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Assessment and feedback in training and teaching

ELIXIR-GOBLET Train the Trainer - Session 4

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Teaching Goal

Session 4

Develop an understanding of different types of assessment in training, when to receive and give feedback, and for which purpose.

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Learning outcomes

Session 4

Describe the differences between formative and summative assessment�
Explain why frequent feedback is important

Describe and Exemplify few techniques for formative assessment�
List a few techniques to cope with feedback on your teaching efforts

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Curriculum Design

- Nicholl’s cycle -

Inspired by: Via A, Palagi PM, Lindvall JM et al. Course design: Considerations for trainers – a Professional Guide. F1000Research 2020, 9:1377 doi: 10.7490/f1000research.1118395.1

Aligned with LEs?

Support progress towards LOs?

Supports LEs?

Promotes LOs?

LOs achievable by most learners?�Content, LEs & Assessments support LOs?

SMART

LEs aligned with LOs?

LOs

LEs

Content

Assessment*

Evaluation*

1

2

3

4

5

Legend

Confirmed

Denied

Proposition to move forward

Phase

Success

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Key concepts:

ASSESSMENT

FEEDBACK

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What is assessment?

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Assessment is estimation of:

Current knowledge
Performance
Quality

recolored image by @vectorjuice at Freepik

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Assessment is bidirectional

It can be used both by instructors and learners

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Assessment is estimation of:

By the instructors:

Learning current state
Assess output of a learning gain �

By the learners:

Quality, Pertinence, Adequacy of

Training session
Interaction with trainer
Course material

recolored image by @vectorjuice at Freepik

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There are different types of assessment and different ways that we can categorize them

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When?

ASSESSMENT

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Pre-course

At the beginning of the course

related to the time of the course

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What?

When?

ASSESSMENT

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Pre-course

At the beginning of the course

related to the time of the course

Discuss…

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What?

When?

ASSESSMENT

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Pre-course

At the beginning of the course

related to the time of the course

Assess prerequisites of target audience

Assess if learning has occurred

Assess prior knowledge�mental model(s)

Assess whether learning is occurring

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What?

Type

When?

ASSESSMENT

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Pre-course

At the beginning of the course

related to the time of the course

Assess prerequisites of target audience

Assess if learning has occurred

Assess prior knowledge�mental model(s)

Assess whether learning is occurring

Formative assessment

Summative assessment

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Formative assessment

Summative assessment

Assess prerequisites of target audience

Assess if learning has occurred

Assess prior knowledge

mental model(s)

Assess whether learning is occurring

ASSESSMENT

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Pre-course

At the beginning of the course

related to the time of the course

Diagnosis assessment

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What is Feedback?

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Feedback

is information meant for improvement, such as:

Person's performance
Task
Knowledge
Skills
Competencies
Abilities
etc.

_Feedback is bi-directional_

⏰ 3 min �First, clarification of the definition of feedback. This is general definitions from the dictionary. �Feedback is more than just a comment—it’s information meant for improvement. Whether it’s about a person’s performance, a task, or their knowledge, skills, competencies, or abilities, feedback helps identify strengths and areas for growth.

Importantly, feedback is bi-directional. It’s not just something trainers give to learners—it’s also something trainers receive. This mutual exchange fosters a culture of learning, trust, and continuous development.

When giving or receiving feedback, always aim to:

Be specific and constructive
Focus on behaviors or outcomes, not personal traits
Encourage reflection and action
Support shared goals and understanding

In short, feedback is a collaborative process that drives improvement and builds stronger learning experiences—for everyone involved.

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One categorization: related to the time of the course

Long time after

Measure impact of the course

At the end

Measure the quality & �adequacy of the course & trainer

Short term feedback

Long term feedback

TRAINER

LEARNER

ASSESSMENT

During course

After course

Feedback

⏰ 5 min

Let’s look again at feedback in relation to the time of the course

During the course, the feedback is usually the responsibility of the instructor

Trainer assesses the student, and helps steer their learning process by giving feedback

After the course, the feedback is usually the responsibility of the learner. We can further divide this in 2 moments:

At the end, the student can provide feedback on the quality and adequacy of the course and instructor
Long time after, it can help measure the impact - what lasting change did that course have on the learner.

