1. Teaching Strategies and
Assessment in a Learning College
Tidewater Community College
Workshop, October 25-26, 2007
Rose Mince and Bonnie Startt
2. Who are We?
How does this impact teaching and
learning in the classroom?
3. Who are our Students?
Different Generations in the
Classroom
4. The New Generation of College
Students
Generations defined by shared core
values
Consists of approximately a 20 year
span
Reacts to the generations before them
Those born on the “cusp” may have
characteristics of multiple generations
6. Defining Events…
1930s
Great Depression
Election of FDR
1940s
PearlHarbor
D-Day
Death of FDR
VE Day and VJ Day
Hiroshima -- Nagasaki
7. Core Values…
Dedication Patience
Hard work Delayed reward
Conformity Duty before
Law and order pleasure
Respect for Adherence to
authority rules
Honor
8. Compared to other generations…
Economically successful but invented “midlife
crisis” due to lost adolescence
Raised in large, extended families
Apprenticeship businesses and farming
Average 10 year old spent 4-6 hours daily with
significant adult role model
Perception of world as “safe”
Did not attack institutions of previous
generation – just tried to improve and refine
them
10. Defining Events…
1950s 1960s
Korean War Vietnam
TV in every home Kennedy elected
McCarthy HCUAA Civil Rights
hearings Movement
Rock ‘n Roll Kennedy / King
Salk Polio vaccine assassinations
introduced Moon landing
Woodstock
11. Core Values…
Optimism Personal growth
Team orientation Youth
Personal Work
gratification Involvement
Health and
wellness
12. Compared to other generations…
TV generation
All time divorce rate for families
Families moving – GI Bill and industrialization
“Nuclear” family
Children spend significant time with adult role
model
Mom stays home; Dad carpools
Generation gap with their parents; chose not
to raise their children with same “rigidity”.
14. Defining Events…
1970s
Oil Embargo
Nixon resigns
First PCs
Women’s Rights Movement
1980s
Challenger explosion
Fall of Berlin Wall
John Lennon shot
Reagan elected
16. Compared to other generations
Divorce at all time high; single parents the
norm; latch-key kids
Small families; children at bottom of social
priorities
Average 10 year old spent 14 ½ minutes with
a significant adult role model
Perception of world as “unsafe”
Children grew to be “me” oriented, pragmatic
and self sufficient and determined that there
must be a better way…
18. Core Values
Civic minded
Optimistic
Long-term planners
High achievers
Self confident
Social
Diverse
19. Demographics…
Nearly as large, if not larger, than Baby
Boomer generation
Born to parents of both Baby Boomers
and Generation X
Highly educated parents with for, the first
time in history, mothers with better
education than fathers
Most racially and ethnically diverse
generation in American history
20. Differences in Values…
Parenting
Technology
Gaming
Customer Service
Self Esteem movement
Communication
21. Parenting
Safety improvements – increasing mortality
rates for teens since 1967 (bike helmets, seat
belts, etc.)
Baby boomer parents raised children
differently than their “rigid” parents (raised
them to question authority)
Created a generation of “negotiators”
Parents are becoming over involved –
“helicopter” parents
Children spend more time with parents, like
them, and share their values
22. Technology
Never knew a world without computers
Do not live in a 9-5 world
Function in an international world
Expect technology in the classroom
50% of children under 6 are using computers;
100% of teens use internet, 70% use IM
A technology gap exists along SES lines
Not a television generation but an interactive
technologically savvy generation
23. Gaming…
Involves complex decision making
Players take in multiple sets of data and
make decisions quickly
Learning is through many trials and
errors
Students expect learning in class to be
the same – multiple opportunities to
make errors and rewrites
24. Customer Service…
Expect access 24/7
Expect things to work as they are
supposed to
They want what they have paid for –
have students paid for a grade or for
learning?
