teaching

[tischi]

• point out image.sc forum with an example of what one could search for
• point out google search with an example of a search
• make a list of useful imagej learning links

Meta

• etherpad is nice

Levels

• novice (no mental model of domain, can't ask domain questions)
• competent practitioner (can ask domain questions)
• expert

[tischi]

Mental model

• ensure that people have the correct mental model about the image analysis domain
• examples relating to already known facts can help here

Teaching speed

• rather go too slow
• consequences of going slow are less severe (slightly bored) than going too fast (frustration)

[tischi]

Formative assessments

• Attention span is about 10 minutes => do regular formative assessments (small exercise providing feedback about current understanding) about every 10 minutes
• Etherpad as a way to get everybody to answer

Multiple choice questions

• wrong answers should be "plausible distractions"

Faded examples

Code, where (small) parts are missing.

Wrong order

Provide whole code, but in wrong order.

[tischi]

Connections between different facts or learning

Components

• filter
• threshold
• connected component analysis
• object splitting

Workflows

Building workflows helps repeating the components and also forming the right connections.

[tischi]

Danger points of being an expert

• dismissive language: using the word "just" is bad
  • e.g., just adjust the LUT
  • equally bad: just, simply, basically, obviously
• blind spots (forgot how it is not to know about this domain)
  • expert reversal effect (if you are too good in a domain your teaching can degrade)
• fixing errors too quickly
• switching between methods to quickly

Language tips

• "What questions do you have?"
  • better than "Are there any questions?"

[tischi]

Build concept maps

• components with arrows between them to construct workflows
• provide such concept maps
• arrows between components should be labeled with text about what the arrow is about
• check flow charts for inspiration

[tischi]

Training material

• do not provide during lesson they should just follow what you do in order for them not to get confused...but how to provide exercises? Copy and paste into etherpad

[tischi]

Teaching guidelines

• Introduce maximally 8 new things and then let them practice (formative assessment)

[tischi]

Memory effects

• one can remember about 7 facts, mainly the ones in the beginning and in the end

[tischi]

Programming

Faded examples

total_length(["red", "green", "blue"]) => 12
def total_length(words):
total = 0
for word in words:
total += len(word)
return total

word_lengths(["red", "green", "blue"]) => [3, 5, 4]
def word_lengths(words):
lengths = ____
for word in words:
lengths ____
return lengths

concatenate_all(["red", "green", "blue"]) => "redgreenblue"
def concatenate_all(words):
result = ____
for ____ in ____:
____
return result

acronymize(["red", "green", "blue"]) => "RGB"
def acronymize(words):

[tischi]

Feedback

Minute cards

After a session:

• What did you find most important to learn?
• What did you find most confusing?

One up one down

Sequentially let people say something they liked or could be improved.

Sticky notes

One positive, one improvement.

[tischi]

Positive environment

• Talk to each other

[tischi]

Decide what to teach

• Consider the graph: y-axis: usefulness vs. x-axis: time to learn

[tischi]

Motivation

• Being excited about the topic
• Have some funny examples

[tischi]

Feedback

• get feedback during course from students, e.g. about speed.

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Expectation management

• Say initially what you will be doing and why

[tischi]

Praising: Growth mindset!

• improvement based praising is good because it feeds the "growth mindset"

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Getting feedback

• Choose your own questions in order not to be offended
• Explain how to give feedback
• Let someone else read the feedback for you (to make it milder)

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Learner profiles

Description of person

Challenges the person is facing

How the course will help him tackling his challenges

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Learning objectives

Clearly state learning objects of whole course

Also state objectives before each subsection

Draw maps (blocks with arrows inbetween) to see where we are and how it fits together with what we learned so far

Include motivation

[tischi]

Lessons

Structure your course into small lessons, with maximum 4 learning objectives stated on top.

Ideally you have a formative assessment at the end.

[tischi]

Etherpad

• Have a google doc as an backup

[tischi]

Click along teaching of IJ

Probably immediately practice macro recording, because this also is a easy way to get people back on track, because one can just copy and paste commands rather than following along in the user interface.

[tischi]

Teaching style

• Teaching standing: Make sure there is a standing desk where I can place my computer.
• Get sticky note feedback about speed after first session!
• ...

[tischi]

ImageJ specific

Show search bar as soon as possible!

[tischi]

Concept maps

• Interactively build a concept map
• Maybe draw it in Google sheets while teaching
  • Have a backup of this concept maps

[tischi]

Teaching feedback

• Say we rather than I to make sure that students follow along.
• Do not ask to often whether everybody is where you are. Becomes boring.
• How often should you ask what the next command is?
  • Maybe just do it and rather putting it into an exercise
• Do not say: "As you are surely remembering" or "As I told you yesterday"? Gets boring...
• Control key is sometimes different Strg and in different positions => spend more time
• Slower
• Put recurring commands on a white-board
• Error as opportunity! Good!
• be very clear whether students should follow along or not.
• not good: explain two options and use only one (just give them one).
• expert blind spot: "String"
• stop saying every character typed at some point
• example with length 4 maybe not so interesting?

[tischi]

GUI teaching

Magnifying glass tool for mac?

[tischi]

Introduction

learners should

• believe in your competence => introduce yourself effectively!

  • experienced teacher, experienced consultant, know what's relevant (for biologists)
  • knowledge about microscopy (important to understand the data)
  • teaching here, because I was invited by the organizers (thank you!)
  • not to say? first time testing this teaching format...

• know what will be taught

• know what will be required

• other things to say:

  • encourage that students can learn what is being taught (encouraging examples)

instructor should

• know their audience

introduce the schedule (coffee breaks)

introduce the workshop in total and how your session fits in

introduce ways of giving feedback (sticky notes)

Motivation: why is it important to learn this?

• imagej is still very actively developed
• imagej is the most interactive tool for learning image analysis

Get to know each other

Icebreakers:

• Hobbies
• Proud of in last year
• Nice thing they experienced last year

Learners level

Use etherpad for voting on skill level (send before course).

Table setup

Cabaret might be best (4 people at one table, facing each other).

self introduction:

• name
• here to teach image analysis
• job is to help people with image analysis (biology)
• doing this by running courses like this, but also one-to-one consultancy
• knowledge about microscopy (important to understand the data)
• teaching here, because I was invited by the organizers (thank you!)

motivation:

• cannot publish a picture, thus analysis is important
• imagej is still very actively developed
• imagej is the most interactive tool for learning image analysis
• encourage that students can learn what is being taught (encouraging examples)