Taming the Content Monster - how to reduce content coverage and make space for student learning in our courses

05.09.2024 - 06.09.2024

Time of occurrence

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More information

Credits

1 ECTS (26 hours)

Form of study

Classwork

Location

Tartu

Fee

free

Teachers

Sara Petchey

Study group

Inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving education

Program language

English

Additional information

Outcome:

After participating in this workshop, you will be able to:

1) Base your decisions about what and how to teach on current research evidence of best practices in higher education
2) Connect course learning goals to core concepts in your field (also called big ideas, threshold concepts, or enduring understandings) and consider critical skills you want students to take away from your course
3) Utilise techniques such as backwards planning to reduce the amount of content in your syllabus and ensure the course assessment is aligned with learning goals
4) Create teaching activities which activate students in their learning.

Teachers:

Sara Petchey - PhD

Content:

Topic	Credit	Lectors
1. First day: What SHOULD students learn in my course? What is a "content monster" and what does science education research suggest we do about it? Big ideas, core concepts and skills you want students to learn. Backwards design. Desired results of learning. Students' independent work. Instructional approaches to improve students' learning: conceptual change in science	8	Sara Petchey
2. Second day: What ARE students learning in my course? Importance of starting course revisions with the exam. Sorting the semester by time into units of learning inside and outside of class: Keep or chuck content to fit those finite spaces. Constructive alignment. How to ensure students learn sufficiently outside of the classroom (sharing of best practices from participants and outside experts). What instructional approaches improve students' learning? Active learning strategies: Systematic teaching with analogies and why this is not only important but a good way to develop student critical thinking	8	Sara Petchey
3. Independent work: application of the knowledge while developing the course.	10	Sara Petchey