10-Rep Learning ~ Teague's Tech Treks

Learning Technology & Tech Observations by Dr. Helen Teague

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Ditch undergrad study strategies during graduate work and use the SCAAN approach

Graduate learning is different than undergraduate learning and requires slightly different study strategies. These strategies are summarized through the SCAAAN acronym.

Here are the components of SCAAAN

Scan the text (i.e. chapter/article/research study) for concept focus. Read the article abstract or chapter summary first. Next, preview the . headings, bold words, charts, graphs, images, and end of chapter questions.

Concentrate on Purpose. Are you reading to gain information for a discussion post? a classroom discussion? a presentation? an essay submission? Set a purpose for reading before you start. (Think about what you need to be able to know or do after reading). Keep that purpose in mind while you read, and check to see if you have reached it by the end.

Apply Reading strategies such as chunking. Click this link for the steps.

Annotate. As you read, take brief notes in your own words about the main concepts and key words using Google Voice typing, or in the margins of your text, or in a Google doc, and/or old-school spiral.

Ask and answer questions. For Relearning/Learning Gaps: As you read, ask yourself if there are new concepts that you need to know or relearn. Add these concepts to your notes and emphase them with text formatting (bold, increased font size, highlighter tool, etc…). Investigate these concepts to fill relearning and learning gaps.
For New Learning based on your prior knowledge: As you read, turn headings into questions and ask and answer theses as you read. Form questions while you read and try to answer them later. Answer questions provided by the book.

Summarize. Stop after page and, depending on your preference, speak, write, mindmap, illustrate a brief summary of the main concepts. “Summarizing can be more effective than highlighting or annotating because it helps you better gauge what you do and don’t understand about a reading.


Gentle advice about Highlighting: In graduate study, consider a trimmed highlighting approach. Highlight  sparingly and only after reading a page. Highlighting while reading emphasizes concept sorting instead of critical thinking skills (Malaikahaider, 2021; . Critical thinking skills are often the emphasized in graduate course discussion boards, essays, posts, and the rubrics used to assess them.

 

                                                                References

Malaikahaider, (2021). Highlighting doesn’t work: Here’s what does (2021). Student News.
https://studentnews.manchester.ac.uk/author/malaikahaider/

National Center on Educational Outcomes (2012). Chunking and questioning aloud strategy summary sheet.
https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/presentations/nceo-lep-iep-ascdhandoutchunking.pdf

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The Power of Effective Questioning Strategies ~ Nicole Biscotti

From the Twitter Archives, August 31, 2019… this tweet became the basis for one of my educational resolutions at the start of 2020, before the pandemic changed my halcyon little resolution activity.


When Students ask Questions they:

1. Take responsibility
2. Are engaged
3. Have confidence
4. Trust their Teachers
5. Are empowered
How do we support & empower our Students by encouraging inquiry in our classrooms?
by Nicole Biscotti, M.Ed.

 

 

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STEAMing Ahead with How-Focused Questions

STEAMing Ahead with How-Focused Questions or The How-Focused Question Approach to Effective STEAM education.

Guest post with Amelia Wildman, MEd and current doctoral student at the College of William and Mary.


The responses to our recent presentation at the CCE Symposium in Finland was so kind. Many in attendance requested additional information on specific implementation of How-focused questioning. Also requested were effective question stems for How-Focused Questions.

Amelia writes, “At its core, creativity involves thinking about something in a meaningful, original way. Strategies that develop students’ abilities to think creatively can also serve the purpose of helping them build skills in analyzing and evaluating what they read.”

How-Focused Strategy: A specific how-focused strategy for strengthening students’ creativity is metaphorical thinking. Metaphorical thinking is about connecting different ideas in order to develop a new perspective or understanding: the qualities and contexts of one idea are paired with those of another in order to make connections. Incorporating metaphorical thinking activities can promote students’ fluent thinking – generating many ideas; flexible thinking – considering different perspectives; and original thinking – developing insights that are unique and complex. Specific strategies for incorporating metaphorical thinking activities into the classroom will be discussed, with a specific focus on metaphorical thinking and developing skills in writing.”

Research-based instructional component (IC): How-focused questions components are integral to students’ content acquisition. How-focused questions are part of questioning for:

1. Clarification

2. Probing Assumptions

3. Probing Rationales

4. Questioning Viewpoints

5. Probing Consequences

6. Questions on the Question

 

How-focused questions are a component of an effective Socratic questioning approach. Here are a few Question stems featuring a Socratic assertion. From these seven stems a complete questioning curriculum in any content area is possible.

  1. How do you know this?
  2. How does this relate to our discussion?
  3. How did you choose your assumption?
  4. How can you verify or disprove your assumption/statement/premise?
  5. How might your assumption be refuted?
  6. How does _____  fit with what our experience tells us?
  7. How does ___ affect ____?

Watch this video that addresses deterrents to poor questioning.

 

References

Berger, W. (2013). What Kills Questioning? (Book trailer for A MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION by Warren Berger). Youtube. Available online at this link: https://youtu.be/dey1Rm5gUxw

Bélanger, Annie and Rao, Preethi, “The Art of Questioning: Using Powerful Questions and Appreciative Inquiry Conversations to Understand Values and Needs” (2019). Presentations. 79.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/library_presentations/79

 

PLEASE NOTE: This post original published February 28, 2019. Updated May 30, 2019 with additional citation information.

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