Usually the hardest to get as learners are least likely to answer surveys long after

##############

Trainer

(during the course) teacher assesses the students permanently, and uses this assessment to give feedback steering their learning process

Students in oder hands, can intuitively assess the training session and the trainer performance but there are additionally two official moments where aiming for the constant improvement of the course experience they are asked to officially and formally give feedback.

(shortly after the course) - learner measure and evaluates the quality and adequacy of the course and trainer -> Short term feedback
(after the course, long time after the course) - measure impact of the course - Long term feedback - Strategic evaluation

Long term feedback is usually difficult to collect since participants are less likely to answer the forms after a long period of the course event.

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Challenge 4.1

Diagnostic Assessment

Group Activity (in pairs) �⏰ 8 min

Discuss HOW you could collect information about prior experience from learners �

before
at the beginning of a course �

how you can use it?

Write it in the Shared notes

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What is the difference?

vs.

ASSESSMENT

FEEDBACK

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How and what to assess

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Assessment process flowchart

ASSESSMENT

WHAT

HOW

PRODUCT

PROCESS

SUMMATIVE

FORMATIVE

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What to assess

PRODUCT

ASSESSMENT

PROCESS

ASSESSMENT

Model
Gymnastics routine
Project
Assignment
Exercise
Painting

Attitudes
Social-relational skills
Problem-solving ability
Creativity
Method use
Progress
Instructor’s didactic process

⏰ 3 min��When designing assessments, it’s important to consider what you’re evaluating: the product of learning, the process, or ideally, both.

🧱 Product Assessment

This focuses on the final outcome learners produce. Examples include:

A model
A gymnastics routine
A project
An assignment
An exercise
A painting

These are tangible results that show what learners have created or completed.

🔄 Process Assessment

This focuses on how learners engage with the learning experience. Examples include:

Attitudes toward learning
Social-relational skills
Problem-solving ability
Creativity
Use of methods or strategies
Progress over time
Even the teacher’s didactic process

Assessing both product and process gives a more complete picture of learning. While the product shows achievement, the process reveals growth, effort, and deeper learning behaviors.

As educators, we should ideally aim for to balance both, as to get a more complete picture of learning.

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Why to do each assessment

	FORMATIVE	SUMMATIVE
TIMING	Throughout the�learning process	At the end of an�instructional period
PURPOSE	Gauge student learning and provide instant feedback	Evaluate overall achievement (LOs achievement)

⏰ 3 min� �When designing training, it’s important to understand the difference between formative and summative assessment—both play essential roles in evaluating learning.

Let’s look into the differences between them.

Recall the timing: formative assessment happens during the learning process, and summative assessment happens at the end of the instructional period.

Now what is their purpose?

🧪 Formative Assessment

Purpose: To gauge (determine or estimate) student learning and provide instant feedback during the learning process.
Timing: Happens throughout the instructional period.
Examples include quizzes, group discussions, concept checks, and peer feedback.
It helps learners adjust and improve while they’re still learning.

🏁 Summative Assessment

Purpose: To evaluate overall achievement, especially the attainment of learning outcomes.
Timing: Takes place at the end of a course or module.
Examples include final presentations, exams, or project evaluations.
It provides a summary of what learners have accomplished.

Both types of assessment are valuable.

Formative helps learners grow
summative helps measure that growth

Together, they support a complete picture of learning.

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vs.

What is the difference?

FORMATIVE

SUMMATIVE

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Comparing Formative & Summative

Formative ��During teaching & learning. �

Helps becoming aware of the focus �
Improves quality of students’ learning

Does not:

Provide evidence for grading

Summative ��At the end of teaching and learning.�

Evaluate students’ learning

compares against� standards � benchmarks�

Provides evidence for grading

recolored exam icon by Freepik

recolored Q&A icon by Freepik

⏰ 5 min� �Definitions of Formative and summative assessments. ��Let’s take a closer look at two key types of assessment: formative and summative.

