Quick Overview of Lesson Study
The Lesson Study Process
Lesson study has four phases:
- Goal Setting and Planning (Identify goals for student learning thinking and engagement; plan instruction designed to "bring to life" these goals in the context of a class period.)
- Research Lesson (One team member teaches the lesson while other team members collect data on student thinking learning, engagement, behavior, etc.)
- Analysis of Lesson (Share and analyze data collected from class; evaluate whether and how goals for student learning were fostered; propose changes to improve student learning in the class.)
- Revision and Consolidation (Refine and re-teach the lesson, and study it again; write a final report that describes how to teach the lesson, explains the student data and reflects on what students and instructors learned.)
Final Report Guidelines
By focusing on student learning, Lesson Study can improve your teaching practice as well as the practice of teaching in your field. Although your work may result in other types of publications, this report is an important way to document and communicate what your team has developed and discovered through Lesson Study. These reports, collected together, will serve as an accessible knowledge base for college instructors, particularly those teaching similar subjects, lessons, or students. Ideally, your report will provide readers with enough information to teach the lesson and understand how and why it affects student learning.
Interested in Trying Lesson Study?
We are providing support for groups of instructors to try Lesson Study during the 2004-2005 academic year, including resource material and consultations. All you need is a group of at least three instructors (3-6) willing to meet regularly during the academic year—to design, teach, observe and refine a single lesson for a course in your field.
For more information, please contact Bill Cerbin, (608) 785-6881 or cerbin.will@uwlax.edu