In my search for material related to the topic “Relevance in teaching and learning”, I found this academic publication. Tricia Bertram Gallant Pages 88-94 | Accepted author version posted online: 29 Mar 2017, Published online: 29 Mar 2017.
In this post, I will reflect on the points I think are relevant. Please visit the website if you want to read more.
Classroom application
Strive for a mastery rather than a performance-oriented classroom. The latter only encourages surface learning or just enough learning. (To be able to pass tests). The theory is that mastery learning reduces cheating by reinforcing students’ motivation to learn and develop metacognitive skills. Mastery skills can be developed by meaningful assessments, providing students choice and control over grading, and nurturing deeper approaches to learning- The importance of making assessments meaningful. What the teacher can do; be clear about the learning to be gained, make sure that the assessments are relevant to students’ interests and lives (including their future professional lives), and provide assessments that represent authentic, real-world task. The last one is probably the most difficult one.
- Offer choice to your students when it comes to assessments and grading. This enhances motivation. Let the students choose between individual and team assessment. a choice in what percentage of their grade comes from individual versus group assessments.
The use of peer learning. Research has demonstrated that peer instruction is also likely to reduce cheating, because, in such a classroom, students are more likely to be engaged in deep, rather than surface, learning. When using blogs I always ask the students to read their classmates’ blogs and comment on these. It makes for a transparent classroom where students learn from each other.- Finally regarding assessments, let the students have multiple attempts to approve the grades. This encourages a deeper approach to learning nurtured by allowing multiple attempts at an assessment or scaffolding assessments to lead to a final culminating demonstration of mastery
I focus on applying empirical research to elucidate the practical methods faculty can use in the classroom to foster learning orientations and improve instruction. I will also introduce a 5th strategy of the teaching and learning approach—leveraging the cheating moment as a teachable moment. This 5th strategy is instrumental for faculty members who hope to create a teaching and learning environment in which cheating is the exception and integrity the norm.
The first goal of the teaching and learning approach to academic integrity is to foster a learning-oriented environment, that is, one that is mastery rather than performance oriented. In performance-oriented environments, the assessments are superficial (i.e., earn points by doing the text problem sets), easy (e.g., earn points by writing summaries of each of the course readings), or contrived (e.g., assessments that do not seem aligned with the learning objectives). Such assessments encourage surface learning or just enough learning to achieve external goals (e.g., test scores, products and grades; Anderman, Griesinger, & Westerfield, 1998; Meece, Anderman, & Anderman, 2006; Murdock & Anderman, 2006).
On the other hand, mastery-oriented environments reduce cheating naturally by reinforcing students’ motivations to learn and developing their meta-cognitive skills, that is their self-awareness of the knowledge they have, the knowledge they need, and how they can develop new knowledge (Ambrose, Bridges, Lovett, Dipietro, & Norman, 2010; Day, Hudson, Dobies, & Waris, 2011; Lang, 2013; Palazzo, Lee, Warnakulasooriya, & Pritchard, 2010). Mastery orientations can be developed by using meaningful assessments, providing students choice and control over grading, and nurturing deeper approaches to learning (Ambrose et al., 2010
Assessments can be made meaningful by being clear about the learning to be gained, ensuring assessments are relevant to students’ interests and lives (including their future professional lives), and by ensuring assessments represent authentic, real-world tasks (Ambrose et al., 2010; Kember, Ho, & Hong, 2008). For example, in my class on ethical decision-making, I do not ask students to analyze a case study from a case study book or from someone else’s life. Rather, I have students analyze an ethical dilemma they are currently facing in their own lives.
Choice and control over grading can be particularly powerful; when students can choose the method for earning their grades, the power of the external reward to negatively impact learning motivations is mitigated (Patall, et al., 2008). Pattall et al. (2008) caution, however, that too much choice or the pressure to choose can be a bad thing; educators want students to feel some autonomy in the classroom but not to be overwhelmed. This can look like a menu of assessments from which students can choose, or a choice in what percentage of their grade comes from individual versus group assessments. In my class, students are afforded the latter choice; as a class, they must negotiate and come to a consensus (that is, each individual does not get to choose their own combination). Because they do in this in the very first class, it appears to generate significant good will between instructor and students, as well as enthusiastic commitment to the learning environment.
