The Finland challenege: Part 2 - Intensive Learning Good or Bad?

Having completed my Finland challenge which included over 30 hours of teaching over a five day period, I found myself naturally reflecting on the entire week on the long journey home. This intensive teaching was also a period of intensive learning from which I could reflect on a variety of session’s activities and student interactions. What stood out was the continuity and flexibility I had when delivering an entire course in such a short period of time. This challenged my thinking about my conventional teaching. Indeed my long held belief was consistent with that of Dempster (1988) that spaced presentations yield substantially better learning than massed presentations. This idea of the spacing effect has been well documented (Donovan & Radosevich, 1999; Foma, 1983; Gay, 1973; Krug, et al., 1990; Pyle, 1913) arguing that when learning sessions and practice periods are spaced out over a given period of time rather than compressed together in time, long-term memory of the new information/task is improved.

However having the opportunity to plan and deliver an entire semesters course in an intensive way gave me perspective and allowed me to see the interactions and flows of knowledge and learning strategies. It made me reflect on how I design and manage my current programmes as I feel at times there is wasted time often recapping work in parts of the year that are fragmented with exams, holidays and fieldtrips.   The spacing effect would suggest that traditional student learning is enhanced by a course delivered several times a week over many weeks (a traditional long semester) than in a course which is compressed into a much smaller time period (a few weeks or only one time per week).  

My experiences have shown me that there are also some potential benefits in teaching intensively. Indeed there have been a number of studies in educational psychology outlining the effects of intensive and compressed courses in higher education (Brett, 1996; Brookes, 1985; Daniel, 2000, Doyle & Yantis, 1977; Henebry, 1997, Kanun, et al., 1963; Kirby-Smith, 1987; Logan & Geltner, 2000; Scott, 1996; Scott & Conrad, 1991; Seamon, 2004; Studdard, 1975; Wallace, 1972). These studies produced results which are inconsistent with the spacing effect. Daniel (2000) concluded in a meta analysis of studies in this area, that compressed courses can result in student achievement/learning that equals and sometimes even surpasses that of traditional, non-compressed courses. The conclusion applied to both short-term and long-term learning and held true across several disciplines. Scott & Conrad (1991) also performed an extensive literature review on this topic. They reviewed research on traditionally delivered courses, summer courses, interim session courses and weekend courses and found that student learning in compressed courses, again, was equal to or exceeded learning in traditional courses.

Smith and Rothkopf, (1984), however found that presenting lessons in one day was less effective that presenting those same lessons over 4 days. Specifically they found that the effect of massing the data together in one day was primarily on the short-term retrieval of facts rather than on long-term learning. Brookes (1985) found that scheduling patterns made no significant difference in students' chances of passing a writing course, although they found that it may have affected their ability to attain a high grade. Logan and Geltner (2000) concluded that compressed classes contributed to student success, yet they suggested that classes that met more often might be better for student learning.

Ellis and Sawyer (2009) suggest that the positives of the intensive course delivery may include;

·         Concentrated support and encouragement for the group

·         Ready availability of the lecturer

·         Students enjoying the benefits of collaborative learning (Bruffee, 1993)

·         Students are able to focus on their learning

·         Fewer student distractions

·         Increased interactive nature of the lectures

·         Enabling lecturers to assess that material had been grasped before proceeding

·         Lecturers are able to focus on one course, without the distraction of other commitments.

This research has caused a major shift in my thinking. I am now beginning to plan for the next academic year with a fresh insight.  I will not abandon the ideas linked to the spacing effect but will certainly engage in more creative course scheduling to ensure that concepts are not presented in isolation of one another but rather are presented in a sequence relevant to the student. Gallo & Odu (2009) suggest that students show lower performance in attending a subject once per week as they do not have adequate time to make meaningful connections with prior knowledge. This I feel is often compounded by the inconsistent attendance of students in higher education and lack of co-ordination of learning between lecturers and subject areas. Co-ordination of learning especially on management courses where subjects are inevitably linked will allow students to work on concepts two to three times per week which Henebry (1997) argues produces higher pass rates across subject areas. Ellis and Sawyer (2009) also suggest some advice on organising concentrated learning, including;

·         Ensure break days between class days to make them more manageable

·         Flexibility in arrangements.

·         Mixed formats, with part of a course delivered intensively the remainder on a weekly basis.

·         Flexible lecturers; the formal and informal collaborative learning opportunities; and the little extras (such as icebreaker activities and social gatherings) help build a cohesive group in a short space of time.