🧪 Formative Assessment

Occurs during teaching and learning
Helps learners and teachers become aware of the focus
Aims to improve the quality of students’ learning
It’s not used for grading—instead, it supports learning in real time
Examples include quizzes, feedback sessions, peer reviews, and informal observations

Formative assessment is like a GPS—it helps you adjust your route while you’re still on the journey.

🏁 Summative Assessment

Takes place at the end of an instructional period
Evaluates overall achievement, especially the learning outcomes
Provides evidence for grading or certification
Examples include final exams, projects, or presentations

Summative assessment is like a snapshot—it captures what learners have achieved after the journey is complete.

Understanding the difference helps us design assessments that support both learning and evaluation.��Note that for summative assessment, 'the end' does not necessarily mean the end of an entire course or module of study. Summative assessments may be distributed throughout a course, after a particular unit (or collection of topics) has been taught, but graded any how.

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Summative assessment �Methods

The most common method
Any other types?

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Summative assessment �Methods

Questionnaires
Interviews
Observations
Testing
Projects

_For training, the focus is _�_formative assessment _

You do remember some of the methods used in summative assessment when you are a student (1-5) or from being a teacher. And what do we mean by testing and projects:

Testing (specific test created by the teacher or establishment made to include all points of a unit or specific information taught in a given time frame)
Projects (a culminating project that synthesizes knowledge)

In training, the scope of this TtT, the focus is on formative assessment (collect information / feedback on how learning is progressing). We will from now on only talk about formative assessment.

Summative assessment is any task or activity that results in a mark or grade which is used as judgement on student performance (Irons, 2008). This is often referred to as ‘assessment of learning’. The focus of summative assessment is judgement on student performance in such a way that this can be recorded and presented for others, often as a grade. These activities provide a snapshot of students’ understanding at the time of the assessment.

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Formative assessment�Collect information on their learning progress

Goals and objectives
Prior knowledge
Mental models
Frequent mistakes
Ability to perform a task

Image from: Ken Whytock, Flickr

Formative assessment: collect information about learners' on their learning process

What information are we collecting?

Goals and objectives

Are learners’ goals and objectives are aligned to the course's goals and outcomes?

Prior knowledge

Which knowledge gaps need to be filled before moving on

Mental models

whether their mental models are correct

Frequent mistakes

which types of mistakes need special attention

Ability to perform a task

if they are able to apply what they learned

Quote: “When implemented well, formative assessment can effectively double the speed of student learning” Dylan William, 2007

[mention studies that confirm this - check Hattie, J. (2008). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.]

Formative Assessment is any task or activity that produces feedback for students about their learning in a course. It typically does not contribute to the grade in a course (Irons, 2008). This is often referred to as ‘assessment for learning’. The focus of formative assessment is on student learning. These activities provide students a chance to check their understanding of concepts, reflect on these understandings, and identify areas they may need to clarify in the course

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Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement (Hattie, 2008)

Reversal

Developmental

Average teacher effects

Zone of enhanced

achievement

1.2

-0.2

-0

0.2

0.4

Treatment: Feedback

d=0.73

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Break

10 min

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Challenge 4.2�Formative Assessment

�

Group Activity �⏰ 5 min

Now, discuss how you could collect information on learners’�

Goals and objectives
Mental models
Frequent mistakes

�Write it in the Shared notes

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Challenge 4.3

Multiple Choice Questions and mental model

⏰ 3-5 min - individual

Choose each wrong answer and write down on the shares doc which misconception is associated with that wrong answer.

Q: what is 27 + 15 ?

42
32
312
33

https://carpentries.github.io/instructor-training/02-practice-learning/index.html

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Multiple Choice Questions and mental model

The correct answer is 42,

but each of the other answers provides valuable insight.

Q: what is 27 + 15 ?

