Tutorial Activities
Tutorial suggestions:
Below are suggestions that relate to the 2003 lecture.
Aim of lecture is to make connections with students – first years are starting from the known to the unknown. Attempting to uncover their thinking and their conceptualisation re learning.
Suggested topics for discussion:
Beliefs of learning. What is your belief of learning? Why? Do members of your tutorial group have different beliefs? What about your lecturer? Why?
Historical perspective of the belief of learning.
Why is this important to understand your beliefs and your students’ beliefs in the current context?
Define and give examples of ‘effective learning’. What does ‘effective’ mean? To you to your lecturer?
Under what circumstances does effective learning occur? Why?
Under what circumstance does effective learning not occur? Why?
Discuss the artificial environment – the school re learning
A few points for discussion re the school environment:
1.
One major contrast is that school places more emphasis on individual work than most other environments ????2. Everyday has a heavy use of tools to solve problems while at school it is ‘mental work’ ???
3. Abstract thinking is often emphasised in schools, whereas contextualised reasoning is often used in everyday settings eg ¾ of 2/3 of cheese solve. What about molasses – could he generate a new strategy for molasses or other liquids?
‘School should be less about preparation for life and more like life itself’ Do you agree? Why or why not?
Thus:
A major goal of schooling is to prepare students for flexible adoption to new problems and settings???
While time in task is necessary for learning, it is not sufficient for effective learning. Time spent learning for understanding has different consequences for transfer than time spent simply memorising facts or procedures from textbooks and lectures.
In order for learners to gain insight into their learning and their understanding, frequent feedback is critical; students need to monitor their learning and actively evaluate their strategies and their current levels of understanding. (Metacognition and reflection could be touched here if the interest arises.)
How will you create situations for metacognition, reflection?
Conceptual change reading if not already discussed (Poser and Strike, 1985)
Find additional references in the ‘resources’ section of the web site for all interested persons.
So much in one week but all simply a ‘taste’ towards deeper thinking and deeper understanding of the issue – ‘effective learning’.
Have fun.