Conditions that trigger behaviour change — from peoplealchemy.com by Paul Matthews; via Learning Now TV

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Learning Transfer’s ultimate outcome is behaviour change, so we must understand the conditions that trigger a behaviour to start.

According to Fogg, three specific elements must converge at the same moment for a specific behaviour to occur. Given that learning transfer is only successful when the learner starts behaving in the desired new ways, Fogg’s work is critical to understanding how to generate these new behaviours. The Fogg Behavioural Model [*1] states that B=MAP. That is, a specific behaviour will occur if at the same moment there is sufficient motivation, sufficient ability and sufficient prompt. If the behaviour does not occur, at least one of these three elements is missing or below the threshold required.

The prompt is, in effect, a call to action to do a specific behaviour. The prompt must be ‘loud’ enough for the target person to perceive it and be consciously aware of it. Once aware of a prompt, the target immediately, and largely unconsciously, assesses their ability to carry out the requested behaviour: how difficult would this be, how long will it take, who can help me, and so on. They base this on their perception of the difficulty of the requested behaviour, and their ability, as they see it, to achieve that behaviour.

 

What is executive function?

What is executive function? — from understood.org by Gail Belsky

Executive function is a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. We use these skills every day to learn, work, and manage daily life. Trouble with executive function can make it hard to focus, follow directions, and handle emotions, among other things.

Snapshot: What executive function is
Some people describe executive function as “the management system of the brain.” That’s because the skills involved let us set goals, plan, and get things done. When people struggle with executive function, it impacts them at home, in school, and in life.

There are three main areas of executive function. They are…

 

Make class prep easy with 8 flexible prompts for retrieval practice — from retrievalpractice.org by Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.

Here are 8 flexible prompts you can customize for your students:

  • What would you like to remember about [topic]? Why is this important to you?
  • What was really memorable for you about [topic]? Why did it stand out to you?
  • What is one thing that’s surprising or confusing to you about [topic]?
  • What is one thing I didn’t ask you about [topic] that you learned?
  • What is an example of [topic] from your own life?
  • …plus three others
 

Using Drawing as a Powerful Learning Tool — from edutopia.org by Selim Tlili
When students draw something they’re learning about, they’re more likely to remember key details.

One of my main goals as a science teacher is to open students up to seeing all of those beautiful and interesting details. I do that by having students draw things and clearly write what they observe. Drawing something requires students to look at their subject far longer than they are accustomed. Writing what they see forces them to consciously acknowledge it. I explain to students that just as every single human is unique, so is every coin, plant, and salt crystal.

 

 

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

For the first time, a physical neural network has successfully been shown to learn and remember “on the fly,” in a way inspired by and similar to how the brain’s neurons work.


Also see:

Nanowire ‘brain’ learns like humans! — from tech.therundown.ai by Rowan Cheung

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

The Rundown: University of Sydney researchers have created a “brain-like” nanowire network capable of learning and remembering in real-time, similar to that of human brain function.

The details:

  • The nanowire neural network self-organizes into patterns, functioning like the brain’s synapses by responding to electrical currents.
 


AI Can Teach Students a Powerful Lesson About the Truth — from edweek.org by Rachna Nath
How I’m harnessing ChatGPT in the classroom

What we teachers desperately need, though, is an ocean of examples and training. We need to see and share examples of generative AI—any type of artificial intelligence that can be used to create new text, images, video, audio, code, or data—being used across the curriculum. We need catalogs of new lesson plans and new curriculum.

And we need training on theoretical and practical levels: training to understand what artificial intelligence actually is and where it stands in the development timeline and training about how to integrate it into our classes.

So, my advice to teachers is to use any and all the generative AI you can get your hands on. Then experience—for yourself—verification of the information. Track it back to the source because in doing so, you’ll land on the adjustments you need to make in your classes next year.

From DSC:
Interesting.

Learners can now seamlessly transition between AI-powered assistance (AI Tutor) and Live Expert support to get access to instant support, whether through AI-guided learning or real-time interactions with a human expert.

