CIRTL – The College Classroom
Meeting 2: Developing Expertise
February 4, 2016
Unless otherwise noted, content is licensed under
a Creative Commons Attribution- 3.0 License.
Peter Newbury
Center for Engaged Teaching, UC San Diego
Tom Holme
Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University
collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Key Finding 2
How People Learn - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 2
To develop competence in an area, students must:
a) have a deep foundation of factual knowledge,
b) understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework, and
c) organize knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and application.
(How People Learn, p 16.)
How People Learn - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 3
How People Learn - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 4
knowledge
framework
retrieval
How People Learn - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 5
knowledge
framework
retrieval
6
knowledge
framework
retrieval
How People Learn - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Colvin: Deliberate practice [2]
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 7
activity that’s explicitly intended to improve
performance
that reaches for objectives just beyond one’s level of
competence
provides feedback on results
involves high levels of repetition
How many of these do you think
are “deliberate practice”?
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 8
writing 30 minutes per day
running 5 miles a day, 5 days per week
playing the guitar for an hour after school each day
after moving to a new country, learning the
language by interacting with locals
A) 1 of them
B) 2
C) 3
D) all 4 of them
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 9
There’s something about this that bothers me:
A 5-foot-tall NBA star? Huh?
1. If it’s bothering me, it’s probably bothering some of
my students.
2. Maybe one of my students has a solution or explanation?
Their diversity is an asset!
3. How can I stimulate a conversation for everyone in
the classroom rather than the few who will raise
their hands?
What do you think?
With 10,000 hours of deliberate practice, a 5-ft tall man
can play basketball in the NBA.
A) true
B) false
10 Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Geoffrey Colvin [2]
Certainly some important traits are partly inherited, such as
physical size and particular measures of intelligence, but those
influence what a person doesn’t do more than what he does; a five-
footer will never be an NFL lineman, and a seven-footer will never
be an Olympic gymnast.
11 Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Availability of resources & opportunities?
experts had / have access to resources and privilege not
available to novices
the high school basketball coach should not deny the
5-foot-tall student access to the gym, practice,
feedback
instructors must not make decisions about students
based on appearance. Every student needs opportunity
& support to succeed
12 Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Intelligence is grown
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 13
Dr. Anders Ericcson – Florida State Univ. Studies development of expertise (sports figures, pianists, chess players).[3] Expertise is not an innate trait, it is developed through
Long duration (10,000 hours)
Daily (4 hours a day)
Deliberate Practice
Dr. Carol Dweck – Stanford Convincing people to adopt a “growth mindset” (not “fixed mindset”) leads to higher GPAs, higher graduation rates. [Meeting 4: Fixed/Growth Mindsets]
Development of Expertise [5]
14
conscious
unconscious
novice expert
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Beh
avio
r
When introducing
a graph for the first time,
explain the “architecture” of the
graph before addressing the data
and message the graph contains.
Level of Expertise 14
Development of Expertise [5]
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novice expert
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Level of Expertise 15
images by Peter Newbury CC-BY
Development of Expertise [5]
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conscious
unconscious
adikko.deviantart.com
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Beh
avio
r
16
Development of Expertise [5]
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conscious
unconscious
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Beh
avio
r
17
Development of Expertise [5]
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conscious
unconscious
novice expert
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Beh
avio
r
Level of Expertise 18
Development of Expertise [5]
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conscious
unconscious
novice expert
1
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Beh
avio
r
Level of Expertise 19
Development of Expertise [5]
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conscious
unconscious
novice expert
1
2
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Beh
avio
r
Level of Expertise 20
Development of Expertise [5]
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conscious
unconscious
novice expert
1
2 3
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Beh
avio
r
Level of Expertise 21
Development of Expertise [5]
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conscious
unconscious
novice expert
1
2 3
4
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Beh
avio
r
Level of Expertise 22
Development of Expertise [5]
23
conscious
unconscious
novice expert
1
2 3
4
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Beh
avio
r
Level of Expertise 23
Du
al P
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ess
Th
eo
ry[6
]
co
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tory
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low
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high
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defa
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proc
ess
Development of Expertise [5]
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conscious
unconscious
novice expert
1
2 3
4
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Beh
avio
r
Level of Expertise 24
Development of Expertise [5,7]
25
conscious
unconscious
novice expert
1
2 3
4
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Beh
avio
r
Level of Expertise
5
25
Think about the house you grew up in
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 26
How many windows?
