Design and Assessment for a Hot Cognitive Economy

1. Design and Assessment for a Hot Cognitive Economy ByJ. Gary Daynes, Ph.D.Stefinee Pinnegar, Ph.D.Patricia B. Esplin, Ph.D.Dan T. Rowe, M.S.Brigham Young UniversityProvo, Utah

2. Our agenda today . . . Overview and hypotheses BYU�s cognitive economy Activity Design and assessment Activity Findings Future plans

3. After thoughts Students really speak their mind . . . I learned from American Heritage that I could love a class but do horrible in it at the same time. I didn�t think that was possible. I also learned that no matter how hard you study, there are still times you will fail miserably. I think my work with the community helped me to over come my fear of old nursing homes and nursing home residents. Before I did my service I was very intimidated by them, and I assumed everyone in these homes was crazy and homicidal or something to that effect In high school studying was a sign of weakness. I went through the rest of the day like Bill Murphy in Groundhog Day, every class was the same, work, work, work, work, work, and more work. University 101 seemed somewhat like another high school class. Real desks, a teacher that wrote on a chalkboard, students that gave bad answers, and enough busy work to keep me�well, busy. My parents would be so proud of me.

4. After thoughts Students really speak their mind . . . I have learned that it does not pay to have freshmen moments and procrastinate. No late work is accepted in college and in this course assignments were given out like candy on Halloween. I was able to help my relationship with my boy friend by using information I learned in my MFHD and coming to the realization that guys don�t think at all like girls and you have to spell things out for them sometimes. This semester has defiantly taught me what a college life is about Both need each other very much and even though some may think that they are independent they could be no more wrong than it was to vote for Bill Clinton for two presidential terms I also learned by observance that whiners are nothing but annoying I feel like my brain has been stretched like a ball of silly putty. I clearly remember Dr Pinnegar stating on one of our first days of class that we college students were the most selfish people on the earth. I did well enough to be emitted to BYU and when I arrived here I released the importance of learning.

5. Hypotheses That certain activities, like problem-based learning, group work, service-learning, and learning communities could help respond to fragmentation. That a one-credit hour course could spark integration if assignments grew from the activities in (1) and simultaneously contributed to course assessment. That as a result of these designs, students would develop as learners over the course of the semester.

6. The Cognitive Economy of Colleges Tagg, J. The Learning Paradigm College, p. 101 Hot Cool Goals Emphasizes intrinsic goals Emphasizes extrinsic goals Activity High level of cognitive activity; Low level of cognitive activity; highest rewards for high cost high rewards for low-cost activities: activities: deep approaches, surface approaches, retention complex cognition Information High ratio of feedback to evaluation Low ratio of feedback to evaluation Time Horizon Long time horizon; decisions bear Short time horizon; decisions bear consequences in the long term consequences in the short term Community Strong support community Weak support community Alignment Institutional behavior consistent, Institutional behavior aligned with aligned with learning mission instruction mission or misaligned

7. The Cognitive Economy of CollegesTable 8.1 (adapted)John Tagg, The Learning Paradigm College (Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing, 2003), 101

8. Activity 1The Cognitive Economies of Your Work Instructions In our work we have found that student expectations and behavior, the culture of the institution, and the culture of the academic department or program all influence the cognitive economy in which students learn. Further, few cognitive economies are either hot or cold�most are mixed, with some sectors cold, others hot, or tepid. The purpose of this activity is to have you describe the cognitive economies that influence your work. In the table below, describe the cognitive economic assumptions that your students bring with them, the cognitive economy of your entire institution, and the cognitive economy of the portion of the institution for which you have responsibility. (Table based on John Tagg, The Learning Paradigm Collee (Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing, 2003), 04-101.)

9. The Cognitive Economies of Your WorkActivity 1 Table

10. BYU�s Cognitive Economy

11. BYU�s Cognitive Economy

12. Design for Hot Cognitive Economy Course is intentionally designed to help students make connections between their classes and between classes and university Aims (goals, activity, community, alignment) Social science courses are linked so that social science majors can see connections, explore majors, and contribute to overall good (goals, community, alignment) Students work in groups on real-world problems and participate in service-learning (activity, community, alignment) Student tasks build on each other through semester (activity, time, alignment) Electronic portfolio is used to enter, track, assess, and evaluate student work (activity, information, time, alignment) Feedback and assessment support connections and alignment (time, community, alignment)

13. Activities readings problem definition guest lectures data gathering group work faculty consultation problem redefinition knowledge fair Assessment weekly reflections data summary concept map learning paper self-evaluation participation

14. Basic Course Design�Semester View

15. Student Assessment�Semester View

16. Weekly Reflection Prompts

17. Learning Paper

18. Activity 2Reducing Fragmentation by Warming Your Cognitive Economy Introduction We argue that students� ability to transfer learning from one connect to another is impeded by the fragmentation of students� cognitive economy and of the cognitive economy of the institution of higher education. We argue further that by integrating (or aligning) the components of the cognitive economy over which you have some responsibility, it is possible to heat up both the cognitive economy of the institution and the economic assumptions that students carry with them. Respond to the following questions: What are the coldest parts of the cognitive economies in which you work? What are the warmest parts of the cognitive economy over which you have some control? Design an activity (an assignment, a project, a new course, a revision to the curriculum, etc.) that applies the warm parts of your cognitive economy to the cold ones. What is the first step you can take to implement the activity you designed above?

