfolios are more important than letter grades.
• Certifications are static and local and therefore have little lasting value.

"I graduated high school with a D minus average. ...My guidance counselor said 'drop out of high school, you'll have an easier time getting into college if you just get a GED.' I [decided] to graduate with this D minus and see what it does for me. I didn't get into any accredited school . I got into a diploma program in an art school in Boston, and it was near MIT. ... I used the art school to make a fake ID to go to MIT. Someone said [college is] expensive. I said no, it's free, you just won't get credit for it." "Today, no one is going to ask Rob for his college transcript. His credentials are the companies he has created."

The most significant change in human expression in human history. We are no longer grounded in the printing press. We now live in this Read/Write world. We have imagined a space where students can work on multimedia composition. You have to excel in the use and manipulation of images. This is all building towards a larger vision that involves re-imagining the Humanities for the 21st Century.

The URL for the presentation is here.]]> http://www.hg2s.com/blog/2009/06/05/collaboratory-technology-and-the-new-humanities/feed/ 0