Dr. John Woolcock - Teaching Philosophy

What is your philosophy about how and why learning occurs?*

  • Learning is when knowledge is constructed by connecting new information to an existing framework of ideas and experiences.
  • Learning is enhanced when cognitive dissonance is promoted and then opportunities are provided for the student to regain his/her equilibrium by constructing new knowledge.
  • Learning is directed toward either survival goals or toward those things that have immediate and long term value.
  • Learning is enhanced in a positive, supportive environment.
  • Learning is enhanced when the four major variables that affect it are manipulated and engineered to act in a concerted fashion. These variables are: the characteristics of the learner (background, motivation, etc.), the nature or purpose of the learning activities used (why is this important to learn), the nature of the evaluation items used (how learning is measured) and the structure and content of the course material.

How can a teacher intervene in the learning process?*

  • The teacher should try to change the students orientation from being a passive recipient to being an active generator of their own knowledge.
  • The teacher should provide a variety of learning opportunities that utilize or build on student learning strengths.
  • The teacher should give the students some insight and understanding their own thought and learning processes.
  • The teacher should present specific concepts, operations and vocabulary required by the course by organizing it and connecting it to the students previous knowledge or experience.
  • The teacher should communicate high levels of expectations for learning but also provide appropriate support so that student may meet these expectations.

What major goals do you have for the students in your courses?

  • I want them to learn by doing.
  • I want to help them develop the skills they need to excel in science and chemistry.
  • I want to celebrate their successes and empathize with their failures.
  • I want to help each student create their own inner drive to learn.

How do you try to help them achieve the major goals you have described?

  • I try to encourage active learning both in the classroom and when the student is studying alone. I use a variety of in-class activities and provide various study aid such as “guided reading” that is designed to help students be more active as they read a text.
  • I try to help them develop the skills they need by providing detailed lists of learning objectives, by helping them classify the types of course content (so that they can use the an effective learning strategy for each type), by having them write out how they answered each exercise (a problem strategy) and by constructing exams to asses the skills they have developed**.
  • I try to give them an opportunity to share their successes and shortcomings in learning by including in my class meetings "learning checks" or ConcepTest and other in-class activities such as guided demonstrations, group worksheets, etc. that we review and discuss in class.
  • I try to communicate my excitement about the course and the scientific value of each concept so that the students will develop their own passion for learning.

*Reference: The Chemistry Classroom by J. Dudley Herron, American Chemical Society, 1996.

**Reference: How to Survive (and Even Excel) in General Chemistry" by Elizabeth Kean and Catherine Middlecamp, McGraw Hill, 1994.

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