1 ‘If you really understand it you can explain it to your grandmother.’ Albert Einstein Apply to demonstrate In the fifth stage of the TEEP cycle, learners have the opportunity to show that they really do understand what they have been learning by applying it. We must design activities in which learners apply their new understanding within a different or unfamiliar context. Certainly this should be about more than simply repeating back information – knowledge is the lowest rung on the ladder in Bloom’s/ Anderson’s Taxonomy. The opportunities here are vast and varied. Learners may find themselves simply answering an exam question, or an on-line quiz, but they might just as well find themselves preparing questions for others, preaching a sermon, recording a podcast or presenting a TV show. The demonstration of learning can be achieved in many ways: visually, kinaesthetically and orally, and individually, in groups or as a whole class. The role of the teacher in this stage of the session is to provide these opportunities. We should prompt and guide, check for understanding and coach for learners. We should encourage thinking and interaction through carefully crafted questioning, and the activity must be designed so that it allows learners to achieve the previously agreed learning outcomes. Of course it is crucially important to prepare our students to succeed in written examinations, but we need to give them opportunities to show their understanding in a variety of ways- spoken, visual and written. The more opportunities to explain their understanding and thinking before writing, the better the written work is likely to be. ‘Ohhhh... now I get it!’ It is a great feeling when that Eureka moment of discovery and understanding occurs in our learners. Often we strive to explain things in many different ways to get individuals of all preferred styles of learning to understand. Using the TEEP approach, opportunities are built in to every learning experience to allow learners to show they really do ‘get it’. If they do, then explaining why, to their teacher, their peers,or the wider community really helps to embed understanding. The fourth and fifth stages of the TEEP cycle are often confused and it is worth taking a moment to see how they are distinct.
Transcript
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‘If you really understand it you can explain it to your grandmother.’Albert Einstein
Apply to demonstrate
In the fifth stage of the TEEP cycle, learners have the opportunity to show that they really do understand what they have been learning by applying it. We must design activities in which learners apply their new understanding within a different or unfamiliar context. Certainly this should be about more than simply repeating back information – knowledge is the lowest rung on the ladder in Bloom’s/Anderson’s Taxonomy. The opportunities here are vast and varied. Learners may find themselves simply answering an exam question, or an on-line quiz, but they might just as well find themselves preparing questions for others, preaching a sermon, recording a podcast or presenting a TV show.The demonstration of learning can be achieved in many ways: visually, kinaesthetically and orally, and individually, in groups or as a whole class.
The role of the teacher in this stage of the session is to provide these opportunities. We should prompt and guide, check for understanding and coach for learners. We should encourage thinking and interaction through carefully crafted questioning, and the activity must be designed so that it allows learners to achieve the previously agreed learning outcomes.
Of course it is crucially important to prepare our students to succeed in written examinations, but we need to give them opportunities to show their understanding in a variety of ways- spoken, visual and written. The more opportunities to explain their understanding and thinking before writing, the better the written work is likely to be.
‘Ohhhh... now I get it!’It is a great feeling when that Eureka moment of discovery and understanding occurs in our learners. Often we strive to explain things in many different ways to get individuals of all preferred styles of learning to understand. Using the
TEEP approach, opportunities are built in to every learning experience to allow learners to show they really do ‘get it’. If they do, then explaining why, to their teacher, their peers,or the wider community really helps to embed understanding.
The fourth and fifth stages of the TEEP cycle are often confused and it is worth taking a moment to see how they are distinct.
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Construct
This is where the pupils try to come to their own understanding. They may make mistakes. Pupils could (should) be using a variety of resources to help them come their own understanding.
TIP: Photograph this stage so that the learning process can be ‘unpicked’ and be seen as being as important as the knowledge they gain.
Apply to demonstrate
This is where the pupils show (in whatever format suitable) that they have come to an understanding.
Pupils could (should) be using a variety of resources and methods to show their understanding.
TIP: This is where summative assessment could come in. Plus, there is enormous scope for a review before this point as well as after.
A good example from food technology involves learners constructing and applying understanding in different lessons (remember the TEEP framework is a planning tool that must be applied flexibly). In the first session the learners make a variety of fish dishes using different cooking methods eg frying, baking, poaching. They then analyse the results for appearance, texture, smell and taste. This process helps them to understand the different effects cooking methods can have.
Activity to demonstrateunderstandingUsing their knowledge of the poets feeling, the poem itself and their knowledge of the Vietnam war and of the impact on the people there, pupils are to create a group collage of the story of ‘What were they like?’ Within their collage, should be reference to the key image that grouped them together in the first place – that should be the slant/spin that their collage demonstrates. Einstein said that if you really understand it, you can explain it – so pupils will be expected to explain their collage.
Activity to search for meaningUnravel a poem with the pupils. This will involve teacher direction and leadership. The poem will be annotated and there will be an exploration of the poet’s thoughts and feelings. Pupils need their own copies of the poem. This section should make explicit the English aspects of the course – HOW has the poet created the effects and impact she has?
Imagine a horse and a cart. How we fill the cart is of supreme importance. If we load the car too quickly and without thinking of a stable base and sensible structure, the contents are likely to be shed. The Construct time is vital to students so that they can organise their information into their ‘carts’ in their own way. If the cart moves off too quickly, learning may be lost. Before saddling up and riding into the Apply section of a lesson, students must make their understanding on the cart secure.