I will aim to provide more continuity for my courses and to ensure that students receive the required knowledge I will aim to punctuate the traditional spacing effect with periods of intensive learning which according to  Van Scyoc & Gleason (1993) will allow students to learn and retain at least as much knowledge as students following a traditional length courses. This as previously noted in my reflective blog will include utilising field studies, conference style learning and practical accredited training.

REFERENCES

Bruffee, K. A. (1993). Collaborative learning: higher education, interdependence

Course Scheduling

Brett, M. (1996). "Teaching Extended Class Periods." Social Education, 6092), 77-79.

Brookes, M.C.T. (1985). "Time in Learning: Does Distribution Make a Difference?" Community/Junior

College Quarterly, 9, 291-296.

Daniel, E.L. (2000). "A Review of Time-Shortened Courses across Disciplines." College Student Journal 34, 298-306.

Dempster, F.N. (1988). "The Spacing Effect: A Case of History in the Failure to Apply the Results of

Psychological Research." American Psychologist, 43, 627-634.

Ellis , B. and Sawyer, J.(2009) Regional Summer Schools: Widening Learning Opportunities through Intensive Courses. Education in Rural Australia, 19 (1), 35-52.

Donovan, J.J., & Radosevich, D.J. (1999). "A Meta-analytic Review of the Distribution of Practice Effect:

Now you see it, now you don't. "Journal of Applied Psychology, 84, 795-805.

Doyle, R.J. & Yantis, J. (1977). "Facilitating Nontraditional Leaming: An Update on Research on

Evaluation in Intensive Scheduling." Mount Pleasant, MI: Institute for Personal and Career Development.

Foma, E. (1983). "Word Processing Text Editing: Massed versus Spaced Practice." Journal of Studies in

Technical Careers, 5, 19-26.

Gallo, M.A. & Odu, M. (2009). "Examining the Relationship between Class Scheduling and Student

Achievement in College Algebra." Community College Review, 36 (4), 299-325.

Gay, L.R. (1973). "Temporal Position of Reviews and its Effect on the Retention of Mathematical Rules."

Journal of Educational Psychology, 64, 171-182.

Henebry, K. ( 1997). "The Impact of Class Schedule on Student Performance in a Financial Management

Co\xr5e." Journal of Education for Business, 73, 114-120.

Kanun, C, Ziebarth, E.W. & Abrahams, N. (1963). "Comparison of Student Achievement in the Summer

Term and Regular Quarter." Journal of Experimental Education, 32, 123-132.

Kirby-Smith, J.P. (1987). "Effects of Intensive College Cotirses on Student Cognitive Achievement,

Academic Standards, Student Attitudes, and Faculty Attitudes. " Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation,

University of Southem California.

Krug, D., Davis, T.B., & Glover, J. A. (1990). "Massed Versus Distributed Repeated Reading: A Case of

Forgetting Helping Recall?" Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 366-371.

Logan, R. & Geltner, P. (2000). "The Infiuence of Session Length on Student Success." (Research Report

2000.4.1.0). Santa Monica, CA: Santa Monica College, Office of Institutional Research. Retrieved from

http://www.smc.edu/research/T20000410.htm.

 Pyle, W.H. (1913). "Economical Leaming." Journal of Educational Psychology, 3, 148-158.

Reynolds, J. H., & Glaser, R. (1964). "Effects of Repetition arid Spaced Review upon Retention of a

Complex Leaming Task." Journal of Educational Psychology, 55, 297-308.

Scott, P.A. (1996). "Attributes of High-Quality Intensive Course." College Student Journal, 30, 69-77.

Scott, P.A. & Conrad, CF. (1991). "A Critique of Intensive Courses and an Agenda for Research."

Madison, WI: Division of Sumrrier Sessions and Inter-college Programs, University of Wisconsin. ERIC

No. ED337097.

Seamon, M. (2004). "Short- and Long-Term Differences in Instructional Effectiveness between Intensive and Semester-Length Courses." Teachers College Record, 106, 852-874.

Smith, S.M., & Rothkopf, E.Z. (1984). "Contextual Enrichment and Distribution of Practice in the Classroom." Cognition and Instruction, 1,341-358.

Studdard, A.L., Jr. (1975) "A Study Comparing a Regular Semester and an Interim Term College Level Physical Science Course Based on changes in Student Attitudes and Understanding of Science Processes." Doctoral Dissertation, University of Alabama. Dissertation Abstracts Intemational, 36, 7979.

