POGIL Workshop

To Register for the Workshop Go To: 

http://www.pogil.org/events/NORM_RMRM.php

PROCESS ORIENTED GUIDED INQUIRY LEARNING AND THE POGIL PROJECT

Recent developments in cognitive learning theory as well as results of classroom research suggest that most students experience improved learning when they are actively engaged and when they are given the opportunity to construct their own knowledge. These results counter the widespread misapprehension that effective teaching must be instructor-centered, involving the transfer of content directly from the expert (professor) to the novice (student).  More "student-centered" approaches to learning are based on the premises that students will learn better when: they are actively engaged and thinking in class; they construct knowledge and draw conclusions by analyzing data and discussing ideas; they learn how to work together to understand concepts and solve problems; and the instructor serves as a facilitator to assist students in the learning process.

This workshop will include discussion of the principles and philosophy of Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL), a student-centered method of instruction. Participants will experience the approach from a student's perspective and will be introduced to various instructional techniques that support a "student-centered" learning environment.  To as great an extent as possible, the workshop will be tailored to the interests and needs of the attendees.  Possible additional topics may include:  discussion of specific materials and courses; overcoming barriers to implementation; training and supervision of teaching assistants, etc.  In addition, there will be an introduction to the Science Writing Heuristic, an innovative approach to laboratory instruction and laboratory report writing.  Additional information about the Science Writing Heuristic can be obtained at http://avogadro.chem.iastate.edu/SWH/homepage.htm

To Register for the Workshop Go To: 

http://www.pogil.org/events/NORM_RMRM.php

PROCESS ORIENTED GUIDED INQUIRY LEARNING AND THE POGIL PROJECT

Support for this work is provided by the National Science Foundation's Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement Program under grant DUE - 0618746, 0618758, 0618800 and 0618708.

What is process oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL)?
POGIL is a classroom and laboratory technique that seeks to simultaneously teach content and key process skills such as the ability to think analytically and work effectively as part of a collaborative team.

A POGIL classroom or lab consists of any number of students working in small groups on specially designed guided inquiry materials. These materials supply students with data or information followed by leading questions designed to guide them toward formulation of their own valid conclusions - essentially a recapitulation of the scientific method. The instructor serves as facilitator, observing and periodically addressing individual and classroom-wide needs.

POGIL is based on research indicating that a) teaching by telling does not work for most students, b) students who are part of an interactive community are more likely to be successful, and c) knowledge is personal; students enjoy themselves more and develop greater ownership over the material when they are given an opportunity to construct their own understanding.

We have found that a discovery-based team environment energizes students and provides instructors with instant and constant feedback about what their students understand and misunderstand. Students quickly pick up the message that logical thinking and teamwork are prized above simply getting "the correct answer." This emphasizes that learning is not a solitary task of memorizing information, but an interactive process of refining one's understanding and developing one's skills.

What is the POGIL Project?

The POGIL Project focuses on the national dissemination of POGIL methods and materials. There are numerous ways for interested faculty to participate in project activities.

* Attend a 1-3 day regional or national workshop.

* Use tested and commercially available POGIL materials in your classroom, laboratory or recitation session. (General, Organic, and Physical Chemistry materials are currently available.)

* Apply for an on-site consultation in which POGIL experts will help you adapt the POGIL approach to your unique institutional setting.

* Receive support to visit a site currently implementing a POGIL approach.

* Consult with a POGIL expert by phone, web or email.
More experienced practitioners may also:

* Contribute to development of new materials

* Serve as a regional POGIL consultant to provide support to new adopters

About the Presenters:

Andrei Straumanis has a B.A. in chemistry from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Stanford University. He is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Washington in Seattle, on leave from his faculty position at the College of Charleston. During this leave he is testing POGIL in 400-student sections of organic chemistry at UW. He is the author of POGIL materials for organic chemistry, the Principle Investigator of a FIPSE grant to develop and study large-class POGIL, serves on the Steering Committee of the NSF-funded POGIL Project, and was one of the co-Principal Investigators of the original NSF POGIL grant. Since 1997, he has given numerous talks and workshops on active learning in organic chemistry, and the use of POGIL in large classrooms.


Nihal Behrens, Bioscience instructor and Coordinator at Northwest Iowa Community College. I earned my B.S. degree in chemistry from Gardner-Webb University in 2002. I earned my M.S degree in chemical education from Iowa State University in 2007. My thesis was on using the Science Writing Heuristic in the classroom and laboratory portion of general chemistry courses.
For more information on the POGIL project or to obtain POGIL materials please visit the POGIL website (http://www.pogil.org) or contact the POGIL Office at 717-358-4639 or pogil@pogil.org.

To Register for the Workshop Go To: 

http://www.pogil.org/events/NORM_RMRM.php