Fast Facts: Self-Study Readings on a Variety of Topics

Fast Facts Series 3 Flyer

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:14:11 -0400

Ten new fast facts are now available for self-study. This is Series 3 and contains ten new readings.

Practitioners can earn 3.5 Act 48 hours by completing the self study.

Download a copy of the flyer by clicking here

5 Prerequisites to Instruction FF S3 - #10

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 23:37:12 -0400

The purpose of this “Fast Fact” is to talk about five essential traits that will in large part determine the effectiveness of any efforts to implement strategies or concepts that have been touched upon in the preceding 29 articles. Failure to address these issues would perpetuate a major underlying weakness in adult education, viewing it as being entirely an academic difficulty. Sure, there are many needs in terms of learning the techniques or methods that have proven themselves to be effective, but much of what determines whether a student is ready to learn might also be called “common sense,” “work ethic,” or “attitude.” Just before starting to write Fast Fact number 30, I was talking to a volunteer instructor who has excellent academic credentials and has received positive feedback from students. He was waiting for two students to come to a special “make up” session resulting from their absence from their regular class. He had materials prepared and was ready to teach. I left him when it was 20 minutes past the agreed upon start time for the session; neither student had reported.

This Fast Fact article addresses five areas that constitute the foundation of all teaching: regular students and those with learning difficulties. They are the foundation, baseline, lowest common denominator, whatever you want to call it, for instruction to be effective. There is little sense in worrying about a student’s verbal receptive capacity, metacognitive skills, phonetic proficiency, attention problems or any learning deficiencies if the following do not occur:

1. The student needs to show up. No, it’s more complicated than that. They need to show up on time prepared to conduct meaningful work. It’s pretty obvious that if this doesn’t happen, nothing else will happen.
2. Show up with a mindset of wanting and needing to learn things that they do not currently know. Students who show up because “I have to,” “My mother made me,” or “It’s part of my rehab,” don’t get it. The words “needing to learn” imply that they recognize their responsibility and have accepted it. Learning is not something that is done to you; it is something that you do for yourself.
3. Value the accumulation of knowledge and mastery of basic skills. While students may be inundated by music, sports and celebrity news on a round the clock basis, that is not real life. Real life is also not math problems, literature, and history on a round the clock basis, but a healthy hybrid of the two. Ah, the “authenticity” issue that we read about, that we could build into our curriculums, and that we might apply in our teaching, if the students showed up.
4. Make an honest effort. An interesting symptom that is quite frequent in adult education students is the lack of “sticktoittiviness,” or, weak perseverance in the face of frustration.
5. Accept mentoring, instruction, teaching or whatever you call the phenomena of accepting that an outsider can help you to do something that you cannot do. This implies a capacity to accept help, let down protective defenses. There is a lot of truth to the old adage, “You don’t know what you don’t know,” and acceptance of high quality, objective outside guidance is an essential ingredient of learning.

In keeping with the goal of keeping the “Fast Facts” short and meaty, I’ll stop with the five prerequisites listed. They represent more than enough to keep any Adult Education instructor busy for a long time. I’ll also apologize now to those of you who might have had their feathers ruffled a bit by this blunt acknowledgement of the reality of what we do for a living. No, deficiencies in the preceding five areas are not found in all students, but they are found in a majority and they need to be addressed if any progress is to be made. After students come to class prepared to work and ready to accept guidance, then we can jump in with diagnostic assessment, prescriptive instruction, and learner focused content, just to name a few. But first, we have to convince students that it is critical that they accept authority, show up, and stick with it.

Richard Gacka Ed.D.
10/30/07

Documenting Student Gain FF S3 - #9

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 23:25:57 -0400

Most adult educators are familiar with the NRS measurement of “student gain” using pre-post standardized test scores. Unfortunately, in real life, student gain usually occurs in much smaller increments, and often, in areas not measured by designated standardized tests. Objective documentation of student gain fills the void. In fact, in many ways it is better, because it is customized to individual students and can be linked directly to their learning plan.

The measurement of learning gain has been around for a long time, but it is not widely used. With the general availability of spreadsheet software, many of the tedious clerical demands are minimized. Practitioners can now have detailed, statistical analysis with a minimum amount of work.

Another argument for documenting student gain is the motivational effect that it can have on students. Often, once they see proof that they are learning, they want more. Sometimes, the long term nature of a student’s learning needs make it difficult to see progress, but breaking that learning into smaller units and showing students that they are learning new skills can be very motivating.

To help you, we have linked this “Fast Fact” to an MS Excel spreadsheet that you can use to do the statistical analyses and plot student gain. You will read more about that later in this “Fast Fact” article.