From Brainly Enrolls New AI-Powered Tools for More
Personalized and Accessible Learning
(businesswire.com)


ASSIGNMENT MAKEOVERS IN THE AI AGE WITH DEREK BRUFF — from teachinginhighered.com by Bonni Stachowiak
Derek Bruff shares about assignment makeovers in the AI age on episode 481 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast


Comment on this per Derek Bruff:

Why not ask ChatGPT to write what King or X would say about a current debate and then have the students critique the ChatGPT output? That would meet the same learning goals while also teaching AI literacy.

(Be sure to read Asim’s contribution for a useful take.)



Generative AI in Schools: A Closer Look and Future Predictions — from thejournal.com by Ted Mo Chen (emphasis DSC)

Here’s a closer look at the concurrent AI landscape in schools — and a prediction of what the future holds.

So far, high-profile ventures in the instruction realm, such as Kyron Learning, have fused teacher-produced, recorded content with LLM-powered conversational UX. The micro-learning tool Nolej references internet material when generating tasks and tests, but always holds the language model closely to the ground truth provided by teachers. Both are intriguing takes on re-imagining how to deliver core instruction and avoid hallucinations (generated content that is nonsensical).

Also see this posting on LinkedIn about that article, where Ted Mo Chen mentions the following companies:

Companies to watch:


New report: Trends in Learning 2023 — from open.ac.uk by Professor Agnes Kukulska-Hulme

So, what six trends have we chosen for this year’s report? They are: advances in AI, the metaverse and learningchallenge-based learningentrepreneurial learningseeing yourself in the curriculum and multimodal learning. In the report, we discuss each of the trends in turn, why we think they are important and the impact they are already having or will have on workplace learning. We have also interviewed six people, experts in their field, to find out their opinions and experiences of the trends, sharing their insights in the report.


Unity executive shares her thoughts on the future of education and technology with the rise in popularity of A.I. and real-time 3D content — from fortune.com by Preston Fore

As a result, real-time 3D jobs are among the most in demand within the tech industry. According to Unity’s vice president of Education and Social Impact, Jessica Lindl, demand is 50% higher than traditional IT jobs—adding that salaries for real-time 3D jobs are 60% greater.

“We want to provide really simple on ramps and pathways that will lead you into entry level jobs so that at any point in your career, you can decide to transfer into the industry,” Lindl says.


How universities worldwide are responding to generative AI — from linkedin.com by University World News

University World News continues its exploration of generative AI in our new special report on ‘AI and Higher Education’. In commentaries and features, academics and our journalists around the world investigate issues and developments around AI that are impacting on universities. Generative AI tools are challenging and changing higher education systems and institutions — how they are run as well as ways of teaching and learning and conducting research.

We’ve collated the lead articles below for you to read and the full report is available here.


What’s the future of generative AI? An early view in 15 charts — from mckinsey.com
Generative AI has hit the ground running—so fast that it can feel hard to keep up. Here’s a quick take pulled from our top articles and reports on the subject.


Teaching in the Age of AI — from cft.vanderbilt.edu by Michael Coley, Stacey M. Johnson, Paige Snay, Joe Bandy, John Bradley, and Ole Molvig

This guide will explore:

  • What is generative AI, and where can it be found?
  • How can I harness generative AI tools in my teaching to improve student learning?
  • How can I craft assignments that deter unauthorized use of generative AI?
  • How does academic integrity relate to generative AI tools?
  • What resources are there for instructors who want to engage with generative AI tools?

15 Inspirational Voices in the Space Between AI and Education — from jeppestricker.substack.com by Jeppe Klitgaard Stricker
Get Inspired for AI and The Future of Education.

My advice for you today is this: fill your LinkedIn-feed and/or inbox with ideas, inspirational writing and commentary on AI.

This will get you up to speed quickly and is a great way to stay informed on the newest movements you need to be aware of.

