It has some while since I have posted anything in this years' Merfs'ed.
The team has migrated to using the Google+ forum post system to discuss and capture so...I've gone with them.
here is the address of our 2012 circle.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/stream/circles/p2e263ce28b6c23b2

The student group this year are rising to the challenge very well.
A very close and happy group of people, supportive of one another, forgiving when necessary, sharing, committed.
If this is e-Learning/constructivism in action...'long may it reign'.



Besides student interaction:

I have just set myself a goal in trying to get the faculty teaching staff to start reading, or more importantly, reading specific content and sharing posts of thoughts and comments.

I'm using Yammer (in-house site) to develop this idea.
Will post a link (maybe) in good time, or may just place my thoughts about the success or failings of this initiative.

(Don't like the new format for Blogger, think it may lose some users)

Merfs' #SLT10: Challenges ahead.

Merfs' #SLT10: Challenges ahead.

Why we work in the manner we do.

MARCH 27, 2012

Five Key Principles of Active Learning

By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching and Learning

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A review of the research on active learning compiled for physiology faculty contains five “key findings” that author Joel Michael maintains ought “to be incorporated [into] our thinking as we make decisions about teaching physiology [I would say, name your discipline] at any educational level.” (p. 160) Here’s the list, along with a brief discussion of each.

1. Learning involves the active construction of meaning by the learner. This well-established principle involves the fact that students link new information with information that they already know. New and old information are assembled into mental models. If the old information is faulty, that compromises the learning of new information. “Learning can be thought about as a process of conceptual change in which faulty or incomplete models are repaired.” (p. 161) Fixing faulty mental models can be very difficult, as witnessed by research documenting that even after taking a course (physics is often used as an example), students still hold serious misconceptions.

2. Learning facts and learning to do something are two different processes. This explains why students can know a set of facts and still be unable to apply those facts to solve a problem. If students are to successfully use knowledge, they must have opportunities to practice and obtain feedback. A variety of other instructional advice follows from this principle, including the fact that students who are learning to solve problems need to know more than whether the answer is right or wrong. The sequence of problems from easy to hard is also important. Students should only move to harder problems as they improve. Moving students too fast or before they are ready compromises their efforts to learn.

3. Some things that are learned are specific to the domain or context (subject matter or course) in which they are learned, whereas other things are more readily transferred to other domains. What’s at issue here is knowledge transfer and whether students can take what they know about one subject or topic and transfer that knowledge to another subject or topic. As many college teachers have observed, students often have great trouble with this. There are still a number of research controversies in this area, but there is growing recognition that transfer involves skills that students need to be taught.

4. Individuals are likely to learn more when they learn with others than when they learn alone. Many faculty are very independent learners and so struggle a bit with accepting this principle. However, it is based on “impressive results” in different disciplines “that support the power of getting students to work together to learn.” (p. 162)

5. Meaningful learning is facilitated by articulating explanations, whether to one’s self, peers, or teachers. Students learn to speak the languages of disciplines when they practice speaking those languages. That’s part of what this principle involves, but it is also true that articulating an answer, an idea, or a level of understanding aids in learning. The speaking or writing makes clear to the learner what they do and don’t understand, and/or their understanding deepens as they frame a description that is meaningful to them.

Like any set of principles, these are general statements that, in this case, cover large, complex research areas. They are a useful means of getting a broad perspective. Decisions about instructional practices can certainly be based upon them. However, one should not read the principles and assume an in-depth understanding of the complicated phenomenon called learning.

Editor’s note: I just recently discovered this very impressive review of research on active learning. What we call active learning (and we aren’t always clear about the definition) involves a messy, disorganized research domain. As this author points out, there is not one definitive study that proves the efficacy of active learning, but there is instead a “multiplicity of sources of evidence” that makes an argument for active learning “compelling.” (p. 165). This is the second review I’ve discovered of the research on active learning. Both were prepared for discipline-based audiences but are eminently useful to all of us. Both are well worth reading and keeping in one’s library of essential pedagogical resources. I still refer people to the Prince review we highlighted several years back and will now add the Michael review to my recommendations.

References:
Michael, J. (2006). Where’s the evidence that active learning works? Advances in Physiology Education, 30, 159-167.

Prince, M. (2004). Does active learning work? A review of the research. Journal of Engineering Education, 93 (3), 223-231.

Reprinted from Learning: Five Key Principles. The Teaching Professor, 25.3 (2011): 2.

Changing communicative environments. and Group update.

New view. Google+ has the upper edge in student preference.

The advent of using the Google+ environment for day to day communication is terrific.

