Chapter 02 - How Does the Way Students Organize Knowledge Affect Their Learning?

This chapter had a deep impact on me. I got to wondering how many of us begin as experts at what we teach and how many of us become experts through teaching. I have always been willing to challenge myself to take on new assignments in areas where I am weak. I study hard, consult experts, do research, and try to anticipate the questions my students will ask. I often believe that I am a jack of all trades, master of none.

For the last 30 years I have chased expert skiers down some of the gnarliest runs in the Western US. My constant comparison of myself to these skiers has left me believing that I am merely an adequate skier. When, in fact, I am an excellent skier. Because I am always researching and learning something new, I tend to believe that I am a learner not an expert.

My attitudes about myself get in the way of my confidence in my abilities; however, they contribute to the thoroughness of my teaching. I know what it is like to learn the subject that I am teaching. My lessons dig into the areas where confusion occurs. My first class is my learning class. They get a quality class, but it is the second class that benefits from what I learned from the first class. I wish I could teach all classes twice in a row, but something I have to wait a full year to teach the next section. The second time through I know how to help the students organize for learning.

This quarter I am teaching a class that I have never taught before in an area that is related to what I have been teaching for years, but requires that I refine knowledge in a specific area in which I am weak. The class was clicking along very well until we introduced the concept of INNER JOINs. Student seemed to be either on board or totally baffled. Because of my lag in grading the homework and the lack of chatter on the discussion boards, the next homework was coming in before I realized the degree of confusion. When I saw it, I was able to get a step-by-step video demonstration posted to remediate, but it came too late. I lost some students. I reached out to them; however, not all responded.

Students who responded and came in for help, watched the video, and/or posted questions are now clicking along again. About three have been lost. I blame myself for this, yet it is possible that I actually got these student further along in the materials than another instructor might have.

The point to all this self searching is that I try very hard to help student organize to learn. I not only suggest but I model different methods of organization. I include models in my videos for my online classes and demonstrate models in my lecture classes. I think that organizing to learn is one of the most important things a learner can do.