42
32
312
33

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Formative assessment & feedback can be done in many ways

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Tools for Assessment

Google Forms

Mentimeter

Socrative

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in-class Assessment approach

Sticky notes

Zoom Reactions

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Shared notes

Output of group activities
Exercises
Opinions & Ideas & Comments & Thoughts
Questions & Answers

GDocs

Etherpad

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Asking questions & discussions

⏰ 3 min

Ask your students questions orally, or start an open discussion
You can also do it in the context of group work, have students discuss their group’s work
You can do brainstorming sessions. In which students are invited to spontaneously give their ideas.

Asking questions to learners and getting responses orally;
Asking questions and discussing in the contexxt of group work will also allow for it.

From wikipedia: Brainstorming is a group creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members.
In other words, brainstorming is a situation where a group of people meet to generate new ideas and solutions around a specific domain of interest by removing inhibitions. People are able to think more freely and they suggest as many spontaneous new ideas as possible. All the ideas are noted down without criticism and after the brainstorming session the ideas are evaluated.
Brainstorming should address a specific question; sessions addressing multiple questions are inefficient.

The brainstorming technique can be used to build a concept map as a group.

Using brainstorming and discussions;

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Group activities

solve problems in groups
do exercises in front of the class
asking to describe the strategy they would adopt to solve a problem

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_Asking questions & discussions_

From wikipedia: Brainstorming is a group creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members.

In other words, brainstorming is a situation where a group of people meet to generate new ideas and solutions around a specific domain of interest by removing inhibitions. People are able to think more freely and they suggest as many spontaneous new ideas as possible. All the ideas are noted down without criticism and after the brainstorming session the ideas are evaluated.

Brainstorming should address a specific question; sessions addressing multiple questions are inefficient.

The brainstorming technique can be used to build a concept map as a group.

Using brainstorming and discussions;

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_Self assessment_

_Peer evaluation_

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Challenge 4.4

How to integrate the result of formative assessment / feedback in your course (5 min)

�Think about this course:

How we (instructors) assessed your learning - write it in the Shared notes
Choose one of the techniques to collect feedback given in the previous slides, and describe in the shared document how you can integrate the result in your lesson, on the fly

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Challenge 4.5

How frequent should formative assessment be? (2 min)

Take some notes for the short review afterwards.�

Think about this course: how many feedback opportunities have you had so far?
How frequent do you think formative feedback should be?

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	FORMATIVE	SUMMATIVE
PURPOSE	Gauge student learning and provide feedback	Evaluate overall achievement
TIMING	Throughout the learning process	At the end of an instructional period (unit, semester, year, etc)
FREQUENCY	Frequent and ongoing (daily, weekly, etc)	Infrequent, usually a few times a year
EXAMPLES	In-class discussions Weekly quizzes Polls Surveys Bell ringers Exit tickets Homework Group work Chat with students Self-assessments Peer assessments	Instructor-created exams Final essays Final presentations Final reports Final projects Portfolios State standardized tests National standardized tests (i.e. ACT/SAT)

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Feedback mechanisms�Teacher ⇄ Students

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Triangle - feedback about teacher’s efforts

Model developed by Alexia Cardona (2021)

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Learn and teach others how to give good feedback

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Giving good feedback

Be specific and constructive
Focus on behaviours and outcomes, not personal traits
Encourage reflection and action
Support shared goals and understanding

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Feedback types

FEEDFORWARD

FEEDBACK

FEEDUP

CURRENT LEVEL

TARGET LEVEL

Strategy to reach the target level

Gap between current performance and target level

⏰ 3 min��When we talk about feedback in education, it’s helpful to distinguish between three interconnected types: Feedup, Feedback, and Feedforward. Each plays a unique role in guiding learners toward success.

🎯 Feedup

Focuses on the target level: What are we aiming for?
It sets the learning goals and clarifies expectations.
Example: “By the end of this module, you should be able to analyze DNA sequencing data.”

🔍 Feedback

Focuses on the current level: Where is the learner now?
It identifies the gap between current performance and the target.
Example: “You’ve correctly identified the sequencing steps, I detect that you missed the error-checking phase.”

