Research - information structure and learning

http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1180/research-for-practitioners-does-information-structure-affect-learning

 

David Andrew, 
HEA CPD Manager
Senior Tutor
 

The Learning Institute 
Queen Mary, University of London

Mile End, London E1 4NS

02078822803

02081446753

 Book an appointment with me at http://doodle.com/DavidAndrew

 

 

My profiles:

Fwd: What Role Does Intuition Play in Your Teaching?

Send to a friend | My Account | Subscribe to RSS May 29, 2013 Trouble viewing this email? Read it on the web here. Understanding the Role of Intuition in Teaching By Maryellen Weimer, PhD Editor's Note: With so many of you likely enjoying an extended Memorial Day weekend (if you're lucky) or in New Orleans at the Teaching Professor Conference (luckier still) we decided to pull this timeless article from deep in the archives and save our fresh stuff for June. What is intuition? It's one of those terms that is hard to get a handle on. And yet teachers rely on their intuition every day. A situation unfolds in class: some kid in the back moves restlessly and takes an iPod out of his back pack. Those sitting nearby look at what he's doing. A couple of them start whispering as he continues to fuss with his iPod. Some students in the next row glance backward. The teacher continues to present information. She pauses to ask a question, and all the while she's sees what's happening in the back of the room. She rightly assumes that she's lost the attention of students back there. She opts for an abrupt break in the instructional action. She stops talking, turns to the board and, without speaking, writes a question there. Then she faces the class. "Stand up. Everybody stand up." Students shuffle to their feet. "Now look at this question. Spend the next couple of minutes talking with the people around you. In two minutes I want answers and examples." She had planned to ask this question: but not in this way. It wasn't part of the day's script, but something told her that students needed to do something different, and from her repertoire of instructional strategies she summoned this one. The anecdote illustrates many of the features inherent in formal definitions of intuition. In the educational context intuition might be described this way: "a process in which instructors efficiently code, sort and access experientially conceived mental models for use in making instructional decisions. Put another way, instructors have cognitive schemas or mental models born of experience that they can overlay on particular instructional problems to detect a timely solution." (p. 172) One of the features of intuition, as it operates in the classroom and elsewhere, is the easy and effortlessness way in which faculty implement solutions to problems that present themselves on the spot. It's one of the reasons intuition is frequently described as a "mystical sixth sense or paranormal power." (p.172) In reality, intuition is born of experience. After years of doing something, "a skilled craftsman develops a wealth of readily available expertise so entrenched that it tends to be taken for granted..." (p. 172) Even though teachers are regularly called upon to use their intuition, the knowledge it embodies is rarely articulated, and as a result even very skilled teachers are often at a loss to explain what they are doing and why. The fact that academic cultures prize reason and rationality compromises the perceived value of intuition even further. If knowledge cannot be explicated, does it in fact exist? But intuition does exist. In fact, authors of the article cited below identify a set of factors that reliably predict when an instructor is most likely to call on intuitive knowledge. For example, intuition is summoned in those situations when explicit guidelines are missing. Most teachers follow rules that prescribe actions for instances of cheating. But what about when a student is unexpectedly hostile or a class makes accusations? Here teachers craft a response at the moment. Likewise, intuition is called upon in those situations without precedents for action—as when something totally unexpected happens in a class. Most teachers do not abruptly end the class and head to the library to search for solutions others have used in similar situations. Teachers also rely on intuitive knowledge when time is of the essence. The example here relates to how experienced faculty make course planning decisions much more quickly and easily than new teachers do. Faculty are stretched so thin nowadays that time is always of the essence, leaving faculty little time for reflection and much motivation to go with their gut. And, finally, experienced teachers use intuition when a rational analysis needs to be checked. "Do those ratings make sense? Do they confirm my sense about how this class went?" Intuitive knowledge is complex. It should not be taken for granted or otherwise discounted. In fact, teachers should devote more time and energy to understanding and improving this knowledge base. All teachers learn from experience, but that doesn't guarantee that what they've learned is correct. To learn more about that intuitive knowledge, these authors suggest that instructors need to become more reflective and more aware of their responses, especially those responses not particularly effective. Then they need to talk with colleagues, finding out how others respond to a particular kind of situation. And sometimes busy instructors just need to be still. They need to stop those busy minds that would like to force intuition into the rational mold. "Quiet contemplation rather than intense concentration may be more likely to yield up a novel solution to an instructional dilemma." (p. 176) Reference: Burke, L. A., and Sadler-Smith, E. (2006). Instructor intuition in the educational setting. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 5 (2), 169-181. Reprinted from The Teaching Professor, 20.10 (2006): 6. ShareThis Blended Learning Course Design: A Boot Camp for Instructors A blended learning course can satisfy students' need for flexibility, as well as alleviate overcrowded classrooms. However, the biggest benefit of a well-designed blended course could be a greatly improved teaching and learning experience. Please join The Teaching Professor in Madison, Wisconsin for an intensive two-day workshop where you will learn the most pedagogically effective ways to blend instructional technology, course content, and course activities to promote student learning. Facilitated by three award-winning professors, Blended Learning Course Design: A Boot Camp for Instructors includes individual work, group work, group discussions, and an optional one-on-one session with one of the workshop leaders. Specific topic areas include: Syllabus creation Learning objectives and goals Assessment construction, including rubrics Learner-centered theory ADDIE as a design map A schedule for continued development of blended design When you teach a blended learning course for the first time, you can't just think about what assignments and activities you are going to move online. You need to reconceptualize the entire course. This special Teaching Professor Workshop will provide the guidance you need. Join us July 29-30 in Madison, WI >>   Keep Your Online Teaching Skills Sharp For more than 10 years Online Classroom has been a must-read for anyone interested in sound instructional approaches and techniques for teaching online. Whether you're new to teaching online or an experienced veteran of virtual learning spaces, each month Online Classroom arms you with strategies regarding course design and development, assessment, student engagement and retention, technology, assignment strategies, copyright, accessibility, and much more. Subscribe Today >> Academic Leadership Asynchronous Learning & Trends Curriculum Development Distance Learning Administration EdTech News and Trends Educational Assessment Effective Classroom Management Effective Teaching Strategies Faculty Development Faculty Evaluation Instructional Design Learning Styles Online Education Philosophy of Teaching Teaching and Learning Teaching Careers Teaching Professor Blog Teaching with Technology Faculty Focus 2718 Dryden Drive • Madison, WI 53704-3086 • 1-800-433-0499 • support@facultyfocus.com You are receiving this message as a result of an order, materials request, or by opting to subscribe. To unsubscribe, change your email frequency, or change your email address, click here. © Copyright 2013

