Creating a Positive Learning Environment

How to learn? From Mistakes

““Failure is part of the process of learning.” (Laufenberg, 2010) This speaker had many memorable statements and creating an environment where a learner can accept the above statement would be a goal of mine. Creating an environment where failure is accepted without the shame would go a long way to help students learn. The reminder of the need to allow learners to fail in a safe environment especially in the nursing program allows for remediation without consequences of high stakes failure with clients in a clinical setting.

Diana Laufenberg (2010, November) How to learn? From mistakes TEDxMidAtlantic

https://www.ted.com/talks/diana_laufenberg_3_ways_to_teach

Instructional Strategies

Instructional Strategies to promote Facilitate Learning

             I was particularly interested in the set induction strategy. This strategy uses techniques or words that will facilitate  a maximum interest in doing the prescribed learning activity. I can add a motivating statement to the instructional statement about reading i.e. we will have a pre-quiz Jeopardy game with prizes on your readings for next class. This would encourage the students to read more than if I only said, "please read Chapter #X for the next class." Getting students to do their readings is a struggle. Other strategies are mentioned in the article.

Lunenburg, F. C., & Irby, B. J. (2011). Instructional Strategies to Facilitate Learning. International Journal Of Educational Leadership Preparation, 6(4) http://cclsw2.vcc.ca:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ974330&site=ehost-live

Blooms Taxonomy

   Use of Goal Setting to Promote Analysis  

       In the cognitive domain it is important to promote higher levels of critical thinking.  “Questioning is a metacognitive tool” (Ishiwa, Sanjose, & Otero, 2013, p. 502).  I often forget to promote in-depth student questions from the students. This strategy will help me to set the goal for the reading with a task or problem to answer. When they do ask question they actually indicate analysis.

Ishiwa, K., Sanjose, V., & Otero, J. (2013). Questioning and Reading Goals: Information-Seeking Questions Asked on Scientific Texts Read under Different Task Conditions. British Journal Of Educational Psychology, 83(3), 502-520. http://cclsw2.vcc.ca:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1014587&site=ehost-live

Assessment

Process Praise as Positive Feedback

When looking at assessment I was interesting in resources for giving positive feedback when doing assessments. I was interested in the term "process praise". Being a linguist, it was interesting how the semantics of the sentence could have such a devastating effect. This strategy could be used in the creating a safe learning environment as well. 

Skipper, Y., & Douglas, K. (2012). Is No Praise Good Praise? Effects of Positive Feedback on Children's and University Students' Responses to Subsequent Failures. British Journal Of Educational Psychology, 82(2), 327-339. http://cclsw2.vcc.ca:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ965789&site=ehost-live