The two stages will, however, often go hand in hand, and sometimes form mini loops within a whole cycle. Consider the Artist’s easel described in the Construct section. Students have to read and understand text in order to ‘translate’ it into images. In the Construct section of the lesson, the teacher will spend time circulating amongst students helping them to make meaning from information. Students will probably find themselves talking to each other during this type of activity, getting ideas and sharing understanding.
What they have produced can be used in the Apply to Demonstrate phase where questioning is key here. The type of question asked will determine the quality of the understanding being assessed. At the lowest level asking ‘What do your pictures mean?’ will prompt regurgitation of the information you provided them with in the first place.
To gain a better insight into the students’ understanding they must be asked to use the information they have trans-lated to answer better questions;
What would happen if…?How would this affect….?If we changed this what would happen to ….?How could this be made much larger?The latter are questions that require students to apply their understanding. The information students provide at this point will directly inform the planning of the next learning cycle.
Biomass – sunlight energy is trapped by plants as chemical energy. It is stored as the plant grows.
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In the following session they apply this knowledge to developing a new fish recipe for a competition organised by the Sea Fish Industry Authority. This example clearly illustrates the difference between the two parts of the TEEP learning cycle. Firstly there is an opportunity to explore and develop new understanding and then a chance to apply this in a different situation. We are not regurgitating information, but applying understanding to create a real and tasty outcome!
Dale’s Cone of Experience tells us that the most effective learning takes place when learners are active and when they have opportunities to teach each other. However there are many ways of getting learners to apply what they have learned. They can effectively employ ICT in this stage of the TEEP cycle. Young people invariably have a greater aptitude for using ICT than many of their teachers, and it is unreasonable to restrict them to demonstrating understanding through media with which we, as teachers, are familiar. Many learners have advanced skills when it comes to using, for example, PowerPoint, Moviemaker, Publisher and Photoshop. If they have not we should encourage them to explore digital media when it comes to presenting their learning. We must therefore become skilled in these applications ourselves. The key is to vary activities constantly, to develop new skills and keep lessons fresh and appealing to all learners.
To support teachers in this underpinning element, reference should be made to both the Effective Use of ICT booklet and the regularly updated web document: http://tinyurl.com/TEEPICT
Whether learners have answered an exam question, beenin a role-play or have presented to the rest of the class theyshould receive feedback. We should reflect on the reason for feedback, though, to ensure it is as effective as possible.If we are to spend our time and energies responding tolearners we want to be sure that our efforts are worthwhile. The role of feedback is to move people forward intheir understanding. It should comment on how they havedone, often against previously agreed criteria, and offerstrategies that compel students to progress further in theirlearning. Even if individuals have met all criteria to a very highlevel, we can still provide feedback in the form of a questionor task that really stretches their understanding. Having thesentiment ‘there is no failure, only feedback’ as a centraleducational tenet is a great way to engender a positive,enquiring, safe and low stress ethos.
‘Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t... you’re probably right.’ Henry Ford
A safe and encouraging environment is particularly important if we are to develop peer and self-assessment in our class. Learners should be actively involved in the feedback process. It is vital that they are active in all aspects of their learning and appreciate the next steps required to move forward. They must know how, as well as what, to improve. The Apply section can be a real motivator when learners can see that progress has been made.
End of topic testA classic and constant tool used to enable learners to show what they know is the end of topic test. These bastions of assessment will be with us for a long time to come, but the timing of them should be flexible and come anywhere but at the end of a period of learning. More often than not tests are administered in the last lesson of a series. The teacher takes them home and marks them, which can take a little while, and by the time learners receive the feedback they are well into another topic. In some circumstances the classes may rotate amongst teachers, in which case it is even less likely that learners will engage at all with any helpful comments that have been provided. The major assessment should come before the end of a topic so that there will be time to explore misunderstandings, set more stimulating extension challenges, and redirect time and resources to learners’ differing needs appropriately.
SSAT (The Schools Network) Ltd, a private company limited by shares.Registered in England and Wales, Company No. 8073410Printed: December 2013
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References and further reading Coles, A. (1999) Developing a need for algebra: NTRP. Available online at www.ntrp.org.uk/sites/all/documents/ Coles%20-%20algebra%20-%201999.pdf
CUREE (2010) Students’ views about science theory and practice: GTC research for teachers summary. Available online at http://tinyurl.com/ne27r3o
Georghiades P (2000) Beyond conceptual change learning in science education: focusing on transfer. Educational Research 42: 119-139.
Hattie, J. (2009) Visible Learning. A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge: Oxon.
Lubben, F., Bennett, J., Hogarth, S., & Robinson, A. (2005). A systematic review of the effects of context-based and Science-Technology-Society (STS) approaches in the teaching of secondary science on boys and girls, and on lower-ability pupils. In: Research Evidence in Education Library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London.
Ofsted (2010) Finnish pupils’ success in mathematics: factors that contribute to Finnish pupils’ success in mathematics. Ofsted: London. Ref 100105 www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/ finnish-pupils-success-mathematics
Whitehouse, K (2004) Developing students as independent learners through research and presentation activities in A/S Chemistry. Coventry: National Teacher Research Panel [NTRP] Available online at www.ntrp.org.uk/node/39
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