Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching - National University

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Csikszentmihalyi (1982) has written about such “optimal experiences” and argues that intense, concentrated study leads to enhanced motivation and increased creativity. We do not yet know whether accelerated education produces these desirable effects, but clearly the opportunity for immersion in a topic or field is better when a class is taken in a short, intensive block without the distraction from other classes. Advocates for immersion programs in foreign language learning clearly believe that focused attention is the key to successful language acquisition, and there is some research to support their claims (Powell, 1976). Transfer of Learning It can be argued that the primary goal of education is the transfer of learning. After all, what is the point of education if it is never used and cannot be applied in other situations Learning for learning’s sake is fine for some, but the vast majority of students want to be able to do something with their education. According to Barnett and Ceci (2002), for over 100 years psychologists and educators have debated the evidence for, and the theories of, transfer. In their review of the transfer literature, Barnett and Ceci suggest that the ambiguity and controversy is, in part, a function of not appropriately specifying the various dimensions along which transfer occurs. They propose that transfer must be viewed in terms of the content (what is transferred) and the context (when and where does transfer occur). Any comparison of accelerated and traditional education needs to address both dimensions, of course, but perhaps context is more critical than the content at this early stage of inquiry (e.g., knowing that some learned information got transferred to the next assignment, the next class, the lab, or a job may be more meaningful than knowing what specific bit of knowledge or skill got transferred). It is probably premature to suggest that either accelerated or traditional models of education fit better conceptually with what we know about transfer. Nevertheless, Serdyukov and Wheeler (2002) have argued that, in the teaching of mathematics, physics, and second language learning, students perform better when topics are presented sequentially and each unit builds and expands on the previous one. Bruner (1960) calls this a “spiral curriculum,” or “[a] curriculum as it develops should revisit these basis ideas repeatedly, building upon them until the student has grasped the full formal apparatus that goes with them [so it] turns back on itself at higher levels” (p. 13). It may be that classes that are offered sequentially in smaller units (accelerated classes) are more likely to create these spiral or iterative transfer effects. Incubation/Insight Traditional wisdom maintains that some material and problems require an extended period of time to “digest” or “simmer.” There is evidence in the psychological literature that setting a problem aside for a while (a process labeled “incubation”) does help the learner and problem solver. For difficult material and problems in which the learner can get stuck (and perhaps require some special creative “insight”), the research suggests that an incubation period can be useful (Smith, 1995). It would appear that for some courses in some disciplines, an accelerated approach could be a disadvantage for the students because they are not given sufficient time to ruminate over the course content or the homework problems. Although there is no research that addresses this issue directly using real-world classes or programs, it is possible that accelerated education may not be ideal for certain kinds of learning and problem solving. 37
Evidence for Effectiveness of Accelerated Education The preceding section demonstrates that, on a conceptual level, there are arguments for and against accelerated education. What does the research evidence show Several early reviews found very difference between compressed, intensive programs and more traditional programs (Lynch, 1975; Mims, 1985; Powell, 1976). In the most recent comprehensive review, Scott and Conrad (1992) discussed how the present-day need for accelerated courses and programs stemmed from several sources (e.g., refresher courses, make-up credits, fast foreign-language training), all of which were aimed at accelerating the delivery of educational content with little or no sacrifice to educational quality. The discussion of effectiveness here will summarize what is known by examining five distinct areas outline by Scott and Conrad (1992). These areas represent situations where the learning process is accelerated in an attempt to move students through their courses and programs faster and more efficiently compared to more traditional forms of college instruction (e.g., semester and quarter systems). I will not review the early studies cited by Scott and Conrad (the interested reader is encouraged to examine their excellent monograph); instead, I will focus on more recent evidence (studies done since 1992) related to the effectiveness of accelerated programs and learning. Summer Sessions Summer sessions are usually embedded between spring and fall semesters in an attempt to offer accelerated classes to special groups of learners (e.g., teachers in need of “refresher classes,” students requiring continuing education, traditional students trying to make up lost units during the regular session). The general conclusion from the early studies reviewed by Scott and Conrad (1992) is that there is no significant difference between achievement in summer sessions compared to longer courses. A recent study by Anastasi (2007) compared three psychology courses (Effective Thinking, Memory and Cognition, and Research Methods) taught during a regular semester and a summer session. In the study, the instructor, teaching style, number of contact hours, exams, and other assignments were held constant. The results favored the summer session students; they received higher grades than the semester students, despite the fact that the semester students had a higher grade point average than the summer students prior to taking the classes. Petrowsky (1996) had mixed results with macroeconomics classes taught in either 2- week or 15-week sessions. Exam scores for the compressed classes were superior to the longer classes when the material was focused on knowledge acquisition, but scores were lower for the shorter classes when the course emphasized comprehension, analysis, application, and synthesis. The student survey also showed mixed results. A majority of the students said they would recommend the 2-week course to a friend and would enroll again in the abbreviated course, but most students also felt that it would be better to take the course in 15 weeks. A study by Lee (1996) was less ambiguous with respect to student perceptions. Lee reported that students clearly preferred the summer course to the traditional courses. Interim Sessions (Intersession) This form of accelerated education was originally designed as an alternative to the more familiar concurrent scheduling (several classes at a time). Interim session (or intersession) allows students to concentrate on a single subject without interference from other classes. The interim 38
