If you ever wanted to officially learn how to implement POGIL activities in your classroom - now is your chance! The POGIL Project is offering a Virtual 1-day Fundamentals of POGIL Workshop this Saturday, February 5th from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. Register here: LINK. If you can't make this session, there are two more offered on May 17th and 18th. Register here: LINK.
POGIL (Process Orientated Guided Inquiry Learning) is a student-centered learning pedagogy where students work in teams to construct their understanding of a concept by analyzing and discussing data-rich models. The teacher serves as a facilitator to help guide students towards scientifically correct understanding. While a POGIL activity is printed on paper like a worksheet, it is much, much more! Students take on roles like manager, recorder, presenter, and reflector to ensure their group runs efficiently with maximum participation. These groups of students analyze very carefully crafted "models" of scientific concepts. These models often include visuals or data highlighting key misconceptions. Guided by a series of guided inquiry questions, students analyze these models using patterns, interpolation, extrapolation, as well as comparing and contrasting to develop their understanding of the concept. At key parts of the activity, students are asked to present their ideas and problem-solving techniques to the class and the teacher facilitates the student discourse, guiding the discussion through questioning techniques to a scientifically-sound conceptual understanding. During a POGIL activity, my classroom is bustling with discussions, student whiteboarding, and presentations and switches back and forth multiple times from small group to whole group discussion. Students are analyzing the POGIL models to understand the concept and not me (the instructor). It is a fun way to teach and develops problem-solvers! Over the years I have found myself "POGIL-izing" almost every lesson I do. I attended my first POGIL workshop in 2006 at Purdue's BCCE Conference and have not looked back. Over my years of teaching, this is the one pedagogy that has "stuck"! If you have not tried POGIL, I would recommend checking it out!
Find out more at the POGIL Project Website: https://pogil.org/. Official POGIL activities can be ordered from the Flinn Scientific Website: https://www.flinnpogil.com/.