Everything comes with a toll-free number
and a web address
25. Self Esteem Movement…
9,068 books written about self esteem in
late 80s and 90s
Focus on self esteem was not able to
eliminate adolescent angst, concern
over purpose of existence, need to feel
important and valued
26. Communication…
Expect to stay in communication 24/7
Email is becoming outdated
Cell phones are a lifestyle management
tool and essential
Cell phones are for safety as well as
casual communication
27. Teaching Implications…
Provide clear objectives and details of
expectations
Allow students input into educational
processes
Allow for meaningful activities such as learning
communities and service learning
Be flexible, sensitive, and enthusiastic
Don’t be surprised by how easily they are
demoralized – they have high expectations
and are high achievers
28. Last thoughts…
A gender gap is emerging…
Highly programmed lives have resulted
in multi-taskers
Prediction is that they change careers
multiple times in their lives
They want value – not the hard work,
stressed-out, fall asleep at the dinner
table lives of their parents.
29. Did You Know?
Understanding the diversity of our
students and the changing world
31. Think, Pair, Share
Reflect on the information and ideas
presented so far.
List 3-5 specific implications for teaching
your students in your classes.
Share your ideas with a partner.
Share 1 idea with the group.
36. Natural Learning Process
Stages
Stage 1: MOTIVATION: Responding to stimulus.
Not knowing how to do it or how it works, just
trying it.
Stage 2: BEGINNING PRACTICE: Doing it
(“practice, practice, practice”), learning from
one’s own mistakes. Starting to get the feel for
it.
Stage 3: ADVANCED PRACTICE: Increase of
skill and confidence through more practice,
more trial & error, getting comfortable.
37. Natural Learning Process
Stages
Stage 4: SKILLFULNESS: More practice,
doing it one’s own way, deviating from the
norm, taking risks, creativity, branching out.
Stage 5: REFINEMENT: Automization or
becoming second nature, creativity, learning
new methods, strong satisfaction.
Stage 6: MASTERY: Increased creativity,
broader application, teaching it, continuing
improvement, expert (or dropping the
activity).
38. Physical Processes of Learning
When we are learning a particular skill or concept:
Learning occurs through the growing and
constructing of physical structures in the brain
Learning, thinking, and remembering are the brain’s
natural physical, electrical and chemical processes.
We construct physical structures in the brain every
time we connect new information to previous
knowledge.
Neural networks need time to grow.
Our brains are “plastic”!
40. The Natural Learning Organ
Has a natural learning process
Has an innate logic
Is a natural problem-solver
Is a natural pattern-seeker
Is internally motivated
Feels pleasure when learning
41. Principles and Implications
Principles Implications
Learning and growing Teaching is like
brain structures are the gardening – we need to
same thing help students grow.
New brain structures We learn by making and
grow with practice – a lot correcting mistakes and
of practice. trying again.
Brain structures grow Students need authentic
exclusively for what is practice with the target
practiced knowledge.
42. Principles and Implications
Principles Implications
Each person has The first step is to make
his/her own unique a personal connection
pattern of structures between the students
that grow off what they and the new thing to
already have. learn.
Students need to Expect students with
construct basic prior experience to have
pathways first before an advantage to move to
they can develop the higher levels sooner.
pathways for higher
order/creative neural
structures.
43. Principles and Implications
Principles Implications
Brain structures grow Keep activity levels high.
when learners are Provide a learning
active. environment that is
Emotions affect growth. positive and supportive
DNA can affect how and believe in your
quickly brain structures students.
grow for different things. Recognize difference in
aptitudes.
44. 5 Rules of How the Brain Learns
1. Dendrites, synapses, and neural networks
grow off what is already there.
Like twigs on a tree.
Can’t grow off of nothing.
Learning starts by making a connection to
prior knowledge or experience.
To learn something new we must start with
something familiar.
45. 5 Rules of How the Brain Learns
2. Neural networks grow from what is
actively, personally, and specifically
experienced and practiced
New networks are constructed for each new
concept or skill.
As people practice, they build better structures
for that particular skill or knowledge.
Practice means making mistakes, learning
from them, correcting and starting over.
Making mistakes is a natural part of learning.
46. 5 Rules of How the Brain Learns
3. Neural networks grow from
stimulating experiences.
The chemical electrical process needs to
be stimulated.
Stimulating experiences activate the
brain.
47. 5 Rules of How the Brain Learns
4. Use it or lose it
Neural networks will be lost if you don’t
use them.
