The Context of Coding in Modern Education

Click to view the full infographic from Kodable (2018).

Over the last several years, learning to code has become a common classroom activity (Thompson, 2017). Britain has introduced compulsory coding curriculum, British Columbia has committed to making coding instruction available for interested students at every grade level, and coding camps and clubs are held at schools across the world (Wente, 2017), to name a few examples. But why is the world obsessed with teaching students how to code?

There is no question that we live in a digital age. In response, schools are scrambling to ensure their students are digitally literate and equipped with global competencies, such as problem-solving, computational thinking, and design (Tuomi, Multisilta, Saarikoski & Suominen, 2018), that will enable them to succeed in a technological world. While not all students will become programmers or software engineers, research suggests that coding skills and computational literacies are relevant for everyone in our modern world (Bers, 2018; Tuomi et al., 2018), and are essential for the growth of our economy (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016). Integrating developmentally appropriate coding and digital literacies instruction starting in elementary school can help prepare students to become adaptive, contributing citizens (Campbell & Walsh, 2017).

Benefits of Coding Education: 

Although many schools delay formal coding curriculum until secondary school, introducing students to age-appropriate programming languages in early childhood and primary grades can facilitate the development of computer science and engineering knowledge (Bers, 2018; Wong, Cheung, Ching & Huen, 2015). With the right tools, coding can serve as a playground for younger students, promoting social interaction, motor skill development, imagination, and problem-solving skills while providing an avenue for communication, self-expression, and creative storytelling (Bers, 2018). Coding has also emerged as a new literacy, enabling different forms of thought, communication, and self-expression (Bers, 2018; Campbell & Walsh, 2017).

Coding can also promote STEAM learning, weaving the arts into the traditional science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects through the design of digital games, user interfaces, and other digital artifacts (Thompson, 2017). Lastly, coding can facilitate the development of countless skills that are essential for social participation, such as logical thinking, creativity, motivation to learn, collaboration, problem-solving, and self-discipline (Wong et al., 2015).

Challenges and Considerations for Coding Education: 

While many scholars and school administrators are convinced that coding is a necessary skillset for students, others argue that coding is far less important than an overarching sense of digital literacy - understanding how and why to use different software applications, instead of knowing how to create them (Wente, 2017). Additionally, some teachers feel that the challenges are stacked against coding: it may be too abstract for students, it can be difficult to schedule around existing curricular demands, and parents may not have the requisite knowledge to help students with homework and assignments (Wong et al., 2015). It can also be challenging to find teachers who are both able (Wente, 2017), and willing (Wong et al., 2015), to teach code, particularly to younger students. Some critics believe that schools should prioritize hiring math and science teachers to help students understand the world they live in (Wente, 2017), although the need for digital literacy is well-documented.

How is Coding Being Taught? 

Coding has long been an activity reserved for secondary school students, with time allocated for specific programming courses compared with only brief coding activities throughout the year in earlier grades (Wong et al., 2015).  However, Ontario is dedicated to helping students learn to code from primary grades onward. Engaging younger students in play-based, hands-on digital learning can be an effective way to promote meaning-making and risk-taking, as well as to introduce coding and robotics in early childhood education (Campbell & Walsh, 2017). Furthermore, the Ontario Ministry of Education (2016) has worked to provide teachers with lesson plans, training, and current digital tools to facilitate the integration of coding and computational skills into elementary school instruction. They have also committed to the expansion of coding workshops and robotics competitions for students, and have embraced the Hour of Code movement that encourages youth and adults to participate in one-hour coding tutorials for over 45 programming languages (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016).

Makerspaces and maker culture have also become a hub for coding, encouraging students to create physical or digital artifacts that integrate coded elements (Thompson, 2017; Tuomi et al., 2018). Organizations like Hack Club also help integrate coding directly into classroom curriculum, instead of limiting students’ exposure to after-school clubs and other extracurricular activities (Thompson, 2017). This emphasis on coding and digital literacies has resulted in a 20% enrolment increase in secondary school computer science courses (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016).