19. Questions to Consider in Design of an Activity What are the processes, skills, or areas of developmental growth you have designed your course to address? What product could capture evidence of whether you have made changes or reached your goals or have pushed students further towards reaching the goals? What prompts or assignments could you use to elicit responses from which you could measure your success?

20. Problems as a Catalyst for Learning A good problem has the potential to engage students grows more rather than less interesting is fuzzy with multiple routes to solution and many potential solutions requires deep engagement with content requires application of content has authentic contexts for exploration has authentic audiences for communication Stepien, W.J., Gallagher, S.A., & Workman, D. (1993). Problem-based learning for traditional and inter-disciplinary based classrooms. In The Center for Problem-Based Learning at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (Ed.). Jane�s Baby. Aurora IL:IMSA.

21. Assessment DesignLearning Paper Qualitative Analysis�Criteria

23. Findings:Hypothesis 2�A 1-Credit Sparks Integration

27. Examples of Connections to Coursework: Concept from American Heritage�Civic Virtue Service . . . has helped me understand the topic of civic virtue. We have a responsibility to give back. Service . . . has helped me understand how members of a community must help each other. Seeing community problems first hand, it makes it easier to see why society needs help. Service . . . has helped me see the importance of education . . . it is an important asset in a successful life and a working society. Applying coursework has helped me be a better learner, listener, and volunteer. Collaboration is the key to the advancement of all members of society. Everyone must perform their obligations for the common purpose they have set for themselves and their community. Education is the major contributor in a community�s welfare. . . . Education is the central force in a society�s success. Everyone has to do his or her own part and contribute to the success of the whole group. A community must have a common purpose and the desire to achieve it. Everyone must focus on the goal and complete the requirements to be successful.

28. Course Assessment:Learning Paper Qualitative Analysis�Relationships

34. Week 2In order to become a successful student I need to develop time management skills . . . to balance all the different areas of my life. . . . I need to develop better scheduling skills and find ways to remember assignments.Week 7. . . the habits that I need to develop . . . include taking breaks in between studying, learning more effective ways to study, and making connections with people. These things will . . . help me treat my mind and my body in a way that will help me be at my best.Week 12I have learned it is important not to procrastinate. The better planning I do, the less stress I experience and the better I feel about the work I turn in. I feel it is important to be balanced in all aspects of life. If I don�t do anything but study then I become unhappy and my studies suffer as well. I am much happier when I am living a balanced life.

35. Week 3. . . [I] make an effort to think about things outside class and apply them to everyday life . . . the better my attitude the more fun it becomes.Week 5[I�m] beginning to understand that what I learn in class can be applied in everyday situations . . . the knowledge I am working so hard to attain will be useful to me and my posterity . . . the desire to learn became stronger when I recognized this.Week 10I have made a greater effort to be engaged and interested in what I am learning. . . . After evaluating my volunteer work that day I realized I had enjoyed it much less and gotten much less out of it. . . . I have made it more of a priority to be fully engaged in the things that I do.

36. Week 4Helping children in the classroom where I serve has helped me become a better learner. . . . I was able to realize the importance of keeping my own mind stimulated . . . when I study for too long without a break my mind does not work as well. Week 6 . . . working with children . . . require[s] patience on my part . . . the more I get to help out the better I become. . . . Similarly I have found that in order to learn things at school it requires patience and practice.Week 9 I have been doing my best to learn to be flexible. I try to be willing to try new things . . . and adjust to different situations . . . I have made a special effort to get into a study group. I have learned the importance of working as a team . . . I have learned I am not always right . . . in study groups I am able to get different perspectives . . . I wouldn�t have thought of on my own.

38. After thoughts Students really speak their mind . . . I learned from American Heritage that I could love a class but do horrible in it at the same time. I didn�t think that was possible. I also learned that no matter how hard you study, there are still times you will fail miserably. I think my work with the community helped me to over come my fear of old nursing homes and nursing home residents. Before I did my service I was very intimidated by them, and I assumed everyone in these homes was crazy and homicidal or something to that effect In high school studying was a sign of weakness. I went through the rest of the day like Bill Murphy in Groundhog Day, every class was the same, work, work, work, work, work, and more work. University 101 seemed somewhat like another high school class. Real desks, a teacher that wrote on a chalkboard, students that gave bad answers, and enough busy work to keep me�well, busy. My parents would be so proud of me. I have learned that it does not pay to have freshmen moments and procrastinate. No late work is accepted in college and in this course assignments were given out like candy on Halloween. One skill that I have developed that has helped me develop as a learner is bowling. I was able to help my relationship with my boy friend by using information I learned in my MFHD and coming to the realization that guys don�t think at all like girls and you have to spell things out for them sometimes. This semester has defiantly taught me what a college life is about Both need each other very much and even though some may think that they are independent they could be no more wrong than it was to vote for Bill Clinton for two presidential terms I also learned by observance that whiners are nothing but annoying I feel like my brain has been stretched like a ball of silly putty. I clearly remember Sister Pinnegar stating on one of our first days of class that we college students were the most selfish people on the earth. I did well enough to be emitted to BYU and when I arrived here I released the importance of learning.