Frame for this Workshop Making the simple complicated is - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Frame for this Workshop Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity To be playful and serious at the same time is possible, in fact it defines the ideal mental condition . (John
(John Dewey, How We Think, p. 218)
us to do better)
to enhance performance
good thinking
integrated learning experience
“The best thing we can do, from the point of view of the brain and learning, is to teach our learners how to think” (Jenson, 1996, p.163) “Thought is the key to knowledge. Knowledge is discovered by thinking, analyzed by thinking,
assessed by thinking, and, most importantly, acquired by thinking”
(Paul, 1993 vii)
Debates about the relative merits of teaching content Vs process, transmission
rather than help effective pedagogy. For example, there is now virtual agreement among cognitive psychologists that effective thinking - however defined - needs an extensive and well organized knowledge base. As Resnick (1989) summarizes: Study after study shows that people who know more about a topic reason more profoundly about that topic than people who know little about it. (p.4) Similarly, Satinover (2001), drawing from recent brain research makes the case for the importance of repetition in the learning process: …these mundane chores are precisely what turns the fourth brain from a mass of randomness into a intellect of dazzling capacity. “Genius,” according to Thomas Edison, “is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent
Sight Hearing Touch Smell Taste
Executive Organizing Function
Limited Capacity 5-9 bits of information
E N V I R O N M E N T
Integrating –
Conscious, Subconscious & Unconscious
Long term memory is crucial for learning and the development of expertise. For example, Kircher et al (2006) point out: ...long term memory is now viewed as the central dominant structure of human
influenced by our long-term memory. (pp.3-4) Expert problem-solvers are able to draw on the vast knowledge bases in their long-term memory and quickly select the best approach and procedures for solving a given problem. Again Kircher et al: We are skillful in an area because our long-term memory contains huge amounts of information concerning that area. That information permits us to quickly recognize the characteristics of a situation and indicates to us, often unconsciously, what to do and how to do it. (p.4)
Clark & Lyons (2004) point out: …it is in working memory that active mental work, including learning, takes place. Working memory is the site of conscious thought and processing. (p.48) While there is limited capacity in the Working Memory system, enabling only a small amount of information to be attended to at any given time, the rich connections between the memory systems – both consciously and unconsciously – make possible seamless and highly effective cognitive activity.
capacity limitation
(Herber Simon)
Good intuitive judgements occur when experts have learned to recognize familiar elements in a new situation and act in appropriate manner to them.
“In schools, critical thinking has long been a buzz phrase. Educators pay lip service to its Importance, but few can tell me what they mean by the phrase
“For the most part, teachers haven’t been trained to teach students how to think.”
(xxiv) (Wagner, T., 2010, The Global Achievement Gap)
“... But the heart of this problem is our failure to define such terms as critical thinking, problem solving, metacognition, reasoning, and abstract thinking. Without adequate definition and training, teachers lack the knowledge and skills to teach and test for these desirable but elusive human qualities”
(Haladyna, T., 1997, Writing Test Items to Evaluate Higher Order Thinking, p.97)
I want good Thinking on this
This involves Critical Thinking – have I seen this problem before, what are the likely causes, what information do I need to clearly interpret what’s
Good thinking, what’s that?
related ‘habits of mind’ that need cultivation and practice over time - but it is achievable and will
Bloom’s original taxonomy, 1956 Anderson & Krathwohl, revised taxonomy, 2001
Metacognition
Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis
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What do we do when we generate possibilities?
Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis
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All creative products involve the combining of old ideas or elements in new ways
A product or response will be judged creative to the extent that it is novel, useful or a valuable response to the task at hand. (summarized from Amabile, 1996, p.35)
One dark foggy night in Halifax, as Percy Shaw was driving home, he saw two small green lights, very close together near the edge of the road. He was curious so he stopped and saw the ‘lights’ were a pair of cats eyes reflecting the light from his head lights. This triggered off his thinking, making some new connections in his brain – subsequently he invented a small device involving two marbles placed close together in a rubber casing; this would then be set in the road at intervals between the lanes of traffic.
