Constructive Alignment in Teaching and Learning
In all of my courses I use the teaching concept of “constructive alignment”, first developed by John B. Biggs. The term “constructive” refers to the activity of the students in constructing their knowledge themselves. The term “alignment” refers to the deliberate alignment of intended learning outcomes, learning activities, and assessment criteria. A simple example clarifies why constructive alignment is radically different and more effective than traditional “frontal” teaching: If you want to learn to drive a car (the intended learning outcome), it does not help you if I stand at the front of a room and tell you how to do it. You have to drive the car yourself (the learning activity). If you want to convince me that you have learned to drive the car, it does not help me if you sit in a room and write about how to drive a car. You have to drive the car yourself (assessment criteria). This illustrates that the intended learning outcome, the learning activity and the assessment criteria are perfectly aligned with each other. In addition this example shows that the activity of the student is more important in determining what is learned than the activity of the teacher. Our role as a teacher is like that of the driving instructor: we do not explain how to drive a car: we let the student drive it. This principle can be applied to any teaching and learning activity, whether live or digital. It is immensely powerful but surprisingly rare in the German speaking academic world.
See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructive_alignment
http://www.johnbiggs.com.au/academic/constructive-alignment/
Constructive Alignment in Action : Some Examples
Two months after arriving in Berlin in August 2015 I started my full teaching load. I took over several existing courses, but I had previously done little formal university teaching. Time for some new experiments. I used the techniques of constructive alignment to develop student-centred learning concepts (see above for details). These courses are highly interactive, transformative and fun. The unifying concept is that the students, not the teacher, are the most important people in the room.
For example, in a course of advanced genetics and molecular biology for masters of education (M.Ed) students, I transformed the concept so that the students themselves teach the class. In a practical class for groups of 60 first semester biologists, I developed “kitchen molecular biology” protocols and devised a card game to choreograph the students into preparing all of the materials for the class (and cleaning up afterwards). In a class on English Scientific Writing for bachelors and masters students, students learn though weekly assignments and feedback, how to independently write a paper to professional standards. In a class on scientific presentation skills, together with Marc Rehmsmeier, we teach students through games and practical exercises to shine outside of their comfort zone. These courses have consistently received extremely positive evaluations from students. The M.Ed course was nominated and shortlisted in 2017 for the Humboldt University Prize for Good Teaching. The Scientific English course was won the 2019 Life Science Faculty Prize for good teaching.
The Scientific English course has now completed two rounds in an online format, (SoSe 2020, SoSe/WiSe 2020/21) with continued highly positive evaluations.
Constructive alignment: The intended learning outcome, the learning activity and the assessment criteria are perfectly aligned with each other.
Masters of Education: after a brief training period, students themselves teach the class.
Kitchen molecular biology: With table salt, washing up liquid and alcohol, first semester biology students extract their own DNA. Cheap and fun!
The spoon game teaches cooperative risk- taking. Two people hold a spoon as shown, and move around the room. Feels too safe? Take a risk! Dropped the spoon? Let’s go again!