 

David Andrew, 
HEA CPD Manager
Senior Tutor
 

The Learning Institute 
Queen Mary, University of London

Mile End, London E1 4NS

02078822803

02081446753

 Book an appointment with me at http://doodle.com/DavidAndrew

 

 

My profiles:

Fwd: Active Learning in Higher Education Table of Contents for 1 March 2013; Vol. 14, No. 1

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	Active Learning in Higher Education Table of Contents for 1 March 2013; Vol. 14, No. 1
Date:	Mon, 4 Mar 2013 02:03:12 -0800
From:	sage_contents_alert@alerts.stanford.edu
To:	<d.andrew@qmul.ac.uk>

HOME | ONLINEFIRST | ALL ISSUES | SUBSCRIBE | RSS | EMAIL ALERTS | FEEDBACK

Active Learning in Higher Education Online Table of Contents Alert

A new issue of Active Learning in Higher Education is available online:

March 2013; Vol. 14, No. 1

The below Table of Contents is available online at: http://alh.sagepub.com/content/vol14/issue1/?etoc

---

Editorial

---

Editorial

Active Learning in Higher Education 2013;14 3-8
http://alh.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/14/1/3

---

Articles

---

Enhancing self-directed learning through a content quiz group learning assignment

Natalie Warburton and Simone Volet

Active Learning in Higher Education 2013;14 9-22
http://alh.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/14/1/9

