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"Sequencing is only important when there is a strong relationship among the topics of the course" (p. 431) "Theoretical analysis shows principles that elaborate on other principles (which provide more complexity and/or guidance on the same phenomena)" (p. 441-2) Elaboration can occur by answering several different kinds of questions, such as: What else happens? or What else can cause this? When does this cause have this effect? Which way (direction) do things change? Why do they change? How much do they change? (p. 442)  For heuristic tasks, the focus is on principles, guidelines, and/or causal models that experts use to decide what to do when (rather than using a set of steps) (p. 444) Epitomizing utilizes: a whole version of the task rather than a simpler component skill; a simple version of the task; a real-world version of the task (usually); and a fairly representative (typical or common) version of the task. (p. 444) subsequent elaboration shou

Some thoughts and background on Roger Schank's ideas about learning from case based reasoning. (Schank, R. C., Berman, T. R., & Macpherson, K. A. (1999) Learning by Doing. Instructional-design Theories and Models: A new paradigm of instructional theory  C. M. Reigeluth, ed. Volume 2. (161-181)) Schank says students should be taught how to do something. "When students learn how, they inevitably learn content knowledge in the service of accomplishing their task. Then, they know why they need to know something, and they know how to use the knowledge" (p. 165, Schank, 1999). "Students should learn content and skills in order to achieve goals that they find interesting and important and that relate to the subject matter" (p. 166). Expectation failure When something does not meet a person's expectations, it primes them for learning. If they don't care about the expectation failure, they won't remember or learn why the expectation failed. If th

This is an overview of Problem-Based Learning as outlined by Howard Barrows. (Barrows, H. S. (1996). Problem-based learning in medicine and beyond: A brief overview.  New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 1996 (68). 3-12. ) Reasons for the development of PBL: "Students were disenchanted and bored with their medical education because they were saturated by the vast amounts of information they had to absorb, much of which was perceived to have little relevance to medical practice" (p. 4, Barrows, 1996) Barrows believed that conventional instructional methods inhibit clinical reasoning ability in students. Basic characteristics of PBL: Student-centered Small student groups 5-9 individuals Each group has its own tutor Groups are shuffled after each curricular unit Teachers are facilitators/guides No lecture Doesn't provide "factual information" Tutor asks questions in the way the student should ask themselves questions They model the self-dire

I found this article with some tips on grant writing. A few thoughts from the article seemed worthy of sharing: "You might be a good writer, but if you can't attract the attention of the person who is making the award decision, then your words will be useless," said Bellew. "You really have to be able to paint a picture and create a story around your school's needs, and in a way that matches what the awarding organization wants to accomplish." And: "I spend hours poring over the grants that are available out there, and finding ways to match them up to the districts' needs," said Bellew, "and figuring out how to make the money stretch across multiple initiatives." I like this: Bellew makes up a grant calendar that she uses to track available grants, record grant submissions and document both successes and failures. I have not been great at tracking things in my life. I do OK, but I get the impression that those who are able to keep

Rapid Prototyping You have to do at least five to consider it a prototype They should be inexpensive, fast, multiple Contractual checkoffs Check off points should be put into the contract to protect yourself They allow you to say: I need your input here -- if we don't get it and are late, it's your fault I can't stay on schedule, I can't be held responsible if you don't stay on schedule by meeting your part of the process They are meant to limit scope creep by giving you an out: "That's not in the contract. We can do it, but it will cost you more and will take longer." Subject Matter Expert will likely be the biggest slow-up

The presenter of our department seminar had just finished his presentation and opened up to the attendees for questions. A member of the audience asked: "So, what?" It rankled a little. By that one phrase, the presenter's entire discourse had been undermined and called into question. He felt obligated to justify his ideas over again as though the fact that his prominence in the field and the fact that he had been an invited speaker did not warrant a fundamental respect, a respect that would acknowledge that what he had said had merit at some level. I had recently heard of a professor in the past who tended to ask "so, what?" of virtually every presenter at the department's seminar. It didn't sit well with me then and I had been ruminating on the idea, trying to decide why it bothered me so much. Then I heard it happen in my presence. I think it rankles because asking "so, what?" is a cheap shot -- unsophisticated and condescending. The cr

Victor Hugo in Les Miserables says this (only in French; this translation by Isabel Florence Hapgood) "... people have already begun to understand that, if there can be force in a boiler, there can be no force except in the brain; in other words, that which leads and drags on the world, is not locomotives, but ideas. Harness locomotives to ideas,—that is well done; but do not mistake the horse for the rider." I suspect many times we want the technology to do the teaching or to find answers in technological solutions. But the technology should only be harnessed to drive some other greater and more profound purpose. Unfortunately, I think we sometimes ignore a look at what that purpose is. It seems like many agencies think a large GDP is the end goal. Or simply that we're better than everyone else in the world. That's a pretty dismal way to look at success. I pine for something more. What is education supposed to do for you? For me? For the American Child?

Introduction Self-efficacy theory is concerned with specifics. In any given situation, it can be used to understand why a person undertakes a task, why they persevere in the task (or not), and to offer ways individuals can “exercise some influence over how they live their lives” (p. 10). Individuals develop a sense of self efficacy for myriad aspects of their lives on a continuing basis. They assimilate data from four main sources for their efficacious self concept, namely, enactive mastery events, verbal persuasion, vicarious experience, and physiological cues. As individuals interpret and internalize the meanings they attribute to the data from these sources, their sense of self efficacy increases or diminishes for any given task based on that interpretation. Nature of efficacy Theoretically, as these efficacies are internalized, they become strong predictors of performance. In general, as a person's sense of efficacy for a specific task increases, they are more likely to enga

While working on a literature review, I stumbled on a little article by Lisa Lucas in the The National Teaching and Learning Forum that I want to remember. It has two tips for maintaining engagement in a classroom. First, "intentional closure." By that, the author means wrapping up a class in a way that makes the student try to glean the essential meaning and important points from the class. To do this, Lucas suggests having students write down two questions that try to get at the important points of the class. The questions will be used at the beginning of the following class period to help students recall and reengage in the subject. By letting the students know they will have to write questions at the end of each period, the students become more engaged and take better notes on the subject matter. Second, "writing responses." Rather than asking questions and having students raise their hands to answer (which often leads to awkward silence), Lucas will ask t