Teaching Students How to Succeed in Your Course
Spring 2023
Warm up
Part I. Strategies
Warm up
Part I. Strategies
Part II. Studying FAQ
Rodriguez et al. (2018): Big Picture
Attempts to decrease performance gaps by modifying class time
“Achievement gap” definition in this article (retention):
% of students who entered college (in 2004) who wanted to graduate as STEM majors who did so within 6 years:
Hurtado S, Eagan KM , & Hughes B. (2012) Priming the Pump or the Sieve: Institutional Contexts and URM STEM Degree Attainments. Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, New Orleans, LA.
Overall trends of attrition, STEM vs non-STEM, within 5 yrs:
Chen and Soldner. (2013). STEM Attrition: College Students’ Paths Into and Out of STEM Fields (NCES 2014-001). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.
Rodriguez et al. (2018): Big Picture
S p a c i n g
Spacing:
Study material in several, shorter sessions that are spaced apart from each other
Topic A
Topic A
Topic A
Cramming / “Massed”:
Study material all in one block
Session 1
Topic A
Session 3
Session 2
“Spacing out” learning improves long-term retention
Mulligan, Neil W, and Daniel J Peterson. “The Spacing Effect and Metacognitive Control.” Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition 40.1 (2014): 306–311.
Re: Self-testing
Imagine reading a half-page passage of text containing information on a single scientific topic once for 5 minutes.
Karpicke, Jeffrey D, and Janell R Blunt. “Retrieval Practice Produces More Learning Than Elaborative Studying with Concept Mapping.” Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 331.6018 (2011): 772–775.
What percentage of factual information in the text do you think you could correctly recall after 7 days if you took one of the following study approaches:
Karpicke, Jeffrey D, and Janell R Blunt. “Retrieval Practice Produces More Learning Than Elaborative Studying with Concept Mapping.” Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 331.6018 (2011): 772–775.
1.
No further
studying
Repeated study (review): re-read text three more times
2.
Retrieval Write down everything you remember. Read text again, and then write down everything you remember a second time.
3.
Sketch your prediction!
Karpicke, Jeffrey D, and Janell R Blunt. “Retrieval Practice Produces More Learning Than Elaborative Studying with Concept Mapping.” Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 331.6018 (2011): 772–775.
Verbatim Questions
Inference Questions
Karpicke, Jeffrey D, and Janell R Blunt. “Retrieval Practice Produces More Learning Than Elaborative Studying with Concept Mapping.” Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 331.6018 (2011): 772–775.
Students’ Predictions
We can often be poor judges of identifying the most successful strategies.
Rodriguez et al. (2018): Big Picture
2. Course is taught in three sections: one was treated as the intervention group; two were used as controls
Methodology: examine students’ study practices at the beginning and end of a sophomore-level bio class
1. Surveyed students at the beginning (wk 1) and end of the course (end of wk 10)
Brian Sato
Students define themselves as using “spacing” and/or “self-testing”: Survey (given Week 1 and Week 10)
1. Which of the following best describes your study patterns?
2 .Select the top 3 study strategies you use most regularly. Please select ONLY 3.
3. When studying, how do you generally decide what class to study for first? (open-ended)
“Spacing”
“yes”
“no”
“Self-testing” if listed as one of their top 3
Class demographics
Overall pre-survey
Pre-course survey patterns: URM vs non-URM
Impact of intervention on self-reported use of spacing
Pre → Post
Yes → Yes
No → Yes
Yes → No
No → No
Intervention groups increase use of spacing,
Control groups decrease
Post-hoc analysis
Impact of a intervention on students’ self-reported self-testing.
Pre → Post
Yes → Yes
No → Yes
Yes → No
No → No
Intervention groups use self-testing significantly more than control groups.
Students dropped self-study w/o intervention
Active Learning in Intro Physics for Majors
Deslauriers, Louis et al. “Measuring Actual Learning Versus Feeling of Learning in Response to Being Actively Engaged in the Classroom.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 116.39 (2019): 19251–19257.
Does changing students’ study strategies matter
(re: course grade)?