My personal recommendation for you is to check out these bright people who are all very active on LinkedIn and/or have a newsletter worth paying attention to.

I have kept the list fairly short – only 15 people – in order to make it as easy as possible for you to begin exploring.


It is crucial to recognize that the intrinsic value of higher education isn’t purely in its ability to adapt to market fluctuations or technological innovations. Its core strength lies in promoting critical thinking, nurturing creativity, and instilling a sense of purpose and belonging. As AI progresses, these traits will likely become even more crucial. The question then becomes if higher education institutions as we know them today are the ony ones, or indeed the best ones, equipped to convey those core strengths to students.

Higher education clearly finds itself caught in a whirlwind of transformation, both in its essence and execution. The juxtaposition of legacy structures and the evolving technological landscape paints a complex picture.

For institutional leaders, the dual challenge lies in proactively seeking and initiating change (not merely adapting to it) without losing sight of their foundational principles. Simultaneously, they must equip students with skills and perspectives that AI cannot replicate.

— from Is Higher Education Nearing the Tipping Point?
by Jeppe Klitgaard Stricker


EdTech Companies Are Racing to Build a Github Copilot for Teachers. This Will Not Be Easy. — from danmeyer.substack.com by Dan Meyer; via Matthew Tower
Generative AI has produced an extremely useful tool for software developers. Can it do the same for teachers?

Also, Matthew Tower, pulled this quote from The big problem with grades. / via Washington Post

“They begged, bargained with, and berated their instructor in pursuit of better grades — not “because they like points,” but rather, “because the education system has told them that these points are the currency with which they can buy a successful future.”” 

 

Start these 3 classroom habits ASAP! — from etrievalpractice.org by Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.

Habit #2: Engage students in a brain dump or two things as an entry ticket or exit ticket. Spend one minute or less having students write down everything (or just two things) they remember from class. The key: Don’t grade it! Keep retrieval practice no-stakes to emphasize it’s a learning strategy, not an assessment strategy.

Teaching from the heart in 13 steps — from timeshighereducation.com by Beiting He
Engaging your students through empathy requires teachers to share their own stories and vulnerabilities and foster a safe space for learning. Here, Beiting He offers 13 ways to create a caring classroom

Move student communication from passive to active using ‘I like, I wish, I wonder’ — from timeshighereducation.com by Rebeca Elizabeth Alvarado Ramírez
Rebeca Elizabeth Alvarado Ramírez introduces a methodology that encourages effective communication in digital learning processes

In summary, “I wish” is about proposing positive changes and improvements, while “I wonder” is about asking thoughtful questions to gain insight and foster meaningful conversations within the team.

 

10 ways for students to get repetitions for practice — from ditchthattextbook.com by Matt Miller

If we want students to remember – to lock new information or ideas into long-term memory – getting meaningful repetitions still is key. And the science of learning still backs that up.

So … if we want students to get repetitions to make new learning permanent, how can they do it? Here are 10 ways to help students get repetitions for practice – and how classroom technology can help.


MUST-TRY FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL ACTIVITY IDEAS – EASY EDTECH PODCAST 225 — from classtechtips.com by Dr. Monica Burns

In this episode, I share ten engaging activities that combine education, technology, and plenty of fun to make the first week of class super memorable. From digital scavenger hunts to virtual field trips, hear about a few of my favorite ways to create an interactive start to your school year.

Tips for First Week of School Activity Ideas

  • Establish routines in a fun way.
  • Provide opportunities for collaboration.
  • Introduce tech tools that will be used all year.

From DSC:
Dr. Burns has a great list of tools/tips/resources in this posting.


Teaching: What does it take to elevate good teaching? A lot. — from chronicle.com by Beth McMurtrie

Advice guides for teaching
As the fall approaches, we want to remind readers that The Chronicle offers a range of free advice guides designed to help improve your teaching. They’re written by experts for instructors who want to gather ideas on creating a syllabusteaching a good first day of classmaking your teaching more engagingimproving classroom discussion, making your teaching more inclusive and being a better online teacher.


