The following are faculty-authored excerpts from the Outcomes Assessment
Advisory Committee’s publication Innovative Instructional Techniques:
Focus on Critical and Creative Thinking (2000). For a copy of the complete
booklet, contact Maureen McLaughlin at mmclaughlin@po-box.esu.edu.
Debate Exercises
Debate
exercises
can be very useful when teaching public communication skills, reasoning
and argument, the use of evidence, and organizational clarity. They can
also be used to teach content material, problem solving, multiple perspectives,
values analysis, case studies, and political processes. Debates can be
adapted to various classroom contexts, are enjoyable for students, are
active learning tools, and because they are performances in front of peers
tend to create a high level of student motivation.
In
a typical debate, students are divided into an even number of teams and
each team is paired with an opposing team. The "affirmative" team in each
pair (the team arguing for change from the status quo) should be given
a clear goal for the debate (i.e. "Argue for perspective A on this issue"
or "Persuade the audience that they should accept solution B in this situation").
The "negative" team in each pair then argues against change, reasoning
that the status quo should only be abandoned in the face of very compelling
arguments. The students should be given appropriate instruction in gathering
evidence, evaluating evidence, and creating reasonable and articulate arguments.
Teams can prepare their cases during or outside of class, depending upon
the needs of the course.
The
actual debates typically begin with four longer "constructive speeches"
in which primary arguments are made in the following order: affirmative,
negative, affirmative, negative. Following each of these speeches the opposing
team is given a relatively short period of time to "cross-examine"--to
ask questions, seek clarification and interrogate concerning sources, arguments,
and so forth. Following the constructives and cross-examinations (and sometimes
a short break), four shorter "rebuttal speeches" are delivered. In these
speeches, arguments and sources previously discussed in the debate are
reviewed, revised, questioned, dissected, rejected, reaffirmed, etc. Following
the debate, class discussion is useful to help the students understand
which issues were clearly developed and which were not. Faculty may serve
as judges to provide this commentary and/or may ask other students to serve
in this capacity. Who "wins" or "loses" this exercise is less important
than the practical experience gained and critical thinking used in the
"clash" of issues that results from a well-performed debate.
I
use debates in a variety of courses. In survey courses I typically provide
a case study that includes a problem/question and a set of statements to
be used as evidence. Students are then able to learn the debate format
and develop an appreciation of its features without investing a huge amount
of time. Later I ask them to debate some significant communication-related
issue in teams and they are responsible for collecting research data using
the library. During one class a few years ago the students argued for and
against the claim that "Television ratings violate free speech." This resulted
in a very exciting, interesting, and (sometimes) well-argued set of debates
concerning ratings systems generally, the television "V-chip" specifically,
government regulation of free enterprise, the moral and social responsibilities
of television broadcasters, the nature of free speech, and other topics.
Glenn Geiser-Getz
Department of Communication Studies
Distance Learning in Chemistry
While
there are many possibilities for integrating distance learning and chemistry,
this technique uses on-line Internet assessments through the State System
of Higher Education. By using the distance education server, nursing students
are complete pre-laboratory quizzes on the experiment of the week. This
way, students activate their background knowledge, know the material, and
understand application prior to participating in the lab experiment. This
enables the nursing students to gain command of skills and terms prior
to participating in the classroom learning experience. This process is
continually evolving and the students also give feedback on the process.
Sharmaine Cady
Chemistry Department
Group Analysis: Case Study
The
group
analysis is a formative assessment activity that is used as an alternative
to what might be called a midterm exam. It is an opportunity for groups
of students to show understanding and mastery of the theories studied in
the first part of the semester. It should demonstrate mastery of application
of the theories.
Students
have opportunities in class over an eight-week period to meet with their
groups to work on this project. They also do some work outside of class.
The group analysis is evaluated according to the criteria on an evaluation
rubric. Because it is a group project, part of the evaluation concerns
the group process. A summative (final) evaluation occurs at the end of
the eight weeks. Formative (ongoing assessment and help) occurs throughout
the eight weeks.
Each
group writes a scenario that clearly demonstrates an understanding of the
following ideas studied in class:
·Stage
theories of cognitive development, psychosocial development, and moral
development
·Current
theories of intelligence
·Elements
and issues of diversity
·Rights,
responsibilities and needs of special education students
·Motivation
The
scenario students create focuses on what happens in a classroom involving
the teacher(s) and students(s). It is written as a story/case study/slice-of-life.
It is presented in a split page format with the story on one side and the
theory it demonstrates on the other. Samples are shared before the groups
begin their projects.
