Learning Styles: Does evidence exist?

Another follow up to week 1 deals with "learning styles".

Do they exist? IS there evidence?

Dr. Jackson provided the following three links for your consideration:

Article
Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., and Bjork, R. (2009). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9(3), 105–119
LINK: http://www.physics.emory.edu/faculty/weeks//journal/pashler-pspi08.pdf

Commentary:
- Wired.com: http://www.wired.com/2015/01/need-know-learning-styles-myth-two-minutes/ 

- Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-research

PSU Student Ratings of Effectiveness - Follow up to Week 1

In responding to a question on whether or not Student Ratings of Teacher Effectiveness, I wanted to connect you with the following resources for your own personal review.

The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at Penn State provides the following website with interesting support information: https://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/srte


Dr. Fern Willits, a distinguished professor emerita, has lead a research team going back decades looking at SRTEs at Penn State. Here are some of her publications:

• Perceptions of Faculty and Students Concerning the Elements of Teaching Quality (2011)
• Undergraduate Students’ Evaluations of Teaching Quality at University Park. (2011)

Here is a 1997 report on SRTES:  http://www.opia.psu.edu/planning_research/reports/srte/1997/analysis 

Session 1- What is Learning? Ticket Out Response

After each class session, students have the opportunity to respond to three questions as a "Ticket Out"

Session 1 - January 13th

What are you curious about?

• Adding the most value to class time. Making it "non-Googleable". 
• Hint: If you are reading a PowerPoint...they can google it.
• How to write a good blog post?
• Here is a five step process: http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/02/09/how-to-write-a-blog-post 
• What can I do with the workshop?
• Anything related to Teaching and Learning
• Are SRTE's correlated to learning?
• I have never read anything that said so, but Dr. Jackson and I will dig around
• I am curious to see how I can integrate technology into my classes. I am worried technology is tempting distraction.
• Remember, you call the tune :). Technology can be a tool or a hindrance, but you as an instructor make decisions on how it plays out. Here is an interesting article: http://blog.cengage.com/technology-classroom-distraction-asset/ 
• Personal Learning Networks
• Learn more here: http://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/pln-challenge-1-what-the-heck-is-a-pln/
• Can you provide examples of course assignments?
• For some, but many are BRAND NEW, so there will be the opportunity to continue to resubmit until we reach where we need to be!

What did you learn?

1. A list of stuff I want to do next time I teach! It got me excited, e.g. set objectives/goals each session, engage students early.
2. They don't care what you know until they know that you care.
3. The importance of teacher/learner relationships
4. Standard Operating Procedures of AEE 530
5. Definition of Learning
6. Wait time! 7 seconds
7. Sharing expectations like "being present" as opposed to no cell phones
8. Possible Influence of Social Media on teaching career/professional life
9. New People and interests!
10. Tech tools to use in practice.
11. No tangible scientific evidence of learning styles

What do you want to learn more about?

• How to show students you care? 
• We will talk about this more during session 7, but there are two immediate specific strategies:
• 1 - Ask about them.
• Find out what their life passions are. Send a pre-course survey or require a face to face 10 minute session in the first 1/4 of class.
• 2 - Great them at the door and engage with them as individuals...not as a group as a whole.
• Teacher/Student interactions both in and out of the classroom.
• We will role model and discuss in all sessions!
• Effective teaching practice
• The micro teaching assignment will help! Learning by doing!
• Evidence for/against learning styles.
• I will find some info to share in our google drive
• Different teaching methods to allow for more active teaching that moves from abstract to concrete and from reflective to active
• We will have opportunity for this in future sessions!
• The different certificates available!
• Teaching and Learning with Technology:http://twtcert.tlt.psu.edu/
• Graduate Teaching Certificate: http://www.gradschool.psu.edu/current-students/tacert/ 
• Each technology platform's pro/cons.
• We will learn from experience and have great chance for conversation at TLT Symposium! http://symposium.tlt.psu.edu/
• How to write a lesson plan?
• Yay for Session 2!!
• What would a SoTL proposal look like?
• More to come, but it would have a introduction, brief review of literature, purpose/objectives and methods!

Periscope Reflection Episode 1