Decoding the Disciplines - User contributions [en]

User:Peter Lohse

2020-11-26T11:07:56Z

Peter Lohse: /* Type of Approach */

[[File:PL-Bild-SBK-Look.png 260013060.png|thumb]][https://www.ostfalia.de/cms/de/zell/wir-ueber-uns/unser-team/ Peter Lohse] is educational developer at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences.

Decoding the Disciplines is (one of) the main focal point(s) of his work, where he serves as decoder in interviews.

==Field of Interest (Discipline or Area of Teaching):==
His background is in the fields of law, mediation, counseling and coaching.
He has been teaching students of Business administration for five years. Topics: communication, social competence, Negotiation skills, leadership skills

==Selected Workshops==
2017 Workshop on Decoding the Disciplines, TU Dortmund

2018 Two Workshops on Decoding the Disciplines in the field of Mathematics together with mathematician Ingrid Bennecke, "Fachtagung des Qualitätspakts Lehre - What works", Marina Forum Regengsburg

2019 1st Workshop on Decoding the Disciplines for educational developers from German universities together with Swantje Lahm (University Bielefeld), Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences

2019 Workshop on Decoding the Disciplines together with [[David Pace]], EuroSoTL Bilbao, Spain

2019 Workshop on Decoding the Disciplines, TU Brunswick

2020 Workshop on Decoding the Disciplines in the field of law, Berlin School of Economics and Law

2020 2nd Workshop on Decoding the Disciplines for educational developers from German universities together with [[Peter Riegler]], Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences

==Type of Approach==
His approach includes detailed mapping of the results of the decoding interview.

==Contact==
In the interest of data protection the email address is not provided here. By clicking on his name here at the beginning of this article you will be linked to the Center for successful Teaching and Learning (ZeLL) at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences. There you can find his contact details.

User:Peter Lohse

2020-11-26T11:06:36Z

Peter Lohse:

[[File:PL-Bild-SBK-Look.png 260013060.png|thumb]][https://www.ostfalia.de/cms/de/zell/wir-ueber-uns/unser-team/ Peter Lohse] is educational developer at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences.

Decoding the Disciplines is (one of) the main focal point(s) of his work, where he serves as decoder in interviews.

== Field of Interest (Discipline or Area of Teaching): ==
His background is in the fields of law, mediation, counseling and coaching.
He has been teaching students of Business administration for five years. Topics: communication, social competence, Negotiation skills, leadership skills

== Selected Workshops ==
2017 Workshop on Decoding the Disciplines, TU Dortmund

2018 Two Workshops on Decoding the Disciplines in the field of Mathematics together with mathematician Ingrid Bennecke, "Fachtagung des Qualitätspakts Lehre - What works", Marina Forum Regengsburg

2019 1st Workshop on Decoding the Disciplines for educational developers from German universities together with Swantje Lahm (University Bielefeld), Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences

2019 Workshop on Decoding the Disciplines together with [[David Pace]], EuroSoTL Bilbao, Spain

2019 Workshop on Decoding the Disciplines, TU Brunswick

2020 Workshop on Decoding the Disciplines in the field of law, Berlin School of Economics and Law

2020 2nd Workshop on Decoding the Disciplines for educational developers from German universities together with [[Peter Riegler]], Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences

== Type of Approach ==

== Contact ==
In the interest of data protection the email address is not provided here. By clicking on his name here at the beginning of this article you will be linked to the Center for successful Teaching and Learning (ZeLL) at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences. There you can find his contact details.

User:Peter Lohse

2020-11-26T10:56:00Z

Peter Lohse:

User:Peter Lohse

2020-11-26T10:54:57Z

Peter Lohse:

User:Peter Lohse

2020-11-26T10:53:44Z

Peter Lohse:

User:Peter Lohse

2020-11-26T10:34:02Z

Peter Lohse:

[[File:PL-Bild-SBK-Look.png 260013060.png|thumb]]Peter Lohse is educational developer at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences.

Decoding the Disciplines is (one of) the main focal point(s) of his work, where he serves as decoder in interviews.

His background is in the fields of law, mediation, counseling and coaching. He has been teaching students of Business administration for five years.

User:Peter Lohse

2020-11-26T10:31:20Z

Peter Lohse:

File:PL-Bild-SBK-Look.png 260013060.png

2020-11-26T10:30:56Z

Peter Lohse:

Cognitive Bottleneck

2020-11-26T10:24:29Z

Peter Lohse: Changed categories.

A [[bottleneck]] with an emphasis on a cognitive difficulty within a lecture for the students. A bottleneck can also be [[Emotional Bottleneck|emotional]].

<ref>In these situations students’ learning is blocked because they have failed to master particular mental operations. To help them overcome these obstacles, it is necessary to first make explicit for oneself precisely what steps are necessary to complete the work that students find so difficult. (Step 2 of the Decoding process) [http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-1-identify-a-bottleneck-to-learning/]</ref>
<references />
[[Category:Cross-disciplinary]]
[[Category:General]]

User:Peter Lohse

2020-11-26T10:16:59Z

Peter Lohse: Created page with "Peter Lohse is educational developer at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences. Decoding the Disciplines is (one of) the main focal point(s) of his work, where he serves as..."

Peter Lohse is educational developer at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences.

Decoding the Disciplines is (one of) the main focal point(s) of his work, where he serves as decoder in interviews.

Site talk:Suitability

2020-11-03T13:33:39Z

Peter Lohse:

Just add your thoughts here. Feel free to write in German if you feel more comfortable with that. It would be great if you "sign" your statements by stating your name. This allows us to get back to you for clarification if needed.
--[[User:Riegler|Peter Riegler]]

Ich habe einiges rumprobiert, Seiten angelegt, etc. Ich glaube, bei der Formatierung der Beiträge habe ich mich nicht an den Standart gehalten, habe das aber erst später entdeckt. Mein vorläufiges Fazit ist, dass ich das System ganz gut nutzen kann. Wie ich Dir auch schon in unserem letzten Treffen gesagt habe, finde ich die Suchfunktion hervorragend. Allein das ist schon ein Riesenvorteil zu Listung auf der Themen auf einer Homepage. (Peter Lohse)

Step 3 - Modeling Mental Operations

2020-10-07T07:49:49Z

Peter Lohse:

Modeling Mental Operations is the third step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]]. It consists of three phases:

#Sorting all the identified necessary mental operations in correct order, in which they can and should be learned. A visualization of those mental operations in form of a mind map or a list can be helpful.
#Teaching the necessary mental operations, i.e. by being a model for the students or using analogies.
#Allowing the students to form their own model of how to handle the cognitive tasks.

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>Once an instructor has made explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to get past a bottleneck ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/ Step 2]), it is necessary to devise strategies to help students learn each of these steps. It very important to :
'''Focus on the most essential mental operations'''

*It is important to decide which mental operations should be modeled and which have already been mastered by all or almost all of the students. Obviously, it is not necessary to devote valuable class time to going over skills that have already been thoroughly mastered. Therefore, it is often useful to use assessments early in a course to see which mental operations it is necessary to focus on. If a small number of students are lacking an understanding of operations already mastered by the rest of the class, it may be advisable to give them pathways to mastering these skills outside the regular course, e.g, special web sites or tutoring sessions.
'''Model each mental operation by itself'''

*It is much more difficult for students to learn when a number of steps are being presented at the same time. Therefore, it is generally important to break them down into their component parts and to model each separately.
'''Think strategically about the order in which modeling occurs and consider its connection to other elements in the course'''

*Some attention should be devoted to deciding the logical order in which to model these operations and, when possible, the modeling should be integrated with the content of the course. The modeling of specific steps should also be coordinated with specific opportunities for students to practice these skills and receive feedback. ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-4-creating-opportunities-for-students-to-practice-essential-mental-operations/ Step 4])
*Certain mental operations are so central to success in the course and so demanding that it is wise to make modeling these skills a central focus of the entire course, reinforcing them, not only in isolated class presentations, but also in the syllabus, the presentation of assignments and exam questions, discussions, lab instructions etc.
'''Model the same mental operations repeatedly and in different forms'''

*In most cases these operations will need to be modeled repeatedly across the course and, ideally, in different forms. The goal should be to make the modeling process such a central part of a class that it informs every aspect of the course from the course description to the form of assessments, thereby reinforcing the learning.
'''In many cases show students how to bring the steps together in more complex tasks'''

*In some cases it will be necessary to model, not only the individual mental operations, but also the process of combining these in more complex class activities, such as writing a paper or conducting an experiment.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/]</ref>
<references />

Step 7 - Share What Has Been Learned Through the Decoding Process

2020-10-06T13:23:31Z

Peter Lohse:

Sharing what has been learned through the Decoding process is the last step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>In earlier stages of the development of Decoding sharing was seen as the culmination of the process. After one had completed a cycle from identifying a bottleneck to assessing the extent to which the modeling and practice had been effective, it was time to make available what had been learned and to receive feedback from other scholars of teaching and learning. This could take the form of simple conversations with colleagues. But the systematic nature of the exploration of a learning issue and the assessment of the results also provided the basis for formal conference presentations or publications.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-7-sharing-what-has-been-learning-through-the-decoding-process/]</ref>

Step 6 - Assess Student Mastery

2020-10-06T13:22:18Z

Peter Lohse:

Assessing student mastery is the sixth step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>At every stage of the Decoding process it is crucial to obtain regular feedback on what mental operations students have masted and what emotional obstacles might be present that would interfere with learning.

