Learning strategies in PBLteam project and

professional communication

Lars Peter JensenSep25th, 2008

Agenda

• Learning strategies in PBL – Learning styles– Learning in a team project

• Professional communication – oral presentation skills

How much are you aware of your learning?– Preferred method – Strength – Weaknesses

How much are you aware of the changing process of your learning?

Exercise 1The learning styles test (1)

1. Circle "a" or "b" for every one of the 44 questions.

The learning styles test (2)

2. Fill out the scoring sheet with a ’1’ for each of your answers.

3. Add ’1’s in column ’a’ and column ’b’ in each of the 4 fields.

4. Calculate the numerical difference between a-score and b-score and add an ’a’ or a ’b’ depending upon which is the larger sum.

The learning styles test (3)

Learning styles

Individuals’ different ways of taking in and processing information

- Richard Felder

How do you do reading?

Some people…sometimes…

Factors Influencing Learning Styles

Before entering the University• Native ability (IQ)• Background (past experiences)

At the University• Learning environment e.g. match between learning style and

teaching style

Purpose of Testing Learning Style• To know about yourself - ‘in which

way a student is smart’ rather than ‘whether this student is smart or not’

• To help learners to develop learning strategies and improve their learning by balancing it.

• To work with our teaching style to match and maximize student learning

But not to • Divide people into a set category as

blood types – instead, it is just measuring height or weight along some point in life

Different learning styles 1 Active Learners• Retain and understand

information best by doing something active

• Like discussion or applying it or explaining it to others

• ‘let’s try it out and see how it works’

• Like group work

Reflective Learners• Think about it quietly

before talk• Let’s think it through

first • Prefer working alone

quietly

Everybody is sometimes active and sometimes reflective. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

It is hard for both learning types sitting through lectures without getting to do anything physical but taking notes, particularly hard for active learners.

Different learning styles 2

Sensing Learners • Tend to like facts• Like solving problems by

well-established methods and dislike complications and surprises

• Be patient with details and good at memorizing facts and doing hands-on work

• More practical and careful• don’t like courses that have

no apparent connection to the real world

Intuitive Learners• Prefer discovering possibilities

and relationships • Like innovation and dislike

repetition• Be better at grasping new

concepts and more comfortable with abstractions and mathematical formulations

• Work faster and more imaginative

• Don’t like courses that involve a lot of memorization and routine calculation

Everybody is sometimes sensing and sometimes intuitive. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

Different learning styles 3

Visual LearnersRemember best

what they see - ‘Show me’

• Pictures• Diagrams• Sketches• schematics• Flow charts• plots

Verbal learners Getting more out of

words - ‘Explain it to me’

• Spoken words• Written words

Everybody is both visual and verbal. Preferring one does not mean that you don’t learn in the other way. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

Different learning styles 4

Sequential Learners • Gain understanding in

linear steps • Follow logical stepwise

paths in finding solutions

• Feel comfortable explaining things

Global Learners • Learning in large jumps,

absorbing materials almost randomly without seeing connections, and suddenly ‘get it’. Need big picture to function

• Solve complex problems quickly or put things together in novel ways once they have grasped the big picture

• Feel difficult to explainWhich is your preference? Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

Strong(-)

Moderate

(-)

Mild(-)

Mild(+)

Moderate

(+)

Strong(+)

Active(-)/Reflective(+)

68 137 157 84 42 5

Sensitive(-)/Intuitive(+)

38 126 154 98 53 24

Visual (-)/Verbal (+)

118 197 112 55 10 1

Sequential(-)/Global(+)

5 70 144 177 81 16

The learning styles of the 493 students divided into strong, moderate and mild preferences, AAU, 2003 (Kolmos & Holgaard 2008)

Learning style preferences related to disciplines at Aalborg University (Kolmos & Holgaard 2008)

Profession Active%

Sensing%

Visual%

Sequential

%

Architecture & Design (N=77) 79 38 96 32

Building & Civil Engineering (N=63) 84 81 95 60

Computer Engineering & Science (N=70)

71 69 81 47

Physics & Nanotechnology (N=25) 80 52 92 28

Electronics (N=57) 72 74 88 40

Mathematics (N=14) 50 71 79 57

Global Business Development & Industry (N=73)

78 55 85 68

Chemistry, Bio- & Health Technology (N=62)

53 77 77 52

Geography, Land Surveying and Planning & Environment (N=52)

77 71 81 44

Summary

• All types of learners are needed in every profession

• All learning styles are needed to addressed and satisfied in teaching

www.comestic.com

Please discuss with your group members:How can you make best of and learn from each other based on your individual strengths and weakness?

Complementary skills

Wider perspectives

Team projectA forum for discussion and reflection

Challenges

Learning opportunities

Motivation and supports

Good teams are collections of differences and companies would like to get cross-functional teams

Domination by an individual

Using too much time

Taking one’s own purpose

Slipping into conformity and groupthink

How can a team benefit a project?

How can a team damage a project?

How clear, relevant and realistic is your goal?

Have you done team building excise?

How do you conductmeetings?

The team performance curve

High performing team

Real team

Potential team

Pseudo team

Working group

Interact with each otherShare informaiton, experiencesHelp each otherDo not share a common goal

No shared goalDo not know how to collaboratePersonal conflictNo interest in joining forcesWeak group

Try to set up clear goalsTry to collaborateTry to share workBut a long way to go…

Complementary skillsCommitted to common goals and working approachesGood social environment

Do more At the best level

Integration•Crystallization of roles•Sub-groups•Deeper communication•We - feeling

Conflicts•Divide /rule•Alliances•Management

Maturity•Clear goals and role•Mutual respect•Clear communication of facts and feelings•Constructive criticism•Consensus

Honeymoon•“Nice” communication•Unity and generosity•Idealization

The initial phase•Uncertainty•Vague norms and roles•Power struggles

The Group Process

(Lenneer-Axelson and Thylefors 1993)

I ndividual needs

Team needs

Task need

Forming

Storming

Norming

Performing

Diversity of group situation

Diversity of group situation

Professional communication (oral presentation)

Group work • To make a ‘do’ list for making

oral presentation • To make a ‘donot’ list for making

oral presentation

The short presentation plan

1. Tell them what you are going to tell them!

2. Tell them!3. Tell them what you have told them!

The longer presentation plan

Questions to ask:• Who is to know? Receiver, code,

power • What is my point? Message• Why do I want to tell? Motivation• How much do I know? Competence• How should I tell it? Focus, media• Where/when to tell? Situation• How do I behave? Attitude

Things to think about:

Content - message, structure

Appearance - confident, open, lively (eye-contact, hands)

Articulation - clear, fluent, correct terminology (write)

AV-aids - blackboard, OHP, PowerPoint, posters, film

Time-management - organise, message

Group collaboration - organise, message

Plan - rehearse - evaluate – review – rehearse etc.

The longer presentation plan

36

Oral presentations - body language

Elements in body language• eyes• facial mimic• gesture• posture• position• dressing

• Be aware of your body language – often there is a contradiction between what you say and what your body tells

• Some examples which may well be culturally biased??

Oral presentations - body language

How do you think of these?

How do you think of these?

How do you think of these?

Nervousness . . . . . . .

Everyone is nervous, insecure and/or exited - the only thing that helps is practice.

• Prepare

• Rehearse

o in front of friends

o in front of mirror

• Write introduction + conclusion

Strategies • Using manuscript• Using clue card with keywords• Design of slides (put more words)• Choosing certain audience to have eye

contact• Remember: You are the one knowing

the subject in most details, often much better than censor and lecturer.