Symposia at the University of St.

Classrooms of the Future IV

Participant Responses to the Case Study Questions

Question #1:
How can she [Lara Craft] promote meaningful learning and reduce rote learning?

-- Real life examples, lived experiences

-- Use different scenarios/case studies

-- Newspaper accounts

-- Leading questions to spark group arguments

-- Pre-read lecture for discussion

-- Internet research

-- Change focus from delivery to understanding

-- Increase student involvement

-- Require students to share knowledge

--What is really more important, the meaningful learning or rote learning?

-- Meaningful learning is how to apply knowledge in a real and creative manner. Using fundamentals as a means for thinking. A framework.

-- Rote learning is giving a basic knowledge base.

-- Hook to current events/memorable events, emphasizing investigating as a social scientist would

-- Integrate teaching of concepts with case studies

-- Dump rote; introduce info on learning process -- study skills; look for collaborative, role-playing kinds of exploration; establish a local frame of reference

-- Give regular feedback

-- What is "rote learning?" Is it equal to passive learning?

-- Lecture in an engaging way

-- Engender discussion about (mis)conceptions

-- Be engaged, excited

-- Apply new learning -- problem-based

-- Clarify outcomes -- tell students her expectations

-- Identify other learning styles more effective for students

-- Develop alternate assessment to testing -- authentic

-- What do they wish to know: importance of prioritizing

-- Why are they interested in subject? Why do they want to learn? Rote and meaningful are both important. Need to learn vocabulary to converse about theory. Students need to do learning style inventory to see what type of learner they are so they know which type of learning will work best.

-- Continue with what she has started, getting the students to work in teams (from the start of the class) and use what they already know.

--Existing problem: inability to involve student participation. Solutions:

-- Focus on "Discussions and involvement" -- foster participation as we are involved in the process here

-- Using only existing knowledge and presented with the problem -- develop solutions based upon participants’ input

-- Project-based assignments, including students’ ability to make choices and give them the power to decide how to find/solve the solutions

-- Challenge of adapting old knowledge base with new knowledge to come up with new solutions

-- The need to touch base with students to institute feedback with their progress and attitudes

-- Fostering of learning as a social process -- group interaction

-- Put lecture notes and agenda on line the day before, to have student prepared for structure of class

--Her plan is flawed -- Students need to "do" and "learn" at the same time. You will find out what the students know based upon what they "do."

-- Find out student expectations and how they will use info

-- Shape learning

-- Write journals: active learning

-- Engage students mentally. Brief discussions, questions

-- Case studies -- real world -- interview inmates -- criminals they all know in media

-- Don’t assess students with default multiple choice exams, etc. Rote learning. But use active learning.

-- Joseph Novak/Osobald -- learn -- model of reality and connect to it. America invented habit of rote learning -- bad effects -- Americans can’t transfer info

--By working through the other two questions in this case study

-- Elicit "personal case studies" from students that reveal their current understanding of what a criminal is and why

-- Elicit their stereotypes of the nature of criminals

-- Why do we (individuals/society) want to understand criminal nature? Pragmatic benefits of the knowledge

-- Challenge and reward students to interpret and critique what they say and what they discover (data, theories, etc.)

-- Why are they there? Assess their reasons and experience? Give them a common experience? Picking up student issues: drugs, drinking, trouble with the law -- within this context, introduce vocabulary. Ask students to assess why a person is a criminal? What are the positives and the negatives?

-- Begin with real-life case study of criminal behavior: identify the needed concepts and principles -- then make the application

-- Get them involved: practice/promote/teach critical questioning (inquiry)

-- relational word associations; learner-driven, technology-based materials to begin unit; what does this situation mean to them? Where are they learning? Why are they learning? Theory, discussion, applications.

-- Bring meaningful, personal student involvement into the mix. Approach the topic in a way that strikes home for her student audience.

-- Attach students to real "criminal." Active participants in applying theory to reality. Questionnaire and interviews on student interest, readiness, hoped-for outcomes. Differentiated research project that professor helps coordinate and synthesize.

-- Investment, analogy, identify questions

-- Identify overall structure of knowledge. Information should "resonate."

-- What does it mean to know? Is it a question of their skills and how can those be evaluated?

-- Maybe she should analyze her learning goals and break them up into smaller building blocks - intermediate steps

-- "Basics" in one six week chunk is too much. Should be interwoven

-- Use current events: post a particular news item

-- Common readings are important

-- Allow students to work out of their own context, their own lives -- a more introspective beginning and then move to teamwork, small group work

-- Start with interesting criminal case. Read police files, court files, etc. and be confronted with vocabulary. This should motivate students to want to know vocabulary.

-- Teacher needs to have clear objectives. Helps recognizing what is important and what is trivial. Objectives should be reminded periodically.