* At the beginning of a class it is important to know what bottlenecks are present in a particular group of students and what expectations they bring to the course about the processes used in the discipline and the subject matter that will be covered.
* Each exercise modeling and providing practice should include some process for determining the extent to which the students have mastered these particular operations
* At the end of a course it is important to evaluate the extent to which Decoding has succeeded and to prepare to respond to any continuing difficulties in the next iteration of the course.

It is important to stress that most of these assessments should be targeted at specific mental operations or emotional reactions. Global assessments are sometimes useful to determine whether students can combine crucial elements into larger scale activities, but generally assessments are more useful when they are targeted more narrowly.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-6-assessing-student-learning/]</ref>

Step 6 - Assess Student Mastery

2020-10-06T13:19:43Z

Peter Lohse:

Assessing student mastery is the sixth step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

==decodingthedisciplines.org==

Step 7 - Share What Has Been Learned Through the Decoding Process

2020-10-06T13:18:57Z

Peter Lohse:

Sharing what has been learned through the Decoding process is the last step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>At every stage of the Decoding process it is crucial to obtain regular feedback on what mental operations students have masted and what emotional obstacles might be present that would interfere with learning.

* At the beginning of a class it is important to know what bottlenecks are present in a particular group of students and what expectations they bring to the course about the processes used in the discipline and the subject matter that will be covered.
* Each exercise modeling and providing practice should include some process for determining the extent to which the students have mastered these particular operations
* At the end of a course it is important to evaluate the extent to which Decoding has succeeded and to prepare to respond to any continuing difficulties in the next iteration of the course.

It is important to stress that most of these assessments should be targeted at specific mental operations or emotional reactions. Global assessments are sometimes useful to determine whether students can combine crucial elements into larger scale activities, but generally assessments are more useful when they are targeted more narrowly.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-6-assessing-student-learning/]</ref>

Step 7 - Share What Has Been Learned Through the Decoding Process

2020-10-06T13:18:30Z

Peter Lohse:

Sharing what has been learned through the Decoding process is the last step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

<ref>At every stage of the Decoding process it is crucial to obtain regular feedback on what mental operations students have masted and what emotional obstacles might be present that would interfere with learning.

* At the beginning of a class it is important to know what bottlenecks are present in a particular group of students and what expectations they bring to the course about the processes used in the discipline and the subject matter that will be covered.
* Each exercise modeling and providing practice should include some process for determining the extent to which the students have mastered these particular operations
* At the end of a course it is important to evaluate the extent to which Decoding has succeeded and to prepare to respond to any continuing difficulties in the next iteration of the course.

It is important to stress that most of these assessments should be targeted at specific mental operations or emotional reactions. Global assessments are sometimes useful to determine whether students can combine crucial elements into larger scale activities, but generally assessments are more useful when they are targeted more narrowly.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-6-assessing-student-learning/]</ref>

Decoding the Disciplines

2020-10-06T13:16:42Z

Peter Lohse:

'''Decoding the Disciplines''' is a process for increasing student learning by narrowing the gap between expert and novice thinking. Beginning with the identification of bottlenecks to learning in particular disciplines, it seeks to make explicit the tacit knowledge of experts and to help students master the mental actions they need for success in particular courses.

==Steps in the Decoding process==
[[File:DecodingWheel.png|thumb]]
 
===[[Step 1 - Identify a Bottleneck to Learning|Step 1: Identify a bottleneck to learning]]===
descriptive text ...

===[[Step 2 - Decoding Interview|Step 2: Uncover the mental tasks needed to overcome the bottleneck]]===
descriptive text ...
===[[Step 3 - Modeling Mental Operations|Step 3: Model these tasks]]===
descriptive text ...
===[[Step 4: Give Students Practice and Feedback|Step 4: Give students practice and feedback]]===
descriptive text ...
===[[Step 5 - Motivate and lessen resistance|Step 5: Motivate and lessen resistance]]===
descriptive text ...
===[[Step 6 - Assess Student Mastery|Step 6: Assess student mastery]]===
descriptive text ...
===[[Step 7 - Share What Has Been Learned Through the Decoding Process|Step 7: Share what has been learned through the Decoding process]]===
descriptive text ...
==History==
Decoding the Disciplines has been pioneered by [[Joan Middendorf]] and [[David Pace]] at Indiana University. David Pace has summarized intentions and goals of this early phase of Decoding the Disciplines as follows:<ref>Pace, David: Beyond Decoding the Disciplines 1.0: New Directions for the Paradigm, unpublished manuscript</ref><blockquote>The Decoding the Disciplines approach emerged from a desire to develop new responses to common blocks to learning in college courses. As directors of the Indiana University Freshman Learning Project from 1998 to 2010, Joan Middendorf and David Pace perceived a mismatch between what was being taught to students in many classes and what was actually required for success in these courses. The very expertise of college instructors had made many essential procedures of the disciplines so automatic that these had become invisible and, thus, were not being taught. Students, trying to respond to the demands of their courses, were often unintentionally given conceptual maps of the field that lacked instructions for surmounting crucial challenges. It was as if their instructors had provided their students with the kind of itinerary produced by Google Maps, but had inadvertently omitted many lines of the instructions. Students who were already familiar with the territory found their way with little difficulty. A few students with usual skills at pathfinding turned the limited set of clues at their disposal into a strategy for reaching the destination. But others, who were not pre-educated in the field or endowed with a special predisposition for the discipline, became hopelessly lost.</blockquote>

==Decoding the Disciplines as a framework==
relation to other frameworks

==References==
<references />

Step 7 - Share What Has Been Learned Through the Decoding Process

2020-10-06T13:14:20Z

Peter Lohse: Created page with "Sharing what has been learned through the Decoding process is the last step within the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines."

Sharing what has been learned through the Decoding process is the last step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

Step 6 - Assess Student Mastery

2020-10-06T13:10:31Z

Peter Lohse: Created page with "Assessing student mastery is the sixth step within the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines."

Assessing student mastery is the sixth step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

Step 3 - Modeling Mental Operations

2020-10-06T12:05:13Z

Peter Lohse:

Modeling Mental Operations is the third step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]]. It consists of three phases:

#Identifying all the necessary mental operations in the correct order, in which they can and should be learned. A mental model in form of a mind map or a list can be helpful
#Teaching the necessary mental operations, i.e. by being a model for the students or using analogies.
#Allowing the students to form their own model of how to handle the cognitive tasks.

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>Once an instructor has made explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to get past a bottleneck ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/ Step 2]), it is necessary to devise strategies to help students learn each of these steps. It very important to :
'''Focus on the most essential mental operations'''

*It is important to decide which mental operations should be modeled and which have already been mastered by all or almost all of the students. Obviously, it is not necessary to devote valuable class time to going over skills that have already been thoroughly mastered. Therefore, it is often useful to use assessments early in a course to see which mental operations it is necessary to focus on. If a small number of students are lacking an understanding of operations already mastered by the rest of the class, it may be advisable to give them pathways to mastering these skills outside the regular course, e.g, special web sites or tutoring sessions.
'''Model each mental operation by itself'''

*It is much more difficult for students to learn when a number of steps are being presented at the same time. Therefore, it is generally important to break them down into their component parts and to model each separately.
'''Think strategically about the order in which modeling occurs and consider its connection to other elements in the course'''

*Some attention should be devoted to deciding the logical order in which to model these operations and, when possible, the modeling should be integrated with the content of the course. The modeling of specific steps should also be coordinated with specific opportunities for students to practice these skills and receive feedback. ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-4-creating-opportunities-for-students-to-practice-essential-mental-operations/ Step 4])
*Certain mental operations are so central to success in the course and so demanding that it is wise to make modeling these skills a central focus of the entire course, reinforcing them, not only in isolated class presentations, but also in the syllabus, the presentation of assignments and exam questions, discussions, lab instructions etc.
'''Model the same mental operations repeatedly and in different forms'''

*In most cases these operations will need to be modeled repeatedly across the course and, ideally, in different forms. The goal should be to make the modeling process such a central part of a class that it informs every aspect of the course from the course description to the form of assessments, thereby reinforcing the learning.
'''In many cases show students how to bring the steps together in more complex tasks'''

*In some cases it will be necessary to model, not only the individual mental operations, but also the process of combining these in more complex class activities, such as writing a paper or conducting an experiment.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/]</ref>
<references />

Step 5 - Motivate and lessen resistance

2020-10-06T12:03:58Z

Peter Lohse:

'''Motivate and lessen resistance''' is the fifth step in the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]]. Resistance occurs, when some part of the lecture affects the students emotionally. This is called [[Emotional Bottleneck|emotional bottleneck]].
==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>In developing Decoding the Disciplines we soon found that obstacles to learning were not limited to cognitive problems. Even when a path had been opened for students to master the basic mental operations required for success in a course, emotional bottlenecks might still hamper learning. It was, therefore, necessary for instructors to pay special attention to the emotional obstacles to learning, which might be creating problems for their students. These obstacles come in three forms, and each needs its own response.