Think about the house you grew up in
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 27
How many windows?
As you counted the windows, did you see them
from the outside or from the inside of the house?
Think about the house you grew up in
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 28
How many windows?
As you counted the windows, did you see them
from the outside or from the inside of the house?
If a Stage 4 Professor of Window Counting is an
“outsider”, he thoughtfully creates lessons and practice for
counting from the outside. Many students will be lost.
A Stage 5 instructor knows there are other ways to count
windows and creates lessons where each student can connect
the concept to their own knowledge and skills.
4
5
Approach each critical task with an explicit goal of
getting much better at it.
As you do the task, focus on what’s happening and
why you’re doing it that way.
After the task, get feedback on your performance from
multiple sources. Make changes in your behavior as
necessary.
Continually build mental models of your situation:
your discipline, your research community, your career.
Enlarge the models to encompass more factors.
Do these steps regularly, not sporadically. Occasional
practice does not work.
Tip Sheet: Perfect Practice [2]
29
1
2
3
4
5
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Deliberate Practice Jigsaw
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 30
Step 1: Develop your expertise with others thinking and
learning about the same concept.
1 1
1 1 1
4 4
4 4 4
2 2
2 2 2
3 3
3 3 3
5 5
5 5 5
Deliberate Practice Jigsaw
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 31
Step 2: Share your expertise and learn from other experts.
1 2
3 5 4
4 5
1 3 2
4 5
1 3 2
1 2
3 5 4
1 2
3 5 4
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 32
What ways of thinking, behaviors, and skills do experts
in your field have? Go to your assigned Breakout Room and
share how you practice your Room’s “Perfect Practice Tip.”
Room 1 Room 3 Room 5 Room 7 Room 9
Room 2 Room 4 Room 6 Room 8 Room 10
1 2 3 4 5
Room1
Room 2
Approach each critical task with an explicit goal of
getting much better at it.
Room3
Room 4
As you do the task, focus on what’s happening and
why you’re doing it that way.
Room5
Room 6
After the task, get feedback on your performance from
multiple sources. Make changes in your behavior as
necessary.
Room7
Room 8
Continually build mental models of your situation:
your discipline, your research community, your career.
Enlarge the models to encompass more factors.
Room9
Room 10
Do these steps regularly, not sporadically. Occasional
practice does not work.
What ways of thinking, behaviors, and
skills do experts in your field have?
33
1
2
3
4
5
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 34
Go to your assigned Breakout Room and take turns sharing your
“tips” with the others in the Room.
Room 1
Room 2
Room 3
Room 4
Room 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
Approach each critical task with an explicit goal of
getting much better at it.
As you do the task, focus on what’s happening and
why you’re doing it that way.
After the task, get feedback on your performance from
multiple sources. Make changes in your behavior as
necessary.
Continually build mental models of your situation:
your discipline, your research community, your career.
Enlarge the models to encompass more factors.
Do these steps regularly, not sporadically. Occasional
practice does not work.
Tip Sheet: Perfect Practice [2]
35
1
2
3
4
5
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Approach each critical task with an explicit goal of
getting much better at it.
As you do the task, focus on what’s happening and
why you’re doing it that way.
After the task, get feedback on your performance from
multiple sources. Make changes in your behavior as
necessary.
Continually build mental models of your situation:
your discipline, your research community, your career.
Enlarge the models to encompass more factors.
