Building Toward Student Ownership

Theron J Hitchman

MAA Iowa 2014
Clarke University

One of these is a lie:

  • I am an atheist.
  • I am not a religious man.

Inquiry Based Learning

(Moore Method, Peer Instruction, Flipped Learning, Guided Practice, Standards Based Assessment)

Wait, is this a lecture?

Question One:

Why are we here?

Question One (sharper):

From the learner's perspective, what is the point of continuing to study past high school?

Question Two:

What are the goals of a liberal education?

Question Three:

Information is free these days. Given that one can study and read on one's own, what is the point of going to college?

Question Four:

What do you expect a student to remember 20 years after your course?

Question Five:

How does a person learn something new?

Question Six:

How should a course be structured to facilitate learning?

Evidence

Remember that bit about a lie?

A personal story

My conversion

What is IBL?

An ''Active Classroom'' approach to teaching that involves the students in sense-making activities: figuring things out and making arguments.

As much as possible, students engage in research at their own level.

What is IBL?: A test

  1. Who presents the mathematics in class?
  2. Who develops the mathematics presented?
  3. Who critiques the mathematics discussed?
  4. Who is responsible for deciding if the work is correct and acceptably presented?
  5. Who asks the questions that drive further work?

Do the students own the mathematics?

Or do they just check it out and return it?

Thank you

Other Things I should Say

  • Role change for instructors, too: mentor, coach, cheerleader, counselor
  • Sell it!
  • Find support: local (colleagues, admin), national (AIBL, MAA), online!
  • Are you willing to fail in order to improve?