Week3 reflection-Evidence-based teaching and Jigsaw strategy

Course Overview

The third lecture was so informative that it forced me to spend more time absorbing it. At the beginning of the class after reviewing the theories from the previous class, the lecturer summarised some of the students' blog features from the first week and invited us to share some blog writing experiences on the stage. The lecturer introduced us to the teaching strategy of Evidence-based teaching (EBT). Based on the knowledge of EBD, we carried out the top 6 strategies showcase.

Evidence-based teaching

The lecturer introduced teaching strategies of EBT, which refers to pedagogical techniques and tools that have been proven through rigorous experimentation to promote learning (Schwartz & Gurung, 2012). Geoff Petty combined the works of Hattie and Marzano and concluded that the highest effective six strategies are graphic organizer, manipulative, reciprocal teaching, interactive teaching, assessment for learning and cooperative learning.

Of these, the graphic organiser is the most influential and effective. Graphic outlines are quite common in our daily learning, including mind maps, flow charts and Venn diagrams. Casteleyn et al. (2013) stated graphic organisers were a good way to help students to summarise what they have learned and to understand the interrelationships between the aspects of what have been taught to them. I also noticed that our lecturer is very fond of using charts and graphs in her teaching,especially she preferred to start the lectures with diagrams to review what we had learnt in the previous lesson. For example, at the beginning of this lesson, she took us through the dialogic patterns in the process of metacognitive facilitation between teachers and students which we learned in the last lecture with the help of diagrams.

 Upon my first interaction with the notion of EBT, I was amazed by the effectiveness and ingenuity of this pedagogical approach. Initially, I had the belief that due to the unique nature of each student, instructors should possess the ability to tailor their teachings in order to accommodate their diverse requirements. However, in most cases, teachers have limited energy and time, tailoring their teaching to the needs of students can be difficult to achieve to some extent. I was also profoundly perplexed about how to instruct a larger class. EBT has provided me with new insights. Whilst many factors may be beyond the control of any single teacher, it is significant that teachers control what they can - one such variable being the teaching methods they utilise in the classroom (Dunn et al., 2013). Similarly, I cannot predict the types of pupils I will have in my future classroom or the contingencies that may arise. However, I can determine which empirical and effective teaching strategies I will employ. EBT is tried-and-true instructional method that are effective in any classroom. One of the most significant advantages of using EBT is its ability to eliminate uncertainty when implementing novel approaches within my prospective educational setting. I am able to make informed decisions about curriculum design, instructional strategies, and assessment techniques.

Jigsaw strategy 

When the top six teaching strategies of EBD were mentioned, the lecturer asked each member in the group to select one strategy. As we were assigning roles and starting to discuss, the lecturer suddenly asked us to be separated for Jigsaw. To be honest, as an ELL, this was also the first time I had seen the word jigsaw. Faced with the instruction of a brand-new word, I was chaotic at that moment and didn't understand what was going on. Luckily, the lecturer then explained that she would pick students with the same strategy from different groups to form a new group.

In the traditional group model, each group is assigned a specific task which is solved through collaborative discussion among group members. In educational settings where the Jigsaw method is used, students are assigned to groups and assume the role of "experts" in their respective topics. They delve deeper and comprehend their part of the material. Following the acquisition of expertise in their individual areas, students reconstitute themselves into Jigsaw groups. Every Jigsaw group includes an expert from each of the initial groups. These mixed groups collaborate to ensure that all members possess a full comprehension of the whole of the subject matter. For instance, in the context of assessments for learning (AFL), it would be needed to form a distinct cohort of students from various teams who have selected the same topic. In the new team, the whole process of collaboration proceeded smoothly, we went through the sources together and edited collaboratively in the Drive document. Omar emphasised the importance of AFL and his own sense of experience. Meanwhile, Shiwei frequently referred to the components of assessment for learning. As a result of engaging in collaborative conversations, I acquired a more comprehensive comprehension of AFL. Consequently, when rejoining my first group, I endeavoured to disseminate the information I had acquired.