*'''Lack of motivation''' — Many students can been conditioned to view academic work as a burden to be borne as little as possible. For students to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by a Decoded course, they must be willing to make a certain level of commitment to the work required. The nature of Decoding does make this easier, since students imagine success more easily, when complex tasks are broken down into their component parts, and each of these is explicitly modeled. But it is, nonetheless, necessary to also develop strategies to encourage student involvement with the work of the course. We have found that found that activities that disrupt student expectations for course and tasks that require them to make their work visible to a larger audience to be particularly effective.
*'''Procedural Bottlenecks''' — Students sometimes have ideas about how one works in a discipline that are very different than what will be expected of them in our courses. This mismatch can produce emotional resistance to the required kinds of thinking and activities that hampers learning. By directly engaging with these preconceptions, by explaining the nature of our disciplines, and by modeling the specific steps required for success, we can minimize the impact of this obstacles.
*'''Narrative Bottlenecks''' — Sometimes the emotional resistance to learning emerges from the collision of students’ preconceptions of the subject matter of our courses and the ideas that they encounter in our course. In such cases it is generally important to discover potential conflicts of this sort early in a course and to explore ways to bridge the differences between students’ expectations and the material in the course.
Dealing with emotional bottlenecks is a complex undertaking, and more work needs to be done in this area. three general principles have informed the work on this subject:

*It is generally best to deal with potentially dysfunctional emotions before they emerge as a visible problem.
*Emotional responses are rooted in particular cognitive ways of seeing the world, and it is often easier to make changes in the cognitive, rather than the emotional realm.
*Many emotional bottlenecks result from a mismatch between student preconceptions of either the procedures or the subject matter of a course, and it is generally useful to find out about such ideas and to respond to them early on.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-5-dealing-with-emotional-bottlenecks/]</ref>
<references />

Step 5 - Motivate and lessen resistance

2020-10-06T12:03:13Z

Peter Lohse:

'''Motivate and lessen resistance''' is the fifth step in the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]]. Resistance occurs, when some part of the lecture affects the students emotionally. This is called [[emotional bottleneck]].

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>In developing Decoding the Disciplines we soon found that obstacles to learning were not limited to cognitive problems. Even when a path had been opened for students to master the basic mental operations required for success in a course, emotional bottlenecks might still hamper learning. It was, therefore, necessary for instructors to pay special attention to the emotional obstacles to learning, which might be creating problems for their students. These obstacles come in three forms, and each needs its own response.

*'''Lack of motivation''' — Many students can been conditioned to view academic work as a burden to be borne as little as possible. For students to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by a Decoded course, they must be willing to make a certain level of commitment to the work required. The nature of Decoding does make this easier, since students imagine success more easily, when complex tasks are broken down into their component parts, and each of these is explicitly modeled. But it is, nonetheless, necessary to also develop strategies to encourage student involvement with the work of the course. We have found that found that activities that disrupt student expectations for course and tasks that require them to make their work visible to a larger audience to be particularly effective.
*'''Procedural Bottlenecks''' — Students sometimes have ideas about how one works in a discipline that are very different than what will be expected of them in our courses. This mismatch can produce emotional resistance to the required kinds of thinking and activities that hampers learning. By directly engaging with these preconceptions, by explaining the nature of our disciplines, and by modeling the specific steps required for success, we can minimize the impact of this obstacles.
*'''Narrative Bottlenecks''' — Sometimes the emotional resistance to learning emerges from the collision of students’ preconceptions of the subject matter of our courses and the ideas that they encounter in our course. In such cases it is generally important to discover potential conflicts of this sort early in a course and to explore ways to bridge the differences between students’ expectations and the material in the course.
Dealing with emotional bottlenecks is a complex undertaking, and more work needs to be done in this area. three general principles have informed the work on this subject:

*It is generally best to deal with potentially dysfunctional emotions before they emerge as a visible problem.
*Emotional responses are rooted in particular cognitive ways of seeing the world, and it is often easier to make changes in the cognitive, rather than the emotional realm.
*Many emotional bottlenecks result from a mismatch between student preconceptions of either the procedures or the subject matter of a course, and it is generally useful to find out about such ideas and to respond to them early on.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-5-dealing-with-emotional-bottlenecks/]</ref>
<references />

Step 5 - Motivate and lessen resistance

2020-10-06T11:33:04Z

Peter Lohse:

'''Motivate and lessen resistance''' is the fifth step in the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>In developing Decoding the Disciplines we soon found that obstacles to learning were not limited to cognitive problems. Even when a path had been opened for students to master the basic mental operations required for success in a course, [[emotional bottlenecks]] might still hamper learning. It was, therefore, necessary for instructors to pay special attention to the emotional obstacles to learning, which might be creating problems for their students. These obstacles come in three forms, and each needs its own response.
* '''Lack of motivation''' — Many students can been conditioned to view academic work as a burden to be borne as little as possible. For students to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by a Decoded course, they must be willing to make a certain level of commitment to the work required. The nature of Decoding does make this easier, since students imagine success more easily, when complex tasks are broken down into their component parts, and each of these is explicitly modeled. But it is, nonetheless, necessary to also develop strategies to encourage student involvement with the work of the course. We have found that found that activities that disrupt student expectations for course and tasks that require them to make their work visible to a larger audience to be particularly effective.
* '''Procedural Bottlenecks''' — Students sometimes have ideas about how one works in a discipline that are very different than what will be expected of them in our courses. This mismatch can produce emotional resistance to the required kinds of thinking and activities that hampers learning. By directly engaging with these preconceptions, by explaining the nature of our disciplines, and by modeling the specific steps required for success, we can minimize the impact of this obstacles.
* '''Narrative Bottlenecks''' — Sometimes the emotional resistance to learning emerges from the collision of students’ preconceptions of the subject matter of our courses and the ideas that they encounter in our course. In such cases it is generally important to discover potential conflicts of this sort early in a course and to explore ways to bridge the differences between students’ expectations and the material in the course.
Dealing with emotional bottlenecks is a complex undertaking, and more work needs to be done in this area. three general principles have informed the work on this subject:
* It is generally best to deal with potentially dysfunctional emotions before they emerge as a visible problem.
* Emotional responses are rooted in particular cognitive ways of seeing the world, and it is often easier to make changes in the cognitive, rather than the emotional realm.
* Many emotional bottlenecks result from a mismatch between student preconceptions of either the procedures or the subject matter of a course, and it is generally useful to find out about such ideas and to respond to them early on.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-5-dealing-with-emotional-bottlenecks/]</ref>

Step 5 - Motivate and lessen resistance

2020-10-06T11:32:16Z

Peter Lohse:

