Sunk Cost Bias in Education (and Life)

I have enjoyed listening to the book Essentialism. The Disciplined Pursuit of Less By Greg McKeown over the last week. Many ideas have challenged my thinking, but one that I want to act on is a relatively well-known theory - The Sunk Cost Bias. 

The Sunk Cost Fallacy is explained on Freakonomics as;
 A “sunk cost” is just what it sounds like: time or money you’ve already spent. The sunk-cost fallacy is when you tell yourself that you can’t quit because of all that time or money you spent. We shouldn’t fall for this fallacy, but we do it all the time.

I found it remarkably easy to think of times I have falling to this fallacy. I guess like anything when you are aware of a problem you are halfway towards a solution, so I write this post to aide my awareness (and yours...);

1. Do you pay more to maintain technology than you would pay to purchase it if you did not own it? E.g. spending hundreds on technicians servicing computers that you would not purchase in their current condition for more than $50 if you did not own them. 

The hard thing about this is research has proven we value things we own more than things we do not own. So we may only be prepared to sell something we already own for $200 - but if we did not own it we may only be prepared to buy it for $100. 
Counter: Ask yourself how much money you would spend if you walked into a store to purchase the item before you commit to spending more on its 
maintenance. 

2. Do you spend money on a service or product because 'you know how to use it now' or you spent a long time setting it up? When a product or service is complicated to set up and learn I believe you are far less likely to move away from it - even if it is no longer meeting your needs. Any product in which individual accounts have been created for every student seems to stick around longer in schools than products with minimal user input - which seems completely counter-productive; but if you have invested time in setting something up you often want to 'reap the rewards' even when the ship has long since sailed.

This is the reason so many companies offer 'free trials'. They know that once you have invested your time into learning their system you are likely to use it.
Counter: Balance the time you will save with the superior product - and acknowledge that time spent on the old product served its purpose and probably provided you with transferable skills. Understand that ongoing commitments to services, ideas or products should depend on their continuing usefulness - not their past history.

3. Do you persist on using an idea you have spent lots of time with - even when it does not work effectively? I was once part of a group that spent alot of time with an external facilitator on an Inquiry Learner Model. The more time we spent with the facilitators model, the more we knew it did not met our needs; but the more time we spent the harder it was to let go of - after all we had invested so much time!
Counter: Chances are there will be takeaways from any learning - even if you ultimately do not fully subscribe to the ideas. Recognise that knowing what you do not want is just as important as knowing what you do want.

4. Do you use technology for no purpose - because you previously spent money on it and time to learn? I often wonder why teachers can fall into the Substitute trap (i.e.  SAMR model). Thinking of the Sunk Cost Bias it makes some sense, time and money has been invested in this new device - so it needs to be utilised now - even if it is not achieving anything beyond what pen and paper could.  A classic example is seeing calculators being utilised on devices - even though a set of class calculators has gathered dust on the shelf for years before the shiny new device was brought in!
Counter: Utilise the Sunk Cost Bias productively by having teachers spend some time learning something new; be it attending a conference in the school holidays or joining in a twitter chat. Know that by investing some time we will be more likely to invest further time - no one wants to invest something and see no rewards from it! 

5. Do you continue with a lesson/idea/project - even when the students have lost engagement? When you have spent hours over the holidays planning the most amazing learning for your students but the students do not share your enthusiasm....how easy do you find it to flag the concept, talk to your students about alternative ideas and forget about the late nights you spent researching ideas and developing resources? 
Counter: Don't spend hours planning something for others, thinking that your excitements means others will also be excited! And if you still find yourself in this situation, remember you cannot reclaim your time! 

Be proud to admit your mistakes - and have an honest conversation with your learners to show that you have a Growth Mindset.

I have been binge thinking about #bingelearning

While writing my 'Neflix Generation' post I become more and more interested in the concept of Binge Learning, so much so I decided it needs its own post...

What is Binge Learning?
To define Binge Learning, you first need to define binge-watching. Cue Wikipedia; "Binge-watching, also called binge-viewing, is the practice of watching television for longer time spans than usual, usually of a single television show". Therefore my definition is;

Binge Learning is the practice of learning content for longer time spans than usual. 