Do these steps regularly, not sporadically. Occasional
practice does not work.
When you teach a course, what will you
do to help your students do these things?
36
1
2
3
4
5
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu
Deliberate Practice: for you
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 37
Reach for objectives JUST beyond where you are:
work on incrementally harder problems
try variations on ones from work, class, homework, quizzes
Practice consistently (every day)
Get FEEDBACK on your practice
Or at least self-analyze “continuously observing results,
making appropriate adjustments”
Choose carefully what you practice
what skills do experts in your field have?
Deliberate Practice: for you
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 38
Reach for objectives JUST beyond where you are:
work on incrementally harder problems
try variations on ones from work, class, homework, quizzes
Practice consistently (every day)
Get FEEDBACK on your practice
Or at least self-analyze “continuously observing results,
making appropriate adjustments”
Choose carefully what you practice
what skills do experts in your field have?
your students
Set
Provide
Give
Help them
Learning requires interaction [8]
How People Learn - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 39
1 2
3 4
deliberate
practice?
practice?
Big Question
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 40
Where does the motivation to
engage in deliberate practice
come from?
Thoughts about motivation…
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 41
Colvin: “People hate abandoning the notion that they could
coast to fame and riches if only they found their talent.” [2]
Gladwell: “Why are we so hostile to the notion that what
separates the genius from the rest of us is that the genius
loves that he or she does more than we do?” [9]
Gladwell: “Love is not the complete explanation: love is the
way in.” [9]
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 42
The discovery that students don't love the new teacher's content
area is one of those school of hard knock lessons. Graduate
education reinforces the centrality of discipline-based content
knowledge. Having immersed themselves in its study for years and
having been surrounded with colleagues equally enamored with the
area, new faculty arrive at those first teaching jobs no longer
objective about how the rest of the world views their content
domain.
Maryellen Weimer [10]
Thoughts about motivation…
Next week: Learning Outcomes
Watch the blog for next week’s
readings and assignments
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 43
References
Developing Expertise - collegeclassroom.ucsd.edu 44
1. National Research Council (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. J.D. Bransford, A.L
Brown & R.R. Cocking (Eds.),Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
2. Colvin, G. (2006, October 19). What it takes to be great. Fortune, 88- 96. Available at
money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391794/index.htm
3. Ericsson, K.A., Krampe, R. Th., & Tesch-Romer, C. (1993). The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert
Performance. Psychological Review 100, 3, 363-406.
4. Mcnamara, B.N., Hambrick, D.Z., & Oswald, F.L. (2014). Deliberate Practice and Performance in Music, Games, Sports, Education,
and Professions: A Meta-Analysis. Psychological Science 25, 8, 1608-1618.
5. Sprague, J., & Stuart, D. (2000). The speaker’s handbook. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt College Publishers.
6. Evans, J. S. B. (2008). Dual-processing accounts of reasoning, judgment, and social cognition. Annu. Rev. Psychol., 59, 255-
278.
7. DiPeitro, M. (2014). 2.4.3 Classroom Climate [video file] Retrieved from
https://www.coursera.org/course/stemteaching
8. Prather, E.E, Rudolph, A.L., Brissenden, G., & Schlingman, W.M. (2009). A national study assessing the teaching and learning
of introductory astronomy. Part I. The effect of interactive instruction. Am. J. Phys. 77, 4, 320-330.
9. Malcolm Gladwell, in “Radiolab: Secrets of Success”, aired 26 July 2010.
www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2010/jul/26/secrets-of-success/
10. Weimer, M. (2010). New Faculty: Beliefs That Prevent and Promote Growth, in the book Inspired College Teaching: A Career-Long
Research for Professional Growth. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass. (Reprinted in Tomorrow’s Professor email Newsletter October
15, 2013) Available at http://cgi.stanford.edu/~dept-ctl/cgi-bin/tomprof/posting.php?ID=1279