Four directions for assessment redesign in the age of generative AI— from timeshighereducation.com by Julia Chen
The rise of generative AI has led universities to rethink how learning is quantified. Julia Chen offers four options for assessment redesign that can be applied across disciplines

Direction 1: From written description to multimodal explanation and application

Direction 2: From literature review alone to referencing lectures

Direction 3: From presentation of ideas to defence of views

Direction 4: From working alone to student-staff partnership


Absenteeism Mires Recovery from Pandemic Learning Losses — from educationnext.org by Phyllis W. Jordan
But simple measures by schools can encourage better student attendance

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

With the latest national test results showing a dispiriting lack of progress in catching students up academically in the wake of the pandemic, one potential explanation stands out: stubbornly high rates of student absenteeism. Vast numbers of students haven’t returned to class regularly since schools reopened.

From DSC:
Shouldn’t that tell us something? 

 

Sources of Cognitive Load — from learningscientists.org

Excerpt:

Cognitive Load Theory is an influential theory from educational psychology that describes how various factors affect our ability to use our working memory resources. We’ve done a digest about cognitive load theory here and talked about it here and here, but haven’t provided an overview of the theory so I want to give an overview here.

Cognitive load theory provides useful and dynamic model for how many different factors affect working memory and learning. Hopefully this post provides a useful overview of some of the main components of cognitive load!


From DSC:
Along these lines, a while back I put together a video regarding cognitive load. It addresses at least two main questions:

  1. What is cognitive load?
  2. Why should I care about it?

 

What is cognitive load? And why should I care about it?

What is cognitive load? And why should I care about it?

Transcript here.

 

How do I put it into practice?

  • Simplify the explanations of what you’re presenting as much as possible and break down complex tasks into smaller parts
  • Don’t place a large amount of text on a slide and then talk about it at the same time — doing so requires much more processing than most people can deal with.
  • Consider creating two versions of your PowerPoint files:
    • A text-light version that can be used for presenting that content to students
    • A text-heavy version — which can be posted to your LMS for the learners to go through at their own pace — and without trying to process so much information (voice and text, for example) at one time.
  • Design-wise:
    • Don’t use decorative graphics — everything on a slide should be there for a reason
    • Don’t use too many fonts or colors — this can be distracting
    • Don’t use background music when you are trying to explain something
 

We Might Finally Get AI That “Remembers” Us — from theneurondaily.com by Noah Edelman & Pete Huang

Excerpt:

Why it matters: The best AI assistants will be the ones that require the least prompting. They’ll get to know who you are, what you need, and your modus operandi. Profiles are a good starting point, but we believe the game-changer will be larger context windows (that’s nerd-speak for the amount of context ChatGPT can handle).
.

Will ChatGPT remember us in the future via our own profiles? How about taking this a step further Daniel Christian offers -- to access our own web-based learning profiles?

From DSC:
And how about taking this a step further and remembering — or being able to access — our constantly updated Cloud-Based Learning Profiles?

How about taking this a step further Daniel Christian offers -- to access our own web-based learning profiles?

 

 

Nurturing student learning and motivation through the application of cognitive science — from deansforimpact.org by Cece Zhou

Excerpt:

In particular, TutorND’s emphasis on applying principles of cognitive science – the science of our how minds work – in tutoring practice has not only bolstered the interest and confidence of some of its tutors to pursue teaching, but also strengthened their instructional skills and meaningfully contributed to PK-12 student growth.

Today, TutorND trains and supports 175 tutors in schools across the greater South Bend community and across the country. Given that these tutors are students, faculty, and staff interested in cognitive science research and its application to student learning, they’re able to bridge theory and practice, assess the effectiveness of instructional moves, and foster learning experiences for students that are rigorous, affirming, and equitable.

