LXF Flashcards
1
Q
Learning Experience Framework (LXF)
A
A collection of research-based principles about how people learn specifically tailored to creating effective and meaningful learning experiences within the 2U environment
2
Q
Cognitive process of learning
A
Learning happens when the brain process information to encode it as knowledge, helping the learner retrieve it later as needed.
Brain receives sensory info from surroundings –> processed in working memory –> (sometimes) brain stores that info in long-term memory
“Cognitive processing”
3
Q
Three types of cognitive processing
A
- Selecting: brain selects what info is important
- Organizing: creates mental models (or internal representations of how things work) to help organize the info
- Integrating: brain makes connections to what it already knows (schema) to integrate and store the new knowledge in long-term memory
4
Q
Three types of cognitive load
A
- Intrinsic load: base level of cognitive processing required for a particular learning event
- Extraneous load: cognitive processing that is unnecessary for a particular learning event. Generated by ineffective teaching methods. Can be reduced with effective design.
- Germane load: deep and productive cognitive processing required to organize and store knowledge in long-term memory. Should be promoted through effective design
5
Q
Three essential elements in the process of successful learning
A
- Feel: Students learn best when they are motivated and have the right attitude toward learning.
- Do: Students learn best when they learn by doing.
- Think: Students learn best when they think about what they are doing. This reflection impacts their ability to grow and improve.
6
Q
What is metacognition? Why is it important? How can you integrate metacognitive activities into coursework?
A
- “Thinking about thinking”
- Reflecting on and directing one’s own thinking
- Part of cognitive processing that helps learners learn better, particularly to assess the task, evaluate their own knowledge, plan their approach, apply strategies and monitor progress, and reflect on the success of their approach
- Enables opportunities for examination, correction, and reflection
- Doing think-alouds and asking questions in feedback
7
Q
Intrinsic Motivation: What is it, and why is it important to learning? How can you increase it?
A
People with intrinsic motivation engage in something for its own sake vs. an external reward.
ex) Student who chooses to learn because they are interested in a particular topic vs. student who wants to pass a class/avoid failing.
IM –> increased engagement with the learning process
Can increase IM by helping adult learners understand the immediate relevance or value to one’s future career
ex) Help speech therapy student understand that foundational knowledge of brain’s anatomy will help her diagnose and treat patients in the future. Can include recorded interview w/practicing speech therapist or role-play interaction w/peer
8
Q
Self-determination theory
A
Students are intrinsically motivate when they feel competence, relatedness, and autonomy.
9
Q
Competence: What is it? Part of what theory? How to help students feel it?
A
- Part of self-determination theory
- How capable people feel of mastery in their domain
- Motivating challenge: “hard fun”
- Feedback helps build feelings of competence. Provides evidence of success and guidance on what they need to do in order to succeed.
10
Q
Relatedness: What theory is it part of? What is it? How to build it?
A
- Part of self-determination theory
- How much people feel supported by and connected to others
- Build community through live sessions: supportive teacher, work w/peers
11
Q
Autonomy: part of what theory? What is it? How to build it?
A
- Part of self-determination theory
- how much choice and control the student has
- Tasks that allow for choice increase this
ex) students get to pick a topic or type of learning technology to use in a task
12
Q
Self-regulated learning: What is it? What are some example behaviors? How does it impact learning? How to build it?
A
- Students learn better when they take responsibility for their own learning
- Includes behaviors like taking ownership of tasks, timing, methods, planning (ex: setting appropriate schedule to complete paper over 2 weeks)
- Metacognition* helps students self-regulate their learning (journaling). What went well? What do they wish they had done differently the next time?
- Helping students understand why particular activities help them learn (ex: making explicit that self-testing > re-reading the textbook)
13
Q
Learning goals and mindsets: What are mastery-based goals? Why are they effective? What is growth mindset?
A
- Students learn more when they are focused on mastery rather than performance and when they believe they are capable of learning and growth.
