New Academia Learning Innovation (NALI) Active learning: Using Gallery Walk (more)

I am a novice in active learning.  I have tried jigsaw, think-pair-share, 2 minutes paper and STAD (student-teams achievement division).  I challenge myself to learn a new cooperative learning strategy this semester.  I choose Gallery Walk (well, I also use Carousel but that one is for poster evaluation).

When I google about Carousel , I find so many versions of it.  But the bottom line is, Carousel is a strategy that you use WHEN you want to “semi-force” each individual student to take turn in giving their opinion/answer/response and they “have” to share it with others.  Ideally, 4 to 5 students per group.

But in my case, I used Gallery Walk for my PG class.  They are more matured students so the whole class is considered as one group.  But in this case, I increase the number of questions (each question is position in one station) so they can move around to answer the questions at their own pace and preference.  There is no compulsion or assignment of which station would be their first station.  They can start at any station to give their response.

There were 7 questions (7 stations) and 11 students. There were few students who absent so, the class seems bigger.
Some of them were waiting their turn. These two stations have two “controversial” questions. So, many students were eager to answer the questions.
Not so popular station. But, since I instructed them to go to ALL stations, some of them visited this station later than the other stations.

NALI UTM: Sharing session with SKAFREE on 27 November 2019 (Wednesday)

I had a queasy feeling every time I was invited by the group to have a sharing session with them.  I feel like an impostor.  But, I just took my chance to give my best.

So, there were about 20+ academic staff attended this session.  I could see familiar faces.  I have high regards towards these people.   I salute them for having unwavering passion in teaching especially to those who are “otai” with so many years of teaching experience under their belt.  I am supposed to learn from them, not the other way around.

Nevertheless, I shared my experience in using Round Robin in my class.  Apparently, some of them have already used it but they don’t know it is Round Robin.  Indeed.  I learn more from them.

Some of them already left when we took this picture

Case based learning: How it is done?

I am learning about this.  So, I search lots of information from various sources about case based learning.  One of it is HERE.

Case based learning is quite similar with scenario based learning.  But what are the differences?   For Case based learning, according to the definition given Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, it refers to Case-based learning (CBL) is an established approach used across disciplines where students apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios, promoting higher levels of cognition (see Bloom’s Taxonomy). In CBL classrooms, students typically work in groups on case studies, stories involving one or more characters and/or scenarios.  The cases present a disciplinary problem or problems for which students devise solutions under the guidance of the instructor.  

In my case, when I craft a case or cases for my class discussion, I will relate it back with scenarios that happen at school (this is for Fundamental Pedagogy class – Asas Pedagogi).  Since the topics of discussion would revolve around learning theories and models, teaching approaches, methods, strategies and techniques, I would craft a case or cases which would prompt students to analyse and evaluate the case or cases and later on to suggest something (it could be strategy and such) as alternatives or solutions to certain issues relating to the case or cases.  In this regards, students would have to be able to link between theoretical aspects they learn [can find information from textbooks] with hypothetical reality (since I don’t expect them to go to schools to implement whatever solutions they come out with).  But the hypothetical reality might be a real deal when they start their teaching practicum or after they graduated.  For the time being, most of the cases are from my own experience while undergoing Latihan Ikhtisas.  So, the cases are real.  

I find a short illustration of scenario based learning from HERE.  The poster is taken from Sh!ft Disruptive eLearning website.  

B7_Scenario-based

A little effort goes a long way. Indeed

It was a brain-child by one of my colleagues, Assoc Prof Dr Fatin Aliah Phang few years back.  At that time, I didn’t involve too much in the activity.  Then it all started when we had an idea plus extra budget to give special meal due to Chinese New Year in 2018.  So, she asked me to make some preparation i.e. get enough Ang Pau packets (which I still have some left-overs) and buy oranges (which I change into Ferrero Rocher instead because there were on sales).

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See the wide smiles on their faces! It really made our day.

Fast forward.  It is 2019.   Late 2019.   Some of the coupons are worn out.  But, I replace that with new ones.  While doing that, I found out that some of the students wrote some notes of Thank You.

Some of the things they wrote “Thanks for providing to someone in need.” “May Allah bless all always.” “Good job guys” “Thank you”, “Semoga Tuhan merahmati kalian” “Thank you. Next!” “Terima kasih”
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100 pax seems not enough. But, alhamdulillah, it seems enough for all.  We also have free market (free stationery booth)