3  Learning design

Teaching begins with practical, case-based exercises and progresses toward independent statistical projects with collaborative workshops and evaluations.

• Interactive lectures
• Individual problem-based assignments
• Group-based project work
• Joint project workshops and evaluations

3.1 Strategies

This course is designed using the science of learning. Some of the best ways to enable learning is to do “active learning” by engaging with the material, practicing retrieving what was just covered, repeatedly being exposed to the content, linking the new information with what you already know, and explaining it to someone else.

We use a variety of activities to learn the material. A big part of learning is being engaged in the process of learning, not just learning the content itself. So to help you be engaged in your own learning, we want to involve you in the reasons why we do the things we do during this course.

Throughout the course, we use these practices to support learning:

• We have a clear learning goal with a strong narrative throughout the course that ties back to that goal. It’s much easier to learn when you have a better idea of where you are going, where you are at in relation to the end goal, and what to expect along the way.

• The main activities are “code-alongs”, where the teacher types on the computer and explains what it means while you type along. The connection between using the hands and doing something tangible helps reinforce learning. It also helps the teachers to go slower since we have to both explain and type things out, which helps you learn better. The phrase “less is more” applies strongly to learning.

• We include several hands-on exercises that reinforce what was just taught through retrieval practice and repetition. It gives you a chance to engage with the material and the space to try it out on your own, so you start to get a real sense of how to do it yourself.

• We have discussion activities to encourage linking the new information with what you already know and do in your work as well as how you can apply it. Since humans are social beings, we also tend to learn better when there is some social aspect to it. Explaining something to someone else is one of the best ways to learn! The quote “while we teach, we learn” from the Roman philosopher Seneca is true here.

• We have minimal to no slides or lectures, as they are forms of information sharing with the lowest rates of learning. Instead we include reading tasks, so you can go at your pace, re-read things you may not understand, and take notes, all of which support learning. To help reinforce what you just read, the teacher will briefly summarise and emphasise key points after reading tasks, to repeat the main points and target another part of the brain (the auditory pathway).

• We put all the material online so that it is easy for you to go back to after the lecture, which builds the repetition and retrieval practice part of learning. You may get easily distracted, which is completely normal. So if you get distracted during the lecture, you can go to the material online to quickly get caught up with where we are. We also make sure to follow the material on the website closely, so that it is easier for you to follow along.

• Being in a safe and supportive environment puts you into a more relaxed state that is optimal for learning. That’s why we try to explicitly create that space, for example with the use of our Code of Conduct.

• Asking for help can feel difficult, especially when you are learning and are unsure about something. To make it easier and feel safer, we use origami hats (or stickies) to show how everyone is doing. If you need help, you put up the “help” hat (usually orange) and a helper will come to you as soon as possible. If not, you can put up a “all good” hat (usually blue) to let us know you are following along. Since we often have several helpers, you usually won’t wait long. This simple system lets you ask for help without interrupting the teacher or drawing attention, so you can keep following along while you wait. Our goal is to make getting help easier and more comfortable.

Now you know a bit more about the thoughts behind how we’ve designed this workshop to really try to support and enable your learning! 🎉 😁