From model answers to multiple perspectives: Adapting study approaches to suit university study

David Kember, Celina Hong, and Amaly Ho

Active Learning in Higher Education 2013;14 23-35
http://alh.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/14/1/23

The problem of free-riding in group projects: Looking beyond social loafing as reason for non-contribution

David Hall and Simone Buzwell

Active Learning in Higher Education 2013;14 37-49
http://alh.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/14/1/37

Perceptions and realities in the functions and processes of assessment

Maddalena Taras and Mark S Davies

Active Learning in Higher Education 2013;14 51-61
http://alh.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/14/1/51

Facilitating productive use of feedback in higher education

Anders Jonsson

Active Learning in Higher Education 2013;14 63-76
http://alh.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/14/1/63

Investigating the use of text messages in mobile learning

Gretchen Geng

Active Learning in Higher Education 2013;14 77-87
http://alh.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/14/1/77

---

This message was sent to d.andrew@qmul.ac.uk.

HOME | ONLINEFIRST | ALL ISSUES | SUBSCRIBE | RSS | EMAIL ALERTS | FEEDBACK

 

David Andrew, 
Head of Academic Practice
Senior Tutor
 

The Learning Institute 
Queen Mary, University of London

Mile End, London E1 4NS

02078822803

02081446753

 Book an appointment with me at http://doodle.com/DavidAndrew

 

 

My profiles:

Fwd: HEA STEM: Lectures without Lecturing in the Physical Sciences

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	HEA STEM: Lectures without Lecturing in the Physical Sciences
Date:	Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:21:05 +0000
From:	HEA STEM <news@mail.heacademy.ac.uk>
Reply-To:	HEA STEM <re-12ZA-19A6N-5FMKHW-BZGKM@mail.heacademy.ac.uk>
To:	d.andrew@qmul.ac.uk <d.andrew@qmul.ac.uk>

HEA STEM: Lectures without Lecturing in the Physical Sciences HEA STEM Date: 21 Feb 2013 Start Time: 10:30 am Location/venue: The Hilton Hotel Sheffield It has been accepted for some time that the delivery of a didactic fifty minute lecture, involving only transmission of information, is not the most effective way to facilitate learning. Contact time with students is an increasingly precious resource, and there are now many examples of the more effective use of this time within the physical sciences. This workshop is an update of that held last year and will showcase some examples of best practice in using lecture time effectively, and provide a forum in which university teachers who are considering more innovative approaches can explore their ideas. There will be contributions from experts in such topics as the flipped lecture and the inverted classroom.   For further details and to book please see http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/detail/2013/21_Feb_HEA_STEM_Lecturing_Sheffield_2013.   Paul Yates  Discipline Lead for the Physical Sciences   T +44 (0)1904 717500   M +44 (0) 7776 197472   paul.yates@heacademy.ac.uk   Skype HEApaulyates   The Higher Education Academy, Innovation Way, York Science Park, Heslington, York, YO10 5BR www.heacademy.ac.uk – Twitter@HEAcademy   HEA STEM Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 17-18 April, University of Birmingham http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/detail/2012/17_18_Apr_HEA_STEM_2013_Conf_Bham                                     Want to unsubscribe or change your details? About the Higher Education Academy The HEA is a national body for enhancing learning and teaching in higher education in the UK. We work with institutions across the HE system to help bring about change in learning and teaching to improve the outcomes for students. We do this by recognising and rewarding excellent teaching, bringing together people and resources to research and share best practice and by helping influence, shape and implement policy. The HEA supports staff in higher education throughout their career from those who are new to teaching through to senior management. We offer services in 28 disciplines and throughout the UK, and have offices in England, Wales and Scotland. Through the partnership management team we work directly with institutions to understand individual circumstances and priorities and bring together resources to meet them. Owned by Universities UK and Guild HE, the HEA is funded by the four national funding councils, institutional subscriptions and project income. For more recent news, events and funding opportunities, subscribe to Academy Update. The Higher Education Academy, Company Limited by Guarantee Registered Number 4931031. Registered Office: The Higher Education Academy, Innovation Way, York Science Park, Heslington, York, YO10 5BR, United Kingdom. Registered as Charity Number 1101607.