It may lessen the amount of time students visit my Blog but...Idon't mind that. It is also likely that I'll update my blog less often. I'll tend to use this space as a more reflective personal capture rather than a pointed feedback device for students to follow.

I think it is important however to allow students to follow my Blog as a matter of letting them see that I'm prepared to be brave and "walk the talk" (as the saying goes) or "practice what I preach".

The student teams have taken quite well to the Lofting discipline. I can't see anyone too far behind the norm yet. I perhaps have one or two students that are not a natural lofts-persons but are putting the effort in and will win in the end, I'm sure. I'm seeing great signs of team building every day.

How do I know that the students' are migrating more comfortably to google+?

Well...the conversations are there. The work and inquiry is there, the social building of friendships and groups is evident there, etc... It is obvious to me that this Blog is less likely to be a regular feature for student comment. It is very likely to be a more reflective space for my educative experiences and journey log. As with any good ship.

Library Team joins CAT Boatbuilding students in group activity.

We all had an enjoyable group session last Wednesday where I had invited three colleagues Richard, Mariette and Penny to join us in group discussion and shared insights to develop a means to capture of our growing knowledge base. Thenidea was alos to expplore the ability of the Unitec Library in aiding research of topics. These topics are student set and small group researched.

This in turn will give my student group the chance to reciprocate the shared time, by presenting to my colleagues (as guests) their findings. Hopefully this will be work that will be referenced, checked for copyright status and have had a Library document as part of it's process.

Week two Tool Box etc...

We had the Tool Man "Kerry" from the "Tool Shed" upgrade the #4 Stanley plane to a Bailey grade. This is a much more professional piece of equipment. he also offered this tool at a good discounted price.
The student group responded in kind by supporting him with some good sales.
It is good for students' to experience the interaction necessary to haggle for best outcomes.

The quality of the rest of the tool kit is exactly appropriate. I particularly like the sliding bevel supplied.
As a note for next intake...I think I should re-include a stanley or similar craft blade knife.

We have processed our timbers. Two students' had a day away for various reasons. During this time I carried on with their work to prevent them getting behind. These students' seem to have caught up on safety issues well.

The butterfly wing method of  doubling the end timbers of the toolbox has been good for students to see the method of symmetrical buiding. We likened it to the building of sawn temporary frames.

The CAT Boatbuilding Theory CD has been used and the pathway to it shown and recorded.
We have saved discussions on the Smartboard but have I.T. trouble at present saving as a powerpoint. (Job logged with help.I.T.

 


Anthony Deep rips the timber for the sides of his ToolBox.

 
 Much of our workshop discussion and theorizing is graphical representation which we capture with photos and video. We have agreed (o far) to share much of this captured evidence but... perhaps need to finalise our understanding and the rules. An example might be what we do when capturing events with Video.
I think we might have students search the concept of creative commons.

Overhand planner and Thicknesser experiences.

We have started experiencing learning the uses of the 'Machine Room' and 'Small Craft' area machines.

So far all students have been diligent to safety responsibilities and have been patient with each other.

There is a feeling of 'good will' amongst the team.

I've added a video in the link below that gives us a counter point to the learning we have done, and may increase your awareness of the terminologies and safety methods to be aware of.

Another way to describe the processes

We have so far; thicknessed the Radiata pine timber we are using for our Toolbox ends with the 'Thicknesser' and dressed one edge before making parallel to 141 mm with the 'Bench Saw'. We then dressed the other edge on the 'Overhand Planer' (Buzzer)

We have discussed and docked our timber with the 'Spida saw'. This then lead us to marking out our work for 'Bandsawing' the angled edge. We have also discussed the 'Deep Ripping' we will be doing on the big 'Bandsaw' downstairs.

We have had ned to halve our 1350mm sides using the 'Drop saw' (some call 'Miter Saw')

I'm sure we can all appreciate that keeping up with the new language (Trade Terminology) is going to be quite difficult for some students. We may need to build a group resource around this need.

Think about what resources we might employ to aid this learning.

First Week of activities

We have had a lot of introductions so far this week. At present I'm in the CAT orientation in the Red Lecture Theatre.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4lCzzdNmxY

We have also covered Intro to the Toolbox build. We have looked at the CAD Drawing and investigated the cutting list process.

We have looked at using the Smart board as a means to record and discuss topics. These are saved in the student drive, as three different file types.

1, We have Smart notebook doc.

2, pdf

3, powerpoint. or will be when we get IT to sort system.

Hopefully we can recognise the improvement of using the Smart board over the old method of whiteboard. Click on the linked photo below.

CAT 2012 Boatbuilding Team.

I'll keep adding photos to this Picasa web album. All students' are allowed to take copies of these photos to help with evidential portfolio support. The same is available with Youtube video.