Friday, September 21, 2012

Gamification 6 - CAP 115

Deep learning involves the transfer of learning to new situations.

To reiterate the goals: this game is a structured task in which students use problem solving collaboratively (by working in teams) to apply concepts (advanced searching techniques) to get relevant results (evaluation of resources). They will negotiate meaning (provide each other feedback in teams as they search and afterward as they report out).

The professor will monitor the follow-up transfer of learning to new situations (students searching their own topics, a.k.a., secondary research questions, both in databases and in Google) as the professors grade students' research papers.

In the next 2 class sessions, I will need to emphasize the goals, be firm about the rules (read through directions together or have the students repeat the rules back to me), inform students that they will demonstrate their techniques on the instructor machine, and when they are reporting out, ask the other students to listen to their peers to validate their own learning.

Application of phenomenographic principles:

  • teachers must draw out learners' understanding (calling on students reveals incorrect as well as correct concepts), connect to prior knowledge (the structured task asks students to apply their theoretical knowledge of the advanced searching concepts); 
  • learning is coming to understand something differently after engaging in a learning task (seeing how the techniques lead to relevant resources), relating examples to the big picture/theory (evaluating the resources for relevancy), and reflecting on its meaning relating techniques to multiple databases and Google; reporting out on their successes); 
  • the tasks must be relevant to the learner's world (their secondary research papers for the class). 
  • The teacher has to figure out how the tasks can lead to new perspectives (aka learning) - multiple class sessions in which to practice, observe and revise, conversations with colleagues, and peer observation have all been helpful.

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