Recommendation 4
Foster Active Learning in the Classroom
Statistics 6070
Ryan Shannon
Recommendation 4 - Using Cooperative Learning in a Large Introductory Statistics Class
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Traditionally a teacher would lecture to about 90% of the time to students that would take notes in an auditorium. This type of learning is only conducive to a select few of students, but unfortunately this is the style that most often taught to students in larger universities. Magel introduces an the idea that cooperative learning or an interactive learning that is done by the students working together.
As the traditional style is easier then cooperative learning, one reason most lecturers select this style, this paper may show that cooperative could prove to be more beneficial to the students in the classroom. The professor starts by randomly creating groups in the class that are not selected by the students to ensure a better chance of having equal knowledgeable groups. These groups were to work together, and complete worksheets. The students were to each turn in a sheet, when all were completed the group was able to leave. The students were to work in a “no one left behind” act. Trusted to teach one another was a big responsibility, which after examinations, showed to have worked.
This idea cooperative learning is a style that I have been told and informed of multiple times within my education courses. This is a style that I would introduce to any course that I have taught, mostly statistics. Students are far better at teaching each other then an individual. I think that with each student being a different learner as Magel states in the beginning of the article, that layers of different perspectives and learning styles are needed to ensure a better encompass of all students in the course. I would bring the example of confidence interval on cancer from picking cards, similar to the exercise that we have done in the class with card picking and shuffling.
This is a great example of fostering learning, as this style is non-traditional and has been backed by some but not expert research, is effective. This activity will bring a new age of learning, where the professor would lecture less and guide more. Here the students would teach each other and explore the topics that were briefly introduced. Here the students will learn better from interaction, and discovery. As Magel has only left some research of one semester the results are something to note when looking to bring new ideas of education.