🚀 Feedforward

Focuses on how to close the gap: What strategies or actions will help the learner improve?
It’s future-oriented and supports progress.
Example: “Try using the checklist to ensure all sequencing steps are covered.”�

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What and how?	Effective feedback	Conditions
Feedback type: Feed UP Feed BACK Feed FORWARD Feedback levels: Task level Process level Metacognitive level Personal level	Frequent	Clear goals
	Immediate	Measurable goals
	Specific	Achievable and challenging goals
	Detailed	Quality instructions

What does not work:

Personal level feedback.

Example: you are really smart

What does work:

Task level feedback
Process level feedback
Metacognitive level feedback

⏰ 5 min��To make feedback truly effective, we need to understand both what we’re delivering and how we’re delivering it.

🧭 Types of Feedback

Feed UP: Clarifies the target level—what learners are aiming to achieve.
Feed BACK: Reflects on the current level—where learners are now.
Feed FORWARD: Offers strategies to close the gap and reach the target.

These three types work together to guide learners through their journey.

🧠 Levels of Feedback

Feedback can be delivered at different levels:

Task level: Focuses on correctness or quality of the work.
Process level: Addresses the strategies used to complete the task.
Metacognitive level: Encourages learners to reflect on their thinking and learning approach.
Personal level: Should be used cautiously—avoid vague praise or criticism that isn’t linked to learning.

✅ Conditions for Effective Feedback

To be impactful, feedback should be:

Frequent: Given regularly throughout the learning process.
Clear goals: Linked to specific learning outcomes.
Immediate: Delivered close to the learning moment.
Measurable goals: So progress can be tracked.
Specific: Focused on concrete actions or outcomes.
Achievable and challenging: Encouraging growth without overwhelming.
Detailed: Providing enough information to guide improvement.
Supported by quality instructions: So learners know how to act on it.

In short, effective feedback is intentional, structured, and learner-centered. It’s not just about pointing out what’s wrong—it’s about helping learners move forward with clarity and confidence.

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Feedback is hard

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Dealing with (bad) feedback �(received from trainees)

Humans focus more on negative feedback than on positive

you are not alone!

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Dealing with (bad) feedback �(received from trainees)

🌬️ Breathe deeply�
🧐 Try to see the point in the criticism;� Learn from it�
🚷Don’t take it personally �
ℹ️ Information is key;� Take time to consider it along other information

�Receiving difficult or unexpected feedback from trainees can be challenging—but it’s also an opportunity for growth.

Here are some strategies to help you respond constructively:

Breathe deeply: Pause before reacting. A calm response sets the tone for a thoughtful exchange.�
🧐 Try to see the point in the criticism: Even if it’s poorly delivered, there may be something valuable to learn. Ask yourself: What insight can I take from this?�
🚷 Don’t take it personally: Feedback is about the experience, not your worth. Stay objective and focus on improvement.�
ℹ️ Information is key: Take time to consider the feedback alongside other sources—such as peer input, self-reflection, or course evaluations.�

Also, remember:

Ask for clarification if something is unclear.
Look for patterns in feedback rather than isolated comments.
Use it to adjust your approach, materials, or delivery.

In short, feedback—even when tough—is a gift. It helps us become better trainers, more responsive educators, and stronger communicators.

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Good trainer & Effective training

(Complementing session 3)

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Good practices

Monitor what is happening to students’ learning

Constantly
Provide feedback on how to progress

Act upon to improve learning�
Collect feedback from students’

Learning
Course structure
etc�

Investigate when things do not proceed as planned or expected

⏰ 3 min��Being a good trainer goes beyond delivering content—it’s about being attentive, responsive, and reflective throughout the learning process.

Here are some key practices of effective trainers:

✅ Monitor students’ learning constantly: Pay attention to how learners are engaging, progressing, and responding to the material.
✅ Provide feedback on how to progress: Help learners understand what they’re doing well and where they can improve.
✅ Act upon feedback to improve learning: Use what you observe to adjust your teaching strategies and better support learners.

