Wk 11 - Questioning Techniques

Questioning Techniques 2010

Learning Styles - Urban Myth?

Professor Frank Coffield conducted extensive research into over 70 theories relating to learning styles to see whether the various models corresponded to reality. The validity of learning-style questionnaires were tested to see if they really measured what they claimed. Little evidence was found to support these theories including Honey and Mumford, Dunn and Dunn and VAK.
Learning style sytems that did seem to work such as Herrmann's 'whole brain model', where a learner's learning style was considered to be adaptive to the context. Coffield's advice is:

• Don't label students then try to match learning strategies to their styles
• Use methods that address all styles; this is called 'whole brain' learning.
• Encourage learners to use unfamilliar styles, even if they dont like them at first
• Teach students how to use all styles of learning
• Students enjoy moving between styles; makes for varied and interesting lessons

Source: Coffield, F., Mosley, D., Hall, E. and Ecclestone, K. 2004. Should we be using learning styles? [Online] Available at: https://crm.lsnlearning.org.uk/user/order.aspx?code=041540 [Accessed: 19 Jan 2010]

Peer Explaining: Summarising key points

In this strategy, pairs improve their summary of key points.

• Warn students first that you want them to summarise the topic to each other, in pairs.
• Design two challenging questions that summarise the key points of the topic you are about to teach.
• Require the students to identify the details and reasons why, or to stress the meaning and structure of information
• Number and make the questions clearly visible to the students.
• Then teach the topic using differentiated presentation of the information. Meanwhile, the students may try to work out the answers to the questions.
• Put students into pairs, give them one question each
• Students prepare what they will say to each other for a minute or so; they can work individually and write down what they will say to each other
• Students answer the questions, explaining the key points to each other
• Follow with a class discussion on what issues came up

The Differentiated Classroom

DfES identifies three aspects of differentiation:

• by task: setting different tasks for pupils of different ability
• by outcome: setting open-ended tasks, allowing pupil response at different levels,
• by support: giving more help (perhaps via an LSA) to certain pupils within the group.

I prefer this definition by Carol Tomlinson:

A differentiated classroom provides different avenues so that students have multiple options for:

• acquiring content - taking in information,
• processing or making sense of ideas, and
• expressing what they learn through developing products

Specifically, differentiated instruction is:

• active teaching and learning (creating a product, reviewing and feedback)
  
• more qualitative than quantitative
• aimed at offering multiple approaches to content, process, and product
• student-centered (building on existing constructs)
  

A blend of whole-class, group, and individual instruction

Teachers in differentiated classrooms begin with a clear and solid sense of what constitutes powerful curriculum and engaging instruction. Then they ask what it will take to modify that instruction so that each learner comes away with understandings and skills offering guidance in the next phase of learning.

Essentially, teachers in differentiated classrooms accept, embrace, and plan for the fact that learners bring many commonalities to college, but that they also bring the essential differences that make them individuals. Teachers can allow for this reality in many ways to make classrooms a good fit for each individual.

Source: Adapted from The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, by C. Tomlinson, 1999, Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.