Chapter 9:
Patterns: A Major Element in
Effective Teaching and Learning
Patterns: A Major Element in
Effective Teaching and Learning
Our Brains Look for Patterns Everywhere
The human brain is constantly comparing concepts to one another to find similarities, differences and relationships (Ratey, 2001). As new concepts and relationships among them are learned, the brain creates patterns and revises established ones to exert a sense of control over the world around us (Whitson & Galinsky, 2008). An effective teacher is able to share his or her own learned patterns with students (Doyle, 2011).
The human brain is constantly comparing concepts to one another to find similarities, differences and relationships (Ratey, 2001). As new concepts and relationships among them are learned, the brain creates patterns and revises established ones to exert a sense of control over the world around us (Whitson & Galinsky, 2008). An effective teacher is able to share his or her own learned patterns with students (Doyle, 2011).
Helping Students to See Patterns
Teachers can help students learn that there are patterns in all content and that their job as students is to look for the patterns (Doyle, 2011). However, some content has multiple overlaid patterns that make it challenging and frustrating for students to discover the patterns. The primary reason that students fail to identify patterns is that they aren't able to distinguish meaningful from extraneous information (Doyle, 2011).
Teachers can help the students find the patterns by recoding the content into more familiar language (Doyle, 2011). Annotation, analogies, and storytelling are other ways to recode information. The key to all of these methods is to use language that is familiar to the students (Doyle, 2011).
Teachers can help students learn that there are patterns in all content and that their job as students is to look for the patterns (Doyle, 2011). However, some content has multiple overlaid patterns that make it challenging and frustrating for students to discover the patterns. The primary reason that students fail to identify patterns is that they aren't able to distinguish meaningful from extraneous information (Doyle, 2011).
Teachers can help the students find the patterns by recoding the content into more familiar language (Doyle, 2011). Annotation, analogies, and storytelling are other ways to recode information. The key to all of these methods is to use language that is familiar to the students (Doyle, 2011).
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION
Reveal the Patterns of Your Instructional Content
Being an excellent teacher requires more than having a passion for your content area or being a subject matter expert. An excellent teacher is able to help students recognize the patterns in the learning content and connect them with the patterns of their existing knowledge (Doyle, 2011). There are three questions that a teacher can ask to define the patterns (Doyle, 2011):
Being an excellent teacher requires more than having a passion for your content area or being a subject matter expert. An excellent teacher is able to help students recognize the patterns in the learning content and connect them with the patterns of their existing knowledge (Doyle, 2011). There are three questions that a teacher can ask to define the patterns (Doyle, 2011):
- What patterns are you as the teacher familiar and comfortable with? For example, a popular TV show may provide recognizable patterns for the students, but if the teacher isn't familiar with the show the attempts at recoding will most likely result in ridicule.
- What resources are available to present the patterns? While storytelling requires little to no media, some presentations may require the Internet, classroom projection systems, or multimedia.
- What patterns are familiar to the students that also fit in with the subject matter? Patterns that link into common experiences are more powerful than those linked to trends or fads that not all students would know.
PERSONAL AND/OR PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS
I'm currently teaching pathophysiology, which contains many different abstract concepts that students have difficulty relating to. I'm constantly looking for ways to recode information in ways that help the students. One of the most recent patterns I came up with was how to break down the very complex inflammatory response into three basic stages that I termed: Contain, Clean, and Create. Since these words evoke familiar images that connect with their meaning, I helped the students understand the transitions between the vascular, cellular, and proliferative stages of inflammation. (Notice how those three words don't evoke meaning.)
RESOURCES
Doyle, T. (2011). Learner-centered teaching: Putting the research on learning into practice. Sterling, Virginia: Stylus.
Ratey, J. (2001). A user’s guide to the brain. New York: Pantheon Books.
Whitson, J. & Galinsky, A. (2008). Lacking control increases illusory pattern perception. Science, 322(5898), 115–117.
Ratey, J. (2001). A user’s guide to the brain. New York: Pantheon Books.
Whitson, J. & Galinsky, A. (2008). Lacking control increases illusory pattern perception. Science, 322(5898), 115–117.