When is Binge Learning effective?
Binge learning is usually not 'cramming for an exam'. The difference lies in the why you are binging. I once watched the BBC for 4 hours while waiting for a plane - why? I was a captive audience, there was no other channel. Binge learning should be something the learner is fully immersed in - they do not want the learning to end. 

By definition, Binge learning is any learning that continues for a longer time than normal. It may be as simple as flagging writing as the students are so gripped in solving a question in maths - or as complex as an entire term in a completely integrated topic about 'flying'.

So, why Binge Learn? 

1. Binge watching and learning means you do not forget what happened last time, making the viewing/learning more enjoyable. 
2. It allows for more complex storylines/learning. If a viewer/learner has to wait a week between shows/lessons the emphasise then becomes on either catching them up with the action or having episodes/lessons that sit in complete isolation (they can be viewed/taught without any previous knowledge). This leads to shows and lessons that are, to be kind, simple. One off shows/lessons may be enjoyable enough at the time, but you are probably not likely to lye awake at night thinking about them!
3. Binge watching/learning is more exciting as you know your learning/viewing will not come to an abrupt stop. I feel this allows you to 'let go' more and become emotionally invested in the viewing/leaning.
4. Time is not an issue. So often in our learning, time becomes a barrier. It may even be the reason we use to many closed and not enough open questions in our teaching. Binge learning allows us to throw away the clock and focus on the learning - no matter how long it takes. Not worrying about time also allows students who may be slow to pick up a new concept - but fast to apply concepts learnt - a chance to succeed.
5. Better lesson design. Often our lesson planning restricts around chunks of time, so our thinking as to possibilities stays within these windows. Planning for Binge learning means we can get more creative - we can allow for more options for students and free ourselves up to support individuals more effectively. One of the aspirations of Binge learning should be to have students emotionally invested in their learning. To do this, we need to plan exciting and relevant tasks. Binge lesson cannot truly occur with worksheets!

Want to set up Binge Learning for you students? The conditions to help make Binge Learning happen are;

Content that is relevant and engaging ....to the point that the learner is emotionally invested in it. To really have the learner emotionally invested, you may need to have a 'so what' or 'action to take' outcome in your learning. 

The content is all there for the learner. Binge learning can not take place with a worksheet. Why? Worksheets end - like an old school TV show. Just as Netflix releases the entire season of a TV series, we need to release entire 'units of work'. Giving learners all the content at once would have created a huge 'paper monster' with 30 'baby paper monsters' in the past. With the advent of devices, content can now be made available through a series of online resources that students can navigate through at their own pace. 

Take them on a journey. The most popular 'binge watching shows' are those that have story-lines that flow into each other like chapters in a book. Likewise, to design Binge Learning we need to 'map out' the learning. Pose some questions or a problem, alongside some tools and resources that will guide thinking. Watching TV is not as fun when you know what happens - likewise telling the learner what is going to happen (and when we finish you will make a video about ...) is not as gripping. 

#bingelearning. The Netflix Generation.

Recently I realised that I had not watched more than a few hours of live TV all year. Only 5 years earlier I would have returned home from work to turn the TV on in time for the news (OK - maybe Home and Away at 5:30...) and the TV would have been on until I went to bed. Where has the 5 hours+ per night of TV watching gone? I would love to say solely into more productive pursuits, but mainly it has gone to Online TV streaming services. The interesting (exciting) thing is my 5 hour a night habit is now more like a 1 hour a night habit. I genuinely look forward to it and actually gain pleasure from it - a big shift from the 'flick through until I found the best of whatever's on' years.

I believe there are some parallels with teaching to my (our) new TV viewing habits;