Pruning occurs naturally if skills or ideas
are not used or practiced.
48. 5 Rules of How the Brain Learns
5. Emotions affect learning.
Emotions can have a major impact on learning
and remembering. Negative emotions can
help students forget or not connect new
information.
Self-doubt, fear and other negative emotions
can keep you from learning and remembering.
Confidence, interests and other positive
emotions help the learning and remembering
process.
49. “All human beings are
born as natural learners.”
Our brain has a natural, innate thinking and learning
process.
It knows how to learn and remember and is thinking
soon after birth.
Learning by the brain's natural learning process helps
students become the motivated, eager, successful
learners they are born to be.
Dr. Rita Smilkstein
“We’re Born to Learn”
51. Fuzzy Question
Is there anything from today’s
presentation so far that is unclear to
you? If so, what is it? What type of
follow-up would be helpful to you?
53. Why Grades Don’t Make
the Grade
Don’t tell the whole story
May not be based solely on student
learning outcomes
May be subjective
Are not always valid and reliable
54. Basic Assumptions of
Assessment
• Quality of learning related to quality of teaching
• Teachers need feedback on extent to which
their explicit goals and objectives are being met
• Students need feedback often and early
• Assessment should be faculty driven,
collaborative, and systematic
• Allow teachers to become the researchers
Angelo & Cross (1993)
55. Classroom Assessment
Techniques
Definition: An approach designed to help teachers
determine what and how well students are learning
in the classroom.
Characteristics:
• Learner-centered
• Teacher-directed
• Mutually beneficial
• Formative
• Context specific
• Ongoing
• Rooted in Good Teaching Practice
56. Learning Outcomes Assessment
Goals and Objectives
Document improved and expanded
student learning
Create continuous improvement process
for learning outcomes assessment
Provide continuous curriculum
improvement
57. Assessment Design
5 Stages of LOA Projects
1.Designing and Proposing a Project (RFP)
2.Implementing the Design and Collecting
and Analyzing the Data
3.Redesigning the Course/Program to
Improve Student Learning
4.Implementing Revisions and Reassessing
5.Communicating Final Analysis
59. Rubric: A definition
“…a one- or two-page document that
describes varying levels of quality from
excellent to poor for a specific
assignment”
Heidi Goodrich Andrade
Two main components:
A detailed list of criteria
Gradations of quality
60. Rubrics
Holistic vs. Analytic
Holistic: all criteria are factored in together
to determine the final grade for that
assignment (one overall or total score)
Analytic: considers and evaluates each
criterion separately (sub-scores)
61. Grading Rubrics: Advantages
Assess student work more quickly and
more efficiently
Provide a clear justification to student for
the grade received
Act as a teaching tool to support student
learning
Put more responsibility into the hands of
the students
62. Grading Rubrics: Advantages
Facilitate students’ progress in
completing assignment
Are easy to use and explain
Support the development of students’
skills and understanding
Provide informative feedback and
detailed evaluations
65. Developing a Rubric
Validate the objective/s you want
students to achieve (verb). Create the
assignment.
Develop the rubric:
1) Identify the criteria
2) Weigh the criteria
3) Describe the levels of success
4) Create and distribute the rubric/grid
66. Rubric Adjectives/Anchors
6=evidence beyond the expectations (present, and,
and)
5=evidence is present; student has gone slightly
beyond requirements (present, and)
4=evidence is present without any extra supporting
material (present)
3=something lacking from the requirement (present,
but)
2=some evidence, but something important is lacking
(present, but, but)
1=very little evidence that skills have been achieved
67. Some Excellent Resources
Scoring Rubrics in the Classroom by Arter and
McTighe (2001)
“Primary Trait Analysis: Anchoring
Assessment in the Classroom” Benander,
Denton, Page, and Skinner (2000). The
Journal of General Education, 49, 280-302.