After a year of experiments, Percy patented the invention and then, in 1935, formed his company, Reflecting Roadstuds Ltd. (That’s Innovation & Enterprise)
It all happens Inside the Head, it’s just a question of what’s in there, what you do with it and how Little in there, little desire and effort to keep making new neural connections - especially across knowledge areas – expect little by way of creativity Creativity results from conscious (and subconscious) neural restructuring that results in
(Adler, 1996, p.145)
To shift to a different frame will typically reframe one’s perspective and therefore, one’s meaning. And when we do this, our very world changes, which changes the sensory experience, hence how we feel
What do we do when we analyse?
Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis
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What do we do when we compare and contrast?
similarities and differences
are applicable
Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis
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What do we do when we make inferences and interpretations?
Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis
data
contradictions in data
data/information available
predictions
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What do we do when we evaluate?
evaluated
from which evaluation can be made
criteria
decision
Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis
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What are we doing when we are metacognitive?
manner (and the barriers to it)
are thinking
are thinking (including how our emotions and beliefs may be impacting the thinking process)
different ways of thinking as well as any useful learning strategies, tools and resources
Meta- cognition Comparison & Contrast Inference & Interpretation Evaluation Generating Possibilities Analysis
“To be properly metacognitive...students have to be realistically aware of their own cognitive resources in relation to the task demands, and then to plan, monitor, and control those resources”
(Biggs, 1987)
Metacognition plays a central role in learning by monitoring the quality of the
dispositions, as well as the choice and application of learning strategies and skills It operates at both conscious and sub/unconscious levels.
Inherent Design Features of Cognition
The mind is inherently ‘lazy’ when it comes to cognitive effort and typically relies on learned associations, rather that good thinking and empirical evidence. Furthermore, incoming information automatically passes through established neural networks – hence the brain will ensure that we perceive what we have learned to see.
Restricted Working Memory & Slow processing Speed
Despite Long Term Memory having unlimited capacity for information – Working Memory can only deal with around 7 bits of information at once. Furthermore, the actual processing speed of the brain is slow compared to its capacity and organising ability.
Personality Configurations, Emotions and Conflicting Neural Structures
Whether we like it or not, ‘intelligent design’ is highly questionable; the natural state of the mind is one of internal conflict and paradox
System 1 is a fast reflexive system, essential for survival and is the default system. However, it also results in rapid stereotypical/prejudicial judgements and action. It is the price we pay for this powerful survival system. This is what we typically use in everyday life. System 2 is a slow, analytic, reflective system, that explores the more objective factual elements of a situation, compares them with previously learned elements, and then responds. However, this requires self control, effort and time, which creates cognitive strain – and is inherently lazy.
(Willingham, 2009, p.3)
(Adler, 1996, p.145)
Edward De Bono
Old English saying (older than me anyway)
Far more neural filters project from our brain’s emotional centre into the logical/rational centres than the reverse Amygdala
Becomes the Default System when we are threatened Making judgements and decisions guided by feelings and likings, with little deliberation and reasoning is common – and referred to as the ‘Affect Heuristic’ by nobel prizewinner, Kahneman, 2012,
(Csikszentmihaly , 1990, p.119).
(Apter, 2001, p.33)
In basic terms this means that the types of thinking incorporated in the Learning Outcomes must be effectively taught through the Instructional Strategies used and accurately measured in the Assessment System.