Step 1. Clearly state what it is that you want the student to be able to do. This will be much easier if it can be stated in the syntax of “x amount at y level of accuracy,” “x right out of y possible,” or “a rating of x when asked to do y number.” Don’t make this harder than it is, especially when you are just starting. It’s more important to start actually documenting skill change, than it is to have detailed learning objectives. As you gain experience, your learning goals will become more sophisticated. Set your learning goals at a level that is not too easy for students, but at the other extreme, not so difficult that it frustrates them and they quit trying. All students will be different in how they react to having clear measurable goals for their instruction. Don’t bite off more than you can handle. Start with two or three goals for two or three students.

Step 2. Measure how well the student can do the skills you specified before you start any instruction. This is called establishing your baseline. If your goal is well written, the student should be able to understand, or even perform, the skill a little, but not with any degree of speed or mastery. In some cases the student will not be able to perform the skill at all, and the baseline on that skill will be zero.

Step 3. Teach the skill you have specified. If you have not read “Fast Fact 28, Direct Instruction,” this might be a good time to do so. The Direct Instruction approach fits nicely with documenting student gain. In step 2, you need to provide instruction focused on the learner goals you specified. Think of it as your “treatment” in a research project, because later you will be measuring whether it had any effect.

Step 3-A While you are teaching the skills you specified for the student, you will want to take periodic samples of their ability to perform the skill. This might be on a daily, weekly or bi-weekly basis, depending on how extensive the goal is. If the student’s goal is to quickly define vocabulary words, you will check more frequently if the goal was set at knowing 25 words or using larger intervals if the goal was knowing 500 words. You will quickly learn to adjust your goals and sampling intervals, so just get started and use the first few students for your learning of the process. Every sample should be on an equivalent set of student behaviors. That is, if the goal was to read 25 words, each sample would measure proficiency on the same 25 words. Every time you take a sample, write down the date and the level of the student’s performance.

Step 4. Enter your sampling data into the Excel spreadsheet. It will calculate the extent of student learning in terms of numerical gain, but more imortantly, will draw a chart of student progress. This can be very rewarding for both the teacher and the student. Directions for using the “Documenting Student Gain” spreadsheet are contained within a separate worksheet titled “Directions.”

This may be a little confusing at first, but it is not difficult, and it can be mastered with a little practice. Phone or e-mail help is available through the ABLE LD project. If you learn this appraoch to measuring student achievement, you will be one of a small group of practitioners who have taken student assessment to this level of detail. When you achieve that level of measurement and adapt your instruction based on your sampling data, congratulations are in order. You are now providing truly diagnostic instruction. Good luck!

To download the MS Excel spreadsheet and a practice document to use in computing and graphing student progress, click on one or both of the links below. If you would like help please feel free to call me at (814) 878-2005 or e-mail ldconsultants@mac.com

LD Skill Mastery Monitoring Spreadsheet 1-3-07.xls 11. EBAI Template Practice Assignment.doc

Richard Gacka Ed.D.

Direct Instruction FF S3 - #8

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 23:22:08 -0400

Direct Instruction is an approach to teaching that is grounded in common sense and pragmatism. It does not need to be difficult; it is, in fact, very easy. It is straightforward and focused on the concept that “teaching” is achieved when the student can “perform” the skill. You should think of Direct Instruction more as a process than a specific technique, a generic application for teaching just about anything. The overall Direct Instruction approach has several logical stages:

Stage 1
Tell the students what the skill to be learned will be. You might equate this with finding your destination on a map. If you don’t have an ending place in mind, you are probably going to get lost. If you expect students to work with you, don’t you think it would be a good idea to let them know where you intend to go.

Stage 2
Show students how to perform the target skills, explaining your reasoning as you go through the task. The target skill should be explained (or demonstrated) to the students in plain English or clear manipulation, making them aware of what the correct production should look like. Too often, students are left to guess what is important and what is not. Don’t make assumptions about what the students “should” be able to do. Start at the beginning and systematically move through the procedures. Explain important vocabulary and link current activities with previous activities. Accept questions about “how” and “why” things are done. Make it easy on the students and on yourself by telling or by showing them what you want them to be able to do or to know, after your instruction has ended.

Stage 3
Think through the idea of “learning by doing” and deliberately plan time for students to practice their new knowledge. Everyone talks about “evidence based instruction,” and the one item that is continuously found to be related to learning is time spent on practice. So, provide lots of opportunities to practice, ideally performing “real life” applications of the new knowledge. Focus the student’s practice on being able to apply the target skill, not on some unrelated test or “busy work.”

Be sure to monitor the students while they practice, and intervene if problems understanding the material are observed. If errors are observed, revisit, showing them how it is done. Observe their performance and ask them to “think out loud” as they proceed. These two techniques will help you to identify any misunderstandings so that you can adjust your instruction. If the student is able to comfortably perform the task, move to the verification stage. The main idea of Stage 3 is to “overteach” so that forgetting will be less likely.

Stage 4
Verification involves multiple observations of the student independently performing the target skills. Don’t believe their claims that “I know how to do it,” until you see them performing the skills without any outside help. Don’t ask “Do you know how to _____?” In its place, substitute time for the student’s to demonstrate their ability to perform the task or display the new knowledge. Watch the student’s performance for indications of any misunderstandings.

