University students are generally new to a field of study and can find themselves overloaded, overwhelmed and frequently stuck in their coursework.
However skilled or knowledgeable an educator may be in their subject area or pedagogical approaches, it can be difficult to pinpoint why learners are getting stuck, resulting in frustration and ongoing issues for both the educator and the learners.
Decoding the Disciplines is an approach that can be used to unpack “bottlenecks in student learning”.
In this 90-minute online workshop, KPU educators are supported in identifying a particular place in their course(s) where students are getting stuck; and considering why students might be getting stuck; by engaging in cross-disciplinary dialogue.
Being explicit about the nature of the "bottleneck” and focusing on the tasks or activities that students cannot carry out will allow for an opportunity to unpack the problem and consider what teaching and learning processes could support students in getting unstuck.
Learning outcomes
Identify why disciplinary “experts” may have difficulty making key concepts explicit to students
Describe the characteristics of a learning bottleneck
Explore the steps in the Decoding the Disciplines model
Consider actions for decoding tacit disciplinary knowledge for KPU learners
- Facilitator: Lisa Gedak
- Facilitator: Samuel Kirk