Chapter 9: Patterns: A Major Element in Effective Teaching and Learning
"SMART" Learning Objectives:
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
1. Support the use of pattern-based teaching.
2. Develop a plan for effectively using patterns to enhance student learning.
3. Illustrate some common patterns students use when learning.
1. Support the use of pattern-based teaching.
2. Develop a plan for effectively using patterns to enhance student learning.
3. Illustrate some common patterns students use when learning.
Chapter Summary:
Why should we help students find patterns when learning?
Learning occurs by connecting new information to what is already known. Finding patterns among different facts creates meaningful learning and allows students to relate new information to what they already know, leading to better recall (Doyle, 2011).
Learning occurs by connecting new information to what is already known. Finding patterns among different facts creates meaningful learning and allows students to relate new information to what they already know, leading to better recall (Doyle, 2011).
What are some strategies we can employ to help students identify patterns in the material we teach?
In order to teach pattern recognition, educators must first identify the patterns in which their material is organized themselves and ensure that it enhances student understanding. We should then make these patterns clearly recognizable to our students and explicitly explain how the new material connects with the patterns our learners already know (Doyle, 2011).
In order to teach pattern recognition, educators must first identify the patterns in which their material is organized themselves and ensure that it enhances student understanding. We should then make these patterns clearly recognizable to our students and explicitly explain how the new material connects with the patterns our learners already know (Doyle, 2011).
One way to enhance pattern recognition is by requiring students to rephrase new material in their own words thus ensuring that they really understand the material learned. When teaching abstract concepts, it is helpful to provide many concrete examples in different settings to allow students to make sense of the information (Doyle, 2011).
What patterns do students commonly use to enhance learning?
Students are used to organizing the information they learn in certain ways, which may not always be the best method for learning that particular piece of information. As instructors we can enhance their learning by asking questions that help students analyze information in ways that allow for meaningful pattern recognition and recall. Some examples include requiring students to compare and contrast between two concepts, determine the cause and effect in a given scenario, or organize information hierarchically, alphabetically, or in their own words (Doyle, 2011).
Students are used to organizing the information they learn in certain ways, which may not always be the best method for learning that particular piece of information. As instructors we can enhance their learning by asking questions that help students analyze information in ways that allow for meaningful pattern recognition and recall. Some examples include requiring students to compare and contrast between two concepts, determine the cause and effect in a given scenario, or organize information hierarchically, alphabetically, or in their own words (Doyle, 2011).
What are the key take-home points from this chapter?
Pattern recognition is key to better learning and recall. We can help our students by showing them the patterns in the new material we teach and providing concrete examples illustrating connections between the new information and what they already know.
Pattern recognition is key to better learning and recall. We can help our students by showing them the patterns in the new material we teach and providing concrete examples illustrating connections between the new information and what they already know.
References:
Doyle, T. (2011). Learner centered teaching: Putting the research on learning into practice. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
Connections to Medical Education:
Pattern recognition is crucial for the effective practice of medicine. Physicians have to organize a patient's signs and symptoms in patterns that make sense and use their prior knowledge to generate an appropriate differential diagnosis list followed by inclusion or exclusion of diseases based on additional testing. With respect to dermatopathology, learners must build a visual memory bank of histopathologic patterns associated with certain diseases allowing them to recognize a variation of the same disease when it is encountered again. I have found that our students often learn better when they teach each other in a peer instruction session new than when it is presented by an expert faculty member primarily because the experts are so familiar with the information that they no longer point out the basic patterns they used to reach their conclusion.
Pattern recognition is crucial for the effective practice of medicine. Physicians have to organize a patient's signs and symptoms in patterns that make sense and use their prior knowledge to generate an appropriate differential diagnosis list followed by inclusion or exclusion of diseases based on additional testing. With respect to dermatopathology, learners must build a visual memory bank of histopathologic patterns associated with certain diseases allowing them to recognize a variation of the same disease when it is encountered again. I have found that our students often learn better when they teach each other in a peer instruction session new than when it is presented by an expert faculty member primarily because the experts are so familiar with the information that they no longer point out the basic patterns they used to reach their conclusion.
Suggestions for Implementation:
Here are some ways I have attempted to implement pattern-based learning when teaching medical students and residents:
1) Pathology is a visual specialty requiring integration of different pieces of information about diseased tissue with previous knowledge about normal tissue to generate a diagnosis. Although our second year students have already had a basic histology course emphasizing normal findings, I start all my pathology talks with a brief review of normal before jumping into specific abnormalities. This helps our learners to connect the disease with what they already know about normal tissue.
1) Pathology is a visual specialty requiring integration of different pieces of information about diseased tissue with previous knowledge about normal tissue to generate a diagnosis. Although our second year students have already had a basic histology course emphasizing normal findings, I start all my pathology talks with a brief review of normal before jumping into specific abnormalities. This helps our learners to connect the disease with what they already know about normal tissue.
2) I organize my learning objectives and presentations according to patterns meant to enhance student understanding. For example, when talking about skin pathology, I first give them an outline of the talk and then divide the material by anatomic location in the skin (epidermis, dermis, or subcutis), followed by the neoplastic cell of origin (keratinocytes, melanocytes, etc), and finally by the clinical behavior of the disease (benign or malignant).