1
2
3
4
4
1
2
3
URM and non-URM students who report self-testing earned the same course grades
8.01 +/- 2.5 (B-)
8.75 +/- 2.7 (B-)
6.74 +/- 2.7 (C)
8.1 +/- 2.7 (B-)
Prior research: survey of 177 college students
Open-ended question: List the strategies you use when studying
Karpicke JD, Butler AC, and Roediger HL 3rd. “Metacognitive strategies in student learning: do students practise retrieval when they study on their own?” Memory. 2009 May;17(4):471-9.
Summary
Dunlosky et al., 2013
Dunlosky, John et al. “Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology.” Psychological science in the public interest 14.1 (2013).
Recommended
Not Recommended
Dunlosky et al., 2013
Dunlosky, John et al. “Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology.” Psychological science in the public interest 14.1 (2013).
Practice Test
Dunning Kruger Effect: The Illusion of Knowing
What is true of the students on the left?
“why incompetent people think they’re amazing…”
→ why inexpert students need help developing learning skills
Kruger J and Dunning D. “Unskilled and unaware of it: how difficulties in recognizing one's own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments.” J Pers Soc Psychol. 1999 Dec; 77(6):1121-34.
Weekly Learning Paragraphs (an example of retrieval practice):
-Due every Friday at 10 am�-Respond to question posted on web
What is the one concept you learned this week that was the most challenging to master? Please also explain why it is challenging for you.
Example of Framework: Monthly Summary Sheets
Mary Pat Wenderoth
Think-Pair-Share
How can you prompt your students to use self-testing for your class?
Is it more effective to study a lot of problems of one type, or to vary your practice?
Which do you think is a more effective strategy?
Which strategy do you think students prefer?
For example, see Rohrer and Taylor, Instr Sci 2007, 35(6): 481-498; Birnbaum, Kornell, Bjork, & Bjork (2012) Memory & Cognition
BLOCKED
INTERLEAVED
Approach 1:
Study material of all one type at a time
A
A
A
A
A
A
B
B
B
B
B
B
C
C
C
C
C
C
Approach 2:
Mix up the material you are studying
A
B
C
C
A
B
C
A
B
A
C
B
C
B
A
B
A
C
How would you study to identify which artist painted this painting?
Which study strategy (1 or 2) do you think would help you better learn the artists’ styles?
Condition 1: “Interleaved”
Condition 2: “Blocked”
… x4 = 24 total paintings
… x4 = 24 total paintings
Kornell & Bjork (2008) Psychological Science 19: 585-592
Students’ Predictions
Blocked
> Interleaved
Interleaved
>
Blocked
Blocked
= Interleaved
Judged effectiveness
Results:
Interleaved
Interleaved
Blocked
Interleaved
Blocked
“Interleaving” (mixing up practice problems)
Rohrer, Doug. “Interleaving Helps Students Distinguish Among Similar Concepts.” Educational psychology review 24.3 (2012): 355–367.
“Desirable Difficulties”
Test yourself (“self-testing” or “retrieval practice”)
Space your practice
Mix up your practice (interleaving)
Think about a class that you might teach:
What are ways that you could implement some of these principles in your class?
Using Metacognition to Become an Expert Learner�in [Chemistry]
(These slides are adapted from those that can be found under the “Resources” tab here:
“Great explanations are only one arm of effective teaching. The other arm involves teaching students how to learn material on their own, without help.”
“Teaching students how to learn entails opening their eyes to the learning process and introducing them to the myriad strategies they can use to increase their learning.”
“I now know that there are students who have an arsenal of strategies at their disposal and there are students who don’t.”
Saundra McGuire
Presidential Award �White House Oval Office �November 16, 2007
Metacognition
The ability to:
Turning Yourself into an Efficient, Expert Learner
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Comprehension
Knowledge
Making decisions and supporting views; requires understanding of values.
Combining information to form a unique product; requires creativity and originality.
Using information to solve problems; transferring abstract or theoretical ideas to practical situations. Identifying connections and relationships and how they apply.
Restating in your own words; paraphrasing, summarizing, translating.
Memorizing verbatim information. Being able to remember, but not necessarily fully understanding the material.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Louisiana State University ■ Center for Academic Success ■ B-31 Coates Hall ■ 225-578-2872 ■ www.cas.lsu.edu
Identifying components; determining arrangement, logic, and semantics.
