Rationale
This masterclass is essentially ‘Phil Race Highlights’, a collection of the most popular workshop elements from the various programmes in my Workshops Prospectus, and based on several themes in the 2nd edition of ‘Making Learning Happen’ (2010). I ran the masterclass several times in New Zealand and Australia in the summer of 2010, adapting it each time to the experience and wishes of participants – it’s never the same twice! What is described below should be regarded only as the starting position.
In this masterclass, I intend participants to learn as much from the interactive processes used throughout the day as from the content of the various sessions, and to be able to adapt many of the things we do into their own teaching. This masterclass is designed for staff who have already got some experience of teaching in universities or colleges, but also serves as an ‘in at the deep end’ experience for new staff.
The masterclass is in four main parts:
- Factors underpinning successful learning – a fresh look at how students really learn;
- Towards assessment as learning – helping participants to review critically how well (or badly) a chosen assessment elements helps students learn – and how the element measures up to validity, reliability, transparency and so on.
- Feedback: the lifeblood of successful learning – ways of getting better feedback to more students in less time.
- Creative problem-solving – what can we do to make teaching work better?
Intended learning outcomes
After participating in this masterclass, you will be better able to:
- Think afresh about how students really learn.
- Identify, and address in your teaching, seven factors underpinning successful learning.
- Reduce the burden of assessment (for staff and students alike) while increasing its quality and relevance to learning;
- Give more students better feedback in less time!
- Take away creative solutions to some of the most common problems you experience;
- Apply techniques used throughout the day to your own teaching.
Masterclass Outline Programme (timings can be adjusted to suit local requirements)
- 0915: Coffee and informal introductions.
- 0930: Introductory exercise: ‘Teaching would work better for me if only I…’
- 0950: How students really learn – seven factors underpinning successful learning
- 1100: Coffee break.
- 1120: Towards assessment as learning: a critical review of an assessment element of your own choice, against 20 criteria.
- 1230: Lunch.
- 1330: Giving more students better feedback in less time – review of your existing methods in terms of effectiveness and efficiency, and exploration of alternatives, including ‘24-hour’ feedback.
- 1500: Coffee break
- 1520: Creative problem solving exercise on problems identified by groups, relating to assessment, feedback, learning and teaching.
- 1600: Close of masterclass.
(Note: this is a full and busy masterclass, where successive elements build on earlier ones, and is not suitable for people to drop in and out of).
Reference materials:
- Race P (2010) Making learning happen: 2nd edition London: Sage publications.
- Race P, and Pickford, R (2007) Making Teaching Work London: Sage Publications
Facilities needed
Data projector and screen (I bring my own laptop); Supply of post-its.
Maximum number of participants: 36
Minimum number of participants: 12
Preferred room layout
Cabaret, e.g. six tables with six participants at each for total group of 36, and so on.