'''Motivate and lessen resistance''' is the fifth step in the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>In developing Decoding the Disciplines we soon found that obstacles to learning were not limited to cognitive problems. Even when a path had been opened for students to master the basic mental operations required for success in a course, emotional bottlenecks might still hamper learning. It was, therefore, necessary for instructors to pay special attention to the emotional obstacles to learning, which might be creating problems for their students. These obstacles come in three forms, and each needs its own response.
* '''Lack of motivation''' — Many students can been conditioned to view academic work as a burden to be borne as little as possible. For students to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by a Decoded course, they must be willing to make a certain level of commitment to the work required. The nature of Decoding does make this easier, since students imagine success more easily, when complex tasks are broken down into their component parts, and each of these is explicitly modeled. But it is, nonetheless, necessary to also develop strategies to encourage student involvement with the work of the course. We have found that found that activities that disrupt student expectations for course and tasks that require them to make their work visible to a larger audience to be particularly effective.
* '''Procedural Bottlenecks''' — Students sometimes have ideas about how one works in a discipline that are very different than what will be expected of them in our courses. This mismatch can produce emotional resistance to the required kinds of thinking and activities that hampers learning. By directly engaging with these preconceptions, by explaining the nature of our disciplines, and by modeling the specific steps required for success, we can minimize the impact of this obstacles.
* '''Narrative Bottlenecks''' — Sometimes the emotional resistance to learning emerges from the collision of students’ preconceptions of the subject matter of our courses and the ideas that they encounter in our course. In such cases it is generally important to discover potential conflicts of this sort early in a course and to explore ways to bridge the differences between students’ expectations and the material in the course.
Dealing with emotional bottlenecks is a complex undertaking, and more work needs to be done in this area. three general principles have informed the work on this subject:
* It is generally best to deal with potentially dysfunctional emotions before they emerge as a visible problem.
* Emotional responses are rooted in particular cognitive ways of seeing the world, and it is often easier to make changes in the cognitive, rather than the emotional realm.
* Many emotional bottlenecks result from a mismatch between student preconceptions of either the procedures or the subject matter of a course, and it is generally useful to find out about such ideas and to respond to them early on.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-5-dealing-with-emotional-bottlenecks/]</ref>

Step 5 - Motivate and lessen resistance

2020-10-06T11:31:21Z

Peter Lohse: Created page with "'''Motivate and lessen resistance''' is the fifth step in the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines. ==decodingthedisciplines.org== <ref><span style="co..."

'''Motivate and lessen resistance''' is the fifth step in the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>In developing Decoding the Disciplines we soon found that obstacles to learning were not limited to cognitive problems. Even when a path had been opened for students to master the basic mental operations required for success in a course, emotional bottlenecks might still hamper learning. It was, therefore, necessary for instructors to pay special attention to the emotional obstacles to learning, which might be creating problems for their students. These obstacles come in three forms, and each needs its own response.
* '''Lack of motivation''' — Many students can been conditioned to view academic work as a burden to be borne as little as possible. For students to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by a Decoded course, they must be willing to make a certain level of commitment to the work required. The nature of Decoding does make this easier, since students imagine success more easily, when complex tasks are broken down into their component parts, and each of these is explicitly modeled ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/ Step 2] and [http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/ Step 3]). But it is, nonetheless, necessary to also develop strategies to encourage student involvement with the work of the course. We have found that found that activities that disrupt student expectations for course and tasks that require them to make their work visible to a larger audience to be particularly effective.
* '''Procedural Bottlenecks''' — Students sometimes have ideas about how one works in a discipline that are very different than what will be expected of them in our courses. This mismatch can produce emotional resistance to the required kinds of thinking and activities that hampers learning. By directly engaging with these preconceptions, by explaining the nature of our disciplines, and by modeling the specific steps required for success, we can minimize the impact of this obstacles.
* '''Narrative Bottlenecks''' — Sometimes the emotional resistance to learning emerges from the collision of students’ preconceptions of the subject matter of our courses and the ideas that they encounter in our course. In such cases it is generally important to discover potential conflicts of this sort early in a course and to explore ways to bridge the differences between students’ expectations and the material in the course.
Dealing with emotional bottlenecks is a complex undertaking, and more work needs to be done in this area. three general principles have informed the work on this subject:
* It is generally best to deal with potentially dysfunctional emotions before they emerge as a visible problem.
* Emotional responses are rooted in particular cognitive ways of seeing the world, and it is often easier to make changes in the cognitive, rather than the emotional realm.
* Many emotional bottlenecks result from a mismatch between student preconceptions of either the procedures or the subject matter of a course, and it is generally useful to find out about such ideas and to respond to them early on.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-5-dealing-with-emotional-bottlenecks/]</ref>

Step 1 - Identify a Bottleneck to Learning

2020-10-06T11:28:56Z

Peter Lohse:

'''Identifying a bottleneck to learning''' is the first step in the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>Decoding the Disciplines begins by identifying a particular place in a course (or in a series of courses) where significant numbers of students are unable to adequate perform essential tasks. It is generally better to be explicit about the nature of the problem and to focus on the task that students are unable to carry out.

Here are examples of productive and unproductive ways to complete this step:

1. '''English'''
'''Vague''': Students cannot interpret texts.
'''More Useful''': “Students in literature classes have a particular problem in the basic approach to textual interpretation. Students forever want to go directly to interpreting a text without first getting a good grasp of a text’s content. They need to observe before they interpret, but they are constantly skipping a thoughtful observation stage. Skipping this stage leads to poor interpretations.” (This observation is specific enough and provides enough information that it can serve as a starting place for the analysis of the bottleneck.) Tony Ardizzone, Fritz Breithaupt, and Paul C. Gutjahr. 2004. “Decoding Humanities.” In Decoding the Disciplines: Helping Students Learn Disciplinary Ways of Thinking, (New Directions in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 98), 67-73, edited by David Pace and Joan Middendorf, 45-56.

2. '''Biology'''
'''Vague''': Students have difficulty moving from fact learning to a deeper understanding of biological processes
'''More Useful''': Students have difficulty visualizing chromosomes, appreciating the distinction between similar and identical chromosomes (i.e., homologs and sister chromatids), and predicting their segregation patterns during mitosis and meiosis. Miriam Zolan, Susan Strome, and Roger Innes (2004). Decoding Genetics and Molecular Biology. In Decoding the Disciplines: Helping Students Learn Disciplinary Ways of Thinking, (New Directions in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 98), 67-73, edited by David Pace and Joan Middendorf, , 23-32.
It is important to focus on specific tasks that many students find difficult and to avoid beginning with moral judgments (students just don’t care) or general cultural theories (electronic media are corrupting the learning process). It is generally more productive to concentrate on the specific places where students get stuck and to try to understand the nature of the problem. The obstacles to learning come in two varieties, and somewhat different strategies are needed to deal with each.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-1-identify-a-bottleneck-to-learning/]</ref>
<references />

Step 3 - Modeling Mental Operations

2020-10-06T06:55:30Z

Peter Lohse:

Modeling Mental Operations is the third step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]]. It consists of three phases:
# Identifying all the necessary mental operations in the correct order, in which they can and should be teached. A mental model in form of a mind map or a list can be helpful
# Teaching the necessary mental operations, i.e. by being a model for the students or using analogies.
# Allowing the students to form their own model of how to handle the cognitive tasks.

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>Once an instructor has made explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to get past a bottleneck ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/ Step 2]), it is necessary to devise strategies to help students learn each of these steps. It very important to :
'''Focus on the most essential mental operations'''
* It is important to decide which mental operations should be modeled and which have already been mastered by all or almost all of the students. Obviously, it is not necessary to devote valuable class time to going over skills that have already been thoroughly mastered. Therefore, it is often useful to use assessments early in a course to see which mental operations it is necessary to focus on. If a small number of students are lacking an understanding of operations already mastered by the rest of the class, it may be advisable to give them pathways to mastering these skills outside the regular course, e.g, special web sites or tutoring sessions.
'''Model each mental operation by itself'''
* It is much more difficult for students to learn when a number of steps are being presented at the same time. Therefore, it is generally important to break them down into their component parts and to model each separately.
'''Think strategically about the order in which modeling occurs and consider its connection to other elements in the course'''
* Some attention should be devoted to deciding the logical order in which to model these operations and, when possible, the modeling should be integrated with the content of the course. The modeling of specific steps should also be coordinated with specific opportunities for students to practice these skills and receive feedback. ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-4-creating-opportunities-for-students-to-practice-essential-mental-operations/ Step 4])
* Certain mental operations are so central to success in the course and so demanding that it is wise to make modeling these skills a central focus of the entire course, reinforcing them, not only in isolated class presentations, but also in the syllabus, the presentation of assignments and exam questions, discussions, lab instructions etc.
'''Model the same mental operations repeatedly and in different forms'''
* In most cases these operations will need to be modeled repeatedly across the course and, ideally, in different forms. The goal should be to make the modeling process such a central part of a class that it informs every aspect of the course from the course description to the form of assessments, thereby reinforcing the learning.
'''In many cases show students how to bring the steps together in more complex tasks'''
* In some cases it will be necessary to model, not only the individual mental operations, but also the process of combining these in more complex class activities, such as writing a paper or conducting an experiment.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/]</ref>

Decoding interview

2020-10-06T06:54:58Z

Peter Lohse:

The Decoding Interview is the second step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]]. The purpose of this step is to uncover the mental operations students must master to get past the Bottleneck. By interviewing the lecturer as an expert in the field (s)he teaches those mental operations of the expert are revealed.