Wallace, J.A. (1972). "Three Weeks Equals Thirty Weeks? A Report on the Experimental Intensive January Language Course." Foreign Language Annals, 6, 88-94.

Van Scyoc, L.J. & Gleason, J. (1993). "Traditional or Intensive Course Lengths? A Comparison of Outcomes in Economics Leaming." Journal of Economic Education, 24, 15-22.

The Finland Challenge Part 1 - Help!!!

Before embarking on the biggest test of my teaching career I sat and tried to positively refocus my feelings of anxiety at the prospect of undertaking the task ahead. It was a sink or swim feeling which was made worse by my own need to build some credibility with my experienced and well respected colleagues.  I didn’t want to do a bad job and the pressure I put myself under was intense.

However one by one a number of colleagues informally stopped me in the corridor, invited me in to their office or popped in to see me with advice.  I was overwhelmed by the support including how to structure my sessions, what the students have responded well to in the past, where to eat and even to pack some creams for my hands and face as the cold weather cold weather could cause blisters.

This generous support whether spontaneous or prompted by a predetermined plan by the senior officers in the faculty reminded me that creating a positive support network is a really powerful tool in my development. I recently commented on a blog (Teaching practise + teaching practice = teaching perfect? – By Teaching through the looking glass) that although being relatively new to teaching having the opportunity to experiment and observe new strategies in a risk free and supportive environment whilst undertaking my professional teacher training was pushing my delivery forward. During my response I commented that there is potentially a culture of isolation in higher education, which in my opinion was potentially a deliberate attempt by some to protect individual egos or sense of perceived status. This culture concerns me as my supportive yet artificial training environment will disappear in less than 18 months, leaving me with potentially no way of continuously improving my teaching. This for many may not be a problem, but being a bit of a perfectionist I have a need to push myself as I do not want my teaching to stagnate.

Teams

My recent experience reminded me that a supportive environment is vital and that maybe we just need to work harder to create supportive teams. Dumbrajs (2007) suggests that teachers can use cooperative methods to develop their teaching including activities at school where teachers form groups, for example when they plan and develop curricula, plan for school celebrations, or take part in work conferences. An observation that fits with the experiences I have had since initiating my teaching career. However Dumbrajs (2007) argues that such groups seldom develop into real teams. Dumbrajs (2007) instead defines teams as stable groups of individuals, who themselves regulate their actions and that teams take responsibility for the work that is done in close collaboration between the individuals.  Katzenbach (1993) simply states that members of team pursue common goals and visions with the help of common rules of action.

So what should I be looking for – at present the word team is banded about loosely often in a vain attempt to draw individuals closer together. Dumbrajs (2007) offers a simple list suggesting the key attributes of a successful teaching team;

·         Common Purpose – shared interest and prescribed goals

·         Self regulation – Equal involvement in collaborative work

·         Individual differences – embrace diversity to push each other’s learning

·         Performing together – Succeed, fail, learn, reflect together take equal responsibility

·         Dialogue – communicate, problem solve, provide feedback

·         Knowledge & Learning – Share practice and experiences

This may not be a traditional list for effective teams but an interesting observation on how teaching teams could be effective. It serves as a personal reminder that collaborative work and the enthusiasm of the others helped me believe that I could be successful. Rather than leave these experiences to chance in the future I need to identify colleagues that I can engage with in a learning process. A process which I should acknowledge may not result in a formally sanctioned team.  Instead I will use the next 18 months attempting to creating my own virtual team - identifying people that I can surround myself with that will support my development beyond my initial teacher training.     

 

References

Dumbrajs, S. (2007) Learning in a Team of Teachers. International Journal of Learning, 14 (1).

Katzenbach, J.R. & Smith, D.K.(1993) The wisdom of teams: creating the high-performance organization. Boston (Mass.): Harvard Business School Press.

 

The Finland Challenge

This post is an introduction form to a mini-series of reflective comments inspired by my inclusion on the MBA teaching team at Swansea Metropolitan University. Being part of this team has exposed me to teaching part time and full time students at a post graduate level. However my most recent experience has included teaching students in an international setting.

My challenge (which both excited me and filled me with fear simultaneously) was to teach a complete MBA module to students at a Finnish University in six day period. I had a basic list of 23 students, my module outline, pre-prepared resources and warm clothes.  The mini-series of blogs are intended to track some of my thoughts and experiences during my teaching expedition.