Page 2 and 3: Journal of Research in Innovative T
Page 4 and 5: Table of Contents Editor’s Column
Page 6 and 7: Editor’s Column National Universi
Page 8 and 9: training-based method for integrati
Page 10 and 11: The Editorial Board invites the rea
Page 12 and 13: The Influence of Social Worlds on E
Page 14 and 15: experience in a strong group settin
Page 16 and 17: Table 1 Example Scenario of a Burea
Page 18 and 19: hierarchy ensures a social position
Page 20 and 21: (see Figure 5). Each member is affo
Page 22 and 23: through four types of instructional
Page 24 and 25: Hierarchic (high grid, strong Group
Page 26 and 27: Figure 10. Didactic Task Structure
Page 28 and 29: Stansberry, S., & Harris, E. (2005)
Page 30 and 31: Utilizing current research-based co
Page 32 and 33: teachers. The instructor kept a mas
Page 34 and 35: References Coburn, C. E. (2001). Co
Page 36 and 37: Organizing for Instruction Carefull
Page 38 and 39: Accelerated Learning 33
Page 40 and 41: the learning process but rather to
Page 44 and 45: term (intersession) gets its name b
Page 46 and 47: Some Important Issues Scott and Con
Page 48 and 49: esponsibilities). A higher percenta
Page 50 and 51: them in such a way that the likelih
Page 52 and 53: makes a valuable contribution to ou
Page 54 and 55: North American Association of Summe
Page 56 and 57: E-learning 51
Page 58 and 59: Academic Learning Today Academic in
Page 60 and 61: In the original publication by the
Page 62 and 63: • Individual (1) — Group (2) co
Page 64 and 65: Challenges and Opportunities From t
Page 66 and 67: About the Authors Cynthia (Cindy) L
Page 68 and 69: AGILE TEACHING: A CASE STUDY OF USI
Page 70 and 71: the scope-by-name feature of Ruby e
Page 72 and 73: need to deal with. Students learned
Page 74 and 75: experiment with different options f
Page 76 and 77: the students evaluate the optimum s
Page 78 and 79: Using Bibliotherapy as a Tool for C
Page 80 and 81: different clients and their present
Page 82 and 83: supervisees with a brief synopsis o
Page 84 and 85: Stick Figure, by Lori Gottlieb As t
Page 86 and 87: psychological awareness to encourag
Page 88 and 89: on the Internet. To keep the classr
Page 90 and 91: The third portion of the discussion
Page 92 and 93:
Henry, S. (2005). A different appro
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elementary-age students. Linked wit
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considered in multicultural literat
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In Finding One, the conclusion was
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Stephanie: “I learned that some p
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importance in society and in school
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published in the United States. Ret
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Reading Practices in Elementary Sch
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groups of students reading by apply
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Table 2 Participant-Reported Teachi
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Table 5A Teachers’ Reading Task P
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Because electronic texts are increa
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Conclusion As teachers work to impr
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Bilingual Education and Second Lang
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successful in hiring enough qualifi
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Five Innovative Strategies That Wor
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The third strategy is “Determinin
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the categories, synthesized and def
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Fereshteh, M. H. (1995). Multicultu
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Can Balanced Bilingualism Be Achiev
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As may be seen from this discussion
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Alternatives to Current Methodologi
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education when students are isolate
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Conclusion SL learning must be a tw
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Language as Tool for a Global Educa
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encouraging passive learning. Such
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Similarly, their actions or what go
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should therefore not be glued to th
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Supplementary Reading Since there i
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Bruce, M. G., Podemski, R. S., & An
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• Sentence combination (using con
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The Motivational and Attitudinal Ch
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Other researchers have challenged t
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education classes were taught in Ru
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Participants also described how the
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Implications and Suggestions for Fu
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National University Carlsbad, CA Em
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Assessment and Evaluation 161
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affordance of opportunities for sel
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An examination of the peer-comment
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language used in the description an
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promotes self-discovery (Saulnier e
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Appendix A Sample Language from an
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Student Evaluations of Courses and
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that there is a consistent positive
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(teaching) for all classes (11 item
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Figure 1. The Nonlinear Relationshi
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About the Authors Nataliya Serdyuko
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Best Practices 183
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The Textbook Elementary Statistics
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If the mean number of visits was as
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discussion in such courses is slow;
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Table 1. A grade list for a class o
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Sloboda, B. W. (2005). Improving th
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The Journal of Research in Innovati
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About the Author In the end of your
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