Transcript Exercise - Getting Students Involved

Facilitating small group & EnquiryBased Learning;
workshop for postgraduates
Or ‘Help, I’ve got a tutorial group!’
Louise Goldring
CEEBL Student Engagement Officer
Frank Manista
CEEBL EBL Development Officer
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Aims of the workshop
• To understand and experience Enquiry-Based
Learning (EBL)
• To understand that EBL is ‘nothing new’
• To discuss some practical concerns about
applying EBL methods in your own small group
teaching
• [Not about designing EBL exercises]
Approach
• The best way to understand both EBL and
facilitation is to do it! We’ll learn about some of
the techniques by using them, going through the
EBL process and discussing the issues raised.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Part 1
Experiencing EBL in small
groups
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Ice breaker - Building on experience:
What do we already know?
• Introduce yourself to the table
– Include your name and discipline and why
you came today
– Share your top tip for motivating students
(this can be based on your experience as a
student or as a tutor)
• Using our existing knowledge base to build
confidence and assess what the group already
knows
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Ground rules
• Everyone contributes and listens to each other
• Everyone respects the person who is talking by
not interrupting
• No mobile phones – unless it’s an emergency
• Everyone participates in the exercises and stops
each exercise when asked
• The content is flexible – everyone is free to ask
questions at any point
• Others…?
Negotiating the ground rules is an important
starting point for small group work
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
‘What is EBL?’ activity
Aims: To discover what EBL is and be aware of the
breadth of examples.
Task: Imagine that you are a student and you have been
set the task (trigger) to answer the question ‘What is EBL?’
and explain it to others:
– In pairs, use your research from the CEEBL website
to outline your chosen example of EBL. What do they
have in common. How do they differ? (10 mins)
– At your table, share these ideas about what EBL is
and make notes to feedback. (10 mins)
– One person from each table report back to the room.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
• This technique is called ‘Think-Pair-Share’
– useful as an icebreaker to start
discussions
• Demonstrates the stage of collating and applying
information
• As it builds, the questions get deeper and
more reflective: Descriptive to analytical to
creative
• It demonstrates the value of starting from
existing knowledge of the group
– builds group’s confidence
– identifies the gaps
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Reflecting, or How’s it going so far?
Apart from what you’ve learnt about EBL itself:
• What processes and skills have we been using?...
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
The EBL process & skills wheel
FINAL
PRESENTATION
/SOLUTION
Problem solving,
verbal,
communication
Team working,
verbal,
negotiation,
critical
• Students
accept
responsibility
for own
learning
• Tutors
facilitate
Apply
what’s
been
learnt
Collate
research
5
Organisational,
leadership
Define
the
problem
6
REFLECT
7
Do
research
4
Research, time
management
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
skills
1
Identify
what’s
already
known
Allocate
tasks to
fill gaps
TOPIC
2
Analytical,
critical,
applying
existing
knowledge
3
Communication,
negotiation,
organisation
Goldring & Wood (2007) Postgraduate Facilitator’s Guide to EBL
Reflection continued….
• Evaluate: How well did it go: what did you find
hard/easy? What would you do differently next
time?
This reflection stage is useful because it helps to:
− Identify further gaps in content  new cycle
of research
− Build confidence by acknowledging what we
did well
− Learn from our mistakes
− Become aware of how we learn
Recap at different stages, not just at the end.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Why reflection is important in EBL
• A speedy solution that reaches a single
conclusion shouldn’t be prioritised over a fuller
consideration of a problem with many angles to
it (as all good EBL scenarios should have!)
• Research is an ongoing process. You will never
find out everything about a topic. Encourage
students to reflect on what else they
should/could do.
• Encourage them to consider the legitimacy of
their references/resources, including just relying
on their own knowledge.
• Encourage them to consider the approach they
used and what they would do differently next
time.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Why EBL is useful
• Students are more engaged
with their own learning; taps
into natural curiosity,
improves motivation to learn
• Encourages deeper learning
• Greater flexibility, more
responsibility
• Learn essential research skills in a ‘safe’
environment. Research-like learning.
• Develops skills vital for employability, e.g.
problem-solving, leadership, group work,
communication, creativity, reflection.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Most people learn….
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
10%
20%
30%
50%
70%
80%
95%
of
of
of
of
of
of
of
what
what
what
what
what
what
what
they
they
they
they
they
they
they
read
hear
see
see and hear
talk over with others
do in real life
teach somebody else
Glasser [1988]
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Passive
learning
Active
learning
Why EBL is useful – some theory
Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive educational
objectives:
Evaluation
Judging the outcome
Synthesis
Pulling together several analyses
Analysis
Making sense of the results
Application
Applying concepts
Comprehension
Explaining concepts
Knowledge
Recalling facts
Depth of
learning
Bloom, B.S. (ed.) (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The
classification of Educational Goals: Handbook I, Cognitive Domain.
