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Fast and Slow Learning in the 21st Century:
Ideas and Tools for Improving Ed Reform, Teaching, and Learning
Dr. Gustavo E. Fischman & Dr. Eric M. HaasProfessor Independent ResearcherArizona State University
Excellence in Education: Building a Brighter Future
Phoenix, AZSeptember 22 – 23, 2014
AbstractThis presentation provides ideas and tools for improving decisions about which education ideas will likely improve teacher practice and student learning. Drawing on research in cognitive science, the presentation discusses how both our automatic fast thinking and our deliberate slow thinking are involved in our learning and how both affect our decision making about education. Interactive activities help participants experience their fast and slow thinking. An “Education MADness” test is provided for participants to use in determining which education policies and practices will likely be effective, which will likely be ineffective, and why.
How did you learn that?
Think of something you’re good at.
How do people learn something?
How did we learn to do what we’re good at?
How do people learn something?
How did we learn to do what we’re good at?
By constructing knowledge. By fitting new experiences into the mental models we already have or by reconfiguring mental models
Among other by participating in •Mentored practices on the whole activity•Practices and reflection on the big picture•Practices that payed attention on the little details
In 1 minute . . .
draw a math class
Two ways to think about learning and teaching
Which one represents your way of learning?
Which one represents what goes on in your school?
The Conduit Model
Teachers are info
depositors
Words are vessels for objective meaning
Minds are empty
Conduit-Empty Vessel Logic
• Authority A in the name of society decides that Knowledge K is important
• A selects teacher B with lots of K to deliver to student X who doesn’t have any K
• B gives K to X
• If X doesn’t “get K”, then it is X’s problem
Learning is Growth(better, yet imperfect metaphor)
Minds or Brains are Soil
Ideas/Understandings/Students are Plants
Growth Metaphor Logic
• People construct their understandings
• People need supports to construct accurate or expert understandings/abilities
•High expectations•Sufficient supports•Strong relationships
Many practices are rightly wrong
Because they are based on models
—prototypes and metaphors—
that feel right
but are fundamentally wrong
Why the disconnect?
Sometimes things are obviously bad ideas
You know it in your gut and it is still obviously bad the more you think about it
Sometimes what feels right initially, when you think about it a bit more slowly isn’t really a good idea
And, things that are smart ideas when you think about them slowly, should feel good initially too
Being an expert is getting your fast and slow thinking aligned and working together
Recognizing smart and dumb ideas initially so that your decisions also stand up to the scrutiny of slow deliberations
How often have we actively or inadvertently
thought, talked, and acted as if teaching as direct transmission is
true?
How can we avoid the rightly wrong
temptation of using the Conduit-Empty Vessel
Metaphor?
Rethink Rationality
David.Plunkert.image_.via_.NYT_.11-27-11
What’s in common?
Both math lessons?
What do you see?
Can you read this?Can yuo raed tihs? Are yuo srpruesid?
You can aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht you are rdanieg. In fcat, if yuo are fulnet in Egnislh you cnnaot not raed tihs. Yuor bairn rdaes this atoullimatacy and yuo conant sotp ylsouerf. Amzanig, huh?
Yo ca re d t is jus fin , too. Eve with t e miss g l tt rs.
In sum . . .• We automatically construct knowledge;
we can’t stop making or using our mental models
• Our mental models are not always accurate;
fast and slow thinking can disagree
• Our mental models include judgments:
good or bad; smart or dumb
MADness TestApply to any educational
proposal
Misunderstand how people learn ?
Apply (rightly wrong) ideas as silver bullets ?
Disregard (contrary) evidence (consistently and stubbornly) ?
Does it . . .
Promote Smart Ideas
Ones with little of no credible evidence
of likely success
Ones supported by credible evidence of likely success
Avoid Dumb Ideas
Apply MADness
• At your table, select one reform
• Apply the MADness test
• Share & Discuss
Madness TestApply to any educational
proposal
Misunderstand how people learn ?
Apply (rightly wrong) ideas as silver bullets ?
Disregard (contrary) evidence (consistently and stubbornly) ?
Does it . . .
Let’s continue this conversation!
Thanks!Dr. Gustavo Fischman [email protected]
• ORCID: 0000-0003-3853-9856
Dr. Eric Haas [email protected]