But it doesn’t stop there.

✅ Collect feedback from students: Ask for input on their learning experience, the course structure, and your teaching methods.
✅ Investigate when things don’t go as planned: If something feels off—low engagement, confusion, or unexpected outcomes—take time to explore why and adapt accordingly.

In short, good trainers create a dynamic learning environment where feedback flows both ways, and improvement is a shared goal.

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Other ways of course assessment:

Look at

Feedback from past sessions
Counter examples - contradictions
Repetitive patterns �(not at only one single answer)�

Review what they have effectively learned

Formative assessment
Summative assessment�

Consider your own experience of teaching�(Self-assessment)�
Discuss with colleagues and friends

�Assessment isn’t limited to tests or formal evaluations. There are many alternative ways to assess your performance that provide deeper insights and support continuous improvement.

Here are some valuable approaches:

Review feedback from past sessions: Look at what learners have said before—this can highlight strengths, gaps, and recurring issues.�Identify counter examples and contradictions: This helps assess critical thinking and depth of understanding.�Identify repetitive patterns: Don’t focus on a single answer—look for trends in behavior, responses, or misconceptions.�
Review what learners have effectively learned: Use both formative and summative assessments to track your progress and achievement in teaching.�
Reflect on your own teaching experience: Practice self-assessment to evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and why.�
Discuss with colleagues and friends: Peer input can offer fresh perspectives and help refine your approach.�

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Combining the 4 sessions

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Curriculum Design

- Nicholl’s cycle -

Legend

Inspired by: Via A, Palagi PM, Lindvall JM et al. Course design: Considerations for trainers – a Professional Guide. F1000Research 2020, 9:1377 doi: 10.7490/f1000research.1118395.1

Aligned with LEs?

Support progress towards LOs?

Supports LEs?

Promotes LOs?

LOs achievable by most learners?�Content, LEs & Assessments support LOs?

SMART

LEs aligned with LOs?

LOs

LEs

Content

Assessment

Evaluation

Confirmed

Denied

Proposition to move forward

Phase

Success

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8 Learning Principles

Principle P1: �Identities and stage of development matter for learning.�
Principle P2: �Students' prior knowledge can help or hinder learning.�
Principle P3:�How students organize knowledge influences how they learn.�
Principle P4: �Students motivation determines, directs and sustains what they learn.

�P1:

Students differ in many respects, such as age, gender, race, sexuality, socioeconomic status, ability, religious beliefs, and so on. While any of these is a learning disabilities they influence in a measurable ways (Lovett et al. 2023) the learning process. Students who have been stereotyped might spend energy trying to exert on them, taking energy away from learning. Students from different cultures might think and communicate in different ways impacting their ability to have their contributions recognized in full.

Teacher: You don’t need to know everyones background, rather you try to ensure not to behave as if all students came from our same background.

Who are my students? If that is our guiding question, and the starting point of our teaching that we approach with curiosity, empathy, and flexibility, it will show the students the powerful message that they belong in our course.

Additionally, the level of development will be linked with their autonomy, confidence and a sense they can handle challenges. Not challenged enough or too big of a challenge based on their development will also influence learning.

P2:

Prior knowledge can be accurate but insufficient, inappropriate for the specific class, thus distorting comprehension of new material or, completely inaccurate, resulting in a predisposition among students to “ignore, discount, or resist evidence” in conflict with their prior knowledge.

P3:

Generally, people organize knowledge “as a function of their experience. Their level of experience and knowledge will reflect in how they organize knowledge and their mental model (more about it soon).

Teacher: Recognizing the disparity between novice and expert will allow to provide appropriate schemes facilitating relevant learning.

P4:

Personal investment and desire will influence their motivation. The emotional relation with one or more parts of the process of learning.

Teacher: find strategies to increase motivation or at least not to demotivate. Example for learning coding: having to deal with huge excel files.