Patricia Smeaton
Professional and Secondary Education
Job Search Survey
The
job search survey is an informal poll of class participants I have used
to make a point about ways in which people (including student in transition
from school to adulthood) find jobs. First, I divide the group into smaller
groups of 3-5 students, depending on the class size. Then, I ask each group
to
(1)
have each group member list every job that he or she has held and (2) next
to each job, have each group member describe how s/he found the job (i.e.,
through want ads, job fair, family, etc.)
Within
each small group, have members compare experiences about the ways in which
they found jobs.
The
small group members then list the approaches to finding jobs that they
discussed and calculate the total number of times that their group used
each approach successfully.
After
the smaller groups complete these steps, add up the total number of times
that each strategy for finding a job was used by members of the class.
Each
time that I have used this strategy, the informal survey totals clearly
illustrate that people are far more likely to find jobs through family
and friends than through other approaches. This reinforces the importance
of close family involvement during the transition process, particularly
for subsequent employment success. Also, because it reflects the collective
experiences of the class, it is more compelling than simply reading about
the importance of family/friend connections in finding employment.
Daniel Steere
Department of Special Education
Knots on a Counting Rope
Rather
than lecture about the use of storytelling in the classroom, I choose to
weave the Native American tradition of tying knots on a counting rope.
On the first night of class, each student receives five feet of flexible
twine, which I purchase at a local craft store. The first night I have
students tell the story of how they got their names, and they tie a knot
in their twine to remind them of that story. The stories are incredible!
Each
week the students write or tell a story related to the content of the day’s
lesson. Each class they tie a new knot. At the end of the 15 weeks, the
students have a ball of twine that has 15 equidistant knots in it to remind
them of the content of the course. They then unwind their ball of twine
to see if they can repeat the key events of the course in the same way
that a Native American would unwind his/her life. One semester we were
particularly fortunate to have a Native American student in class who modeled
for us the actual experience, as he shared his boyhood counting rope.
To serve as a catalyst
for discussions of controversial content such as, racism, sexism, and homosexuality,
I read a number of children’s books that dealt with ethnical issues or
critical passages in a person’s life. The stories capture the spirit of
the issue and allow us to quickly get to the heart of the controversy.
The culminating story is Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin
Jr. and John Archambault that illustrates the value of storytelling to
maintain a rich cultural heritage. At the conclusion of the course, the
students share with me the benefits of storytelling in the classroom without
one single lecture moment from me. In their evaluations of the course,
the most frequent comments are that this course challenged them to make
connections—to the content and to each other.
Faith Waters
Professional and Secondary Education
Learning Logs
Learning
logs serve as a primary tool for learning and allow students to reflect
upon their own learning. They chronicle and provide evidence of participation
in the activities of the specific course. Also, they highlight what is
important to the students and also what the student understands. Finally,
they demonstrate how the student connects and incorporates important information
and concepts from the course with personal experience.
Learning
logs are unique to each student because of prior experiences, interests,
and learning styles. The nature of the entries often changes as the semester
progresses.
When
creating learning logs, students should consider these guidelines:
·Learning
Log entries should include in your own words a description/explanation/summary/synthesis
of the information/concepts/experiences/events to which you are reacting.
Some questions to consider are:
-
What stood out for you?
-
What did you learn from this?
-
How did your thinking change?
-
What was not clear to you? Why?
-
What would you like more information on?
-
What questions would you like to have answered?
·Learning
Log entries also should include your personal interpretations and opinions
on the information as well as any personal or professional applications
that seem pertinent. Some questions to consider are:
-
With what do you agree/disagree? Why?
-
How were you affected by this? Why?
-
Of what importance is this to you personally? As a teacher?
Learning
logs are evaluated by using a scoring rubric. A copy of the rubric can
be found in the Appendix.
Jesse Moore
Reading Department
Modeling Cycle
The modeling
or learning cycle has three phases: exploration, explanation, and application.
This model provides students with the opportunity to make first-hand observations
about a phenomenon or problem prior to learning about it. Prior to explaining
new concepts, developing new relationships, defining any new terms or identifying
any methods for solving problems, students have a chance to explore the
phenomena or problem and make their own judgements.