Both the Jigsaw strategy and zone of proximal development (ZPD) are related to social interaction in the learning process, emphasising a learner performs with the assistance of a more knowledgeable person. The Jigsaw strategy provided a chance for students must collaborate, instruct, and learn from their peers (Doymus, 2007). Because of the collaborative nature of Jigsaw, students must engage in conversation with a variety of peers. Within the group, it is expected that an individual would assume the responsibility of the more knowledgeable other. They can receive assistance and guidance from these more knowledgeable individuals. Therefore, the Jigsaw strategy coincides with the core of scaffolded learning. Similarly, Nordlof (2014) pointed out that in scaffolding instruction, a more experienced party offers support or scaffolds to aid the learner's progress. The more competent person provides the scaffolds so that the students may perform activities with assistance that they would otherwise be unable to do, assisting the students through the ZPD.

References

Casteleyn, J., Mottart, A., & Valcke, M. (2013). The impact of graphic organisers on learning from presentations. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 22(3), 283–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939x.2013.784621

Doymus, K. (2007). Teaching Chemical Equilibrium with the Jigsaw Technique. Research in Science Education, 38(2), 249–260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-007-9047-8

Dunn, D. S., Saville, B. K., Baker, S. C., & Marek, P. (2013). Evidence-based teaching: Tools and techniques that promote learning in the psychology classroom. Australian Journal of Psychology, 65(1), 5–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12004

Nordlof, J. (2014). Vygotsky, scaffolding, and the role of theory in writing center work. The Writing Center Journal, 45-64. 

Raymond, E. (2000). Cognitive characteristics: Learners with mild disabilities. Needham Heights: Allyn& Bacon Com. 

Schwartz, B. M., & Gurung, R. A. R. (Eds.). (2012). Evidence-based teaching for higher education. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/13745-000 

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Week2 reflection-Thinking Tools and Teaching Demo

Course Overview

Eager anticipation, we had our second lecture of this semester. At first, we were divided into different groups based on the results of the roulette game. In the lecture, we reviewed second language acquisition, ZPD theory and many other pedagogical theories, being introduced to Cognition and Metacognition theory and Dialogic Assessment for the first time. After that, we were asked to select strategies from a total of 50 strategies given by our lecturer to design the class as well as demonstrate it in the classroom.

In the tutorial, the lecturer concluded our micro-teaching by summarising some of our peers’ teaching methods such as drawing, video and gaming, encouraging us to teach by cutting videos and listening to songs. Finally, she ended the class with the elegant song “Five Hundred Miles”.

New Partners

The lecturer used a roulette game to divide us into groups, which allowed us to break away from the fixed groups in the class and work with different classmates. For most of the Year 1 modules, table groups were mostly stable, we typically chose to sit next to our closest companions. Due to the fact that I had never collaborated with anyone in the new group, this could challenge my social comfort zone. Hence, I was able to be exposed to different learning styles and perspectives.

The lecturer's group approach reminded me of cognitive field psychology, which is characterised by a focus on the individual as he or she is affected by his or her surroundings. Stormshak et al (1999), pioneers in this field, theorized that when a person's life space changes, various methods of thinking, feeling, and behaving become apparent. Similarly, this theory applies to the classroom, by transforming the life space of the individual student, theoretically, the behaviour of the student will change. According to Daniels (2003), the immersion of persons in varied psychological settings may lead to the emergence of new beliefs and values, as well as the adoption of new roles or group memberships. Students are provided with opportunities to encounter many learning styles and views, so fostering the stimulation of their interest and motivation in the process of acquiring knowledge. Students are exposed to various learning styles and perspectives, which helps to stimulate their interest and motivation in their studies.

For example, a member of our group, Aimi, incorporated a small game Simon Says into our microteaching presentation. I had not contemplated the method of incorporating activities into teaching. This method of instruction increased students' focus and participation in class, thereby significantly enhancing its effectiveness. I was inspired to incorporate mini-games into my future instructional design. According to Freitas et al. (2013), the incorporation of games into educational settings has the potential to enhance student engagement and enjoyment, hence fostering increased attention and motivation to actively engage in the learning process.