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8 Learning Principles

Principle P5: �Acquire, integrate and apply new skills to develop mastery�
Principle P6: �Enhance quality of learning combining�
Principle P7: �Learning is impacted by course climate �
Principle P8: �Students must learn to monitor and adjust�their approaches to learning

Goal-directed practice �+ �Targeted feedback

Social
Emotional
Intellectual

Become self-directed

�P5:

Mastery does not occur by listening a lot. e.g. to master a language you have to do more than just read and learn about that language.

1st- acquire component skills (e.g. learn grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation)

2nd Integrate (combine them in sentences)

3rd Apply that in new situations and contexts.

–Teacher: 1st not good idea to jump directly from a low level to a high level component.

2nd: Trainer “falls” into the “Expert blind spot”. When you fail to see the gaps in the previous knowledge and needs of the novice.

P6:

Teacher: Having small achievable goals i.e tasks are clearly connected to specific learning goals. Practice is focused not random.

Goals appropriately challenging. subtle increasing challenges will increase confidence and build up on knowledge.

Targeted feedback means specific feedback , i.e. pointing to the right directions, supporting different needs of students.

We will talk more about feedback in other sessions and specially in details in session 4.

P7:

Social, Emotional, Intellectual climate will influence learning. The social interactions in a course can facilitate or hinder learning, and sometimes it can be a complex environment where the trainer needs to take actions to facilitate this interactions. Emotional state, is sometimes beyond our power, however bullying, disrespect and sometimes just a student that wants to show-off can influence the process and requires our attention and intervention.

P8:

Become self-directed, when students learn how to monitor their own knowledge and skills and is able to plan ahead with self awareness to develop a task acknowledging weakness and strengths in in their skil/knowledge/appraoch

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6 Learning Strategies

Spaced practice		Spreads activities out over time
Interleaving		Switching between topics while teaching
Elaboration		Asking & explaining why and how …
Concrete examples		Illustrate abstract concepts with specific examples
Dual coding		Combining words with visuals
Retrieval practice		Activating memory bringing learned information back

Six strategies for effective learning based on evidence from cognitive research. The materials, which are both a book and a website and blog all which I highly recommend, are intended to teach about principles of learning and to provide teachers and students with flexible guiding principles to guide learning and studying.

There are good examples for all 6 strategies on the website and the blog.

Spacing:

Student perspective: Spaced practice is the exact opposite of cramming. When you cram, you study for a long, intense period of time close to an exam. When you space your learning, you take that same amount of study time, and spread it out across a much longer period of time. Doing it this way, that same amount of study time will produce more long-lasting learning. - vs studying last minute

Classroom perspective: Create break moments so that the content “sinks in”, “settles” … This way even intense- short courses can be more effective. Skipping brakes can easily lead students to fatigue and less effectiveness.

Interleaving:

Student perspective: You shouldn’t study one idea, topic, or type of problem for too long. Instead, you should change it up often. Especially good for problem-solving topics like bioinformatics. Then you should jump from one topic to another and go back to the previous one, with the aim of developing the connections among topics. - vs taking one exam at the time

Classroom perspective: Support your students in making connections. With fast evolving courses, such as the short-trainings of 2 days to one week creating connections will improve learning efficacy. Whenever the topic changes ask questions or give examples that will support the connections with previous or future topics.

Elaboration:

Student perspective: can be used to mean a lot of different things. It involves explaining and describing ideas with many details. Elaboration also involves making connections among ideas you are trying to learn and connecting the material to your own experiences, memories, and day-to-day life. - drawing concept maps, comparing topics, explaining with your words… owning an information

Classroom perspective: Summaries, concept maps, activities or questions of comparison or explaining will support elaboration, when students will need to access what they’ve learned and elaborate an idea, answer or analysis. This can also be supported by activities where students need to teach something to each other.

Concrete example:

Student perspective: Take an abstract concept and use real world examples to increase understanding, 2 examples are better than 1. - quantum physics through Schrödinger’s cat

Classroom perspective: Use examples whenever you can. If a concept is very abstract, examples will help creating the mental model or link to a known reference in the brain. Examples will also support the expansion of ideas, to increase the applicability of one or other tool for example.

