Dialogic Interaction: Maximising Echo360 Active Learning Platform’s Interactive Slides

From the 2017 Live Streaming Pilot, Making Lectures Interactive workshops, Active Learning Special FLTC meeting, Feedback/Feedforward workshop, and my invited presentation at the 2017 Annual Echo360 Active Learning Conference, we experimented with the Echo360 Active Learning Platform a lot in 2017!

Here is the first of many provocations for 2018:

“We do know that of all the questions that teachers ask [students], teachers answer 80 percent of them, because we abhor vacuums, we don’t like silence.”
– Sandy Eisenberg Sasso via OnBeing

---

From Authoritative to Dialogic Interaction

The typical class interaction follows the IRE/F model:

we need to foster student-initiated and student-centric dialogic approaches.

In order to move beyond lower thinking order skills (e.g. recall), we need to foster student-initiated and student-centric dialogic approaches – enter the QR model:

Here are two (2) ways to maximise Interactive Slides in class (from lectures and tutorials, to workshops and practicals) by transform your existing materials using the QR model:

---

Example 1

Aims

• Tie in pre-class work to the beginning of the class
• Push students beyond recall
• Involve students in the sense-making

Previously

Transformation

IRF structure using Peer Instruction model: The problems here are: the lecturer controls the questions all learning interactions are viewed from the perspective of the single scientifically validated explanation (i.e. find the answer and move on)

Apply the QR model: Intermediate Add a follow up question – ‘why and how’ by selecting the Require Justification checkbox when creating your Interactive Slide. Advanced Create a Short Answer activity to be completed by students prior to class: Interactive Slide: Short Answer Then, use this information to identify the topics or concepts of difficulty in the pre-class activities (readings, problems, etc.). New approach At the beginning of the class, use the student questions from the Short Answer activity and allocate to small groups to respond (or use Peer Instruction model here). Instead of focusing the Evaluation / Feedback on identifying the single correct answer at the outset, focus on exploring the range of students’ ideas.

…the more collaborative and discursive the interactions, the more teacher-student interactions are SENSE-MAKING rather than just answer-making…
– Wood et al. (2018)

---

Example 2

Aims

• To shift focus from basic information
• Push students to apply and extend ideas taught in class
• Involve students in identifying and resolving gaps in knowledge

Previously

Transformation

Closed questions around factual or procedural content.

Prompt or allow for spontaneous student questions that open up ideas taught in class: Intermediate Use an Ordered List activity to rank the most to least likely causes of X; plus select the Require Justification checkbox to allow students to add their own explanation and/or cause to the list of options: Interactive Slide: Ordered List Advanced Prior to class, task students with proposing a prediction question ‘What would happen if…‘ using the Question tool: Select a few questions and create a Multiple Choice activity – plus Require Justification checkbox. During class, students vote on the one they would most like to discuss. You can then briefly explore the ‘What would happen if…‘ scenario students selected.

“A wonderment question can be EVIDENCE that a student has understood the material at a basic factual level, and is starting to use it for higher order THINKING and REASONING.”
– Wood et al. (2018)

---

Active Learning Platform Training

Check out Echo360’s Resource Center or contact your friendly neighbourhood faculty Learning Designer.

---

Further Reading

Wood, A.K., Galloway, R.K., Sinclair, C. & Hardy, J. (2018). Teacher-student discourse in active learning lectures: case studies from undergraduate physics. Teaching in Higher Education. DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2017.1421630 via MQ Library

---

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

(above): Select slides from 2017 Annual Echo360 Active Learning Conference – invited presentation.