New York: Toronto: Longmans.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Experiential learning model (Kolb 1981, 1984)
associated learning styles (Healey et al., 2005)
Can carry out plans. Interested in
action & results. Adapts. Trial &
error. Likes practical
experimental approach
Concrete
experience
Accommodator
‘Experimenter’
Active
experiment
Converger,
‘Organiser’
Good at practical applications.
Makes decisions. Focuses effort.
Evaluates plans. Selects from
alternatives. Solves problems.
Prefers technical tasks.
Good at generating ideas. Able to see
situations from many angles. Recognises
problems. Investigates. Senses
opportunities. Prefers to watch before
acting. Uses imagination to solve
problems.
Diverger
‘Initiator’
Why questions’
Reflection &
observation
Assimilator
‘Theoriser’
‘Relevance & how
questions’
Abstract
concept
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Able to theorise. Compares alternatives.
Defines problems. Establishes criteria.
Formulates hypotheses. Takes a concise
logical approach. Prefers a good
explanation to hands-on experience.
What worries me is…
During the coffee break, use the Post-it notes
to jot down your questions/ anxieties about
facilitating small groups:
– Write each question on a separate Postit note so that we can sort them
– Stick them on the paper provided.
– We’ll use them in the plenary
When you come back please sit with a different
group of people
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Part 2
Smoothing the process
EBL facilitation
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Part 2 – Introduction and Reflection
• Introduce yourselves to your new table group
• Reflect on what we have done so far
• Discuss this in your groups for 5 minutes…
– How is it going?
– What have you learnt?
– Do you have any questions
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
What is an EBL Facilitator?
• Guide towards a specific objective
• Foster communication, negotiation or
understanding in a group
• A mediator, a coordinator
• An Enabler – someone who empowers others
to find out/experience things for themselves
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
‘Harnessing the negative’ activity
• What makes a bad facilitator?.... (10 mins)
• Turn your negatives into positives… (5 mins)
• This is called ‘Harnessing the negative’
• Very useful for tricky questions where there is
no right or obvious answer!
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Doing EBL - What we expect from
students….
• Accept responsibility for
own learning
• Work co-operatively
• Determine a plan of activity
and agree individual
responsibilities for the work
– ground rules
• Use resources effectively and appropriately
• Share findings and collate research
• Negotiate deadlines and targets
• Present findings
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Why is it so important that students
take responsibility?
• Gain understanding, retain knowledge, create
knowledge
• Make decisions based on evidence and research
• Analyse, synthesise and evaluate, rather than just
define and explain
• Adopt a positive attitude towards their
subject/profession/HE
• Take more responsibility for their learning in general
• Develop skills
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
What is expected
from facilitators?
• Allow students to take responsibility for their own
learning – Do not give them the answers!
• Facilitate the group processes and the learning
– Guide lines of enquiry by asking questions
– Support any difficulties with groups or individuals
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
‘Learning to listen’ activity
• Work in a three. Take it in turns to play these roles:
– Speaker
– Listener
– Observer
• The exercise will be repeated 3 times to allow each
person to take on each role (5 mins each time)
• The Speaker has to discuss a problem/issue they are
having (one they don’t mind discussing!)
• The Listener can only ask questions about the
situation to understand it better and MUST NOT offer
advice or talk about themselves
• The Observer will watch closely and point out any
time the Listener does not follow these rules.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Questioning tips
Practise using the levels of questioning discussed
earlier
– Your aim as the listener is to get the
speaker to move through the steps below:
 Descriptive – What happened?
 Analytical – Why did it happen?
 Creative – How would you change/improve?
What would happen if you did it again?
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Feedback on activity
• Was that difficult? Why?
• Gaining a deeper understanding of the
situation
• Helping the speaker to come to their own
conclusions rather than those you impose upon
them
• Learning to ask the sorts of questions that
make people think and speak openly, without
judgement
• It is hard to be the listener especially when
you only want to help, but it is good practise
for facilitation as, next time, the speaker might
be able to solve that problem alone…
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Activity – group management!
