“Taking the Big 3 into the Classroom“

The scientific study of human learning and memory consists of thousands of experiments dedicated to identifying cognitive processes fundamental to learning. In this talk, I provide an overview of the big three techniques to emerge from the field, discuss why they are effective at promoting learning, and explore how to go about implementing them in classrooms.

“The Science of (e) Learning: Using Evidence-Based Research to Improve the Quality of Online Instruction“

Online learning involves a complex interplay between various modes of content delivery—e.g., lectures, discussion groups, and so on—that is ubiquitous in the context of higher education, workplace training, and continuing education. In this talk, I will focus on the pervasive role of video-recorded content in online learning. Specifically, I will outline how the science of learning has built on basic laboratory research to inform strategies for improving attention and learning from video-based materials. Next, I will highlight how this research has been used to improve the efficacy of learning from videos in the context of workplace training and continuing education. I will conclude by discussing the importance of both deconstructing the online learning environment into its constituent parts and understanding how those parts interact with one another to support effective instruction and learning.

“Writing multiple choice questions to create effective tests“

The primary goal of testing is to measure the extent to which students have learned the facts, concepts, procedures, and skills that have been taught in the course. In many university courses, instructors use multiple choice questions (MCQs) for some or all of the student assessment. However, many of the questions used by instructors contain critical flaws and most will do no more than test factual recall. Fortunately, writing high-quality MCQs is a learnable skill. In this hands-on workshop, we will:

• Learn about how to employ the best practices and avoid common pitfalls of writing measurably effective MCQs.
• Explore how theories of learning such as Bloom’s revised taxonomy can help usdetermine the level at which a question should be written.
• Practice writing MCQs and providing valuable feedback to peers.