Micro-Teaching

Our group adopted the pedagogical objective of teaching 'colours' (morphology) to 7–8-year-old children. During the design of the curriculum, we attempted to incorporate the 50 strategies provided by the lecturer.

To build the visual scaffolding, we selected the most daily objects for the corresponding colours on the slides. Visual aids are a great way to scaffold learning. Since the main subject of our teaching is ELL children, they may not understand the names of many nouns in English. Visual aids are regarded as a great way to scaffold learning. Lestari& Misdi (2018) suggested that teachers can apply them to introduce new materials, reinforce concepts, support struggling learners. So when talking about the colour red, we purposely inserted pictures of the strawberry in the slide. Once students see the picture of the strawberry, they will naturally associate it with red. 

We also use the cloze procedure, leaving the sentences with keywords for students to fill in in relation to the contextual meaning. It inspires children to consider word choice so that they can select the word that best fits the blank space. Moreover, the cloze is also an ideal tool to track the mastery level of students. Oller and Conrad (1971) also affirmed that the cloze approach is a very promising device for measuring ESL proficiency. This is because cloze questions are able to test students’ vocabulary, spelling and language skills simultaneously.

Blog and Metacognition

The module is titled "Teaching and Learning Strategies."  The implementation of teaching strategies requires the thinking tools as a means. Therefore, a key aspect covered in this session is a cognitive tool used in the pedagogical and educational process. In addition to the Bloom taxonomy level and Maslow's hierarchy of needs that I had acquired knowledge of in Year 1, I was first exposed to the concept of metacognition, which can be defined as “thinking about thinking or a person’s cognition about cognition” (Wellman, 1990).

As metacognition is the process of continuous reflection about one's own thinking and learning, teachers can implement metacognitive strategies to support students become self-regulating learners and to cultivate a strong sense of agency in their educational journey (Akturk & Sahin, 2011). Our lecturer incorporates metacognitive strategies into her daily teaching, for example, she assigned us the task of writing weekly reflection blogs to document our learning progress and experiences. Paris and Paris (2001) also stated that teachers could use writing activities, such as logs and self-assessment checklists, to promote metacognitive growth because these exercises encourage learners to reflect on their learning processes. Engaging in such writing assignments necessitates

Underway: reflections

consistent reflection, organization, assessment, and planning of the learning process, thereby fostering the growth of metacognitive abilities. Continuous student self-reflection—a significant part of metacognitive awareness—motivates independent learning and prompts learners to become more aware of their progress (Joseph, 2009). 

I also realised that my metacognitive abilities were greatly enhanced in blog writing. Never having done so before, I initiated a continuous process of self-reflection regarding the efficacy of my learning, approximating my level of comprehension and identifying challenges and opportunities for growth

References

Akturk, A. O., & Sahin, I. (2011). Literature Review on Metacognition and its Measurement. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15, 3731–3736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.04.364

Daniels, V. (2003). Kurt Lewin notes. Sonoma State University. Retrieved, November, 4, 2008. 

Freitas, S., Ott, M., Popescu, M. M., & Stanescu, L. (2013). New Pedagogical Approaches in Game Enhanced Learning: Curriculum Integration. In www.igi-global.com. IGI Global. https://www.igi-global.com/book/new-pedagogical-approaches-game-enhanced/72365

Joseph, N. (2009). Metacognition Needed: Teaching Middle and High School Students to Develop Strategic Learning Skills. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 54(2), 99–103. https://doi.org/10.1080/10459880903217770

Lestari, N. F., & Misdi, M. (2018). Using visual scaffolding strategy for teaching reading in junior high school. Academic Journal Perspective: Education, Language, and Literature, 4(2), 131-138. 

