Alan Feldman

My area of expertise is in teaching advanced placement psychology to inner city high school students, and getting them to learn to love psychology, and learning in general. I am certified as psychology, history and mathematics teacher and am experienced in teaching all three. Since I have taught at a local community college as an adjunct for seven years (mostly introductory and child development) I se the large discrepancies that exist between college and high school students in motivation and attitude toward learning. I believe that this has made me a better teacher.

What are the findings or theories from your area of expertise that we could apply to higher education? 

My first suggestion in regards to this question deals with the university programs that train elementary through high school level teachers. I firmly believe (as does Diane Ravitch in Left Back) that teachers need far more content expertise. If there is one thing I am certain of in education; it is that knowing how to teach a subject comes more from knowing the material than any other single factor. Even among some of the college faculty that I have interacted with there seems to be a lack of joy in learning about their subject. I think that at all levels of education including higher levels there should always be time for discussing what current experts (scientists) in their respective fields are doing currently. I will never forget when a bright sixth grade boy in a class I was covering asked me if any scientists are alive! Yet, how many college freshmen in chemistry, history, psychology, biology-etc can name an important current scientist in the subject? Students get excitement from an instructor who talks about advances in their own areas of knowledge that are currently being discovered.

To develop transfer of training and to maintain attention, again I refer to the knowledge and excitement level of the teacher. Asking difficult challenging questions that create dissonance in students is an effective way to do both. I usually start each section with a comment or statement about a phenomenon in the world that is true but outside the student’s ability to explain. Each of these conundrums can be answered by selectively using the information in the next section of the text or notes. In other words I favor a guided constructivism.

Additionally for all students (especially urban students) at all levels teaching and assessing in a creative, analytic and practical fashion is important. The inner city student thrives on practical teaching strategies and tasks. This is validated by the research of Robert Sternberg of Yale in numerous studies. Students taught and assessed with all three approaches do better even if they are only tested with analytical questions, which is the norm.

What are the (most important) unsolved problems? What should be included in an agenda for research?

One important unsolved problem is the establishment of better teacher education training programs, including for college professors. Beginning teachers at all levels should be enrolled in a mentorship with an experienced colleague. I hope that some day local universities and colleges would supply links between their staff members and high school teachers to assist with content knowledge if needed, and what they want beginning college student to know. This also might encourage more students to attend that university.

Another area that is lacking is in the development of the effective use of heuristics in education. General heuristics are often not that helpful to student but specific content strategies are.

Teachers need to be shown what some scholars have called the microstructure of teaching-what behaviors they should specifically do to get an idea across effectively. How does one use scaffolding and protocol analysis in a particular subject area?

A third area that is problematic is he type of reading materials that are mandatory in introductory English courses in high school and college. I think that a major goal of teachers, in particular English teachers, is to develop in students a love of reading prior to forcing them to read great books of literature, which are often beyond the student’s current ability. For example, many high schools force students to read 5-7 Shakespeare plays in one year. College freshmen are forced to read books for which they have not developed the necessary prerequisite skills.

What prototypes can you point us toward where principles from the science of learning are already being applied?

Activities based on giving students analytic, practical and creative tasks are available, as is the information on developing ones own curriculum to establish such a model. The research and suggestions of Lawrence Steinberg et al, as described in his book Beyond The Classroom could greatly benefit the instruction of inner city high school and college students.

I am fond of the writings and research of Carol Dweck, Ellen Langer, John Bruer, Robert Sternberg, Peter Gray, John Bransford, Diane Halpern and Roger Schank. All have specific suggestions to improve education.

What are the major problems with or barriers to redesigning higher education? Do you have any ideas for overcoming them?

There is resistance to change in quarters where the individuals in charge often do not read or understand how to evaluate research. Every university should have a leading cognitive scientist be the assistant to the President. I am not kidding!

Due to a lack of funds many universities can not help students that need extra instruction. Many students want to do well, but often feel they need extra assistance especially in science and mathematics courses. The development of free web pages where students could at anytime have access to extra material to assist them with their course work. Establish programs where each university senior is mandated to tutor underclassman for a few hours per week possibly as a graduation requirement, or for some incentive.

What additional questions should we be asking?

How can the dissemination of information from the conference be made most accessible to those that can benefit from it?

How can the Internet best be used to improve instruction. Web based courses seem to be on the way in-what guidelines should be established?

What do we need to do so that one outcome of the retreat is to effect change (in ways that we want)?

Give specific task to conference members with time lines.

The recommendations can not be too global or vague.

Sending out information on certain effective teaching strategies with the instructions on how to do an in-service on the topic so that all professors or teachers can benefit.

Get something published in a number of venues with specific recommendations for the improvement of education-from Early Childhood Education to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Even having something in Psychology today that has a wider readership. Sending a copy of specific recommendations to every school of education in the United States.

Create a well-publicized web page with links to numerous content area specialists that list materials and specific teaching strategies with bibliographies.