DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine

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Designing Independent Learning Assignments

(Formerly known as “homework”)

Janet M. Riddle, MDDirector of Faculty Development

Department of Medical Educationjriddle@uic.edu

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine

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Today’s goals

Develop assignments that prepare students for instruction

Select activities that allow students to achieve learning objectives

Sequence instruction that provides reinforcement of learning

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What is a good independent learning assignment?

DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine

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A brief digression

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Why do we give “homework” assignments? What do we know

about what – or how – our students prepare for class?

Or how they study for class?

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Independent Learning Assignments: A Learner-Centered Perspective

Weimer, 20027

What skills do your learners most need in order to master the content that you are teaching?

Weimer, 20028

Content allows the development of learning skills Process of making

judgments

Problem analysis

Problem solving

Critical appraisal

Weimer, 20029

Content can promote the self-awareness of learning

How learners learn

Their strengths and weaknesses

Meta-cognition

Weimer, 200210

Content allows learners to experience the field first hand

Merrill, 200211

To make instruction effective . . .

Situate learning in real-life problems

Build on previous experience

Demonstrate what is to be learned

Give learners the opportunity to practice problem-solving

Reinforce learning through transfer of learning to new problems

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Situate learning in real-life problems What kinds of

problems will allow your learners to develop the learning skills they need?

What kinds of activities might you use?

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Build on previous experiences

How might you sequence learning activities or assignments?

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Demonstrate what is to be learned

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Give learners the opportunity to practice problem solving Generate examples

Ask questions

Answer questions

Summarize discussion

Solve problems

Construct diagrams

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Reinforce learning through transfer of learning to new problems

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Time to work!

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What did you learn today that you plan to use in your teaching?

Bransford, 200019

Three core learning principles

Learning builds on prior knowledge

Teachers must identify and work with pre-existing knowledge and understanding learners bring with them

Bransford, 200020

Three core learning principles To develop competence, learners must

Have a deep foundation of factual knowledge

Understand facts & ideas in context of conceptual framework

Organize knowledge to facilitate retrieval

Teachers must teach some material in depth; provide conceptual frameworks

Bransford, 200021

Three core learning principles

Develop “metacognitive” approach in learnersMetacognition – monitoring what you

know & what you don’t know

Teachers should help learners define learning goals & monitor progress in achieving them