Active learning Revising class materials based on formal and - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Active learning Revising class materials based on formal and informal assessment of students’ learning Malgorzata Marciniak LaGuardia Community College CUNY IPDM, March 31, 2017

Abstract Active learning is described as a process where students engage actively in problem solving that promotes analysis and synthesis of the class topics. In the light of recent findings and publications, the active learning style of teaching is more efficient in STEM fields than the traditional lecturing style, where students listen passively.

Outline The presentation will include sample worksheets and description of methods of implementing them in the classroom. The most important aspect of this study presents motivations and methods of revising the worksheets based on formal and informal assessment of students’ learning.

Outline My talk from last year was about assessment of class worksheets, but I presented mainly the worksheets. This year I will present mainly the assessment. Since the prompts in the assessment address not only class worksheets, but all class modules, I will present the assessment first and then explain how it helped with designing and redesigning the class worksheets.

Motivation Faculty who teach developmental math classes often complain about students’ attitudes, math anxiety, and poor study skills. Since the first two issues have their roots deep within students’ past and may be difficult to address in a multicultural and heterogeneous classroom. I decided to focus my first assessment on study skills .

Motivation Believing that this quantitative as well as qualitative aspect of students’ accomplishments will create a topic for a sequence of reflective assignments that will support students’ success. At the same time, I hope that focusing on self- observation of study skills will distract students form subconsciously feeding their anxiety .

Justification In my understanding, anxiety can be formed when students repeatedly doubt their skills or give themselves negative feedback. Unfortunately, this is often the case when they study mathematics, since even a small distraction can cause mathematical errors. Repetitive negative feedback can then become a habit and disrupt students’ long term learning.

Justification An assessment that immediately follows the process of learning may modify any habit by generating another one that is more beneficial and certainly more encouraging. Thus instead of repeating in their heads “I am so terrible in math” students will make a list of topics they learned, then make a list of topics that they did not learn well, and at the end make plans for reviewing .

Implementation Study skills is a vast topic; thus narrowing it may be a good idea. It is strongly suggested in literature that the first assessment prepared by an inexperienced author should be as simple as possible. Following this suggestion, I decided to focus on immediate reflections after a lecture (class activity, etc.). Students are asked three basic questions about what they learned, what they did not learn, and what they should review. This assessment is supposed to direct students’ attention to the process of learning; in particular, to help students find what parts of the instruction are unclear and must be revisited.

Implementation The entire assignment fit on an index card and took only few minutes from class time. I wanted it to be a natural extension of the lecture, and not a new class module. I wanted the assessment to be mathematical and focused on the material that was just presented in class. Choice of lesson: During previous assessment, many students identified fractions to be the most difficult topic. Thus, I decided to use that topic for the next assessment hoping that the distinction between students understanding and misunderstanding will be clear.

Assessment � What did you learn today during class? This is positive thinking, and most students will feel good answering it, and this is the right place for this question to ease into the next one. � What parts of the presentation were less clear than others? Which may be easily forgotten, or caused some confusion in the past? These questions carry negative thinking and may be painful for some students. � What should you review? This question searches for solutions to issues discovered in question 2, easing the negative feelings from the previous question.

Assessment The feeling of energy in this assessment is presented as follows: uplifting, down-falling and again uplifting. This design helps students remain in balance with their energy. But it increases their awareness of what they are lacking. RIGHT BEFORE AND DURING THE ASSESSMENT I emphasized the importance of this work, asked for complete English sentences and clear writing. RIGHT AFTER AND DURING THE FOLLOW UP I thanked students for doing a good job with writing. Again, I indicated that I gained significant information from their work. DURING THE FOLLOW UP I pointed out how students’ writing changed my view of their learning.

Results and Benefits The intention of this assessment is to draw students’ attention towards their state of knowledge after the lesson. In particular, the celebrated “know what you don’t know” is hidden here among two innocently looking questions. Students answers contain particular mathematical topics and skills. Students use mathematical terminology in complete English sentences and at the same time are revisiting recent topics in their minds without getting into details of mathematical procedures. They only revisit “the feeling” of being more fluent or less fluent.

Results and Benefits I observed in class that after this assessment was provided in writing and repeated informally in speech, students began to communicate willingly and clearly about what they do not understand. It helped me direct the lecture into the topics that are particularly challenging for all students, not only those that speak up about it.

Summary The assessment helped me with revisions of the class assignments and can’t resist an impression that having it in class significantly improved the energy of the relationship among student and myself. It convinced students that I do care not only about the subject but about them. The assessment improved communication among students and myself, since students began pointing out unclear aspects of the presentation willingly and precisely.

MAT99 FRACTIONS NAME______________________ 5. Multiply the following fractions, 1. Simplify the following proper fractions: simplify your answers to lowest terms: �� a) − �� = � �� a) � ∙ � = �� b) �� = � �� b) �� ∙ � = 2. Convert the improper fractions to � ��� �� ∙ � = c) mixed numbers: �� a) − � = 6. Find the reciprocal of the given fraction �� � = b) � a) Reciprocal of − �� is _______ 3. Convert mixed numbers to improper � b) Reciprocal of �� is _______ fractions � a) 3 � = 7. Perform division and simply your answer � b) −2 � = �� � ÷ 2 = a) 4. Use prime factorization to simplify to �� b) 11 ÷ � = lowest terms ��� a) − ���� = �� �� � ÷ � = c) ��� b) ��� =

� �� 10. Add or subtract the fractions: d) �� ÷ � = � � a) �� + �� = �� ��� �� ÷ � = e) 8. Find the LCM of the given � � b) − � + � = numbers: a) LCM(12,20)= � � c) − � − � = b) LCM(15,35)= �� d) 1 + � = c) LCM(36,48)= � e) −2 + � = 9. Which fraction is greater? Circle the correct sign � f) −2 − � = � � a) � >< � � � � + � = g) � � b) − � >< − � � � h) − � + � = � � i) − � − � = � � c) − � >< − � � � j) �� − � = � � � >< d) � � � k) − �� + � =

what did you learn today (provide specific topics) 1 adding and subtracting fractions 2 how to add and subtract fractions 3 adding and subtracting fractions 4 how to add fractions 5 reciprocals 6 adding fractions 7 how to convert improper fractions to mixed numbers 8 easier way to simplify fractions 9 I learned how to deal with fractions 10 simplify fractions, add and subtract 11 multiply and divide fractions 12 learned how to solve some kind of fraction as +- x 13 divide fractions, addition fractions, subtract fraction, mixed number 14 how to solve few fractions 15 how to find LCM when adding and subtracting fractions 16 I learned that I remember simplifying fractions 17 reciprocal 18 fractions, LCM 19 I learned that my teacher doesn't really explain the equation or how to solve them 20 when dividing fractions, we need to keep, change, and flip 21 different way to solve fractions 22 fractions, we don't really focus on one topic