Dual coding:

Student perspective: Dual coding is combining words and visuals such as pictures, diagrams, graphic organizers, and so on. The idea is to provide two different representations of the information, both visual and verbal. Adding visuals to a verbal description can make the presented ideas more concrete, and provides two ways of understanding the presented ideas. The visuals should be meaningful. - illustrations of organs and apparatus

Classroom perspective: Ask your students to create their own schemas and try to always include visuals in the presentation. The images will help the brain to link information, as much as when we ask students to write on paper that visual and muscle memory work together. When having a visual aid (Image + Text) combined with auditory stimuli can increase the attention span. People with dyslexia will benefit a lot of the image support. As said before, it needs to be meaningful and should not interfere in the text reading.

Retrieval practice:

Student perspective: concept maps are examples of a retrieval practice when you bring out knowledge/memories from long-term memory - cell at elementary school vs cell in high school

Classroom perspective: Creating connexion is key for memory and for learning. Use techniques, some of them mention before, that will activate “old” memories and promote links.

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7 Evidence Based Learning Principles

Principle P1: Students' prior knowledge can help or hinder learning.
Principle P2: How students organize knowledge influences how they learn and apply what they know.
Principle P3: Students motivation determines, directs and sustains what they do learn.
Principle P4: To develop mastery, students must acquire component skills, practice integrating them, and know when to apply what they have learned
Principle P5: Goal-directed practice coupled with targeted feedback enhances the quality of students' learning
Principle P6: Students' current level of development interacts with the social, emotional, and intellectual climate of the course to impact learning
Principle P7: To become self-directed learners, students must learn to monitor and adjust their approaches to learning

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Resources to learn more about how learning works

Principle P6: � Students' current level of development interacts with the social, emotional, and intellectual climate of the course to impact learning

Split into Principles P1 and P7� Identities and stage of development matter for learning

Learning is impacted by course climate

New

�Here are some of the resources this Session is built from. These are books proposing principles and strategies for smart teaching and effective learning.

We will present a few principles and strategies later in this session.

Susan Ambrose book on How learning works and the 7 evidence based learning principles https://www.academia.edu/6743627/How_Learning_Works_Seven_Research_Based_Principles_for_Smart_Teaching_Susan_A_Ambrose_Michael_W_Bridges_Michele_DiPietro_Marsha_C_Lovett_Marie_K_Norman_with_a_Foreword_by_Richard_E_Mayer
How Learning Works: Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching, 2nd Edition Marsha C. Lovett, Michael W. Bridges, Michele DiPietro, Susan A. Ambrose, Marie K. Norman
Weinstein Y and Sumeracki M. Understanding how we learn - Six strategies for effective learning based on evidence from cognitive research. The materials, which are both a book and a website and blog all which we highly recommend, are intended to teach about the six strategies of learning and to provide teachers and students with flexible guiding principles to guide learning and studying.

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Challenge 4.6

Example

Principle 7: �To become self-directed learners, students must learn to assess the demands of the task, evaluate their own knowledge and skills, plan their approach, monitor their progress, and adjust their strategies as needed.

Be explicit in describing the task
Have students create their own plan

make it the central goal of the assignment

Have students do guided self-assessment
Guide students into their metacognitive processes

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Challenge 4.6

How do you see the 8 Principles of Learning now? (15 min)

Work in 3 groups of 3-4�

Carefully read the principles as a group

Each group will work on 2-3 principles (see Shared Google doc)

Discuss

what you would do as a teacher/instructor to facilitate learning according to the principle
which learning strategies you can use to facilitate learning

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Challenge 4.6

Example

Principle 2:�How students organise knowledge influences how they learn and apply what they know.

Possible teaching practices:

Teach learners about concept maps

How to build
How to use
how new concepts or facts fits in it

Explain it every time a new concept or fact is introduced
Reinforce the general overview

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Conclusion

The first step to become a better trainer is to attend this type of courses, most of all because it means you are asking yourself how to.

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Thank you

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