 

David Andrew, 
Head of Academic Practice
Senior Tutor
 

The Learning Institute 
Queen Mary, University of London

Mile End, London E1 4NS

02078822803

02081446753

 Book an appointment with me at http://doodle.com/DavidAndrew

 

 

My profiles:

Two minute video - Rhizonmatic learning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXhkG4xiuVk

 

David Andrew, 
Head of Academic Practice
Senior Tutor
 

The Learning Institute 
Queen Mary, University of London

Mile End, London E1 4NS

02078822803

02081446753

 Book an appointment with me at http://doodle.com/DavidAndrew

 

 

My profiles:

Newsletter - November / December 2012

visit site Get regular updates and tips by 'liking' us on facebook and 'following' us on Twitter

November / DECEMBER newsletter Welcome to The Minded Institute's November / December 2012 newsletter. We are delighted to bring you news of the recent Confer conference and some up coming courses and training. We are also highlighting some excellent research on the physiological mechanisms of body and breath work (by researchers we enjoyed hosting at this month's conference). Keep reading to learn more about this research as well as details about: The Yoga, The Brain and Mental Health Conference in early November in London A new course on Yoga and Mindfulness for Child and Adolescent Mental Health facilitated by the inspiring Drs Lucy Clarke and Lana Jackson (both Clinical Psychologists and Yoga Therapists for Mental Health) - January 2013 The Yoga and Mindfulness for Pain workshop with Minded Institute founder Heather Mason and Tim Gard - February 2013 The Minded Yoga Therapy Professional Training - commencing in Boston in 2014 Why have we changed our name? Due to our expanding fields of interest, Yoga Therapy for the Mind has chosen to change its name to The Minded Institute. The Minded Institute reflects our sincere commitment to educating the public as to how mind-body practices can be used in the treatment of mental health issues. In addition to our professional training, online resources, and medical school programs we will be launching shorter professional modules on various mental health and yoga therapy related topics. The Minded Institute is committed to innovative healing through yoga and mindfulness. spotlight on RESEARCH  The Minded Institute took great pleasure in sponsoring this month's exciting conference, "Yoga, The Brain and Mental Health" in London, England. We were lucky enough to welcome some of the world's most prolific and experienced yoga researchers delivering presentations and workshops, namely Drs Chris Streeter, Patricia Gerbarg, Richard Brown, Sat Bir Khalsa and Sara Lazar. This year, Drs Streeter, Gerbarg and Brown produced an elegant and concise paper detailing proposed neurophysiological pathways for the effects of yoga. "Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder", published in Medical Hypotheses,highlights yoga's influence on the parasympathetic nervous system and GABA system. Through the stimulation of vagal pathways (for example, through breathwork) and decreasing allostatic load, yogic practices are proposed to help decrease the cumulative strain on the nervous system. As this strain is linked to the pathophysiology of depression, anxiety, epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder, yoga offers simple yet powerful practices that could have a significant impact on the symptoms of such debilitating conditions. Summary of the Yoga, The Brain and Mental Health three day conference which explored the role of yoga in emotional regulation 2-4 November, 2012 University of London This historic conference brought the world's leading researchers on yoga and the brain together with renowned yoga teachers to explore how yoga can be used in a therapeutic context to enhance emotional regulation. As science begins to appreciate the power of the mind-body connection, yoga is quickly becoming one of the best known practices for reducing stress and enhancing well-being. We considered yoga's function as a body-based therapeutic intervention, not simply within its own cultural tradition but in contemporary western societies where individuals face exceptional levels of stress, anxiety and depression. For those who taught yoga as the core of their work, we reflected on particular forms of yoga and yogic techniques, identifying those best suited for various mental health populations. Mental health professionals were guided through the specific applications of a yoga practice designed to support clients suffering from trauma and emotional dysregulation. Lecture presentations of scientific findings were combined with practical workshops on a variety of themes. These provided practical skills for working with emotional health. Yoga sessions were an important aspect of the three days. It was sponsored by The Minded Institute and Yoga Campus.  