Livingston, J. A. (2003). Metacognition: An Overview. ERIC. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED474273

Oller, J. W., & Conrad, C. A. (1971). THE CLOZE TECHNIQUE AND ESL PROFICIENCY. Language Learning, 21(2), 183–194. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1971.tb00057.x

Paris, S. G., & Paris, A. H. (2001). Classroom Applications of Research on Self-Regulated Learning. Educational Psychologist, 36(2), 89–101. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep3602_4

Stormshak, E. A., Bierman, K. L., Bruschi, C., Dodge, K. A., & Coie, J. D. (1999). The Relation between Behavior Problems and Peer Preference in Different Classroom Contexts. Child Development, 70(1), 169–182. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00013

Wellman, H. M. (1990). The Child’s Theory of Mind. In PhilPapers. Bradford Books. https://philpapers.org/rec/WELTCT-2

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Week1 reflection-Self Introduction and Designing Blogs

Course Overview

The first session of the Teaching & Learning Strategies course began on October 2nd. The course is delivered by Dr Lina, who specialises in the use of digital technology for teaching and management. 🌹🌹🌹

The lecturer instructed us to scan the QR code on the projector to access the Mentimeter questionnaire, which is designed to track our learning status timely. 

At the beginning of the course, the lecturer introduced herself with a concise but elaborate video presentation and then asked each member of the class to introduce themselves with slides. 

In the slideshow, students presented portraits describing their hobbies, upbringing, and ambitions. Following a preliminary understanding of the students, she used the questionnaire to enquire about their prior knowledge of the course, summarising their comments and formally presenting the objectives and outcomes of this module.

During the first tutorial, she provided step-by-step instructions on how to use media tools to launch our Blogs and introduced students to the 5R framework for reflection, a model of academic reflection required to be adopted in weekly blogs. The 5R framework guides students through Reporting, Responding, Relating, Reasoning, and Reconstructing to make sense of a learning experience (Bain et al., 2002).

Icebreaker 

Such a first lecture is engaging and appealing, it can be defined as an ideal icebreaker to some extent. As a listener, I listened to the introductions of my classmates. I not only gained a deeper understanding of my former classmates from the School of Education but also made new acquaintances from other faculties. As a speaker, I actively engaged in the class by delivering a self-introduction, leaving a lasting impression on my classmates.

My Self-introduction

Compared to the traditional classroom

During the self-introduction session, individual presentations are a superior method for students to demonstrate their individuality and creativity while establishing personal connections with their new classmates. Furthermore, the lecturer presented her academic journey via the utilisation of video material, complemented by a verbal elaboration. 

The video presented an account of her educational and professional experiences in New Zealand. Motivated by her family's expectations, she worked and studied diligently. She also gathered with her close friends in her leisure time. 

Me and My Friends in Penang

It reminded me of my overseas study life, where I spent days and nights completing my assignments and my favourite pastime was hanging out with good friends. It was at that time that I sincerely resonated with this new lecturer with a sense of kinship. 

Pedagogical Theories 

Multi-sensory teaching approach 

She incorporated a multi-sensory teaching approach throughout the course. This educational style is designed to engage students via the utilization of several sensory modalities, including visual, aural, tactile, and kinesthetic methods (Joshi et al., 2002).

Visual:  In terms of instructional methodology, our lecturer used visual aids such as slides and movies to deliver the course material. This pedagogical approach serves to facilitate students' comprehension of the subject matter via visual means. According to Raiyn(2016), learners understand information better in the classroom when they see it. 

Auditory: To boost the volume of verbal explanation, in the first lecture, the lecturer wore a voice amplifier. She also set elegant music for self-introduction video and invited every student to present publicly. The use of an auditory learning method has been shown to improve classroom focus, particularly benefiting those who learn most well via auditory means, such as listening or engaging in verbal discussion (Kayalar & Kayalar, 2017).

Tactile/Kinesthetic Elements: Kinesthetic or tactile learners need to try something or physically touch in order to learn the concept best (Tuan, 2011). To accommodate the needs of tactile/kinesthetic learners, the lecturer asked us to complete questionnaires during the lecture, which can show their understanding of the course content. In the tutorial, she divided the blog-making process into several steps, requiring us to follow her step-by-step instructions.