“Oral Presentations in Math Classes” (grading
using a rubric) in Innovation Abstracts, (2002),
XXIV, 23
www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/resource.htm
68. Common Graded Assignments
Common – similar format, varied content;
applied in more than one class to allow
comparison
Graded -- required by the instructor so that
students put effort into the assignment; faculty
provide feedback to the student
Assignment -- evaluation of the “routine”
ongoing work of the students
69. Sample CGAs
Critiques
Lab Reports
Article Reviews: Comparison/Contrast
Projects (individual or group)
Research Papers
Case Studies
Essay Questions
The list goes on…
70. Steps to Creating a Rubric
Look at several models of anonymous student
work from previous classes. Identify the
characteristics that make the good ones good and
the bad ones bad.
List the evaluation criteria.
Determine the gradation of quality for the selected
evaluation criteria. Begin by describing the best
and worst levels of quality and then fill in the
middle levels based on your knowledge of
common problems. ( Use the "yes, yes but, no
but, no" system!)
Have students evaluate the models from step 1.
Allow students to ask clarification questions and
make comments.
Use students' feedback to revise the rubrics.
73. Using Writing to Promote
Thinking
Writing in the Disciplines/Across Communities
Understanding Connections Between Thinking
and Writing
Designing Problem-Based Assignment
Coaching Students as Learners, Thinkers, and
Writers
Reading, Commenting On, and Grading
Student Writing
74. From Passive to Active Learners
The learner’s engagement depends on the
type of problems/assignments the learner is
asked to think about and act upon.
Key teaching tasks:
Design interesting problems for students to think
about.
Develop strategies for giving critical thinking
problems to students.
Create a course atmosphere that encourages
inquiry, exploration, discussion, and debate while
valuing the dignity and worth of each student.
75. Key Teaching Tasks (continued)
Be a mentor and a coach.
Develop a range of strategies for
modeling critical thinking, critiquing
student performances, and guiding
students toward the habits of inquiry and
argument valued in their disciplines.
76. Link Between Writing and Critical
Thinking
The most intensive and demanding tool for
eliciting sustained critical thought is a well-
designed writing assignment on a subject
matter problem.
Writing is closely linked with thinking and in
presenting students with significant problems
to think about—and in creating an environment
that demands their best writing, faculty can
promote cognitive and intellectual growth.
77. Using Writing to Promote
Thinking
Teachers who successfully integrate
writing and critical thinking often report a
satisfying increase in their teaching
pleasure: class discussions are richer,
students are more fully engaged, and
the quality of their performance improves
Teachers must plan for writing/thinking
activities and foster them throughout the
course.
78. Central Activities of Critical
Thinking
Identifyingand challenging assumptions
Exploring alternative ways of thinking
and acting
Brookfield (1987)
Critical thinkers are engaged with life.
79. Writing as a Process vs. a Skill
Writing is more than a communication skill.
It is a process and product of critical thought.
We want to have more than clear, accurate
writing.
We want interesting writing:
Active engagement with a problem; writing that
brings something new to the reader; writing that
makes and supports an argument
Make the course assignment-centered versus text
or lecture-centered
Require multiple drafts/steps in the writing process
80. Some ways to give tasks to
students
Problems presented as formal writing
assignments
Problems presented as thought-
provokers for exploratory writing
Problems presented as tasks for small
group problem solving
Problems presented as starters for
inquiry-based class discussions
81. Some ways to give tasks to
students (continued)
Problems presented as think-on-your-
feet questions for in-class “cold calling”
Problems presented as focusing
questions for in-class debates, panel
discussions, cases, or fishbowls
Problems presented as practice exam
questions
82. Practical Suggestions
Avoid “and then” assignments (example,
student gives you a summary when you want
an argument)
Avoid “all about” writing (do the subtopics add
up to an argument or an encyclopedia?)
Ask students to consider multiple points of
view, to confront clashing values, and to
imagine, analyze, and evaluate alternative
solutions to problems
Encourage revisions
83. Practical Suggestions
(continued)
Require a series of short essays instead of a
term paper
Use write-to-learn assignments (apply what
has been taught)
Give students clear, written directions
Have a colleague fine-tune your assignments
Begin assignments in class so that students
can ask questions
Incorporate reflection papers
Use grading rubrics
Learning is Constructing Knowledge: All new knowledge must be linked to something the learner already knows New and higher-level neural structures have to connect to or grow from structures (knowledge) already there You can’t learn anything completely new