So Now What? 

Although coding has become widely accepted in schools across the world, there is still a lack of research on effective teaching practices (Tuomi et al., 2018). The development of concrete guidelines for teachers can help overcome the challenges posed by inadequate training and a lack of coding knowledge (Wong et al., 2015), however, the availability of tangible, user-friendly robots and programming interfaces such as ScratchJr. (n.d.), KIBO (KinderLab Robotics, 2018), and Bee-Bot (Terrapin, 2016) can help gradually introduce coding concepts and computational thought (Bers, 2018; Campbell & Walsh, 2017).

Additional Resources: 

Kids Learning Code (a Canada Learning Code initiative) offers workshops, camps, and afterschool programs for students between 3 and 12 years of age.

Hour of Code has become a global movement encouraging people of all ages to engage in one-hour coding tutorials for over 45 programming languages.

Additional apps and games for teaching students to code:

Lightbot, Kodable, and Osmo

Swift Playground, Tickle, and Scratch

References: 

Bers, M. U. (2018). Coding, playgrounds, and literacy in early childhood education: The development of KIBO robotics and Scratch Jr. In Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) (pp. 2100-2108). Canary Islands, Spain: Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 

Campbell, C., & Walsh, C. (2017). Introducing the ‘new’ digital literacy of coding in the early years. Practical Literacy, 22(3), 10-12. 

KinderLab Robotics. (2018). Robot kits for kids | KIBO. Retrieved from http://kinderlabrobotics.com/kibo/

Kodable. (2018). 5 reasons to teach kids to code. Retrieved from http://resources.kodable.com/kodableInfographic.png

Ministry of Education. (2016, December 5). Ontario helping students learn to code: New supports for coding and computational skills in Ontario skills. Retrieved from https://news.ontario.ca/edu/en/2016/12/ontario-helping-students-learn-to-code.html

ScratchJr. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.scratchjr.org/

Terrapin. (2016). Bee-Bot home page. Retrieved from https://www.bee-bot.us/

Thompson, G. (2017, February 2). Coding comes of age. Technical Horizons in Education Journal. Retrieved from https://thejournal.com/Articles/2017/02/02/Coding-Comes-of-Age.aspx

Tuomi, P., Multisilta, J., Saarikoski, P., & Suominen, J. (2018). Coding skills as a success factor for a society. Education and Information Technologies, 23(1), 419-434. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-017-9611-4

Wente, M. (2017, August 15). Coding for kids: Another silly fad. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/coding-for-kids-another-silly-fad/article35982667/

Wong, G. K. W., Cheung, H. Y., Ching, E. C. C., & Huen, J. M. H. (2015). School perceptions of coding education in K-12: A large scale quantitative study to inform innovative practices. In Proceedings of the 2015 IEEE International Conference on Teaching, Assessment, and Learning for Engineering (TALE) (pp. 5-10). Zhuhai, China: United International College.

Tool Review: Piktochart

What is it?

Piktochart is a web-based tool for designing visuals including infographics and posters. Students can create an account with their email, or link to their Google or Facebook accounts to alleviate password management challenges (great for schools who use G-Suite for Education).

What is the cost?

Piktochart is free to use and share graphics, but premium services including animated images, a large catalogue of pre-made templates, and removal of the Piktochart watermark are available through their "Pro" account: $39.99 USD/year for education users. (My students use the free version and have not felt limited). For users not in education, a Pro account is priced at  $24.17 USD/month.

Ties to pedagogical practice:

---Students apply their learning to a new context to aid in processing
---Students exercise creativity
---Students share their graphics to teach others and become the 'expert' of their content.

Any other strengths?

---Piktochart has recently updated their platform with collaboration tools for multiple users to edit the same graphics simultaneously.
---Visuals created with digital tools can be less intimidating (and look more professional) than work traditionally done on paper for students who are not confident in their artistic skills.
---Visuals can be shared with a link outside of the classroom to bring students' learning to a wider audience.