Graduate School
Undergraduate
High School
This pyramid depicts the different levels of thinking we use when learning. Notice how each level builds on the foundation that precedes it. It is required that we learn the lower levels before we can effectively use the skills above.
At what level of Bloom’s did you have to operate to make A’s or B’s in high school?
At what level of Bloom’s do you think you’ll need to be to make an A in Chem 1201?
How do you move yourself higher �on Bloom’s Taxonomy?��Use the Study Cycle!
Attend
Review
Study
Preview
Assess
Attend class – GO TO CLASS! Answer and ask questions and take meaningful notes.
Review after class – As soon after class as possible, read notes, fill in gaps and note any questions.
Assess your Learning – Periodically perform reality checks
Study – Repetition is the key. Ask questions such as “why”, “how”, and “what if”.
Preview before class – Skim the chapter, note headings and boldface words, review summaries and chapter objectives, and come up with questions you’d like the lecture to answer for you.
*Intense Study Sessions
Set a Goal
1
(1-2 min)
Decide what you want to accomplish in your study session.
Study with Focus
2
(30-50 min)
Interact with material- organize, concept map, summarize, process, re-read, fill-in notes, reflect, etc.
Reward Yourself
3
(10-15 min)
Take a break– call a friend, play a short game, get a snack
Review
4
(5 min)
Go over what you just studied
The Study Cycle
Effective Metacognitive Strategies
Concept maps facilitate development of higher order thinking skills
Chapter Map
Title of Chapter
Primary Headings
Subheadings
Secondary Subheadings
Compare and Contrast
Concept #1
Concept #2
How are they similar?
How are they different?
Which One of the Next Two Slides More Accurately Describes YOUR Actions Before Test 1?
Top 5 Reasons Folks Did Not Do Well on Test 1 in Chemistry 1201 in Fall 2009:
Top 5 Reasons Folks Made an A on Test 1:
Get the Most Out of Homework
Get the Most from Tutorial Centers, Office Hours, and Study Groups
Writing Exercise
What strategy will you use for the next three weeks?
If you don’t try it in within the next 48 hours...
… you probably never will.
Cook et al. (2013): General chemistry
Mcguire led a 50 min lecture with 3 goals:
For 2011:
Attendees Exam 1: 74
Non-attendees Exam 1: 68
→ Gap existed, but grew
Cook E, Kennedy E, and McGuire SY. “Effect of Teaching Metacognitive Learning Strategies on Performance in General Chemistry Courses.” J. Chem. Educ.. 2013; 90 (8): 961–967.
Zhao et al. (2014): Gen chemistry
Gave an intervention upon handing back exam 1
Fall 2011 was the intervention year
Fall 2009 and 2010 are negative controls
Would you be interested in developing materials to help your student succeed?
Here are some examples of what we could do here…
Effective Strategies
Self-Test:
Test yourself with questions or practice problems
(Rodriguez, 2018)
Condense:
Condensing/summarizing your notes
(Rodriguez, 2018)
Visualize:
Make diagrams, charts or pictures
(Rodriguez 2018)
Memory:
Recopy your notes from memory (Karpicke & Blunt, 2011)
Ineffective Strategies
Flashcards:
Use flashcards
(Rodriguez, 2018)
Reread:
Reread chapters, articles, notes etc.
(Rodriguez, 2018)
From analysis to action
Possible Interventions
1. Reinforce: How can you make practice tests work best for you?
(Demonstrate how much more effective self-testing is than rereading, and how to self-test effectively.)
2. Reframe & Facilitate: While re-reading your notes, you should condense material and make sense of it by creating diagrams, charts, and pictures
(Nudge students towards learning practices with higher cognitive demand)
3. Inform: Flashcards can be an effective study aid if you are using them in a way that promotes interleaving or retrieval practices.
(Define, give examples, and evidence for effectiveness)
Develop in-class activities
2. Self-testing vs rereading in-class activity
How did the two groups differ in the retention of the material two days later? A week later?
B. In a follow up experiment, they compared students who:
Which student group learned the material most deeply?
How will this impact how you study for your next exam?
2. Self-testing vs rereading TA-led activity
Front
Back
3. Student interviews
Narratives about how they study, and how they learned how to study
https://vimeo.com/showcase/6544095 (password: “learning”) Google folder
Student interviews
Narratives about how they study, and how they learned how to study
Summary