2B: Learning Bootlenecks

Module 2A: Introduction to the Educational Literature | Module 2B: Learning Bottlenecks | Module 2C: Compiling Educational Resources

Module 2B Description: In Module 2A you browsed journals and websites checking out what interesting teaching strategies and practices are already being reported on and researched in your discipline. You also discussed your findings with your peers. In this Module, part 2B, you will now think about how you can integrate some of these ideas into your course or learning environment. To begin thinking about how to do that we will introduce Threshold Concepts in this module as a strategy you can use to enhance your current teaching or course. Threshold concepts were introduced into the teaching and learning literature in 2006 by Ray Land and Erik Meyer.

Module 2B Objectives: At the end of this module, you will have:

Reflected on how you might integrate new technologies, teaching strategies, and resources you read about in your own discipline and to operationalize it into a flip

Reflect on where students have trouble learning
Reflect on parts of your course that don't really work well enough for you
Reflect on how changing teaching strategies in the classroom might help flip the paradigm for how student learn in your course

Expected time for Module 2B: 1-2 hours

1. In Part 1 of this module, you browsed the educational literature to prime the pump for thinking about teaching and learning in your discipline and/or how your course is designed. When you think about flipping your course or changing anything in your course, don't waste your valuable time on changing something that is already working for your students and/or you. Focus on areas where you think you can improve. Focus on areas you are not as comfortable teaching. Focus on areas where you know students have trouble learning. As we move through the next several modules you will start actually planning a flipped component for a course you teach or a course or training or class that you would like to teach.

Watch the video below and learn about why trying to uncover bottlenecks, or what these faculty call "threshold concepts", are important to think about as you are designing or redesigning instruction. Sure, you can add a flipped component to your course in a place that is the easiest to flip, but why not think about killing two birds with one stone and redoing your course or a part of your course with a flipped version to solve a problem.

Decoding the Disciplines and Threshold Concepts ("Bottlenecks") Links to an external site.

PowerPoint Presentation Download PowerPoint Presentation

on Threshold Concepts

2. Similar to the journals and literature you browsed in part 2A of this module, there is a whole body of educational literature out there on "Threshold Concepts". Here are some additional links on Threshold Concepts (bottlenecks) and decoding the disciplines. You might also want to take a look at this optional reading, Decoding the Disciplines Article by Joan Middendorf (who is in the video) and David Pace (2004). Although we do not have time in this Teaching Flipped course to work through the whole 7-step model of decoding the disciplines model described in this article, just developing an awareness that students might have difficulties as they learn may guide you thinking about your teaching approach and how students might be approaching learning in your course.

3. Last week in module 1 you completed a one-question survey about what bottlenecks you observed in your students (if you have not done that yet here is another chance to record your disciplinary bottlenecks Links to an external site.). I have added your threshold concepts to a concept map we began last semester with a group of faculty flippers. Flipping a lecture is a great teaching strategy you can use to help students overcome bottlenecks and move through thresholds to a new understanding because the availability of online materials can be used over and over by a student as they struggle to understand. Then when they come to class they can focus on asking questions they are really having trouble with and reviewing or working with the material they still did not understand after watching a lecture.

Thinking about Threshold Concepts (bottlenecks) you have thought about so far, how could flipping parts of your course or instructional situation help students move through the threshold to a new level of understanding? Use the 2B Discussion: Exploring the Concept of Disciplinary Threshold Concepts and Student "Bottlenecks" to Learning to ask questions and hash out ideas you have have about student learning bottlenecks.

Dig Deeper into Module 2 or move forward to Module 3

Module 2C: Compile a collection of ideas and examples about innovative teaching in your discipline (advanced)

Module 2A: Introduction to the Educational Literature | Module 2B: Learning Bottlenecks | Module 2C: Compiling Educational Resources