If the student is able to demonstrate proficiency with the target skill for three or four separate trials, it is time to move on to another target skill. If errors were observed, go back to Stage 3 and demonstrate the skill, verbalizing the key elements based on your observation. If possible, collect data on the student’s skill levels and plot their performance. All students forget; you forget.

Provide praise, encouragement, and cogratulations when the student is able to perform the task. Check the student’s performance on the same target for two additional classes.
Move on to another set of target skills, but go back and check periodically.

That’s it:
1. Tell the students what you want them to be able to do.
2. Show them how to do it.
3. Give them time to practice, while you check their capacity to perform the target skill independently. Repeat the steps using different materials or instruction if they do not demonstrate the skills,
4. Ask them to demonstrate the target skill. Periodically ask the student to show that they remember how to perform the skill.

Richard C. Gacka Ed.D. Psychologist
10/30/07

Variables in Instruction FF S3 - #7

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 23:09:43 -0400

Let’s look at teaching and learning as the result of having the right people, doing the right stuff, in the right way, to other people who are interested and motivated to learn. We could further analyze that view into all of the component variables that impact on the potential for achieving our goal. In effect, appropriate instruction can be looked at as one large equation, with each element playing a role in the overall outcome. The vast majority of those variables can be manipulated to varying degrees by internal and external agents. The person on the receiving end is in control of the internal variables, and the instructor is in charge of many of the external variables. When we say that instruction is “adapted,” we mean that some of the variables are modified or manipulated. To fully understand how to adapt instruction, we need to first identify what the variables are, try to organize them into logical “clusters,” and think of ways that we can modify them. In the text below we attempt many of the variables that might be manipulated or modified.

Cluster 1: Classroom Facility and Utilization Variables
Where the student sits
Attractiveness of setting
Ease of access to resource materials (computer lab, library, etc.)
Type and comfort of furniture (desks, seats, tables, arrangement, etc.)
Adequacy and distraction level of heat and ventilation
Sound levels (hard floor vs. carpet, noise from outside, etc.)
Other distractions (PA system, hall traffic, interruptions, etc.)
Availability of refreshments, snacks, candy (student lounge)
Lighting and “attractiveness” of the room
Adequacy in terms of size of the group
Availability of white boards, bulletin boards, etc.
Directions to the facility from the main entrance
Cleanliness and order of the room

Cluster 2: Classroom Organization and Structure Variables
Labeling or knowledge of location of resources/equipment in the room
Schedules and calendars posted
Student assignment books used
Posted classroom expectations
Availability of needed supplies
Atmosphere of expectationt of classroom structure
Availability of aides and helpers

Cluster 3: Instructor/Tutor Rapport Variables
Honesty and enthusiasm in the greeting
Knowledge of student, family, work, culture, etc.
Manner of error correction used
Eye contact, sincerity of interaction, non-verbal messages sent
Individual contact time provided
Acceptance of negative behaviors
Eye contact and command of attention

Cluster 4: Language Variables
Speed of speech
Extent of questioning of understanding
Complexity of grammar used
Complexity of vocabulary used
Level of verbal response accepted
Availability of models for speech
Availability of resource materials
Use of visual aids to support verbal explanations

Cluster 5: Content Variables
The depth of material covered
The amount of material covered in one setting
What material to cover (teach what is needed vs. teach the book)
Authenticity of materials
Relevance of materials to student’s life, needs, or culture
Extent of audio and visual reference
Existence of alternative materials on the same content
Teacher made materials
Alternative materials (special instruments, books, etc.)
Quality of handouts

Cluster 6: Delivery Variables
Individual vs. group
Extent of discussion
Comfort level of asking questions
Speed
Size of group
Position from which information is delivered
Loudness
Appropriate use of visual aids
Extent of reinforcement
Size of information “chunks” between monitoring
Extent of monitoring of student understanding
Quality of handouts
Modalities used in presentation
Solicitation of client knowledge
Use of authentic examples
Use of projects
Use of guest lecturers
Use of television
Use of taped or prerecorded materials
Skill in guiding discussions
Knowledge and mastery of knowledge and techniques

Cluster 7: Assessment Variables
Frequency of actual student demonstration
Validity of the assessment instrument (looks like the instruction)
Use of projects to demonstrate knowledge
Modalities used (projects, oral tests or visual projects vs. written)
Frequency
Extent to which assessment is embedded in instruction

Cluster 8: Support System Variables
Referral channels to other agencies
Availability of tutors
Availability of peer mentors
Hosting of “family nights”
Establishment of “support” fund
Development and manipulation of support groups

Now that some of the variables have been identified, you might begin to think of ways that you can modify or change them. For example, in Cluster 7 item 4, you might begin to accept “projects” in place of multiple choice tests as measures of student knowledge. The “Snippets” and “Tips for Teachers” found in another section of this web site offer many other suggestions of adaptations you might make.

Richard C. Gacka Ed.D.