I have found debating to be very effective in developing students critical thinking skills while simultaneously learning about issues surrounding a course topic. The latter shows the positive results in this teaching strategy.

Best regards,

Debra

Conference Paper Debating: A Dynamic Teaching Strategy for Motivating Student...

In my lectures at the University of Applied Science where I teach Social and Ccommunicative Competence to Communication Engineering students I found that transfer occurs when the the theory I teach has to be implemented into practice. Transfer happens when meaning in life is generated. When students recognize that the proposed theory might make a difference in their behavior and yield different results than before. One example is violent free communication (theory by Marshal Rosenberg) which I teach them with examples from real life; for instance how to solve conflicts with courage sustainably.

I'm using the PBL method in order to obtain transfer.

Thank you!  Already this is a nice spread of answers. 

Debra, the idea of debate is not one which occurred to me, as I teach physics.   When I do have clicker questions, I invite them to defend their answers to their nearest neighbors.  Then I invite discussion about what makes the question awkward or distracting, and how me might know the right answer is right.    But a more structured debate sounds interesting.

Dr. Fanta, your answer of implementing into practice sounds exciting, and similar to Dr . Fisherman's Project Based Learning.  I have heard good things about them.  My biggest challenge is finding creative applications or projects which illustrate introductory physics.

Thanks!

Hello, I mistakenly flagged an above response in regards to achieving transfer for students.I am new to this site and my intent I was to save the post for future review, because it was very valuable information.

Djuna McLeod

Transfer can happen not just through relevance and representation which are both important but also through getting students to think about problems/information in different ways. Try De Bono's six hats, and also reflection (Driscoll, by Burton) based on:

What ?(the problem)

So what? (implications)

Now what? (actions,values,..)

Both of the above help students transfer values, skills, attitudes, behaviours and knowledge to new settings. 

Rita,

I like the idea of the power of students exercising their agency to choose a project.   I am coming to the opinion that it is hard to recognize just how powerful that can be.

A trip to the daVinci Museum in Milan convinced me that art  is a critical element in science.  Now I don't mean fine motor skills in drawing, but seeking or seeing what is essential about something, and representing it.  Maybe it is a valuable element for other subjects too. 

I suspect that multiple representations have place anytime the ideas are becoming abstract, or difficult.

Also don't forget that a successful teacher often acts in his own intuitive manner, rapidly inventing and immediately applying effective techniques. And then we analyze what he (she) does when trying to guess the nature of his success. However not all is generally applicable.   

Por parte de los estudiantes:

- Previo estudio de los textos a revisar y analizar

- Expresar dudas sobre conceptos no claros.

- Aclaración y precisión conceptual, por parte del o de la docente.

- Aclaradas las dudas, los estudiantes formularán preguntas que exijan reflexión y fundamentación. Es el momento de debatir. Las respuestas además, pueden ilustrarse con ejemplos referidos a situaciones prácticas.

El o la docente orientará el debate y si es necesario precisará las ideas.

- 

May I suggest that using real life materials and the life experiences that students bring to sessions may assist with the transferrence of knowledge and use of skills in real life. My adult literacy students always found using real materials beneficial, and using discussion and simulations were very helpful for developing deeper thought and practising skills in a safe environment.

Thanks Carrie.  It almost sounds as if you are suggesting that it can be powerful to invite students to share applications that they can see from their own background and experience.  That sounds fun in small groups and to then share with the class as a whole.

I think that this might need a SITUATED LEARNING scenario..For me, this is the best scenario that would relate new knowledge to new situations..I've already authored a paper in this regard which might be of interest:

Abdallah, M. M. S. (2015). Situated Language Learning: Concept, Significance and Forms. Worksheet Submitted Online to ERIC: ED556704. Available at: http://eric.ed.gov/?q=%22Situated+Language+Learning%3a+Concept%2c+Significance+and+Forms%22&id=ED556704

Article Situated Language Learning: Concept, Significance and Forms