Usually,
a lesson cycles through each phase. In the physics course, however, I go
through the learning cycle on a weekly (rather than daily) basis. Each
week I focus on a particular concept I want the students to develop. At
the first meeting of the week, I provide them with a puzzle and some equipment
that allows them to investigate the particular puzzle (the exploration
phase of the learning cycle). For example, if the topic were the physics
of capacitors, I would provide students with a circuit containing capacitors,
resistors, lights, etc., and ask them to identify possible uses for capacitors
by investigating its properties. The students, without knowing what capacitors
are, start doing different experiments (usually with some guidance from
me) in their investigation. After identifying a possible purpose of the
capacitor and some of its properties, I then assign some readings and go
over the readings during the following class period (this would be the
explanation phase of the learning cycle).
There
is one main disadvantage to this method. Devoting a class period to such
an investigation takes away time from my lecture. To address this, I have
published a study guide that guides the students through the readings.
I also ask students to e-mail questions about the readings to me. I review
the questions before class so that I can address them during class. I hope
that this activity helps focus students’ attention when they read the material
and gives them some incentive to read the material before class. I've also
designed some lab activities the same way. That is, I ask the students
to investigate a phenomenon during the first part of the lab and then explain
the phenomenon in the latter part of the lab rather than visa-versa.
I
also use the method in the Teaching of Science class although I cycle through
the learning cycle over a longer time period. For example, rather than
introducing methods of teaching science and then asking course participants
to practice, I first have them teach each other using whatever methods
they wish. The participants then reflect upon the lessons and identify
possible weaknesses in their teaching. I introduce methods that can address
those weaknesses. It takes at least two weeks to have them make presentations
(exploration) and reflect upon them (explanation) so that they are ready
to consider and implement any new methods I may want to introduce (application).
Robert Cohen
Physics Department
PAR – Prepare, Activate, Remember
“PAR for the Course”
(Miller, 1998) is comprehension strategy similar to SQ3R but less cumbersome
and time-consuming. The components are as follows:
Prepare
– Read the title and introduction to the chapter. Think about any knowledge
or experience you have had with this topic. Turn to the back of the chapter
and read the summary and any questions.
Activate
your mind (If you are not thinking about what you are reading, you are
merely exercising your eyes) while you read the chapter one section at
a time. Break the chapter down into “chunks” based on the headings or sub-headings.
Remember
– Actively read one section then look away and review what you remember;
take notes in the margins or in a notebook on the important points you
remember. Go on to the next section and repeat the process. If you reach
a point where you no longer remember anything when you review, stop reading
and take a break.
I
demonstrate this technique to students who have comprehension difficulties.
In addition, I present this technique as part of tutor training so that
tutors can use it directly with content textbooks.
Edith F. Miller
Department of Academic Enrichment and Learning
Press Conference
The
press conference (McLaughlin, 2000) is an inquiry-based activity that promotes
research and oral communication in all content areas. Students begin by
perusing newspapers, magazines, or selected sites on the Internet to find
current news about a course-related topic. For example, a student in a
science course might choose to hold a press conference about the most recent
developments in cloning or the newly announced repercussions of global
warming. After reading a series of articles about a particular topic, students
focus on essential points, raise questions, and reflect on personal insights.
Then the students hold the press conference The students present an informal
summary of what they have learned to a small group of classmates or the
entire class. Members of the audience raise questions and the student-researchers
respond based on what they have learned from their readings.
The
press conference can be presented by individuals or pairs of students.
This activity promotes students’ awareness of current developments in their
field of study, encourages the use of technology, and hones research skills.
Topics of press conferences also frequently become the focus of more in-depth
research projects.
Maureen McLaughlin
Reading Department
Public Forums
Public
forums provide information about current topics, encourage critical thinking,
and foster the exchange of ideas. This technique can be used in any content
area.
To
sponsor a forum, focus on an issue of public interest. Then organize a
panel of experts, develop meaningful questions to stimulate participation,
and advertise widely.
In a recent public forum, the professors
from the Political Science Department addressed the presidential primary
election. Issues discussed included the following:
·Should
Democrats vote in the Republican primary?
·How
will the primary affect the general election?
·What
role has the media played in the primary?
·What
role has money played in the primary?
·Will
Pennsylvania matter?
In
addition to discussing these topics, the panel also entertained issues
raised by audience members and assured time for student input.
Merlyn J. Clarke, Patricia Crotty,
Samuel E. Quainoo, Ronald Gelleny,
Kenneth Mash
Political Science Department
Recipe Writing as a Review Technique
When studying
effective practices that students may implement or be part of when they
become teachers, it is important to include identified key components with
varying degrees of implementation. Students need to be able to use these
practices in teaching as well as advocate for their use in an effective
manner.