Curricular examples from my own practice:

Before beginning: 

Anytime I use Piktochart in any subject area for the first time, I give my students something I refer to as "sandbox time".  I will briefly demonstrate how to create an account and use the tool, and then allow students free time to play and experiment with the app to familiarize themselves without the pressure of an assignment or deadline.

Grade 11 ELA:

During a unit on goal-setting and grit, I have students create an infographic which features their experiences in the previous grade, their short-term goals, long-term goals, how they would like me (the teacher) to help them, and three potential ideas to use for a 30-day challenge we do later in the semester.

Student examples (selected sections):

Intended outcomes:

---Students communicate visually, using elements of design
---Students set personal and learning goals
---Students are reflective

Grade 9 Social Studies (Civics):

During a unit on demographics, I have students dig into statistical data by viewing the Canada census website and reports by Manitoba Health. After selecting at least 10 interesting facts from their time browsing data, students will create infographics to illustrate 3-4 statistics that they thought were the most interesting or important.

Student Examples:

Intended outcomes:

---Scaffolding of students' research skills
---Students cite sources
---Students understand topics that affect Canadian communities.

Overall impression:

Because Piktochart is a creative tool, its effectiveness is only as good as the way it is implemented in the classroom. However, with nearly every subject area having points in curriculum and learning where making learning visual is an effective strategy, it can be a terrific tool in the hands of students. It is cost-effective and easy to set-up making it a great tool for use in K12 settings where teachers are often pressed for time.

References:

Piktochart (2018). [Website]. Accessed from https://piktochart.com/

The Impact of AI on Higher Education: Time for a Revolution?

Is it time for higher education to find better ways to meet the needs of today’s learners? Joseph Aoun, President of Northeastern University, clearly thinks so. During an interview with MIT Technology Review (2018), Aoun discussed the impact of AI on higher education and outlined the urgent need for change in institutions of higher learning. Much of what he stated will not be new to most readers, but I recommend viewing the 29-minute video (at the link below) since the brief summary below hardly does the interview justice.  

https://www.technologyreview.com/video/611313/robot-proof-higher-education-in-the-age-of-artificial-intelligence/

Firstly, in terms of how the average, degree-seeking higher education student is educated, Aoun advised a greater emphasis on humanics (defined by Merriam Webster as “the subject or study of human nature or human affairs”), which he described as the interweaving of three literacies: tech literacy (the ability to grasp how machines function and how to interact with them effectively), data literacy (the ability to understand and navigate volumes of data generated by AI), and human literacy (the development of soft skills that cannot be duplicated by machines). Aoun also recommended a combination of real-world (experiential) and classroom education to teach learners to identify personal skill gaps, develop empathy, and better understand the world. 

Secondly, Aoun observed that many lifelong learners have ceased looking to universities for their professional development needs; they are turning to employers instead, and although some organizations are meeting this need, they are also questioning whether it will be worth it in the long run, given that most employees no longer remain with a company for extended periods. Other employers, seeing that their employees’ skills are already obsolete, are taking the initiative to provide training, but they’d prefer that higher education do this so that they can focus on business instead.

One solution, according to Aoun, is for higher education to offer customized, flexible options, consulting with learners to determine their desired outcomes, just as businesses do with their customers, rather than restricting options to degrees and research in a time when learners are already customizing their learning.  As long as institutions continue to restrict admission to their programs based on an established set of criteria, they are turning “customers” away, which no business in its right mind would do. This statement really hit close to home for me—as a lifelong learner who sought information on some courses offered by a local university only to be told that they were strictly for undergraduate students (despite there being a diploma option), I can identify with this. I felt exactly like a customer whose business was being turned away. Like others in this type of situation, I looked elsewhere and found the training I wanted for a reasonable fee at a small, private institution that offered flexible options.

Aoun also suggested that perhaps it’s time for the governments that fuel research and innovation and provide funding for education from Kindergarten to higher education, to consider offering incentives to individuals to encourage lifelong learning in ways that suit them best.