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref> The second step in the Decoding process is to make explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to overcome specific bottlenecks in a course. Since many of these are so automatic to instructors that they have become invisible, a systematic process of deconstructing disciplinary practice is necessary.
 The most powerful method for becoming clear about the steps that students must master to overcome specific bottlenecks is an interview process in which two interviewers work with instructors to explore how they themselves accomplish the task that many students have trouble with. Detailed descriptions of the process may be found in David Pace, ''The Decoding the Disciplines Paradigm'' (pp.39-47, 123-125), Joan Middendorf and Leah Shopkow, ''Overcoming Student Learning Bottlenecks'' (pp.48-59), and Peter Riegler, [https://diz-bayern.de/publikationen/dina-und-tagungsbaende “The Decoding interview – an exemplary insight”] in “DiNa 07/2020 Decoding the Disciplines”[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/]</ref>
<references />

Step 1 - Identify a Bottleneck to Learning

2020-10-06T06:54:32Z

Peter Lohse:

'''Identifying a bottleneck''' is the first step in the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

==decodingthedisciplines.org==
<ref>Decoding the Disciplines begins by identifying a particular place in a course (or in a series of courses) where significant numbers of students are unable to adequate perform essential tasks. It is generally better to be explicit about the nature of the problem and to focus on the task that students are unable to carry out.

Here are examples of productive and unproductive ways to complete this step:

1. '''English'''
'''Vague''': Students cannot interpret texts.
'''More Useful''': “Students in literature classes have a particular problem in the basic approach to textual interpretation. Students forever want to go directly to interpreting a text without first getting a good grasp of a text’s content. They need to observe before they interpret, but they are constantly skipping a thoughtful observation stage. Skipping this stage leads to poor interpretations.” (This observation is specific enough and provides enough information that it can serve as a starting place for the analysis of the bottleneck.) Tony Ardizzone, Fritz Breithaupt, and Paul C. Gutjahr. 2004. “Decoding Humanities.” In Decoding the Disciplines: Helping Students Learn Disciplinary Ways of Thinking, (New Directions in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 98), 67-73, edited by David Pace and Joan Middendorf, 45-56.

2. '''Biology'''
'''Vague''': Students have difficulty moving from fact learning to a deeper understanding of biological processes
'''More Useful''': Students have difficulty visualizing chromosomes, appreciating the distinction between similar and identical chromosomes (i.e., homologs and sister chromatids), and predicting their segregation patterns during mitosis and meiosis. Miriam Zolan, Susan Strome, and Roger Innes (2004). Decoding Genetics and Molecular Biology. In Decoding the Disciplines: Helping Students Learn Disciplinary Ways of Thinking, (New Directions in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 98), 67-73, edited by David Pace and Joan Middendorf, , 23-32.
It is important to focus on specific tasks that many students find difficult and to avoid beginning with moral judgments (students just don’t care) or general cultural theories (electronic media are corrupting the learning process). It is generally more productive to concentrate on the specific places where students get stuck and to try to understand the nature of the problem. The obstacles to learning come in two varieties, and somewhat different strategies are needed to deal with each.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-1-identify-a-bottleneck-to-learning/]</ref>
<references />

Step 4: Give Students Practice and Feedback

2020-10-06T06:53:37Z

Peter Lohse:

Creating opportunities for students to practice essential mental operations and receive feedback is fourth step within the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines.

==decodingthedisciplines.org==

<ref>To help students overcome most bottlenecks to learning, it is necessary to augment modeling ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/ Step 3]) with opportunities for them to practice these steps and to receive feedback on the extent to which they have mastered each. Here are some things to bear in mind when creating occasions for practice:

*This practice can come in a wide variety of forms — brief in-class assignments or Classroom Assessment Techniques, on-line exercises, collaborative tasks, etc. Just-in-Time Teaching and Team-Based Learning have proven to be particular useful approaches to consider for this step.
*It is important that the exercises initially be focused on a particular mental operation that is problematic for many students. Complex tasks, which require the simultaneous application of multiple skills, can confuse students and do not provide them specific feedback on their mastery of particular operations. Once individual skills are clearly mastered, then an instructor can give them more complex assignments that allow them to practice the integration of multiple operations.
*With challenging operations it may be necessary to give students multiple opportunities for practice in a variety of forms.
*Practice exercises should be arranged in logical order and integrated with modeling, so that the two steps reinforce one another.
*Practice can often be integrated with crucial content from the course, so that the work on skills also increases student understanding of the particular material that is used as examples in the exercise.
*Students should generally receive some form of information about the extent to which they are succeeding at the essential task that they are practicing. This can come in the form of specific comments on their individual attempts to do the tasks that they have been assigned, or the instructor may discuss typical examples of successful or unsuccessful student work using techniques of Just-in-Time teaching.
*Students need to understand the reason for the practice. They should understand that it offers them a chance to find out where they have gained mastery of essential steps and where they still need work with minimal negative impact on their grade.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-4-creating-opportunities-for-students-to-practice-essential-mental-operations/]</ref>
<references />

Step 4: Give Students Practice and Feedback

2020-10-06T06:28:20Z

Peter Lohse: Created page with "Creating opportunities for students to practice essential mental operations and receive feedback is step 4 within the 7 steps of Decoding the Disciplines. <ref>To help stud..."

Creating opportunities for students to practice essential mental operations and receive feedback is step 4 within the 7 steps of Decoding the Disciplines.

<ref>To help students overcome most bottlenecks to learning, it is necessary to augment modeling ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/ Step 3]) with opportunities for them to practice these steps and to receive feedback on the extent to which they have mastered each. Here are some things to bear in mind when creating occasions for practice:

* This practice can come in a wide variety of forms — brief in-class assignments or Classroom Assessment Techniques, on-line exercises, collaborative tasks, etc. Just-in-Time Teaching and Team-Based Learning have proven to be particular useful approaches to consider for this step.
* It is important that the exercises initially be focused on a particular mental operation that is problematic for many students. Complex tasks, which require the simultaneous application of multiple skills, can confuse students and do not provide them specific feedback on their mastery of particular operations. Once individual skills are clearly mastered, then an instructor can give them more complex assignments that allow them to practice the integration of multiple operations.
* With challenging operations it may be necessary to give students multiple opportunities for practice in a variety of forms.
* Practice exercises should be arranged in logical order and integrated with modeling, so that the two steps reinforce one another.
* Practice can often be integrated with crucial content from the course, so that the work on skills also increases student understanding of the particular material that is used as examples in the exercise.
* Students should generally receive some form of information about the extent to which they are succeeding at the essential task that they are practicing. This can come in the form of specific comments on their individual attempts to do the tasks that they have been assigned, or the instructor may discuss typical examples of successful or unsuccessful student work using techniques of Just-in-Time teaching.
* Students need to understand the reason for the practice. They should understand that it offers them a chance to find out where they have gained mastery of essential steps and where they still need work with minimal negative impact on their grade.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-4-creating-opportunities-for-students-to-practice-essential-mental-operations/]</ref>

Step 1 - Identify a Bottleneck to Learning

2020-10-01T10:26:15Z

Peter Lohse:

'''Identifying a bottleneck''' is the first step in the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]].

<ref>Decoding the Disciplines begins by identifying a particular place in a course (or in a series of courses) where significant numbers of students are unable to adequate perform essential tasks. It is generally better to be explicit about the nature of the problem and to focus on the task that students are unable to carry out.

Here are examples of productive and unproductive ways to complete this step:

1. '''English'''
'''Vague''': Students cannot interpret texts.
'''More Useful''': “Students in literature classes have a particular problem in the basic approach to textual interpretation. Students forever want to go directly to interpreting a text without first getting a good grasp of a text’s content. They need to observe before they interpret, but they are constantly skipping a thoughtful observation stage. Skipping this stage leads to poor interpretations.” (This observation is specific enough and provides enough information that it can serve as a starting place for the analysis of the bottleneck.) Tony Ardizzone, Fritz Breithaupt, and Paul C. Gutjahr. 2004. “Decoding Humanities.” In Decoding the Disciplines: Helping Students Learn Disciplinary Ways of Thinking, (New Directions in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 98), 67-73, edited by David Pace and Joan Middendorf, 45-56.