Compare & contrast Analysis Inference & interpretation Evaluation Generating possibilities Metacognition
Real world applications
Specific types of thinking that underpin competent performance
towards real world activities or competency
underpin competent performance in these real world activities through COGNITIVE MODELING
In doing this it is useful to start by asking the question:
How does a highly competent person think in the effective execution of this activity? Example from a Business Law Module:
in the event of a breach of contract
contract
expected and the actual behaviour
interpretations concerning the behaviour
able to do as a result of completing the module – actual real world performances/activities
underpin competent performance in these real world activities through COGNITIVE MODELING
In doing this it is useful to start by asking the question:
How does a highly competent person think in the effective execution of this activity? Example: from Environmental Science
Managing Pollution
pollution in a range of contexts
concerning the effects of pollution in different situations
managing/reducing pollutants
Similar application for other main areas in module , e.g., Occupational Safety and Health
Step 1
able to do as a result of completing the module – actual real world performances/activities Step 2
underpin competent performance in these real world activities through COGNITIVE MODELING In doing this it is useful to start by asking the question: How does a highly competent person think in the effective execution of this activity? Example: Electrical Installation Design Use different types of wiring systems
device
EIB technology
Write in direct performance terms – focusing on: the Type of Thinking or Product Outcome
NOTE: Objectives can be written at different levels of specificity and contextualized accordingly – but the general concept of focusing on the desired performance applies
students through the range of cognitive operations for each type of thinking (Direct Instruction using the Language of Thinking: Making Thinking Visible)
thinking (e.g., “Lets compare & contrast these two diets”; What inferences and interpretations can be drawn from these data sources about the possible use of cloning in food production?”)
direct use of the types of thinking
good thinking and effective learning (e.g., persistence, managing impulsivity, openness, flexibility, attention to detail, good listening, humour)
Comment on these two proposed solutions Lets compare and contrast these two solutions....identify what is similar and different in each....then apply our understanding to some specific situations.... Do you think this is the best option? What do you think might have happened here? What’s this data about?
“...teachers have to make their own intellectual processes (their performances)
the otherwise invisible processes of thinking that underlie complex cognitive
Teachers have to articulate and demonstrate rather than assume the thought processes they want students to learn”
(Sheppard et al, 2009, p.188)
“We need to make thinking visible because it provides us with the information we as teachers need to plan opportunities that will take students’ learning to the next level and enable continued engagement with the ideas being explored. It is only when we understand what our students are thinking, feeling, and attending to that we can use that knowledge to further engage and support them in the process of understanding. Thus making students’ thinking visible becomes an ongoing component of effective teaching”
(Ritchhart, Church & Morrison, 2011, p.27)
(Anthony Robbins, 2001, pp.179-8)
Ellen Langer
infection in Asia?
programme?
1. Make students Aware of this distinctively human capability and how it works
important in learning and personal success
2. Build metacognitive thinking into specific learning activities (e.g., project work
identifying challenges faced in their learning and how they have gone about tackling these challenges
Moments’
thinking and learning
elements in a situation)
perception and thinking)
Note: thinking tools and techniques don’t do the thinking, they only provide a means for organizing your thinking
Metacognition Overview Feelings Own view Negative Logical Positive Optimistic Creative New ideas Mind Maps can promote all types of thinking as well as aid memory and learning
Facts only No opinions
PLUS MINUS INTERESTING
Equilibrium Forces driving change Forces resisting change
The objective is to move the balance to the right, which can be achieved by:
Current Situation Desired Situation
Potency: 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 :Potency
Forced Associations is a technique for linking another thinking pattern into the one we are presently using. We do this by selecting a random concrete noun from a different field and combining it with the problem under consideration. For example, we might be looking at ways to make lifts quicker. By choosing a random word ‘Mirror’ could lead to installing mirrors by lifts. As we know this is a popular solution for ‘slow lifts’. The lift doesn’t go faster, but people waiting don’t notice this as they look in the mirror.
PO involves making deliberately provocative statements, which seek to force thinking out of established patterns. Examples: “Everybody should go to prison” “Lets abolish schools” Having made a provocative statement, it is then necessary to suspend judgement and use the statement to generate ideas. For example, you can generate ideas by examining:
“Central to a pedagogy that seeks to promote the development of good thinking is the systematic use of well constructed and managed learning tasks that reflect real world activity and involve the use of specific types of thinking.
(Wasserman, 1993, p.20)
as they concentrate on the thoughtful application of knowledge in real life contexts
(John Dewey, 1916)
Once completed, the experiment should be written up in an appropriate format of approximately 2000 words. It should document the important stages of the experiment and compare and contrast the data found with existing findings on the Halo Effect.