- Mastery learning goals: focus a student on becoming better at a skill or acquiring more knowledge
- Mastery learning goals > performance
Ex) Student focused on learning more about history vs. student focused on getting an A - growth mindset > fixed mindset
- Growth Mindset: belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed. NOT fixed –> people believe they are more capable and can self-regulate more effectively
- Recognize/praise effort
14
Q
Instructional alignment: what are the 3 things that should be aligned?
A
- Learning objectives
- Assessments
- Instructional strategies
- students learn better when instructional strategies and assessments are aligned to clear learning objectives (harmonious)
15
Q
Learning objectives: What are they? What characteristics should they possess (3)?
A
- Describe the knowledge students should gain or skills they should have mastered by the end of a course [targets]
- Measurable: Need to clearly identify skill or behavior and criteria for success or failure so that we can evaluate the effectiveness of our course design
- Student-centered: SWBAT
- Relevant to professional setting
16
Q
Assessments: What are they? Why are they important? Is specific or normative criteria better?
A
- Tasks designed to determine students’ achievement/mastery of learning objective [ungraded/graded, formative/summative]
- Opportunities for learner to receive and incorporate feedback
- Way for instructor to gather info on student success to direct their teaching
- Specific criteria > normative (ex: grading on a curve)
17
Q
What qualities are important in designing assessments? Why are they important?
A
- Assessments should have appropriate, clear assessment criteria that are clearly aligned w/specific learning objectives (“specs”)
- FEEL: Helps increase intrinsic motivation. Students know exactly what they need to be able to do. Helps internalize feedback, increases self-regulation, and makes preparation more clear/easier. Helps growth mindset and mastery learning goals.
- Important to include clear, detailed specifications and instructions (ex: rubric)
- Authentic: realistic as possible to tasks/activities in future professional life
18
Q
Instructional strategies: what are they?
A
- Teaching and learning activities in a course aimed at catalyzing learning we hope to see
- ## Includes readings, lectures, practice opportunities, etc.
19
Q
Alignment
A
- Ensuring that assessments measure what is actually expected of students
- Ensuring that instruction teaches what students actually need to know (learning objectives)
20
Q
How do we avoid / reduce cognitive overload?
A
- Intentionally considering WHAT we ask student to learn and HOW we ask them to learn it
- Appropriate level of challenge + complexity: determined through pre-assessments
- Manageable segments (ex: videos under 6 min)
- Scaffolding
- Familiar learning sequence
- Course materials free of extraneous details w/signaling tactics to point out key elements
21
Q
Challenge & complexity: How does this help students learn?
A
- Students learn better when coursework progresses from simple to complex at an appropriate level of challenge
- Keeps intrinsic load at a manageable level
- Prevents cognitive overload and maintains motivation
22
Q
Zone of proximal development (ZPD)
A
- Zone that stretches learner to accomplish things w/help from instructor or more skilled peer
- Encourages growth and learning
- Scaffolding = key
23
Q
Scaffolding: What is it? Name several examples.
A
- Range of teaching techniques that can be used to help a learner progress through complex material and challenges
ex) Provide overview first and then break the info down into its parts, partially complete a problem, targeted vocabulary, sequence of increasingly complex activities w/opportunities for feedback, worksheets and organizers to guide thinking, models for students to emulate, hints or guiding questions throughout an activity
24
Q
Prior knowledge: Why is it helpful for learning? How can you include in courses?
A
- Learners find it easier to understand and retain new knowledge when they integrate it with what they already know
- Help students draw connections to existing knowledge/mental models by PRIMING the learners’ memories. Then learners can store new info for easy retrieval in long-term memory.
- Priming: draw connections to foundational, disciplinary courses. Draw connections to life experiences/relevant memories
- Surface misconceptions that may exist in current mental models
- Have students apply new knowledge in situations they already understand –> transfer
25
Learning Modalities: 4 different styles? How should learning modes be appropriate and realistic? Provide examples.
- Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic
- Students learn better when practice and instructional content are delivered in a MODE that is appropriate for their pedagogical needs
- Mode should match the outcome
ex) Showing a hands-on procedure in a video demo helps the learner understand better than presenting a text-based explanation alone
- Realistic/authentic to future career
ex) Provide text-based format that reflects patient charts for a nursing student
- Multimodal experience can lead to richer learning but also can create cognitive overload
- Use recommended best practices in design for that particular mode
- The Content or activity MUST MATCH THE MODE in order to be effective
26
Practice in context: Why is this important? Provide examples.
- Students learn better when knowledge and skills are presented and practiced in context
* Ideally mirrors/is authentic to the work that students will engage in as professionals in the field
- Should be messy like IRL
27
Transfer
Students use what they learn in a different situation or to solve a different problem
28
Desirable difficulties: What does this mean? Why is it important to learning? 4 strategies to achieve this?
- Students learn better when learning requires effort
- Strategies that feel harder (like self-testing) introduce difficulties that help promote long-term retention and transfer
- Ways to build: (1) Varied repetition, (2) Interleaving, (3) Spacing, (4) testing
29
Varied repetition: What is it? Provide an example. Why does it help learning?
- Gives learners practice applying the same knowledge/skills in different contexts/conditions
ex) data science student applies same visualization techniques with 3 different types of data sets
- Multiple retrieval cues --> harder initially but makes long-term access easier
30
Interleaving: what is it? How does it help learners?
- Mixing up practice on varied topics or skills vs. practicing in sequential blocks
- ABCBCACAB instead of aaabbbccc
- Improves adaptability and ability to handle new situations
- Helps learning last longer
31
Spacing: What is it? Name some examples. How to build it into 2U coursework?
- Studying or practicing skills intermittently with time b/w each study or practice session
Ex) Studying for a text over several weeks more effective vs. 1 night
Ex) Question sets and practice problems each week w/questions from the previous weeks' material
- Before, during, and after live session practice opportunities in 2U structure
32
Testing: How does it help students?
- Students learn better by testing themselves vs. reviewing instructional material
- testing effect/retrieval practice: focus on student trying to retrieve info from long-term memory rather than just recognizing info by seeing it again
33
Deliberate practice: What is it? How does it help learners? What conditions must be true in order for the practice time to be effective?
- Students learn from mindful, carefully planned practice with feedback - the opposite of mindless repetition
- Helps learners develop and refine their mental models and effectively and efficiently continue to improve
- Practice must be targeted on particular component of an activity at an appropriate level of challenge
- Immediate formative feedback provided and incorporated in further, repeated attempts
Ex) tennis player repeatedly practicing one part of swing w/corrective feedback from coach
34
Stories: How do they help students? Potential pitfalls?
- Stories make information easier to understand and easier to retain/remember. Makes abstract concepts more concrete.
- Case studies = professional stories that can highlight common misconceptions
- "Seductive details" that make story interesting but do not add to understanding can hinder learning and distract students
35
Examples: How do they help students?
- Examples make abstract content more concrete
- Multiple, varied examples
- Concreteness fading: start w/examples, have students point out similarities and differences, move into abstract discussion once students understand concept
36
Expert thinking: How does it help students? Common strategies? How to do this successfully?
- Students learn from exposure to how experts think about approaching problems and making decisions
- Make invisible thought processes visible through think-alouds / cognitive annotation
- Surface common errors/misconceptions
- Focus sharply on learning objective and expertise of audience
37
Formative feedback: What is it? How does it help students? Examples?
- Students learn better when they receive input that helps them gauge and improve their performance
- Clear, actionable, timely
- Focuses on things students can do or correct to improve their learning
Ex) low-stakes quizzes w/auto-generated answer key, peer-to-peer feedback or critique, class discussion
38
Social learning: why does it help students? Examples of how to integrate social learning into class?
- Students learn better when exposed to different perspectives by working together. Work together to build/"co-construct" knowledge
- Ex) peer tutoring, peer-to-peer feedback, discussion, debates, group work
- Helps students integrate others' perspectives and refine their own mental models