2. '''Biology'''
'''Vague''': Students have difficulty moving from fact learning to a deeper understanding of biological processes
'''More Useful''': Students have difficulty visualizing chromosomes, appreciating the distinction between similar and identical chromosomes (i.e., homologs and sister chromatids), and predicting their segregation patterns during mitosis and meiosis. Miriam Zolan, Susan Strome, and Roger Innes (2004). Decoding Genetics and Molecular Biology. In Decoding the Disciplines: Helping Students Learn Disciplinary Ways of Thinking, (New Directions in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 98), 67-73, edited by David Pace and Joan Middendorf, , 23-32.
It is important to focus on specific tasks that many students find difficult and to avoid beginning with moral judgments (students just don’t care) or general cultural theories (electronic media are corrupting the learning process). It is generally more productive to concentrate on the specific places where students get stuck and to try to understand the nature of the problem. The obstacles to learning come in two varieties, and somewhat different strategies are needed to deal with each.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-1-identify-a-bottleneck-to-learning/]</ref>
<references />

Decoding interview

2020-10-01T10:23:34Z

Peter Lohse:

The Decoding Interview is the second step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]]. The purpose of this step is to uncover the mental operations students must master to get past the Bottleneck. By interviewing the lecturer as an expert in the field (s)he teaches those mental operations of the expert are revealed.

<ref> The second step in the Decoding process is to make explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to overcome specific bottlenecks in a course. Since many of these are so automatic to instructors that they have become invisible, a systematic process of deconstructing disciplinary practice is necessary.
 The most powerful method for becoming clear about the steps that students must master to overcome specific bottlenecks is an interview process in which two interviewers work with instructors to explore how they themselves accomplish the task that many students have trouble with. Detailed descriptions of the process may be found in David Pace, ''The Decoding the Disciplines Paradigm'' (pp.39-47, 123-125), Joan Middendorf and Leah Shopkow, ''Overcoming Student Learning Bottlenecks'' (pp.48-59), and Peter Riegler, [https://diz-bayern.de/publikationen/dina-und-tagungsbaende “The Decoding interview – an exemplary insight”] in “DiNa 07/2020 Decoding the Disciplines”[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/]</ref>
<references />

Step 3 - Modeling Mental Operations

2020-10-01T10:21:43Z

Peter Lohse:

Modeling Mental Operations is the third step within the seven steps of [[Decoding the Disciplines]]. It consists of three phases:
# Identifying all the necessary mental operations in the correct order, in which they can and should be teached. A mental model in form of a mind map or a list can be helpful
# Teaching the necessary mental operations, i.e. by being a model for the students or using analogies.
# Allowing the students to form their own model of how to handle the cognitive tasks.

<ref>Once an instructor has made explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to get past a bottleneck ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/ Step 2]), it is necessary to devise strategies to help students learn each of these steps. It very important to :
'''Focus on the most essential mental operations'''
* It is important to decide which mental operations should be modeled and which have already been mastered by all or almost all of the students. Obviously, it is not necessary to devote valuable class time to going over skills that have already been thoroughly mastered. Therefore, it is often useful to use assessments early in a course to see which mental operations it is necessary to focus on. If a small number of students are lacking an understanding of operations already mastered by the rest of the class, it may be advisable to give them pathways to mastering these skills outside the regular course, e.g, special web sites or tutoring sessions.
'''Model each mental operation by itself'''
* It is much more difficult for students to learn when a number of steps are being presented at the same time. Therefore, it is generally important to break them down into their component parts and to model each separately.
'''Think strategically about the order in which modeling occurs and consider its connection to other elements in the course'''
* Some attention should be devoted to deciding the logical order in which to model these operations and, when possible, the modeling should be integrated with the content of the course. The modeling of specific steps should also be coordinated with specific opportunities for students to practice these skills and receive feedback. ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-4-creating-opportunities-for-students-to-practice-essential-mental-operations/ Step 4])
* Certain mental operations are so central to success in the course and so demanding that it is wise to make modeling these skills a central focus of the entire course, reinforcing them, not only in isolated class presentations, but also in the syllabus, the presentation of assignments and exam questions, discussions, lab instructions etc.
'''Model the same mental operations repeatedly and in different forms'''
* In most cases these operations will need to be modeled repeatedly across the course and, ideally, in different forms. The goal should be to make the modeling process such a central part of a class that it informs every aspect of the course from the course description to the form of assessments, thereby reinforcing the learning.
'''In many cases show students how to bring the steps together in more complex tasks'''
* In some cases it will be necessary to model, not only the individual mental operations, but also the process of combining these in more complex class activities, such as writing a paper or conducting an experiment.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/]</ref>

Step 3 - Modeling Mental Operations

2020-10-01T10:19:47Z

Peter Lohse:

Modeling Mental Operations is the third step within the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines. It consists of three phases:
# Identifying all the necessary mental operations in the correct order, in which they can and should be teached. A mental model in form of a mind map or a list can be helpful
# Teaching the necessary mental operations, i.e. by being a model for the students or using analogies.
# Allowing the students to form their own model of how to handle the cognitive tasks.

<ref>Once an instructor has made explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to get past a bottleneck ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/ Step 2]), it is necessary to devise strategies to help students learn each of these steps. It very important to :
'''Focus on the most essential mental operations'''
* It is important to decide which mental operations should be modeled and which have already been mastered by all or almost all of the students. Obviously, it is not necessary to devote valuable class time to going over skills that have already been thoroughly mastered. Therefore, it is often useful to use assessments early in a course to see which mental operations it is necessary to focus on. If a small number of students are lacking an understanding of operations already mastered by the rest of the class, it may be advisable to give them pathways to mastering these skills outside the regular course, e.g, special web sites or tutoring sessions.
'''Model each mental operation by itself'''
* It is much more difficult for students to learn when a number of steps are being presented at the same time. Therefore, it is generally important to break them down into their component parts and to model each separately.
'''Think strategically about the order in which modeling occurs and consider its connection to other elements in the course'''
* Some attention should be devoted to deciding the logical order in which to model these operations and, when possible, the modeling should be integrated with the content of the course. The modeling of specific steps should also be coordinated with specific opportunities for students to practice these skills and receive feedback. ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-4-creating-opportunities-for-students-to-practice-essential-mental-operations/ Step 4])
* Certain mental operations are so central to success in the course and so demanding that it is wise to make modeling these skills a central focus of the entire course, reinforcing them, not only in isolated class presentations, but also in the syllabus, the presentation of assignments and exam questions, discussions, lab instructions etc.
'''Model the same mental operations repeatedly and in different forms'''
* In most cases these operations will need to be modeled repeatedly across the course and, ideally, in different forms. The goal should be to make the modeling process such a central part of a class that it informs every aspect of the course from the course description to the form of assessments, thereby reinforcing the learning.
'''In many cases show students how to bring the steps together in more complex tasks'''
* In some cases it will be necessary to model, not only the individual mental operations, but also the process of combining these in more complex class activities, such as writing a paper or conducting an experiment.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/]</ref>

Step 3 - Modeling Mental Operations

2020-10-01T10:18:28Z

Peter Lohse:

Modeling Mental Operations is the third step within the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines. It consists of three phases:
# Identifying all the necessary mental operations in the correct order, in which they can and should be teached. A mental model in form of a mind map or a list can be helpful
# Teaching the necessary mental operations, i.e. by being a model for the students.
# Allowing the students to form their own model of how to handle the cognitive tasks.

<ref>Once an instructor has made explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to get past a bottleneck ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/ Step 2]), it is necessary to devise strategies to help students learn each of these steps. It very important to :
'''Focus on the most essential mental operations'''
* It is important to decide which mental operations should be modeled and which have already been mastered by all or almost all of the students. Obviously, it is not necessary to devote valuable class time to going over skills that have already been thoroughly mastered. Therefore, it is often useful to use assessments early in a course to see which mental operations it is necessary to focus on. If a small number of students are lacking an understanding of operations already mastered by the rest of the class, it may be advisable to give them pathways to mastering these skills outside the regular course, e.g, special web sites or tutoring sessions.
'''Model each mental operation by itself'''
* It is much more difficult for students to learn when a number of steps are being presented at the same time. Therefore, it is generally important to break them down into their component parts and to model each separately.
'''Think strategically about the order in which modeling occurs and consider its connection to other elements in the course'''
* Some attention should be devoted to deciding the logical order in which to model these operations and, when possible, the modeling should be integrated with the content of the course. The modeling of specific steps should also be coordinated with specific opportunities for students to practice these skills and receive feedback. ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-4-creating-opportunities-for-students-to-practice-essential-mental-operations/ Step 4])
* Certain mental operations are so central to success in the course and so demanding that it is wise to make modeling these skills a central focus of the entire course, reinforcing them, not only in isolated class presentations, but also in the syllabus, the presentation of assignments and exam questions, discussions, lab instructions etc.
'''Model the same mental operations repeatedly and in different forms'''
* In most cases these operations will need to be modeled repeatedly across the course and, ideally, in different forms. The goal should be to make the modeling process such a central part of a class that it informs every aspect of the course from the course description to the form of assessments, thereby reinforcing the learning.
'''In many cases show students how to bring the steps together in more complex tasks'''
* In some cases it will be necessary to model, not only the individual mental operations, but also the process of combining these in more complex class activities, such as writing a paper or conducting an experiment.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/]</ref>

Step 3 - Modeling Mental Operations

2020-10-01T10:17:43Z

Peter Lohse:

Modeling Mental Operations is the third step within the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines. It consists of three phases:
# Identifying all the necessary mental operations in the correct order, in which they can and should be teached. A mental model in form of a mind map or a list can be helpful
# Teaching the necessary mental operations, i.e. by being a model for the students.
# Allowing the students to form their own model of how to handle the cognitive tasks.