• Each group will receive a ‘type’ of participant
• You will have 10 minutes to come up with a list
of positives and negatives for this type of
participant in a discussion situation
• If you have time look at your lists and discuss
how you can use a technique or activity to
avoid problems and get the best out of your
type of participant
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Problem solving techniques
Particularly useful for: The ‘life story’, The
‘expert’, The ‘talkative’ student
• Use a summary sentence that excludes the
student by implication e.g. “what does the rest
of the group think?”
• Use people to move the discussion along –
“Does everyone agree with that?”, “What do
other people think?”
• Break the group into pairs and ask for
feedback from each pair
• Use your participants’ expertise, ask them to
explain something to the rest of the group
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Particularly useful for: The ‘resistant’ student,
The ‘ridiculing’ student, The ‘devil’s advocate’
and ‘two at logger heads’
• Ask the rest of the group if they
agree/disagree
• Include the rest of the group in the debate to
avoid it becoming personal e.g. “Are there any
other views on this subject?”
• Ask them to explain their reaction and provide
their own opinion (in a nonaggressive way!)
THEN Ask the group if they think this is a
reasonable reaction and use it as a way to
discuss why/why not.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Activity: ‘What worries me is…’
Using the post-it notes from earlier, we’re
going to look at some of the things that worry
you about EBL and facilitation
•
Add any additional worries
•
Sort the post-its into categories
•
Put crosses on the most important ones
for you personally (5 crosses to ‘spend’)
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
‘What worries me’ part 2
This is an open discussion so please feel
free to join in and share your experiences if
you feel they may benefit others
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
FAQs 1
Silence - What should I do if no one answers?
1. Wait it out
– Give the group a chance to think; silence always feels
longer to you than to them
2. Rephrase
- Maybe they didn’t understand, so ask the question
another way
3. Use a technique
- Set them a quick exercise e.g. 10 mins to talk
about/decide this or ‘Think-Pair-Share’
4. Walk away
- Your presence might be unintentionally intimidating, or
you might be filling in for them too quickly. Remind them
of their aim or deadline, give them a set amount of time
and then leave them to talk it out.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
FAQs 2: What should I do about…
• Conflict management
– Remind participants that they are all entitled to
disagree provided it is done in a respectful and nonaggressive way
– Remember: Some conflict is necessary – use it to
further discussions
• Lack of subject knowledge?
– Use the group as a resource, e.g. “Would anyone like
to explain this?”
– It’s ok not to know. Say you’ll find out in time for the
next session and follow up on it then.
• Getting my students to engage in group work?
– Explain the process clearly
– Explain the objectives and benefits clearly
– Emphasise communication between group members
– Make sure everyone knows what they’re doing.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Discussion:
What approaches did we use?
Why were they useful?
• We were able to get our anxieties out in the
open
– cathartic, improves communication and trust
• We sorted them into categories to make
understanding and solving them easier
• We identified the biggest problems for the
group as a whole
– encourages negotiation, prioritises
• We used each other to come up with solutions
– empowers
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
We’ve just used the technique called reflection
again. Analysing the process we went through helps us
(students and facilitators alike) to identify
− what we’ve learnt
− how we learnt it
− how we can improve
Learning journals or blogs can be used to encourage and
assess reflection on an EBL activity.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
What sort of triggers could I use?
• Journal article
• Newspaper headline
• Artefact
• Cartoon
• Photograph
• Prop for role play
• Scenario
• Others?
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Biofuels or biodiversity?
Carbon or communities?
Some other things to consider
• Environment – How the room is set out: are people
facing each other, do they have the resources they
need?
• Does your group already know each other or do you
need an icebreaker?
• Have some back up questions/activities, but be flexible;
don’t feel you have to use them!
• Don’t interrupt the conversation unless it’s really
necessary
• Be aware of how other factors such as your body
language or your tone of voice can affect others as well
as what you actually say
• The level of facilitation will always depend on the group
and its needs – you don’t always have to be with the
group to be facilitating.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
A Guide to the Facilitation of EBL for
Graduates
• Staff and student opinions
• Practical information
• Hints, tips and FAQs
• It can be found here:
http://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/ceebl/re
sources/
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
‘One thing I’ll try is…’
• What one thing will you take away from today?
• Discuss it in your groups.
• Write it on a Post-it note to take away as a
reminder.
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)
Finally…
• Evaluation form
Help us to improve the workshop
• Special Interest Group
If you would like to be part of a Special Interest
Group on postgraduate facilitation, please sign
up on your way out.
• CEEBL Online – Facebook and web pages
‘CEEBL – University of Manchester’
If you’re interested in talking with peers about
EBL and facilitation please join and use the
discussion boards
THANK YOU!
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning (CEEBL)