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Written by Nick Bacon | nick.bacon@uamaker.nyc
Problem
Students sometimes ask for excessive 1:1 assistance even on problems that are already explained both orally and in codified skill sheets. While I am happy to help, I also recognize that a pedagogical goal we all have is to help students learn how to solve problems independently so that they are better prepared to do so during adulthood. The problem of solicitation for excessive assistance is compounded on days when students are doing multi-step problems where skills are spread out over multiple lessons/skill sheets. Such students, anecdotally, also tend to do worse on performance tasks, where 1:1 assistance cannot be given in the same way as during lessons. I had the idea to create abbreviated skill sheets targeted to multi-step problems or performance tasks, in hopes that the condensed/targeted information would make it easier for students to be more self-reliant and ask for less 1:1 help.
Hypothesis
If students utilize a single abbreviated skill sheet to solve problems that typically require use of multiple skill sheets, then they will require less 1:1 assistance , as measured by success on benchmarks/performance tasks for which 1:1 assistance is not given (i.e. when scores are most directly tied to self-reliance).
Target group
Period A has one of the higher rates of needing assistance and one of the lower average benchmark/PT grades. They could benefit the most from increased independence.
Planning & resources
Data collection
Data collection
Baseline data
Examining typical performance task grades before the use of ‘super’ skill sheets and comparing them to those after with key attention to students who typically ask for lots of 1:1 help. See the baseline data doc to the right!
Measuring success
I looked at performance on a like-band in performance tasks.
Bacon Baseline Data for 2022-2023 Part 2 of InquiryOverall findings & impact
There were hiccups, including submission differentials that made any conclusion based on comparing grades somewhat dubious. However, the data, even if flawed, was supportive overall. While I did not explicitly measure questioning rates, I did find that by the final performance tasks, the experience of being called over to answer content-related questions had been substantially reduced, anecdotally.
Actionable steps
If you want to use this strategy in your classroom, I recommend …
Using skill sheets as a supplement rather than a primary instructional strategy, working the skill sheet components into a PT itself, preteaching how to use it, and having students play a part in creating skill sheets (but with filled in versions available for students with absences).
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