Snyder (2000) stated that learners are diverse and with different learning styles and needs. However, multisensory teaching enables accurate and real-time mapping of motor behaviour onto multiple facets of visual media, sound, and tangible, according to different strategies the teacher can select flexibly (Volpe & Gori, 2019). Therefore, multisensory instruction can consider that different learners learn in different ways, improving learning efficiency and acquisition. 

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory

In that lecture, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory was not only introduced. There are five layers of the students’ learning needs, which are physiology, safety, belonging, esteem, self-actualisation. I reckoned this theory gave me guidance to structure the settings of the classroom to accommodate learners’ learning needs. Maslow (1943) initially pointed out that individuals must satisfy lower-level deficit needs (physiological needs) before progressing to meet higher-level growth needs. My instructor in this class was similarly attentive to our comfort; she provided us with cookies and coffee. The Physiological Needs of the pupils were met since food is readily available.

In addition, during the process of learning how to create a blog, we were divided into small groups and instructed to assist one another, which satisfied our social belongingness requirements. In this divided new group, we contributed and collaborated to create the blog with a very warm classroom climate which empowered me to learn more.  

Our lecturer always kept a smile and a friendly tone in the class. Aragon (2003) believed teacher intimacy behaviours, like eye contact, facial expressions and body language are significant strategies, leading to higher motivation and achievement among learners. More importantly, she also encouraged us to express ourselves and gave us equal chances to voice. This created a relatively safe classroom environment for us, which fulfilled the need for safety and esteem. Likewise, Novak and Purkey (1996) argued that our human interactions are only effective when we adhere to principles of being respected, trusted and being in a status of optimistic. It means that educators need to create a supportive and effective learning environment. By catering for students' hierarchy of needs, teachers can help students overcome their personal educational obstacles to reach their educational potential (Milheim, 2012).

Imitation

Our lecturer is a great professional role model.

Since that the icebreaker for the first lesson was quite innovative model.✅ In my future classroom, I will also use video to do self-introduction and let my students use slides to introduce themselves to personalise the class.  

Moreover, I am expected to meet the students’ hierarchy needs, adopting a multisensory teaching strategy to foster effectiveness (for individuals, the most suited modality can be exploited) and personalisation (flexibility for teachers and students) in learners' learning process.

Finally, to myself✊✊✊: new challenges will come, but I know they are opportunities for me to grow and improve as a qualified educator. I strive to be a great teacher like our lecturer~

References：

Aragon, S. R. (2003). Creating social presence in online environments. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2003(100), 57–68. https://doi.org/10.1002/ace.119

Bain, J. D., Ballantyne, R., & Mills, C. (2002). Reflecting on practice : Student teachers’ perspectives. Post Pressed.

Joshi, R. M., Dahlgren, M., & Boulware-Gooden, R. (2002). Teaching reading in an inner city school through a multisensory teaching approach. Annals of Dyslexia, 52(1), 229–242. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-002-0014-9

Kayalar, F., & Kayalar, F. (2017). The effects of Auditory Learning Strategy on Learning Skills of Language Learners (Students’ Views). IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 22(10), 4–10. https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-2210070410

Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346

Milheim, K. L. (2012). Towards a Better Experience: Examining Student Needs in the Online Classroom through Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Model. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 8(2), 159.  

Novak, J. M., & Purkey, W. (1996). Inviting School Success: A Self-Concept Approach to Teaching, Learning, and Democratic Practice (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning.

Raiyn , J. (2016). An Evaluation of Digital Stories Created for Social Studies Teaching. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(24). https://doi.org/10.7176/7-29-2016-9384

Snyder, R. F. (2000). The Relationship between Learning Styles/Multiple Intelligences and Academic Achievement of High School Students. The High School Journal, 83(2), 11–20. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40364506

Tuan, L. T. (2011). EFL learners’ learning styles and their attribute. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2(2), 290–320.

Volpe, G., & Gori, M. (2019). Multisensory Interactive Technologies for Primary Education: From Science to Technology. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01076

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