UPCOMING EVENTS Yoga and Mindfulness for Child and Adolescent Mental Health  with Drs Lucy Clarke and Lana Jackson  19-20th January 2013 (4 day course) The Special Yoga Centre, London, UK Drs Lucy Clarke and Lana Jackson, both Clinical Psychologists and Yoga Therapists for Mental Health, invite you to join them for this innovative four day course. You will learn to support children and adolescents with mental health difficulties using yoga and mindfulness. Yoga and mindfulness provide children and adolescents (as well as parents and carers) with specific tools and practices for: regulating their emotions increasing concentration and focus inspiring confidence and calm gaining deeper self-awareness and self-acceptance improving physical and mental strength and flexibility and developing kindness and compassion towards self, others and the world around them.  This course is suitable for yoga teachers and child health professionals with previous yoga experience. It is an introductory course and there will be further opportunity to deepen your learning with the course tutors and other yoga therapists in the field should you wish to continue. All course participants will be provided with a comprehensive course manual and access to an extensive range of further study materials. For more information, take a look at our events page.  To register your interest, please email jess@specialyoga.org.uk or call 020 8968 1900.  Yoga and Mindfulness in the Treatment of Pain February 16-17th, 2013  London, UK Originally set to take place in October, this workshop was been postponed to February, due to Tim's invitation to present his research to the Dalai Lama on the same weekend! In this cutting edge workshop, current research on the neurophysiology of both acute and chronic pain is integrated with practical techniques that can be used to work with others and ourselves. Academic and experiential in nature, this workshop will provide you with a holistic view of pain and its management. Join us for two fabulous days where you will learn about the nature and causes of pain and ways to let go of pain, while becoming increasingly aware of your body and mind. On completion of this workshop, you will have gained insight on ground breaking research. You will also have more confidence to teach mindfulness practices and yoga techniques for the effective management of pain.  This course is presented by Heather Mason, founder of The Minded Institute, and Tim Gard, a Ph.D. student of neuroscience at the Bender Institute of Neuroimaging in Giessen, Germany. Currently, Tim is a visiting researcher and research assistant at the Lazar Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA. He works on several projects investigating the neural mechanisms of yoga and meditation in a variety of contexts, including chronic pain. Tim is also a certified Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction teacher. He works at Massachussets General Hospital delivering mindfulness interventions to chronic pain patients. For more information about this and other courses, visit the events page on our website. To register your interest, send us an email at email@yogaforthemind.info Minded Yoga Therapy Professional Training is coming to Boston in 2014(500 hours) We are excited to announce that we are launching this 500 hour training in Boston in just over a year.  To learn more about this opportunity, visit the professional training page on our website. For a copy of our prospectus, please contact us at email@yogaforthemind.info RESOURCES We are happy to announce a new resource: Reconnecting with Your Body Sam Bottrill is a Clinical Psychologist specializing in the treatment of Eating Disorders at London's Maudsley Hospital, a qualified Yoga Therapist for Mental Health and lecturer on the YTFTM team. She has developed this unique audio resource. Reconnecting with your Body is a set of fun and simple guided body awareness exercises for teenagers and adults. Combining practices from the ancient traditions of mindfulness and yoga with insights from modern neuroscience, this comprehensive program provides a gentle and graded approach to developing body awareness, self-acceptance and emotional wellbeing. It can be a wonderful ally on the journey to wellness for anyone struggling with body image, chronic illness or pain. It is also an exceptional resource for yoga therapists and clinicians working in this field. To find out more about this and our other resources see the products page on our website. Get regular updates and tips by 'liking' us on facebook and 'following' us on Twitter be well.   THE MINDED INSTITUTE © TEAM. If you received this newsletter in error and would like to unsubscribe, please click here The Minded Institute is copyright by Your Corp. The Minded Institute US :+15612891061, UK :+447988821323  Copyright © 2009 - 2012 yogaforthemind.info This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail by mistake and delete this e-mail from your system. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. If verification is required please request a hard-copy version. www.yogaforthemind.info