Getting the Most Out of Analogies in the Geoscience Classroom
The goal of this workshop is to present up-to-date findings about how to most effectively use analogies to promote learning in the geoscience classroom. One of the most basic ways humans learn is by identifying alignments to existing knowledge. This is particularly important for the geosciences because the temporal and spatial scale of geologic events is often beyond human perception. Workshop participants will be able to: identify the source, target, and mappings of an analogy; describe effective strategies to use analogies in the geoscience classroom; and develop an activity for their own classroom to engage students in analogical reasoning.
This workshop is offering $200 stipends to 40 eligible participants*. Preference will be given to faculty and instructors currently teaching introductory or upper-level undergraduate geoscience courses. The stipend will be disbursed after participating in all the activities in this 2.5 hour workshop at the Rendezvous. To be considered for a stipend, please complete this form.
We will update this page once 40 people have applied for the stipend.
*Due to funding stipulations, stipend recipients must be US Citizens or permanent residents. Civil servants are ineligible.
Primary Audience
The primary audience is instructors of introductory and upper-level geoscience courses who want to use analogies effectively. We are targeting this population to improve translation of research to practice.
Goals
- Identify the source, target, and mappings of an analogy,
- Describe effective strategies to use analogies in the geoscience classroom, and
- Develop an activity for their own classroom to engage students in analogical reasoning.
Program
1:30 Welcome and introductions
1:45 How do psychologists define "analogy"?
2:00 Think-Pair-Share: What is an analogy you have used in your classes? What are the helpful and unhelpful mappings?
2:20 What is the current research saying about how to use analogies effectively in instruction?
2:40 Break
2:50 Example of scaffolded analogy activities
3:05 Participants work on action plans to design an activity to use analogies in their classrooms. Participants create a single Google slide to share ideas with the whole group.
3:30 Minute Slides (depending on attendance/time)
3:45 Wrap-up and workshop evaluation
4:00 Adjourn
Resources
Using Analogies to Teach in the Geosciences: https://serc.carleton.edu/getspatial/blog/analogies_in_geoscience.html
Jaeger, Taylor & Wiley (2016) When, and for Whom, Analogies Help: The Role of Spatial Skills and Interleaved Presentation Download here (or email organizer for a pdf)
Wiley, Jaeger, Taylor & Griffin (2018) When Analogies Harm: The Effects of Analogies on Metacomprehension. Download here (or email organizer for a pdf)