Transcript Presentation

Using the Jigsaw Method
for Exam Reviews in
Introductory Statistics Classes
Jackie Miller
[email protected]
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Overview
• Introduction to the jigsaw method by example
• Where did the jigsaw method come from?
• How did the jigsaw method come to statistics at
OSU?
• How we use it for a midterm review
• Making it work
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Nobel Prize in Astronomy (Brant Hinrichs, Drury
University)
• Imagine that we are going to give a Nobel Prize
for Astronomy to one of four astronomers:
Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Ptolemy.
• If we have a class of 20 students, 5 students will
be assigned to a group for each astronomer.
• Each group (the “home” group) will study its
astronomer and build a case for why that
astronomer should win the Nobel Prize.
• This group work is done as an activity outside of
class.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Nobel Prize in Astronomy (Brant Hinrichs, Drury
University)
• In the next class meeting, one person from each
of the four astronomer groups will be assigned to
a new group—we now have 5 groups of 4
students (heterogeneous—each group has a
representative for each astronomer). These are
the “jigsaw” groups.
• Each group member presents to his group why
his astronomer should win the Nobel Prize.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Nobel Prize in Astronomy (Brant Hinrichs, Drury
University)
• The heterogeneous jigsaw group debates which
astronomer should win the Nobel Prize.
• The decision cannot be made without information
about each astronomer and it cannot be made
without healthy debate.
• Once each group has selected an astronomer to
win the Nobel Prize, the class comes together to
discuss the decisions of each group.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Why the Nobel Prize in Astronomy Example Works
• The decision each group makes about which
astronomer should win the Nobel Prize cannot be
made without the contribution of a student from
each astronomer group.
• If a student from an original astronomer group
does not understand why his astronomer should
win, he cannot make a good case for his
astronomer in his jigsaw group.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Why the Nobel Prize in Astronomy Example Works
• In this case, there is no wrong answer—it’s the
process of teaching and learning about the four
astronomers that is important.
• Teachers appreciate that teaching about a topic
helps you to understand the topic better. In this
example, the healthy discussion of which
astronomer should win in each jigsaw group
helps all students learn about each astronomer.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Where Did the Jigsaw Method Come From?
• The jigsaw method was developed by Aronson in
1971 (http://www.jigsaw.org/history.htm)
• It was developed “as a matter of absolute
necessity to help defuse an explosive situation”
post desegregation in Austin, TX.
• As Aronson says, “we realized that we needed to
shift the emphasis from a relentlessly competitive
atmosphere to a more cooperative one.”
• There is objective evidence that backs up the
success of the jigsaw method that Aronson
introduced.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
How Did the Jigsaw Method Come to Statistics at
OSU?
• Flashback: Spring 1996, The Ohio State
University, EDPL 851 (College Teaching)
• I learned about the jigsaw method in my College
Teaching course and thought that we could apply
it in some way in Stat 135 (Elementary Statistics).
• Dennis Pearl (course coordinator) agreed, and
the jigsaw method was introduced in Stat 135
• Sad admission: I had data from the Stat 135
implementation of the jigsaw and did not publish.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
How We Use the Jigsaw Method for Midterm
Review
• Stat 145 (Introduction to the Practice of
Statistics), the “typical” Stat 101 course
• A GTA who had worked with Stat 135 talked
about the jigsaw with other GTAs in Stat 145
when she came to teach the course.
• The GTAs were interested and developed a
midterm review for Stat 145.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
How We Use the Jigsaw Method for Midterm
Review
• Please refer to the pdf file with the exercises.
• These five exercises are copied onto colored paper to
indicate the “home” groups.
• Each home group works out an exercise and needs to be
ready to teach it to the people they will be matched with in a
jigsaw group.
• The jigsaw groups meet together (each jigsaw group will
have one person with each color of paper), and each
student teaches his exercise to the others.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
How We Use the Jigsaw Method for Midterm
Review – Advice on Implementation
• Make sure EVERY student is working with their group.
