Just in Time Teaching

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Scot Simkins and Mark H.Maier.2010. Just in Time Teaching. Across The Disciplines. Across The Academy.Stylus Publishing, Sterling, Virginia.

Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) is a pedagogical approach that requires students to answer questions related to an upcoming class a few hours beforehand, using an online course management system. While the phrase “just in time” may evoke shades of slap-dash work and cut corners, JiTT pedagogy is just the opposite. It helps students to view learning as a process that takes time, introspection, and persistence. 

Students who experience JiTT come to class better prepared, and report that it helps to focus and organize their out-of-class studying. Their responses to JiTT questions make gaps in their learning visible to the teacher prior to class, enabling him or her to address learning gaps while the material is still fresh in students’ minds – hence the label “just in time.”

What is a Roundhouse Diagram?

Roundhouse Diagram is a graphic-based organizer used by teachers and students to plan, memorize and reflect. The technique is based on George Miller’s psychological research of the magical number seven (+ or – 2). (Pavel Samsonov, Robin McCartney, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA.2010)

George Miller

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/us/george-a-miller-cognitive-psychology-pioneer-dies-at-92.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Roundhouse is actually a story map constructed by the learner and from the learners’ perspective. It is sequentially designed connecting pictures to concepts that relate within a schema based on the content being addressed. Therefore information is internalized and not memorized.

Roundhouse has mainly been used with science content due to its abstract nature. Students must plan, diagram and reflect in order to complete the process. Roundhouse is a fun and innovative instructional tool. (McCartney Robin, Pavel Samsonov, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA.20110)