The labour market worldwide is quickly changing: new jobs are being created on an ongoing basis, and it won’t be long before many others become obsolete. A quick Internet search will yield possibly hundreds of results on the topic of job automation, with varying projections on the types and numbers of jobs at risk (Winick, 2018).  Although the news is not all doom and gloom (Lund & Manyika, 2017), Aoun asserted that institutions that fail to place a greater emphasis on lifelong learning are like the railway industry that saw the advent of the airlines but continued with business as usual, assuming that their jobs would not be impacted.

 

Advances in technology have made it necessary for higher education to rethink the options they offer to all types of learners, but according to Aoun, this is not an easy sell. Ironically, though, the same institutions that are hard at work teaching today’s educators to embrace the latest learning theories and adapt their teaching practices to give this generation of learners the skills needed for success in the 21^st century, may find one day that their faculties of education have done their job all too well, as the current generation of students become autonomous learners with well-developed growth mindsets who are capable of customizing their own learning and have little or no need for the traditional options offered by institutions of higher learning.

References

Humanics. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humanics

Lund, S. & Manyika, J. (2017, November). Five lessons from history on AI, automation, and employment [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-organizations-and-work/five-lessons-from-history-on-ai-automation-and-employment

MIT Technology Review (Producer). (2018). Robot-proof: Higher education in the age of artificial intelligence [Video webcast]. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved from https://www.technologyreview.com/video/611313/robot-proof-higher-education-in-the-age-of-artificial-intelligence/

Winick, E. (2018, January 25). Every study we could find on what automation will do to jobs, in one chart. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved from https://www.technologyreview.com/s/610005/every-study-we-could-find-on-what-automation-will-do-to-jobs-in-one-chart/

Recommended Reading

Aoun, J. E. (2018). Robot-proof: Higher education in the age of artificial intelligence. Education Technology Insights, February-March 2018, pp. 11-12. Retrieved from https://www.educationtechnologyinsights.com/magazines/February2018/LMS/

Community of Inquiry Framework (CoI)

Community of Inquiry Framework (CoI)

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) concept was used first by early pragmatists C.S. Peirce, John Dewey and Jane Addams, about the knowledge construction and the process of scientific inquiry. In 2000, Garrison, Anderson, and Archer proposed a CoI model for educational developers to assist in the organisation of online and blended educational experiences. The original intention was to ‘provide a heuristic understanding and a methodology for studying the potential and effectiveness of computer conferencing (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2010). According to Garrison et al. (2010) the Community of Inquiry (CoI) is a theoretical framework for the optimal design of online learning environments to support critical thinking, critical inquiry, and discourse among students and teachers. Educational models help educators to apply the findings of education research to the practical task of curriculum design, development and sequencing of educational experiences to optimise learning (Cooper, T. & Scriven, R., 2017).

The Community of Inquiry (COI) model (Fig 1) describes how learning takes place for a group of individual learners through the educational experience that occurs at the intersection of social, cognitive and teaching presence.

Social Presence. The ability of participants to identify with the community (e.g., course of study), communicate purposefully in a trusting environment, and develop interpersonal relationships by way of projecting their individual personalities.
Cognitive Presence. The extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning through sustained reflection and discourse in a critical community of inquiry.
Teaching Presence. The design, facilitation and direction of cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes.

In the following years, CoI framework became the basis for a substantial number of studies (Befus, 2016). A number of researchers have been trying to improve the framework by modifying or adding more presences. Other researchers have been preoccupied with tangential issues such as student satisfaction with e-learning or techniques or measuring communicative action.
Shea & Bidjerano (2010) proposed a new CoI Framework with a new added presence: Learner Presence (Fig. 2). Anderson (2017), one of the original creators of CoI framework agrees with the new added presence. Garrison (2018) states that separating responsibilities of teacher and learner (participants are both teacher and learner in a truly collaborative learning experience) violates the integrity of the framework. This fusion of teaching and learning is not easy to get one's mind around but is central to Dewey's philosophy.

