Week 4 Discussion Questions

Overview

Teaching: min
Exercises: min
Questions
Objectives
  • Apply Bloom’s Taxonomy to adjust the level of a learning objective.

  • Describe how common Carpentries classroom practices provide opportunities for practice and feedback.

  • Evaluate the usefulness of potential sources of feedback for learners.

  • Assess differences between potential feedback coming from learners vs co-Instructors or co-Trainers.

Reading

How Learning Works:

Discussion Questions

1. What stood out to you from this week’s reading? Think of things that made sense in light of your own experience, things you’re not convinced of, or questions that you have.

How Learning Works

Appendix D: What are Learning Objectives and How Can We Use Them?

2. One of the learning objectives stated in the Instructor Training curriculum is: “Critically analyze a learning objective for your workshop.” What level of Bloom’s taxonomy does this objective fall under? Examining the chart on p. 246, try re-writing this learning objective at a lower level and a higher level. Do you think this objective is at an appropriate level for Instructor trainees? Why or why not?

Chapter 5: What Kinds of Practice and Feedback Enhance Learning?

3. This chapter discusses the importance of creating good opportunities for practice. In the context of a technical workshop, what role can an Instructor play in this regard? A helper?

4. Feedback is an essential component of effective practice. In what ways do learners in a technical workshop get feedback on their progress? Is that feedback likely to meet the criteria for useful feedback outlined in this chapter? Why or why not?

5. In both Instructor Training and technical workshops, Carpentries surveys provide feedback from learners, and additional feedback mechanisms (e.g. minute cards and one-up-one-down) supplement this for a rich source of information. Do you think there is any additional advantage in asking a co-Instructor or co-Trainer for feedback? Why or why not? If so, how would you go about seeking such feedback?

Key Points

  • The cognitive level of a task is directly related to the action expected from learners – not the complexity of the material or the stage of a workflow. Bloom’s Taxonomy and associated verb charts are useful tools for evaluating the level of cognition required.

  • Exercises and other classroom practices that keep learners actively engaged can provide many small opportunities for practice and feedback.

  • Co-Instructors and co-Trainers can have a different perspective on instruction compared with learners, but we do not have a systematic way of collecting this feedback. A little advance planning and communication can help ease the awkwardness of sharing between peers.