Students working on their own while sitting with a group
have an uncanny tendency to take incorrect work to the
group they are teaching.
• Have students start the second portion of the activity on the
problem their group thinks is hardest. This helps
individualize the activity to help as many students as
possible.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
How We Use the Jigsaw Method for Midterm
Review – Advice on Implementation
• It is a good idea to have a “filler” page with extra practice
questions since not all groups will take the same amount
of time in phase 1 of the activity.
• If there is a problem with multiple parts that build on each
other, keep an eye on the group early to make sure that
they are on the right track! It can save a lot of extra time
and work in the end.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
How We Use the Jigsaw Method for Midterm
Review – Advice on Implementation
• I like copying each problem on a different color page. That
way, during phase one, you know everyone is in the correct
group working on the correct problem with a single glance.
It speeds up checking students' work since you will
automatically know which problem the group is on by their
pages.
• Also, during phase 2, I think students can more easily refer
to the problems with the colors of paper than the Chapter 4,
Chapter 6, etc. problem. When I did this, I called the phase
1 groups the “color groups” and the phase two groups the
“number groups.”
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
How We Use the Jigsaw Method for Midterm
Review – Advice on Implementation
One last note: I tried to make sure (my second attempt at the
jigsaw) that all of the interpretation sentence were perfectly
correct. I found during the first attempt, that some of the
correct interpretations could easily get morphed into
something incorrect if they weren't perfect. (Otherwise, I worry
that something similar to a kid's game of “telephone” could
occur.)
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Making It Work – It Didn’t
• One of our GTAs said that “to be brutally honest,
[the] jigsaw never worked well for me” and
suggested that it might be better when learning
new material than when used as a review.
• This GTA also felt that the other two GTAs I
asked about the jigsaw had better success
(which they did).
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Making It Work – Success Story
• I think the most important thing is to really let the review be
student driven and as an instructor to play more of a
moderator/outside role. Your purpose in the jigsaw is to
answer questions and facilitate the group switches.
• Some of the TAs would have the students work on the
problems in their groups, check their answers, and then ask
each group to write their answers on the board. After that
they would switch and go over in more detail the problem
with their new group. This seemed to work for some
depending on the class.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Making It Work – Success Story
• However… the students should already know the material
and so it is better if you let them drive the review and what
they might need that day.
• The jigsaw works so well as a review because it allows the
students to teach each other and explain it in a language
students understand. I could stand up front and go over
formulas and do problems perfectly speaking stats speak
the entire time but on review day the students are better
served by being able to use their mnemonic devices and
things like “that p-hat thingy” which amazingly the other
students will understand.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Making It Work – Success Story
• The best part is that they can go about working on the
problems speaking the student language and we can make
sure that their stats language on the paper is correct as
well. When students study they study with other students,
not their professors... the jigsaw just allows for a more
controlled study environment.
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Making It Work – Instructions Sent to Stat 145 GTAs
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to give you all a quick rundown of how the final review
was made. The first five problems are for the “jigsaw” review,
where each of 5 groups does one problem, the TA checks all
problems, and then new groups are formed so that somebody who
did each problem is in each group and can teach their new group
mates about that problem. The true/false questions on the sixth page
are intended to be a “filler” activity for those groups who finish their
problem early. Good luck and I hope the review is helpful to you!
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
More Information:
http://www.jigsaw.org/
http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/jigsaws/what.html
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr324.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jigsaw_(teaching_techniq
ue)
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Using the Jigsaw Method for Exam Reviews
in Introductory Statistics Classes
Acknowledgments
• Anita Woolfolk Hoy and Nancy Zimpher (EDPL 851
instructors)
• Dennis Pearl—for letting me bring the jigsaw to Stat 135
• Nicole Dobmeier and Katie Thompson—Nicole for bringing
the jigsaw to Stat 145; both Katie and Nicole for developing
the midterm review (and the final exam review)
• Nicole Dobmeier, Erin Leatherman, and Katie Thompson
for feedback for this webinar—their wise words are found
on the pages of why and how the jigsaw works
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