The Legacy Cycle: Using How People
Learn with Project Based Instruction in the
College Classroom
Cherie McCollough
Chautauqua Short Course
January 10, 2004
Development of Optics Modules
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Dialogue: Learning Scientists,
Bioengineers, technical support (VaNTH)
Teacher Workshops - further revisions
(VaNTH-PER)
Pilot Studies
Current
implementation
Legacy Challenge: Why Do People
Need Glasses?
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Challenge One: “Why do people need
eyeglasses?”
Challenge Two: Why do more
Grandparents need glasses to read?
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Anatomy and physiology of aging and the eye
How aging affects vision.
Challenge Three: Diamonds, Stars
and Shadows: What are the
principles of light?
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Properties and components of light.
Reflection, refraction, and the light ray.
Challenge Four: Lights, Camera,
Action: What’s happening in
bioengineering?
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Other uses of lenses.
How does the eye work like a camera?
Advancements in optics and bioengineering.
The LEGACY Cycle
A Flexibly Adaptive Instructional
Design
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The Initial Challenge
Look Ahead and Reflect Back
Generate Ideas
Multiple Perspectives
Research and Revise
Test Your Mettle
Go Public
Look Ahead and Reflect Back
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Provides an understanding of the goals,
context, and challenges students will face
Provides a benchmark for reflection and selfassessment
Helps students represent a specific problem as
an example of a larger set of issues
Example: Optics
Look Ahead and Reflect Back:
Student vs. Teacher
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STUDENT:
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What is my challenge?
What is the basic problem and how does that
problem relate to others in this content area?
TEACHER:
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What are the learning goals that students should
meet in this challenge?
What are the content goals that students should
meet in this challenge?
Look Ahead and Reflect Back:
Milestone
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Think about the content area you would like
your Legacy challenge to address.
What are some learning goals you have for
your students in this unit? What are some
content goals?
Write some questions relating to this content
area that could potentially be Legacy
challenges.
Discuss with the group.
Generate Ideas
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Helps students make their own thinking explicit
Helps students see what other students are thinking
Encourages sharing of ideas
Helps teacher assess current state of student
knowledge
Provides students with baseline to more easily see
how much they learn
Example: Optics
Generate Ideas: Student vs. Teacher
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Student:
 What do I already know about this topic?
 What do I want to find out about this topic?
 What do others know?
Teacher:
 What do my students already know about this
topic?
 Are there misconceptions that need to be
addressed?
 What further instruction may be necessary?
Generate Ideas: Milestone
Predict what you think students will
discuss.
 List those ideas
 Discuss with group.
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Multiple Perspectives
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Provides a way to introduce students to vocabulary
and perspectives of experts
Allows students to compare their ideas to expert’s
ideas
Provides guidance on what students need to learn
about
Provides realistic standards of performance
Indicates that multiple perspectives exist in the
domain
Example: Optics
Multiple Perspectives: Student vs.
Teacher
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Student:
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What new information is being presented about
this topic?
How does this information compare with what I
already know?
Teacher:
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What information are students perceiving in
addition to content? Do they recognize different
perspectives? Are they applying realistic standards
of performance to themselves? Do they see the
value of multiple perspectives?
Multiple Perspectives: Milestone
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List some different perspectives that may be
used in your content area/challenge.
Describe what each expert may contribute to
your content area/challenge.
Discuss with group.
Research and Revise
Exploring the Challenge:
 Consult resources
 Collaborate with other students
 Listen to “just-in-time” lectures
 Complete skill-building lessons
 Look at legacies left by other students
 Conduct simulations and hands-on
experiments
 Example: Optics
Research and Revise: Student vs.
Teacher
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Student:
 What more do I need to know to become an
“expert” in this content/challenge area?
 What questions do I still have?
Teacher:
 Are any “just in time” lectures necessary?
 Are students exploring content fully and thinking
deeply?
 Are misconceptions being addressed?
 Are there collaboration/group issues?
Research and Revise: Milestone
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Think of some ideas for resources regarding
your content area/challenge.
Think of strategies to help students as they
research.
Construct a list of the above.
Discuss with group.
Test Your Mettle
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Formative assessment
Wide variety of forms: multiple choice tests,
essays, opportunities to test their designs, etc.
Feedback suggests which resources to consult
to reach target level of understanding
Feedback is motivational
Example: Optics
Test Your Mettle: Student vs.
Teacher
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Student:
 Have I approached a level of expertise in this
content/challenge area?
 Do I have a sufficient level of understanding in
this content/challenge area? If not, what must be
done before proceeding to the next step?
Teacher:
 Have students reached the expected level of
understanding? If not, where are the content gaps?
 Have assessments been motivational and adequate?
 Have misconceptions been addressed?
Test Your Mettle: Milestone
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List some of the criteria you will use for
content mastery and how you will test those
criteria.
What are some activities or problems/projects
that you can include as part of the students’
investigation? List and discuss with group
members.
Go Public
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Makes thinking VISIBLE
Helps students to assess themselves and others
Helps set standards for achievement
Helps students to learn from each other
Motivates students to do well (high stakes)
Example: Optics
Go Public: Student vs. Teacher
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Student:
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What are the standards for achievement in this
content/challenge area? Have I met them?
What are important lessons that I learned and want
to leave to others?
Teacher:
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Were students successful? Why or why not?
What are important lessons that I learned and want
to leave for myself and others?
Following completion of Legacy
Cycle:
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Return to Look Ahead and Reflect Back and
see how much has been learned (benchmark) –
shows the payoff for perseverance
Focuses on the process and content learned –
can make CD that contains their solutions and
legacies, provides a review
Helps students decide what legacies will be
most useful to others
Teachers should also leave legacies
Websites of Interest
www.VaNTH.org
Information regarding VaNTH
 www.ece.utexas.edu/bell/newLegacy
The optics website (case sensitive)
 http://www.ece.utexas.edu/bell/newLegacy/
evolution/evintro.html
 http://www.engr.panam.edu/~mgonzale/legacy
_cycle.htm
Jumping Jack Legacy Cycle
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