References

Anderson, T. (2017). How communities of inquiry drive teaching and learning in the digital age.        Contact North. Available from: https://teachonline.ca/sites/default/files/pdf/e-newsletters/how_communities_of_inquiry_drive_teaching_and_learning_in_the_digital.pdf

Befus, Madelaine K. (2016). A thematic synthesis of Community of Inquiry research 2000 to 2014. Available from http://hdl.handle.net/10791/190

Cooper, T., Scriven, R. (2017). Communities of inquiry in curriculum approach to online learning: Strengths and limitations in context. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 33(4), 22-37.

Garrison, D.R., Anderson, T., Archer, W. (2000). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education Internet and Higher Education, 2 (2–3) pp. 87-105

Shea, P., Hayes, S., Smith, S. U., Vickers, J., Bidjerano, T., Picket, A., Gozza-Cohen, M., Wilde, J. & Jian, S. et al. (2012). Learning presence: Additional research on a new conceptual element within the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework. Internet and Higher Education, 15(2), 89-95.

Simple can Lead to Big Changes

Are you one of those people who would always change their phone when the latest phone drops? Or are you one of those people who is fascinated by these individuals lining up outside the Apple store to be the first few to get their hands on the latest tech? Some people are just fortunate to have a phone, let alone the latest tech-savvy phone. This article focuses on the technological divide and how we can make use of the technologies we already have.

“No device should ever be hailed as the silver bullet in "saving" education -- nor should it be completely shunned -- but when it comes to the possibility of bridging the digital divide between low-income and high-income students, devices may play a pivotal role.” (Barseghian, 2013)

Access to information connects children to all kinds of information and allow them to be empowered and engaged in the world around them. Fifty-two percent of teachers of upper and upper-middle income students say their students use cell phones to look up information in class. In comparison, teachers of the low-income students say only 35% use cell phones in class (Morra, 2016). According to students’ test scores, there was an increase of 30% after low-income students were given smartphones to access more information and instruction to collaborate with their peers (Morra, 2016). In Canada, one in six children are growing up poor (Morra, 2016). The barriers created by child poverty causes delays and access to learning resources, mentors and support networks. Just by having access to Chromebooks or iPads in the classroom can make a huge difference to children’s learning. There are so many websites and apps that can be used to enhance the learning experience of the students. It doesn’t have to be the latest technological tools, because creativity with the technologies can make learning impactful. This is just one example of how access to technology can make a big impact on students’ learning.

According to Meador (2018), there are 5 basic technologies classrooms should have:

• The internet
• LCD projector
• Document camera
• Smartboard
• Digital camera

According to Kwame Johnson, Executive Director of PowerMyLearning, Atlanta:

“Children living in poverty face significant academic barriers, so exposing them to technology and digital learning resources in school and in the home can be a game changer.” (Morra, 2016)

For example, Granny Cloud is a program consisting of volunteers from around the world who Skype into remote locations to chat with children. The goal is for native English speakers Skype in with children in remote and disadvantaged locations and allow them to pick up English through hearing and having conversations. Through the use of simple internet connection and Skype, children are accessible to the English language and knowledge. Skype is a tool we use frequently and we know how beneficial it is for communication across the world. We might even take Skype for granted as we can easily access Skype. But, imagine living in a remote location and having access to internet and technology are scarce. Then being able to chat and learn English using Skype is a big change and in 

Technologies do not have to be latest or the most advanced. It is about making use of what we already have, as some are even just fortunate to have these tools.

References

Barseghian, T. (2013, March 13). For low-income kids, access to devices could be the equalizer. Retrieved from KQED News: https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/27589/for-low-income-kids-access-to-devices-could-be-the-equalizer

Meador, D. (2018, June 7). Basic classroom technology every teacher needs. Retrieved from ThoughtCo: https://www.thoughtco.com/classroom-technology-every-teacher-needs-3194762

Morra, P. (2016, August 15). How do you fight child poverty in the 21st century? One classroom at a time. Retrieved from Softchoice: https://www.softchoice.com/blogs/csr/softchoice-cares/fighting-child-poverty-one-classroom-at-a-time

Can gamification make your classroom and the world a better place?