<ref>Once an instructor has made explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to get past a bottleneck ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/ Step 2]), it is necessary to devise strategies to help students learn each of these steps. It very important to :
'''Focus on the most essential mental operations'''
* It is important to decide which mental operations should be modeled and which have already been mastered by all or almost all of the students. Obviously, it is not necessary to devote valuable class time to going over skills that have already been thoroughly mastered. Therefore, it is often useful to use assessments early in a course to see which mental operations it is necessary to focus on. If a small number of students are lacking an understanding of operations already mastered by the rest of the class, it may be advisable to give them pathways to mastering these skills outside the regular course, e.g, special web sites or tutoring sessions.
'''Model each mental operation by itself'''
* It is much more difficult for students to learn when a number of steps are being presented at the same time. Therefore, it is generally important to break them down into their component parts and to model each separately.
'''Think strategically about the order in which modeling occurs and consider its connection to other elements in the course'''
* Some attention should be devoted to deciding the logical order in which to model these operations and, when possible, the modeling should be integrated with the content of the course. The modeling of specific steps should also be coordinated with specific opportunities for students to practice these skills and receive feedback. ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-4-creating-opportunities-for-students-to-practice-essential-mental-operations/ Step 4])
* Certain mental operations are so central to success in the course and so demanding that it is wise to make modeling these skills a central focus of the entire course, reinforcing them, not only in isolated class presentations, but also in the syllabus, the presentation of assignments and exam questions, discussions, lab instructions etc.
'''Model the same mental operations repeatedly and in different forms'''
* In most cases these operations will need to be modeled repeatedly across the course and, ideally, in different forms. The goal should be to make the modeling process such a central part of a class that it informs every aspect of the course from the course description to the form of assessments, thereby reinforcing the learning.
'''In many cases show students how to bring the steps together in more complex tasks'''
* In some cases it will be necessary to model, not only the individual mental operations, but also the process of combining these in more complex class activities, such as writing a paper or conducting an experiment. [[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/ [http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/]</ref>

Step 3 - Modeling Mental Operations

2020-10-01T10:17:24Z

Peter Lohse: Created page with "Modeling Mental Operations is the third step within the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines. It consists of three phases: # Identifying all the necessary mental ope..."

Modeling Mental Operations is the third step within the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines. It consists of three phases:
# Identifying all the necessary mental operations in the correct order, in which they can and should be teached. A mental model in form of a mind map or a list can be helpful
# Teaching the necessary mental operations, i.e. by being a model for the students.
# Allowing the students to form their own model of how to handle the cognitive tasks.

<ref>Once an instructor has made explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to get past a bottleneck ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/ Step 2]), it is necessary to devise strategies to help students learn each of these steps. It very important to :
'''Focus on the most essential mental operations'''
* It is important to decide which mental operations should be modeled and which have already been mastered by all or almost all of the students. Obviously, it is not necessary to devote valuable class time to going over skills that have already been thoroughly mastered. Therefore, it is often useful to use assessments early in a course to see which mental operations it is necessary to focus on. If a small number of students are lacking an understanding of operations already mastered by the rest of the class, it may be advisable to give them pathways to mastering these skills outside the regular course, e.g, special web sites or tutoring sessions.
'''Model each mental operation by itself'''
* It is much more difficult for students to learn when a number of steps are being presented at the same time. Therefore, it is generally important to break them down into their component parts and to model each separately.
'''Think strategically about the order in which modeling occurs and consider its connection to other elements in the course'''
* Some attention should be devoted to deciding the logical order in which to model these operations and, when possible, the modeling should be integrated with the content of the course. The modeling of specific steps should also be coordinated with specific opportunities for students to practice these skills and receive feedback. ([http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-4-creating-opportunities-for-students-to-practice-essential-mental-operations/ Step 4])
* Certain mental operations are so central to success in the course and so demanding that it is wise to make modeling these skills a central focus of the entire course, reinforcing them, not only in isolated class presentations, but also in the syllabus, the presentation of assignments and exam questions, discussions, lab instructions etc.
'''Model the same mental operations repeatedly and in different forms'''
* In most cases these operations will need to be modeled repeatedly across the course and, ideally, in different forms. The goal should be to make the modeling process such a central part of a class that it informs every aspect of the course from the course description to the form of assessments, thereby reinforcing the learning.
'''In many cases show students how to bring the steps together in more complex tasks'''
* In some cases it will be necessary to model, not only the individual mental operations, but also the process of combining these in more complex class activities, such as writing a paper or conducting an experiment. [[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/ [http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-3-modeling-mental-operations/]]</ref>

Decoding interview

2020-10-01T10:06:56Z

Peter Lohse:

The Decoding Interview is the second step within the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines. The purpose of this step is to uncover the mental operations students must master to get past the Bottleneck. By interviewing the lecturer as an expert in the field (s)he teaches those mental operations of the expert are revealed.

<ref> The second step in the Decoding process is to make explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to overcome specific bottlenecks in a course. Since many of these are so automatic to instructors that they have become invisible, a systematic process of deconstructing disciplinary practice is necessary.
 The most powerful method for becoming clear about the steps that students must master to overcome specific bottlenecks is an interview process in which two interviewers work with instructors to explore how they themselves accomplish the task that many students have trouble with. Detailed descriptions of the process may be found in David Pace, ''The Decoding the Disciplines Paradigm'' (pp.39-47, 123-125), Joan Middendorf and Leah Shopkow, ''Overcoming Student Learning Bottlenecks'' (pp.48-59), and Peter Riegler, [https://diz-bayern.de/publikationen/dina-und-tagungsbaende “The Decoding interview – an exemplary insight”] in “DiNa 07/2020 Decoding the Disciplines”[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/]</ref>
<references />

Decoding interview

2020-10-01T10:05:04Z

Peter Lohse:

The Decoding Interview is the second step within the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines. The purpose of this step is to uncover the mental operations students must master to get past the Bottleneck. By interviewing the lecturer as an expert in the field (s)he teaches, those mental operations of the expert are revealed.

<ref> The second step in the Decoding process is to make explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to overcome specific bottlenecks in a course. Since many of these are so automatic to instructors that they have become invisible, a systematic process of deconstructing disciplinary practice is necessary.
 The most powerful method for becoming clear about the steps that students must master to overcome specific bottlenecks is an interview process in which two interviewers work with instructors to explore how they themselves accomplish the task that many students have trouble with. Detailed descriptions of the process may be found in David Pace, ''The Decoding the Disciplines Paradigm'' (pp.39-47, 123-125), Joan Middendorf and Leah Shopkow, ''Overcoming Student Learning Bottlenecks'' (pp.48-59), and Peter Riegler, [https://diz-bayern.de/publikationen/dina-und-tagungsbaende “The Decoding interview – an exemplary insight”] in “DiNa 07/2020 Decoding the Disciplines”[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/]</ref>
<references />

Decoding interview

2020-10-01T10:04:16Z

Peter Lohse: Created page with "The Decoding Interview is the second step within the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines. The purpose of this step is to uncover the mental operations students must..."

The Decoding Interview is the second step within the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines. The purpose of this step is to uncover the mental operations students must master to get past the Bottleneck. By interviewing the lecturer as an expert in the field (s)he teaches, those mental operations of the expert are revealed.

<ref> The second step in the Decoding process is to make explicit the mental operations that students must master in order to overcome specific bottlenecks in a course. Since many of these are so automatic to instructors that they have become invisible, a systematic process of deconstructing disciplinary practice is necessary.
 The most powerful method for becoming clear about the steps that students must master to overcome specific bottlenecks is an interview process in which two interviewers work with instructors to explore how they themselves accomplish the task that many students have trouble with. Detailed descriptions of the process may be found in David Pace, ''The Decoding the Disciplines Paradigm'' (pp.39-47, 123-125), Joan Middendorf and Leah Shopkow, ''Overcoming Student Learning Bottlenecks'' (pp.48-59), and Peter Riegler, [https://diz-bayern.de/publikationen/dina-und-tagungsbaende “The Decoding interview – an exemplary insight”] in “DiNa 07/2020 Decoding the Disciplines”[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-2-uncover-the-mental-task/]</ref>

Step 1 - Identify a Bottleneck to Learning

2020-10-01T08:44:11Z

Peter Lohse:

'''Identifying a bottleneck''' is the first step in the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines.