A
fun and creative way to help students remember and relate the essential
content of these practices is to have them create recipes. Students are
put into groups and asked to write a recipe for an effective practice (such
as inclusion, collaboration, co-teaching, direct instruction) that contains
each of the key components of the practice (ingredients); prioritizes the
importance of each component (the amount of each ingredient); and describes
how the components interact and result in an effective practice (mixing,
cooking instruction).
Students
often display their knowledge in a humorous manner as well as share a mnemonic
device to help remember the new information. This is an effective review
technique for multi-dimensional concepts.
Diane P. Cavanagh
Department of Special Education
Scavenger Hunt
A
scavenger hunt will involve students kinesthetically and help them see
real-life applications. To use this strategy, the professor can send students
on a well-planned hunt to find objects related to the content that is being
taught.
Students
can use the classroom, the university, and/or their homes. They can work
individually or with others to locate appropriate objects. For example,
they could look for singular objects such as something representing a sine
function, an example of Vygotsky’s theory, a current result of D-Day, etc.
Or the hunt could be topical, for example the following list is part of
a hunt that was a semester review activity for an Inclusionary Practices
class:
1.A
representation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
2.Red
tape, rules, tradition… how do we manage?
3.It
stretches, it can sing, it binds them together.
4.It
accommodates different levels.
5.Justice
6.Something
that shows you value differences.
Teri Burcroff
Department of Special Education
Patricia Smeaton
Professional and Secondary Education
Faith Waters
Professional and Secondary Education
Student Constructed Rubrics
I
teach my students about the concept of rubrics, the development of rubrics,
and their utility in the classroom. As the students are learning the key
elements of this concept, they are literally developing the rubric, which
will be used in their assessment for their group project. Each cooperative
learning group develops a rubric, and passes it to the other groups for
review and discussion. Through this refinement process, the final rubric
that the students will use is created.
This technique
has been well received because it has put meaning behind the concept of
rubrics and encouraged student ownership of learning. The actual development
of the rubric has emerged as an authentic learning experience. When the
rubric is competed, the students display particular interest in its use
for both self and peer evaluation.
Gina Scala
Special Education Department
Transparency Talk
The
transparency
talk is a technique that can be used to facilitate more active learning
in the classroom. Students first read a specified number of chapters
in a textbook or a number of articles related to the topic of study. The
professor then randomly places the students into groups of three or four
and provides a blank overhead transparency and an erasable marking pen
for each group. Next, each group summarizes its chapter or article on the
transparency. The use of illustrations or other graphics should be encouraged.
When
this part of the task is completed, each group comes to the front of the
classroom to present its transparency talk. Each group member is responsible
for explaining some of the information highlighted on the transparency.
When the presentation is completed, the other class members are invited
to comment or ask clarifying questions. This procedure continues until
all groups have presented their information.
This
technique is one way in which we can more fully engage our students in
the act of learning. It is an effective method of review and provides an
opportunity to assess students’ understanding of the texts they are assigned
to read.
Fred Fedorko
Reading Department
Writing Patterns – Pattern Books
Writing
patterns
– pattern books provide a structure for writing summaries, reports and
other informational texts. This technique is used after students have read
a text chapter or informational article. The goal is to use a structured
writing form (pattern from pattern book) to highlight specific concepts
from the reading.
The
following guidelines facilitate this strategy’s use:
·Read
the pattern book (or part of it) to the students.
·Model
how to overlay this pattern with the content they have read.
·Have
students work in groups to write their own pattern book highlighting the
specific content.
·Publish,
if time permits. (Students can make a quick folded or stapled book, or
just put their information on a blank transparency.)
·Share
patterned writings with the class.
Pattern
books that work well with this activity include the following:
The
Important Book
by Margaret Wise Brown is good for basic paragraph structure – topic sentence
and supporting details.
Animal
Fact/Animal Fable
by Seymour Simon has a guessing game format for factual information. Students
create statements and then offer support about why the statements are facts
or fables.
Fortunately
by Remy Charlip is good for listing advantages and disadvantages of a topic.
Alphabet
books also provide a viable pattern. Any books by Jerry Pallotta and T
is for Texas by Anne Bustard are examples of good models.
Example:
Here
is part of an alphabet book created after the students had read Reading
Without Nonsense , a university level text, by Frank Smith.
A
is for aim - don't aim for early mastery of reading rules
B
is for boredom - try to eliminate it from reading instruction
C
is for comprehension - crucial for reading success
D
is for dyslexia, quite literally being unable to read
E
is for eyes - because they have a limit on the amount of visual information
they can handle.
Mary Beth Allen
Reading Department