From examples to concepts: A strategy for deeper learning
Session Type
Workshop
Room
Physics and Astronomy, room 150
Start Date
16-7-2025 11:00 AM
End Date
16-7-2025 12:00 PM
Keywords
Inferential learning, Card sorts, Key concepts, Learning From Examples, Discussion, Engagement, Critical Thinking, Biology, What is Life?
Primary Threads
Teaching and Learning Science
Abstract
What strategies are most effective in guiding learners toward a deep understanding of key concepts in your course? This workshop introduces an inferential learning approach in which students examine carefully selected examples and counterexamples to refine their own understanding, fostering more durable and transferable learning. To model the strategy, participants will engage in small teams with a classroom-tested activity to develop a collaborative definition of “life”—a foundational yet surprisingly complex concept in biology. After engaging in the activity, participants will discuss these strategies from a teaching perspective: What concepts in their own disciplines might benefit from this approach? What makes a strong set of examples? Facilitators will share insights from their own use of this method in different teaching contexts and suggestions for how to adapt it across a range of subjects. Participants will leave with access to instructions for developing an inferential learning activity as well as student hand-outs and an educator guide. This “What is Life?” activity was developed by HHMI BioInteractive, which is a part of the independent, non-profit scientific research foundation Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and provides free, high-quality resources for life science education. This session is ideal for educators looking to deepen conceptual understanding in their courses, encourage student collaboration, and expand their teaching toolkit with adaptable, evidence-based strategies.
Elements of Engagement
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After an introduction to the activity, pedagogical approaches, and transferability of the strategies, participants will work in groups of 3-4 to examine examples of living things. Their goal will be to identify what is common across all examples. Different teams will work from different examples. In person, this will be done with paper cards; online, this will be done through digital documents and breakout rooms.
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Participants will then be given examples of non-living things and asked to determine whether their budding definition of life would include or exclude these items. They will be asked to refine their definition. Again, each team will be given different examples to work from.
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This is followed by a whole workshop session where each group presents their definition of life. As each team presents their definition, other teams share whether the examples that they have been working from would work with the presenters’ definition or whether the definition may need revisions. Throughout this process, the whole group is working towards a definition of life.
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Once participants have engaged fully in the activity, an educator's perspective is employed for discussion. Facilitators will begin by sharing how they have adapted this activity in their own classrooms. Participants will be given time to reflect on their own course and consider which of these different ways of facilitating the activity is best for their context.
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Small groups from similar fields will then be formed, providing educators a chance to discuss how to select examples to create their own activity in their discipline. These groups will identify potentially suitable examples and counterexamples to use for such an activity in their discipline.
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Finally, the co-facilitators will lead a whole group conversation about employing similar activities, considerations for the classroom, and how to address common areas of struggle.
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From examples to concepts: A strategy for deeper learning
Physics and Astronomy, room 150
What strategies are most effective in guiding learners toward a deep understanding of key concepts in your course? This workshop introduces an inferential learning approach in which students examine carefully selected examples and counterexamples to refine their own understanding, fostering more durable and transferable learning. To model the strategy, participants will engage in small teams with a classroom-tested activity to develop a collaborative definition of “life”—a foundational yet surprisingly complex concept in biology. After engaging in the activity, participants will discuss these strategies from a teaching perspective: What concepts in their own disciplines might benefit from this approach? What makes a strong set of examples? Facilitators will share insights from their own use of this method in different teaching contexts and suggestions for how to adapt it across a range of subjects. Participants will leave with access to instructions for developing an inferential learning activity as well as student hand-outs and an educator guide. This “What is Life?” activity was developed by HHMI BioInteractive, which is a part of the independent, non-profit scientific research foundation Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and provides free, high-quality resources for life science education. This session is ideal for educators looking to deepen conceptual understanding in their courses, encourage student collaboration, and expand their teaching toolkit with adaptable, evidence-based strategies.