<ref>Decoding the Disciplines begins by identifying a particular place in a course (or in a series of courses) where significant numbers of students are unable to adequate perform essential tasks. It is generally better to be explicit about the nature of the problem and to focus on the task that students are unable to carry out.

Here are examples of productive and unproductive ways to complete this step:

1. '''English'''
'''Vague''': Students cannot interpret texts.
'''More Useful''': “Students in literature classes have a particular problem in the basic approach to textual interpretation. Students forever want to go directly to interpreting a text without first getting a good grasp of a text’s content. They need to observe before they interpret, but they are constantly skipping a thoughtful observation stage. Skipping this stage leads to poor interpretations.” (This observation is specific enough and provides enough information that it can serve as a starting place for the analysis of the bottleneck.) Tony Ardizzone, Fritz Breithaupt, and Paul C. Gutjahr. 2004. “Decoding Humanities.” In Decoding the Disciplines: Helping Students Learn Disciplinary Ways of Thinking, (New Directions in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 98), 67-73, edited by David Pace and Joan Middendorf, 45-56.

2. '''Biology'''
'''Vague''': Students have difficulty moving from fact learning to a deeper understanding of biological processes
'''More Useful''': Students have difficulty visualizing chromosomes, appreciating the distinction between similar and identical chromosomes (i.e., homologs and sister chromatids), and predicting their segregation patterns during mitosis and meiosis. Miriam Zolan, Susan Strome, and Roger Innes (2004). Decoding Genetics and Molecular Biology. In Decoding the Disciplines: Helping Students Learn Disciplinary Ways of Thinking, (New Directions in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 98), 67-73, edited by David Pace and Joan Middendorf, , 23-32.
It is important to focus on specific tasks that many students find difficult and to avoid beginning with moral judgments (students just don’t care) or general cultural theories (electronic media are corrupting the learning process). It is generally more productive to concentrate on the specific places where students get stuck and to try to understand the nature of the problem. The obstacles to learning come in two varieties, and somewhat different strategies are needed to deal with each.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-1-identify-a-bottleneck-to-learning/]</ref>
<references />

Step 1 - Identify a Bottleneck to Learning

2020-10-01T08:42:50Z

Peter Lohse:

'''Identifying a bottleneck''' is the first step in the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines.

<ref>Decoding the Disciplines begins by identifying a particular place in a course (or in a series of courses) where significant numbers of students are unable to adequate perform essential tasks. It is generally better to be explicit about the nature of the problem and to focus on the task that students are unable to carry out.

Here are examples of productive and unproductive ways to complete this step:

1. '''English'''
'''Vague''': Students cannot interpret texts.
'''More Useful''': “Students in literature classes have a particular problem in the basic approach to textual interpretation. Students forever want to go directly to interpreting a text without first getting a good grasp of a text’s content. They need to observe before they interpret, but they are constantly skipping a thoughtful observation stage. Skipping this stage leads to poor interpretations.” (This observation is specific enough and provides enough information that it can serve as a starting place for the analysis of the bottleneck.) Tony Ardizzone, Fritz Breithaupt, and Paul C. Gutjahr. 2004. “Decoding Humanities.” In Decoding the Disciplines: Helping Students Learn Disciplinary Ways of Thinking, (New Directions in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 98), 67-73, edited by David Pace and Joan Middendorf, 45-56.

2. '''Biology'''
'''Vague''': Students have difficulty moving from fact learning to a deeper understanding of biological processes
'''More Useful''': Students have difficulty visualizing chromosomes, appreciating the distinction between similar and identical chromosomes (i.e., homologs and sister chromatids), and predicting their segregation patterns during mitosis and meiosis. Miriam Zolan, Susan Strome, and Roger Innes (2004). Decoding Genetics and Molecular Biology. In Decoding the Disciplines: Helping Students Learn Disciplinary Ways of Thinking, (New Directions in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 98), 67-73, edited by David Pace and Joan Middendorf, , 23-32.
It is important to focus on specific tasks that many students find difficult and to avoid beginning with moral judgments (students just don’t care) or general cultural theories (electronic media are corrupting the learning process). It is generally more productive to concentrate on the specific places where students get stuck and to try to understand the nature of the problem. The obstacles to learning come in two varieties, and somewhat different strategies are needed to deal with each.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-1-identify-a-bottleneck-to-learning/]<nowiki></nowiki></ref>

Step 1 - Identify a Bottleneck to Learning

2020-10-01T08:41:30Z

Peter Lohse:

Identifying a bottleneck is the first step in the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines.

<ref>Decoding the Disciplines begins by identifying a particular place in a course (or in a series of courses) where significant numbers of students are unable to adequate perform essential tasks. It is generally better to be explicit about the nature of the problem and to focus on the task that students are unable to carry out.
Here are examples of productive and unproductive ways to complete this step:
1. '''English'''
'''Vague''': Students cannot interpret texts.
'''More Useful''': “Students in literature classes have a particular problem in the basic approach to textual interpretation. Students forever want to go directly to interpreting a text without first getting a good grasp of a text’s content. They need to observe before they interpret, but they are constantly skipping a thoughtful observation stage. Skipping this stage leads to poor interpretations.” (This observation is specific enough and provides enough information that it can serve as a starting place for the analysis of the bottleneck.) Tony Ardizzone, Fritz Breithaupt, and Paul C. Gutjahr. 2004. “Decoding Humanities.” In Decoding the Disciplines: Helping Students Learn Disciplinary Ways of Thinking, (New Directions in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 98), 67-73, edited by David Pace and Joan Middendorf, 45-56.
2. '''Biology'''
'''Vague''': Students have difficulty moving from fact learning to a deeper understanding of biological processes
'''More Useful''': Students have difficulty visualizing chromosomes, appreciating the distinction between similar and identical chromosomes (i.e., homologs and sister chromatids), and predicting their segregation patterns during mitosis and meiosis. Miriam Zolan, Susan Strome, and Roger Innes (2004). Decoding Genetics and Molecular Biology. In Decoding the Disciplines: Helping Students Learn Disciplinary Ways of Thinking, (New Directions in Teaching and Learning, Vol. 98), 67-73, edited by David Pace and Joan Middendorf, , 23-32.
It is important to focus on specific tasks that many students find difficult and to avoid beginning with moral judgments (students just don’t care) or general cultural theories (electronic media are corrupting the learning process). It is generally more productive to concentrate on the specific places where students get stuck and to try to understand the nature of the problem. The obstacles to learning come in two varieties, and somewhat different strategies are needed to deal with each.[http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-1-identify-a-bottleneck-to-learning/]<nowiki></nowiki></ref>

Step 1 - Identify a Bottleneck to Learning

2020-10-01T08:41:06Z

Peter Lohse: Created page with "Identifying a bottleneck is the first step in the seven steps of Decoding the Disciplines. <ref>Decoding the Disciplines begins by..."

Cognitive Bottleneck

2020-10-01T08:24:30Z

Peter Lohse:

Cognitive Bottleneck

2020-10-01T08:23:40Z

Peter Lohse:

A [[bottleneck]] with an emphasis on a cognitive difficulty within a lecture for the students. A bottleneck can also be [[Emotional Bottleneck|emotional]].

<ref>In these situations students’ learning is blocked because they have failed to master particular mental operations. To help them overcome these obstacles, it is necessary to first make explicit for oneself precisely what steps are necessary to complete the work that students find so difficult. (Step 2 of the Decoding process) http://decodingthedisciplines.org/step-1-identify-a-bottleneck-to-learning/</ref>
<references />

Cognitive Bottleneck

2020-10-01T08:23:00Z

Peter Lohse:

Cognitive Bottleneck

2020-10-01T08:22:19Z

Peter Lohse:

A [[bottleneck]] with an emphasis on a cognitive difficulty for the students within a lecture. A bottleneck can also be [[Emotional Bottleneck|emotional]].

<ref>In these situations students’ learning is blocked because they have failed to master particular mental operations. To help them overcome these obstacles, it is necessary to first make explicit for oneself precisely what steps are necessary to complete the work that students find so difficult. (Step 2 of the Decoding process)</ref>
<references />