Finally, deeper approaches to learning can be nurtured by allowing multiple attempts at an assessment or scaffolding assessments to lead to a final culminating demonstration of mastery (Day et al., 2011; Lang, 2013). Deeper approaches to learning can also be nurtured by active learning pedagogies that provide students with continual opportunities to master skills through repeated attempts in the presence of instructional guides or coaches who encourage critical thinking (Abeysekera & Dawson, 2015; Blasco-Arcas, Buil, Hernandez-Ortega & Sese, 2013). Compare this to passive learning pedagogies (e.g., lectures) where the instructor delivers knowledge to the students while they passively receive it (King, 1993; Prince, 2004).
Given the potential power of active learning pedagogies to enhance learning and reduce cheating, I elaborate on a few examples. All of these examples can be described as occurring in a flipped classroom in which the activities and assessments normally completed outside of the classroom are completed inside the classroom, with the instructional team serving as guides or coaches (Lage, Platt, & Treglia, 2000). Problem-based learning is one popular model of flipped classroom pedagogy. Unlike in traditional lecture classrooms, where the teacher is the central figure who deposits knowledge into the students’ heads (otherwise known as Freire’s “banking model” of education), problem-based learning centers on the learners as they solve problems (often in groups) that are scaffolded to, in the end, deliver the same content as that traditionally delivered through lecturing. Problem-based learning can enhance learning and reduce cheating because it aligns learning objectives, activities, and assessments (Biggs, 1999); increases relevance for the learner (Kember et al., 2008); and facilitates the development of meta-cognition and student learning motivations (Prince, 2004).
Research has demonstrated that peer instruction is also likely to reduce cheating, because in such a classroom, students are more likely to be engaged in deep, rather than surface, learning (Crouch & Mazur, 2001; Mazur, 2009; van Vliet, Winnips & Brouwer, 2015). Peer instruction facilitates the Socratic teaching method in large classrooms to engage all students, rather than a few select individuals. In peer instruction, questions are asked of all students at once and the students respond all at once (using technology or even colored cards held up by the students).
Finally, the flipped classroom pedagogy known as team-based learning (TBL) strongly supports all of the elements of a mastery-oriented environment. This is the method I have used for the last 3 years of teaching. Essential to TBL is developing sound learning objectives, determining assessments for measuring achievement of the learning objectives, and designing activities to help students develop the requisite skills and knowledge needed to achieve the learning objectives (Sibley & Robinson, 2016). The core activities of TBL are individual and team testing (to ensure sufficient knowledge) and application activities (to practice applying knowledge). Another feature of TBL is allowing students to decide what percentage of their grade comes from individual versus team performance, thereby providing students “choice and control in the process” (Lang, 2013, p. 104). The reader will recognize that the design and structures of TBL are those that will enhance intrinsic motivation, develop meta-cognition, and support deep approaches to learning, all of which should reduce cheating. The explicit alignment of learning objectives to assessments and activities enhances students’ learning motivations. The individual and team testing enhance students’ meta-cognition, and the application activities deepen their approach to learning. Overall, TBL, and arguably problem-based learning, encourages a mastery orientation by enhancing students’ “feeling of competence during action” (Abeysekera & Dawson, 2015, p. 4).
Active and engaged learning pedagogies may not only foster learning-oriented environments, but also serve to improve instruction and students’ perceptions of instruction.
To whom it may concern,
I really liked your piece of literature. Your writing captivates the true essence of the teaching and learning approach to academic integrity. Your piece of literature was very well written and educational. I really liked the part when you said: “Choice and control over grading can be particularly powerful; when students can choose the method for earning their grades, the power of the external reward to negatively impact learning motivations is mitigated (Patall, et al., 2008Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., & Robinson, J. C. (2008).” Just this part of your literature was very informative and fun to read. You shouldn’t change anything about this beautifully written piece of literature. Thank you for sharing it with me!