Microsoft Word - Strategies for Online Active Learning 2020.09.28.docx

MichaelKalichman,UCSanDiego

[email protected]u|858‐822‐2027

September2020

ActiveLearningandResponsibleConductofResearch(RCR)

PedagogicalApproaches

Scholarshiponteachingandlearningmakesitclearthateffectivepedagogychallengeslearners

togeneratetheirownlearning

.

ChoosingActiveLearningActivities

Higherlevelsofengagementandinteractionare promotedbyappropriatelearneractivities.

ThisgoalisrecognizedbyRCReducatorswhofrequentlycallfortheuseofcasestudies.

However,whilecasescanbeuseful,itshouldberememberedthatmanyotherstrategiesmight

alsobeused

toengagelearnersinreflectionandinteractivediscussion.

 Noonebeststrategy:Itshouldnotbeassumedthatthereisone“best”strategyoractivity

thatshouldbeusedroutinely.

 Usemultiplemethods:To ensurethatacourseismemorable,useful,andenjoyable,itis

worthconsideringuse

ofmultiplemethodssuchasthosesuggestedbelow.

 Learner‐ledactivities:Assignorallowself‐selectionoflearnerstosmallgroupsresponsible

forpresentingandleadingdiscussionaboutassignedorself‐selectedtopicsatleastone

weeklater.Eachonehourpresentationshouldhaveminimallecturetolayafoundation

for

acreative,engagingapproachtodiscussioninvolvingtherestoftheclass.



Examplesofactivitiesandexercisesthatcanbeusedinanonlineclassroom:

1. Question‐basedlecture:Identifykeypointstobecovered,frameasquestions,anddeliver

“lecture”byaskinglearnersthequestions.Whenanswersarecorrect,re‐affirmandclarifyif

needed.Ifanswersarenotgivenornotcorrect,thenfillinand/orcorrectasneeded.

2. Askeveryone:Toelicitprosorconsaboutaparticularcourseofaction,orbrainstormingitemson

alist,eachlearnerisaskedtocomeupwithpossibilitynotalreadycovered.Reactandclarifyas

appropriate.Continueuntilalllearnershaveparticipated,orideashaverunout.

3. Gameshow:UsePowerPointtemplates

withagameshowformat(e.g.,“Whowantstobea

millionaire?”)togetlearnerstoanswerquestionscoveringinformationofinterest.

4. SOP4GRP:AssigngroupsofstudentstodevelopStandardOperatingProcedures(SOPs)for

GoodResearchPractice(e.g.,apolicyforauthorship,requirementsforrecordkeeping)

5. Codeofconduct:Eitherprovideorhavelearnersfindrelevantprofessionalcodeofconductand

useasastartingpointfordiscussion(e.g.,Whyaretheseelementsincluded?What’smissing?)

6. Videoclips:Identifyrelevantvideoclips(e.g.,fromepisodesofHouse,BigBangTheory,orStar

Trek)touseasstartingpointsfordiscussionaboutissuesinscience.

7. Currentevents:ForalmostanyRCRtopic,learnerscanbechallengedtofindanduseasstarting

pointfordiscussion,arecentnewsstory,blogentry,journalarticle,etc.



Bransfordetal.(2000):Howpeoplelearn:brain,mind,experience,andschool.NationalAcademiesPress,Washington,DC;

Brownetal.(2014):MakeitStick:TheScienceofSuccessfulLearning.BelknapPress;Freemanetal.(2014):Activelearning

increasesstudentperformanceinscience,engineering,andmathematics.PNAS111(23):8410‐8415.



e.g.,https://www.thoughtco.com/free‐game‐show‐powerpoint‐templates‐1396866

8. Scenesfromahat

:Writecharacteristicsofdifferenttypesofindividualsinvolvedinaresearch

dispute,havepairsoflearnersdrawfromthehattoselectroles,havethemdiscussachallenging

issue(e.g.,authorship,sharingofdata),andreflectonwhatdidanddidnotworkwiththeclass.

9. Reflections:Givestudents2‐3minutestoreflectonaquestion,writedowntheiranswer,share

(eitherinpairsorwiththeclass),anddiscuss.

10. Questions:Givestudents2‐3minutestowritedownkeyquestion(s)theyhave(orstillhave…),

andthenaddresstheirquestionsinclass.

11. Lookitup:Havelearnersusetheircomputerstolookupanswerstoinstructor’squestions.

12. Assigneddiscussionreport:Assignlearnerstodiscussakeyquestionwithamentororother

seniorperson(e.g.,“UnderwhatcircumstancesisitOKforaPItoshowamanuscriptreceivedfor

journalreviewtoatrainee?”),andthenreportanddiscussanswersatnextclass.

13. AdvanceSurvey:Inadvanceofclass,distributeelectronicsurveytoelicitagreement(strongly

disagreetostronglyagree)withstatementsabouttopic.Analyzeresultsanduseasabasisfor

discussionwithlearnersatnextmeeting.

14. Inclasspoll:Useonlinetool(e.g.,kahoot.it)orembeddedpolloptioninZoomtopolllearnerson

multiplechoicequestions,anddiscussresultsreceivedinrealtime.

15. Roleplay:Divideclassintogroupsofthree

,withinstructedtodiscusschallengingissuein

character(e.g.,gradstudentandPI);thirdgroupmemberobservesandreportsbackonsuccesses,

weaknesses,andresultsofdiscussion.

16. Debate:Divideclassintopairsofsmallgroups(4‐5people),withhalfthegroupsresponsiblefor

proandtheotherhalfcononadefinedissue.Aftersufficienttimetodeveloparguments,groups

arecalledonsuccessivelytoraiseargumentsandcounterargumentstoeachother.



17. SuggestionsfromUCSanDiegoKeepTeaching:EngageYourStudents

18. Somethingelse:Comeupwithyourownideas!





FromDr.LisaEyler,UCSanDiego,basedon“Scenesfromahat”asusedingameshow“Whoselineisitanyway?”

BrummelBJ,GunsalusCKAndersonKL,LouiMC(2010):Developmentofrole‐playscenariosforteachingresponsibleconduct

ofresearch.ScienceandEngineeringEthics16(3):573‐589.

e.g.,http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/debformats.html