Reflection piece ≠ Tejasvini Prasad

1. Which practices did I employ to encourage deeper learning?

My SOTL project started out by trying to study where students were getting stuck when solving programming problems, but somewhere along the way the emphasis shifted to making them independent programmers who could work with resources they would have even after they were no longer in the classroom. To this end I gave them a list of help resources that they could use when they hit a problem. I also had them fill out a survey at the end of every assignment, thereby forcing them to reflect on their approach to the problem.

2. What is the difference between a teaching and a learning question?

A teaching question involves inquiry into the business of teaching i.e. relaying information in an understandable manner. It reflects solely on the teacher and what s/he is doing in the classroom regardless of the character of the audience.

A learning question deals with both the relaying and the reception of information. The interaction between the teacher and the learner comes into play in a learning question and the reaction of the learner is studied.

As a teacher, a teaching question would be easier for me to deal with than a learning question. A learning question has an uncomfortable, unpredictable parameter ≠ the student. However, a learning question is far more valuable when answered (or even half-answered) because it focuses on the outcome of teaching, not on the crispness of delivery or the neatness of presentation.

3. What does it mean for a student to have learned deeply in the course?

In the courses I teach, a student has learned deeply when s/he can take the knowledge gained into the outside world and apply it to solve a problem. Since Computer Science is a very hands on discipline students have come to expect this of the courses. I havenπt had many do-whatever-it-takes-to-pass types in my classes.

d. What will I do to continue my investigations?

At this point in my career, Iπm not sure.