A toolbox of useful techniques to create powerful learning moments for students
These patterns can live on any platform--from one-on-one instruction to giant lecture halls; sitting next to someone, on a video, or through a website. show more...
Patterns are designed to be
Have students do something "before they know how". This can help calibrate for difficulty of upcoming lessons and measure improvement rather than absolute ability
Examples: have students paint a picture on the first day, then again at the end
put the student in an environment beyond their skill level and let them absorb learning
Examples: live in spain to learn spanish; join a scientific lab and observe conversations
Surround learners with tools, artifacts, and evidence of the process so resources are immediately at-hand
Example:
Many students need long periods of uninterrupted, quiet time to get flow state. Especially useful for solo work on complex topics.
Example: provide small desks with high walls in the library
Conversations with someone farther along the path
Example:
Give learners a chance to meet with learners of the same skill level
Example: assign study-buddies
Student becomes the teacher - Have learners teach others what they know about the topic to expose gaps in their knowledge. Building a curriculum to teach to students can force students to organize their thinking and phrase it in a simple, clear way.
Examples: Have graduate students give lectures on their thesis topic; ask preschool students to teach new kids classroom rules
Provide a space for practioners of all kinds to discuss.
Examples: school cafeterias, Hacker News
Discuss abstract and
Example:
Read or watch the past about the topic you're learning
Example:
A description of the mechanics of something
Examples: go see a lecture on Physics 101; read a yoga how-to textbook
A full list of
Examples: spanish-to-english dictionary, lookup-table for resistor ohm values
A summary of the most commonly used concepts
Example: list of common geometry equations on an index card
Students recontstruct a system themselves to understand why it was built the way it was
Example: make a boat that holds the most marbles, make yorr own Redux
Take on a small piece of a real project -- Create a highly-constrained version of the real thing
Examples: play chess on the king-side only (half-chess); write a one-bar song; design an app for a watch
Do the real thing, but constrain the time allowed. Quality drops, but it builds "muscle memory" and helps remove fear of failure
Examples: blitz chess, design timed-exercises
Do a fake or simulated version of the real thing
Examples: model UN, SimCity
Have students exactly copy an example of good work.
Examples: reproduce paintings in a museum, code or design an existing website pixel-for-pixel
Let students guide the content by having them ask their own questions
Examples: raising your hand in class; StackOverflow
Let students observe a real example of the thing being done
Examples: Glassblowing masters blowing glass on YouTube; yoga teachers doing a pose before students try
Show compassion for real or imagined stuggling students to encourage learners to forgive themselves for not learning more quickly--and then,
Example: "I remember when I was learning to ride a bike--I think I must have fallen a thousand times before I finally got it"
Give learners an objective measure of their success
Examples: tests, grades
Example:
Act like more advanced learners without deeper meaning.
Example: learn to sing by singing along to your favorite songs
Narrate the story of how this topic came to be.
Spend the first moments making the learner successful as quickly as possible, ignoring. If, they'll be able to "backfill" knowledge later on their own.
Show chess learners a few basic checkmates before explaining how pawns move
(constructionism)
Examples: throwing a kid into the swimming pool
Help students learn how to learn, which will help them teach themselves
Example: ask students to read this website and select their own
Look at a real thing and
Example: show design work from your own company in class
Contruct false situations to illustrate a particular mechanic
Rote memorization has its place, you must be willing. Don't over rely on this!
Example: make flash cards of common french words to practice
Learn something by associating it with another unrelated thing - NEEDS BETTER DEFINITION
Example: use HOMES to remember the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Eerie, and Superior
Have students do
Example: assign a video lecture for homework and help students with worksheets during classtime
Add point incentives, statistics, tracking and quantitative progress
Example: award gold stars for neat desks
Open place for students to bring up own points
Example: _____
Have students take opposing sides of a point, prepare in advance, and argue for their side
Example: _____
Have students critique another person's work
Example: _____