Gamification Overview

Gamification is the applying game related principles, structure and rewards to any related field. Gamification has been a tool long used by marketers and business and is becoming increasingly popular in education. Although gamification is not new in education as many classrooms technological advancements (and subsequent decrease in cost) in video games, tablets, apps etc have increased the implementation within the curriculum.

Gamification in the Classroom

The teachers who are early adopters of gamifying education tend to be those in the computer science/IT areas (Dicheva, D., Dicheva, C., Agre, G., & Anglova, G, 2015).  Dicheva et al. (2015), go on to argue that most resources are needed to support educators in implementing gamification strategies within the curriculum. Resources needed include, but not limited to, technological infrastructure, IT support, technological training, and professional development on gamification and pedagogical best practices.

  

Gamification and Cognitive Function

Researchers are now looking to show the links between video games and positive or increased cognitive function.  Jane McGonigal, author of “Super Better” and “Reality is Broken” argues that video games, if harnessed properly, can help make the world and your life a better place.

Researchers are also exploring how video games can improve cognitive functioning. Stanmore, Stubbs, Vacampfort, de Bruin  and Firth (2017) found that exergames (physically active video games) improved cognition functioning over physical activity alone. They also found that exergames were no more effective than 'cognitive training' alone but, according to the researchers, it was equally important that exergames were not inferior to 'cognitive training'. It would be interesting to conduct further research on exergames and its application to education as although there is no increased cognitive functioning research could show if the students were more engaged in such activities. 

Website Resources for teachers/parents

Educational Apps for Kids

Fun Yet Educational Apps for Kids

Educational Kids Apps

Apps for 5-8 year olds

12 Educational Children's Apps Your Kids Will Love

References

Dicheva, D., Dicheva, C., Agre G., & Angelova, G., (2015). Gamification in education: A systematic  mapping study. Educational Technology & Society, 18(3), 75-88.

Gamification in education (2017) Learning Theories. Retrieved from https://www.learning-                  theories.com/gamification-in-education.html

Stanmore, E., Stubbs, B., Vancampfort, D., de Bruin, E.D., & Firth, J. (2017). The effect of active video games on cognitive functioning in clinical and non-clinical populations: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 78. 34-43.

Prior Tech Knowledge..,What Can We Do?

“All new learning requires a foundation of prior knowledge. You need to know how to land a twin-engine plane on two engines before you can learn to land it on one.” (Brown, P.C., Roediger, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014) pp.5).

I often work with students, teachers, and parents, exploring new technologies that are being used in the schools and at home. Some are for ‘fun’ with embedded literacy training, (MinecraftEDU, Scratch coding, AppLab) and some are more disciplined centered (Math, Science and Language tools). The reason I have my job is because I have “prior knowledge” of how technology is designed, built, and operates. I have a passion to connect curriculum with technology and apply new ways of teaching them cohesively as one.

When I speak to teachers about the evolution of “Fort Nite” or “Call of Duty” and how that can empower the most unengaged students, they look at me perplexed. When I explain to parents how important the video game is that your daughter or son is consumed with, the design, coding, planning and editing that goes into that “game”… they look at me crazy. It is not until you start thinking outside the box and bridge that gap between the meaningful learning happening and “playing a game”, that is when real-world connections start to be made (Brown, P C., 2014). “The more you can explain about the way your new teaching or learning tool, relates to students’ prior knowledge, the stronger the grasp of the new learning will be.” (Brown, P. C., 2014 pp. 6).

Brown, et al. (2014), refers to the reality of being able to solve trigonometry and needing the foundational prior knowledge of algebra and geometry first. How to cut boards, join them, router edges and professionally finish wood working projects requires carpentry skills, but also possibly cabinet making understanding. How much weight can certain materials and hardware hold?What is the standard or common way a piece of furniture is built? Prior knowledge of these things would ensure a high quality of finished work and ensure success of the task.