Select a food product and design the packaging that you think will give it best marketability. You must be able to identify the product attributes, protection and enhancement needed to satisfy the functional and marketing requirements, and use suitable packaging material(s) and package type. The work produced should reflect the quality of your thinking in the following areas:
forms
have
For this step it is important to:
underpinning knowledge (e.g., central concepts, principles, procedures) and skills essential for understanding and performance in real world applications.
understanding and subsequent competence in these topic areas. For example, generating possibilities, analysis, comparison and contrast, inference and interpretation, evaluation, etc.
learning) that are important for competent performance in the identified areas.
It is important that the task:
identified from Step 1.
prior competence, access to resources, and time frames allocated.
– Identify the products of the task and what formats of presentation are acceptable (e.g. written report, learning materials, portfolio, oral presentation, etc) – Specify the parameters of the activity (e.g. time, length, areas to incorporate, individual/collaborative, how much choice is permitted, support provided, etc) – Cue the types of thinking and other desired process skills – Spell out all aspects of the assessment process and criteria.
Decide on the basis of level of Inference in making assessment decision analytic or holistic rubric – what’s the difference, and on what basis would you decide?
clearly visible and there is a widely established correct answer (e.g., conducting a fire drill, setting up an experiment) Here a Checklist is most appropriate
and/or more open to subjective judgement (e.g., creative writing, managing a team) Here a rating scale/scoring rubric is most appropriate A major challenge to test design is to produce tasks that require low inference scoring systems. Unfortunately, many worthwhile student
inference scoring.
– Holistic (focuses on overall assessment of a product, process or performance - without judging the component parts separately) – Analytic (assesses – scores – each individual ‘part’ of an assessment activity and then totals an overall score
Holistic rubrics enable a focus on the overall performance and are more economical in terms of assessment time. They are typically used for summative assessment and where some variation in reliability in parts of the assessment components can be accepted, provided the overall assessment decision has good validity and reliability. In contrast, analytic rubrics enable a greater focus on the specific elements of the areas of learning involved and make possible a much better utilization of formative assessment in the assessment process. This has considerable benefits, as Gibbs (2008) highlights: Research in schools has identified that the way that teachers provide and use feedback, and engage students with feedback, makes more difference to student performance than anything else that they can do in the classroom. (p.6)
– for example, in conducting an experiment one important operation is likely to be the generation of a viable hypothesis
performance for this procedure, process or operation
– in the above example, the following may be pertinent: A clear viable hypothesis is described
– this is likely to reflect its importance or level of complexity
Note: Checklists are most useful for low inference items –where the performance evidence is clearly agreed and there is little disagreement relating to effective or ineffective performance (e.g., observable steps)
Performance Areas/criteria: 1. The context of the experiment is accurately described 2. A clear viable hypothesis is presented 3. The method/procedure is appropriate 4. There is no infringement on persons 5. Findings are clearly collated and presented 6. Valid inferences and interpretations are drawn from the data and comparison is made with existing data 7. The write-up of the experiment meets required conventions
The allocation of marks for each performance area will reflect the weighting allocated in the Table of Specifications
(must relate to learning outcomes)
– for example, ‘Valid inferences and interpretations are drawn from the data and comparison is made with existing data’
for each performance area (preferably observable and measurable)
– Using the above example (attributes – concept, types of thinking)
very good to very poor
– for example, 5 = very good; 1 = very poor
Note: Rating Scales/Scoring Rubrics are most for useful for high inference items – where the performance evidence requires considerable professional judgement in making an assessment decision
Score Description 5 All valid inferences are derived from data. Interpretations are consistently logical given the data obtained. All essential similarities and differences with existing data are identified and their significance fully emphasized. 4 Most of the valid inferences are derived from data. Interpretations are mainly logical given the data obtained. Most essential similarities and differences with existing data are identified and their main significance emphasized. 3 Some valid inferences are derived from data. Some logical interpretations are made from data obtained. Some essential similarities and differences with existing data are identified and their significance partly established. 2 Few valid inferences are derived. Interpretation of findings are limited . Comparison and contrast with existing data is partial and its significance not established. 1 Failure to make valid inferences and interpretations.
– Hence, Understanding is not a type of thinking, but an outcome of good thinking – It cannot, therefore, be a precursor (lower order) of analysis, evaluation, etc