 

Why some college professors are adopting ChatGPT AI as quickly as students — from cnbc.com by Carolyn Chun

Key Points:

  • A recent analysis by researchers at NYU, Princeton and the Wharton School finds that many of the jobs that will be most “exposed” to generative AI such as ChatGPT are in the college teaching profession.
  • One of the first narratives to emerge from the sudden explosion in usage of ChatGPT is the risk of students cheating on writing assignments.
  • But use by college teachers is growing quickly too, and adoption by educators may be critical to making the case that AI will augment the jobs humans are doing rather than replace them.

Also relevant/see:


 

This AR Art App Helps You Paint Giant Murals — from vrscout.com by Kyle Melnick

This AR Art App Helps You Paint Giant Murals

Here’s another interesting item along the lines of emerging technologies:

AR-Powered Flashcards Offer A Fresh Spin On Learning — from vrscout.com by Kyle Melnick

Undergraduates Justin Nappi and Sudiksha Mallick developed SmartCards -- a new type of AR-powered flashcard

Excerpt:

Each SmartCard features a special marker that, when scanned with a tablet, unlocks informative virtual content students can interact with using basic hand gestures and buttons. According to its developers, Justin Nappi and Sudiksha Mallick, SmartCards can be especially useful for neurodivergent students, including those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, or dyslexia.

 

Teaching: A University-Wide Language for Learning — from chronicle.com by Beckie Supiano

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Last week, as I was interviewing Shaun Vecera about a new initiative he directs at the University of Iowa, he made a comment that stopped me in my tracks. The initiative, Learning at Iowa, is meant to create a common vocabulary, based on cognitive science, to support learning across the university. It focuses on “the three M’s for effective learning”: mind-set, metacognition, and memory.

“Not because those are the wrong ways of talking about that. But when you talk about learning, I think you can easily see how these skills transfer across not just courses, but also transfer from the university into a career.”


From DSC:
This reminds me of what I was trying to get at here — i.e., let’s provide folks with more information on learning how to learn.

Lets provide folks with more information on learning how to learn

Lets provide folks with more information on learning how to learn

Lets provide folks with more information on learning how to learn


Also relevant/see:

Changing your teaching takes more than a recipe — — from chronicle.com by Beckie Supiano
Professors have been urged to adopt more effective practices. Why are their results so mixed?

Excerpts:

When the researchers asked their interview subjects how they first learned about peer instruction, many more cited informal discussions with colleagues than cited more formal channels like workshops. Even fewer pointed to a book or an article.

So even when there’s a really well-developed recipe, professors aren’t necessarily reading it.

In higher ed, teaching is often seen as something anyone who knows the content can automatically do. But the evidence suggests instead that teaching is an intellectual exercise that adds to subject-matter expertise.

This teaching-specific math knowledge, the researchers note, could be acquired in teacher preparation or professional development, however, it’s usually created on the job.

“Now, I’m much more apt to help them develop a deeper understanding of how people learn from a neuroscientific and cognitive-psychology perspective, and have them develop a model for how students learn.”

Erika Offerdahl, associate vp and director of the Transformational Change Initiative at WSU

From DSC:
I love this part too:

There’s a role here, too, for education researchers. Not every evidence-based teaching practice has been broken into its critical components in the literature,

 

Why Studying Is So Hard, and What Teachers Can Do to Help — from edutopia.org by Laura McKenna
Beginning in the upper elementary grades, research-backed study skills should be woven into the curriculum, argues psychology professor Daniel Willingham in a new book.

Excerpt:

The additional context for Willingham’s new book is that students often don’t know the best methods to study for tests, master complex texts, or take productive notes, and it’s difficult to explain to them why they should take a different tack. In the book, Willingham debunks popular myths about the best study strategies, explains why they don’t work, and recommends effective strategies that are based on the latest research in cognitive science.

I recently spoke to him about why listening to lectures isn’t like watching a movie, how our self-monitoring of learning is often flawed and self-serving, and when it’s too late to start teaching students good study skills.

 
© 2024 | Daniel Christian