Promoting Effective Preparation

EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT AND PRACTICAL RESEARCH-BASED STRATEGIES

2:30-3:30 PM FRIDAY 23 JANUARY 2015

TOM ANGELO, CAFÉ DIRECTOR

SLIDE 2

Two Warm-up Questions

1. Why does it matter whether students prepare well for class?

2. What are the 2-3 biggest challenges you face in this regard?

SLIDE 3

Why don’t some of your students prepare well – or at all?

A. They don’t think they need to (Haven’t yet)

B. They don’t see any payoff or consequences

C. They’ve got other priorities (e.g. work, sports, fun)

D. They don’t know how to study effectively

E. They haven’t mastered procrastination, anxiety, etc.

F. Other reasons?

SLIDE 4

Which of these reasons can/should

we meaningfully respond to? A. They don’t think they need to

B. They don’t see any payoff or consequences

C. They’ve got other priorities (e.g. work, sports, fun)

D. They don’t know how to study effectively

E. They haven’t mastered procrastination, anxiety, etc.

F. Other reasons?

SLIDE 5

How might we – and others – promote more and better preparation?

1. Convince them they need to prepare2. Make the consequences – positive and

negative – very clear (accountability)3. Help them recognize and own their priorities4. Teach them how to study more effectively5. Help them manage emotions/change habits6. Create effective prep assignments, with clear

guidance and useful feedback

SLIDE 6

Some options for: Convincing students

they really do need to prepare Assess your course and grading scheme to see if student

preparation really is necessary in order to pass your course Give a pre-test Use an exam or assignment “wrapper” Show students a comparison of grades of those

who prepare well and those who don’t Stage small group, post-test discussion among students about how

and how much they prepared Video past students (with your phone) and get them to make the

case for preparing

SLIDE 7

Some options for: Making the consequences really clear

Give a quick quiz before (MyCourses) or at the start of class Require submission of a set number of preparation assignments (e.g. SPAs) Collect and mark (very minimally) their homework Allot a small percentage of course grade to prep work Share, via MyCourses, examples of excellent prep work Call on students ‘randomly’ (cold calling) Allow only prepared students to participate in discussions/labs Show them examples of exam questions focusing on assigned prep material Avoid lecturing on/reviewing material they should have prepped

SLIDE 8

Some options for: Helping them recognize and own their priorities and choices

Assign a one-week time-logging exercise Do a values affirmation exercise Seek help from Student Success and/or Student Life staff

SLIDE 9

Some options for: Teaching them to study more effectively

Give very explicit directions for how to carry out preparation, not just what to prepare

Demonstrate and model how to read/study for your subject Make effective metacognitive strategies explicit Scaffold the assigned prep work so that they know which are

the most important elements to prepare Set up study groups and incentivize them (a tiny bit) Seek help from Student Success Center staff

SLIDE 10

Some options for: Helping them manage emotions and change habits

Seek help from Student Success Center, Student Life and/or Health & Wellness staff

Encourage and/or require students to seek help Use learning preference indicators to promote self-awareness Dedicate the last few minutes of class to starting the prep work Indicate to students how much time to spend on each element of

the prep work Prioritize elements of the prep work (i.e., “If you can only spend

30 minutes on this, do the following first . . . “)

SLIDE 11

Some options for: Creating effective assignments, with clear guidance and useful feedback Assign prep work from Class #1 Provide all assignments at least two weeks in advance Assign realistic amounts of work for the time available Assign no readings that you won’t discuss or test students on Connect explicitly each prep assignment to the SLOs Assign no preparation that you won’t/can’t monitor

(not the same as marking) If there are lots of prep assignments, drop the lowest mark(s) Give students feedback – not necessarily individual – on high-

value preparation assignments Get feedback on your directions before giving them to students to

ensure they are clear

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A few final thoughts . . .

Students’ preparation is affected by prior experience, habits, contextual motivation, task demands, and feedback

We can’t change their past, and habits are difficult to changeBut we can influence motivation, carefully structure our tasks,

and use feedback to our advantage Positive feedback and incentives generally work better We’ve got allies we can collaborate with“The perfect is the enemy of the good.” Small changes and

small improvements can add up over time.

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Applications CardIdeas/Techniques Possible Applications

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The Parking Lot Test

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What, Why and How

Choose one of your possible applications.

Prepare to answer the three questions below about that specific application:

• What is it?

• Why do you think it might be useful?

• How do you think you might use it?

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If you have any questions about this presentation, or would

simply like to discuss student preparation, please contact

Tom Angeloangelot@queens.edu