The foundation of knowledge is so imperative, as it does not matter the discipline, hard or soft skills being taught, everything relies on some base of known information. As teachers, we need to continue to develop our understanding of new technologies, applying curriculum with them, but also make connections to tangible real world examples. In many cases these connections need to be made for students or reminders need to occur amongst younger audiences to harness that prior knowledge and make the current learning meaningful.  

Educators who make connections between what is being taught at school and what is happening in the real world, the students will benefit from a wide range of cultural, social and political perspectives they may not otherwise be exposed to.” (n.d., 2018). “The more you can explain about the way your new teaching relates to students’ prior knowledge, the stronger the grasp of the new learning will be.” (Brown, P. C., 2014 pp. 6).

As teachers we need to elaborate on the process, expressing the information in new ways and applying real world connections to it (Brown, P, C., 2014). “The more you can explain about the way new learning relates to students’ prior knowledge, the stronger the grasp of the learning will be.” (Brown, P. C., 2014, pp. 6, Siemens, G. 2005). We as educators need to ensure all our learners are together and understanding the ‘big picture’ of our teaching.

So what can we do?

 Well, elaborate. As teachers we need to elaborate on a process, expressing the information in new ways and applying real world connections to it. We as educators need to ensure all our learners are together and understanding the ‘big picture’ of our teaching, making it meaningful learning for all.

References

Brown, P.C., Roediger, H.L., & McDaniel, M.A. (2014). Learning is misunderstanding. In Make it stick (pp.1-22) Cambridge, MA: Belknap.  (pp 5-6)

Britland, M., (2013). What is the future of technology in education?   Forget devices. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/jun/19/technology-future-education-cloud-social-learning

(n.d, (2018)., The importance of connecting classrooms to the real world. Accessed, 05/27/2018. http://schoolsubscriptions.com.au/the-importance-of-connecting-classrooms-to-the-real-world/

Interleaving for Retention: Learning for the Long Term

I must confess that when I originally heard the term interleaving, I thought it was perhaps a technique involving a loom or, a term used for someone whose efforts to vacate a premise had been abruptly and repeatedly, thwarted. It turns out I was wrong on both counts. As I learned more about the technique, I came to the revelatory conclusion that I had, in fact, been employing the strategy without consciously knowing it! Enter the power of metacognition.

If you are one of those individuals that tends to prefer jumping in and between pieces of information, reading ahead, skipping passages and then moving back, this seemingly erratic behavior may be to your benefit. I excitedly directed my energies to further unpack the extent of the practice in hopes it could explain my incessant tendency to move from one task or concept to another. While I could not rationalize the sum of my distracted approaches to learning (deep sigh), it did explain the impetus behind some of my cognitive tendencies. The brief video below captures the essence of interleaving and its powerful impact on increasing memory:

The concept of interleaving takes the methodical, step-by-step approach out of the learning process and changes it up, by staggering the way the material is presented while incorporating reviews of content previously introduced. Interleaving two related sets of information during learning, will improve the ability to transfer that learning to more complex, integrated problems (Richland, Bjork, Finley, & Linn, 2005).

Teachers can introduce and review content with students by timing the appearance of modules through learning management systems, alternating when they are displayed, thereby staggering the natural course of when that material would have traditionally appeared. For example, when once historical dates would have made available in chronological order, the interleaving approach would ignore the timeline of events, jumping back and forth between dates, with students asked to periodically recall information from prior modules. Professors at the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard speak to the benefits of interleaving and how clickers and mobile applications can be utilized to facilitate its integration into the classroom:

Interleaving for Better Student Learning

While social media and the intrepid, unyielding power of the web 2.0 landscape relentlessly vies for my undivided attention, I lay claim to the small victory embedded in the compulsion to approach content out of sequence and plead “interleaving” in my defense.

References

Nowak, Z., Bossen, C. (2017, January 10). Interleaving for better student learning [Video File]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/198858703

Brown, P.C., Roediger, H.L., & McDaniel, M.A. (2014). Make it stick. Cambridge, MA: Belknap.

Century Tech iDEA. (2016). Interleaved Learning [Video File]. Retrieved from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbDpYMp8F6o

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