Modern TV Watching	Modern Classroom Learning
Binge Watching. Viewers becoming so engrossed in a show they continue it for the entire day/week rather than stop watching after 45 minutes to move onto the next show.	Binge Learning. Students becoming so engrossed in a concept they continue it for the entire day/week rather than stop learning after 45 minutes to move onto the next lesson.
Flexible Viewing. Viewers watching content when it suits them through the use of on demand services. They can pause, rewind and repeat shows through the use of technology.	Flexible Learning. Students learning content when it suits them through the use of flipped classrooms and flexible timetables. They can pause, rewind and repeat learning through the use of technology.
Passion Viewing. Viewers get deeply involved in the shows they watch - they follow news feeds about them, tweet and blog. They make connections with other like-minded individuals to deepen their understanding of the show (e.g. GoT fever)	Passion Projects. Learners get deeply involved in the lessons they engage in - they follow news feeds, tweet and blog. They make connections with other like-minded individuals to deepen their understanding of the learning.
Personalised Viewing. Viewing habits are monitored and suggestions and recommendations given based on their individual interests and history of shows watched. Feedback after each show is seeked to better understand the viewer.	Personalised Learning. Students learning is monitored and suggestions and recommendations given based on their individual interests and history of learning. Feedback after each lesson is seeked to better understand the learner.
Viewer Agency. The viewer has choice in what they watch - they are not restricted to what’s on - they can make their own decisions around their viewing. The viewer is able to use technology to create their own show and share with the world.	Student Agency. The student has choice in what they learn- they are not restricted to what’s on - they can make their own decisions around their learning. The learner is able to use technology to create their own lessons and share with the world.

2014 Study...

Digital Badges - Part 1 of 3. Setting up Digital Badges.

This post is intended to be the first of three posts about Digital Badges. 
Part 1 is the 'How' Part 2 the 'Why' and Part 3 the 'Outcomes'. I am writing the 'How' before the 'Why' as I am still grappling with an idea - "Do Digital Badges led to extrinsic motivation and fixed mindsets'? (would love anyone's opinion on this)....

Digital Badges are 'Brownie Badges for your Blog'. They could be for any achievement; from completing Triathlons to Learning a musical instrument. Here is my recommended process of how students can earn these badges.

1) Explain the concept of Digital Badges to your students (maybe bring a Girl Guide/Brownie/Scout uniform to show 'old school badges') Have students brainstorm a list of what badges could be awarded for. This list does not have to be definitive. I had 3 criteria for my students;

1. It has to be an achievement that is accessible to anyone i.e. winning a musical scholarship for 10 year old is accessible to all 10 year olds as any 10 year old could apply. Riding the tallest rollers coaster at Disneyland is an achievement - but not everyone has the opportunity to do this.
2. It has to be able to be self-managed by students. By this I mean students need to be able to know if they have achieved this, so a 'kindest person in the class award' is not appropriate as it would require others (teacher) to determine. Having 20 'gems' in your writing book can be self managed though, as the teacher indicates these in their feedback and students can count them.
3. It has to be measurable. 'Being good at cricket' is not measurable. 'Being in a Rep Team for cricket' is.

2) Have student make badges. I used www.openbadges.me as it works with our students iPads and Chromebooks and is pretty easy. You could also use Google Drawing or Paper and Pen (then take a photo). You only want one student making each badge, so have students write their name or cross out ideas as they begin to create their badge.

3) Store badges in a shared location or have students share badges with you. This is where my method splits into 3 methods.. 

Method 1 (quick and easy) is to have all the badges stored in one Google Drive folder that is shared with all students. 
Method 2 (requires some work from the teacher - but may be essential) Is to have all the badges, along with a description of how to achieve them, on a Class Website/Blog.
If you are all about quick and easy jump down to Step 5!

Method 3 (slower, but with more transparency) is to have students share the badges with you, then....

4) Create a Google Form for each badge. See the form example below. The main purpose for having a form is so a teacher can look at the 'Google spreadsheet' that the form automatically creates and quickly see students that have been awarded badges. The Google Form collects students login name, adding extra transparency to the process. Overall, I feel that the form makes students take more responsibility than simply having a folder they can access and download badges from - but really depends on the students as to what method to use!

Forms would then need to be embedded or linked from a central location (your class blog/website) for students to see what badges are available.
Here is a link to a live form to see how they look.

5) Let students Save the badges and upload to their Blog. At any time, students can go to the shared folder or Blog/Website that hosts the 'Badge Forms' or 'Badge Images and descriptions' and save/copybadges. They will then need to upload/paste the Badge Image into a Blog Post or Digital Portfolio.

My expectation is that some reflection needs to be included when students post their badges to their own blog. e.g. "Here is my Eco-Warrior badge for being part of the Eco-Warrior team in 2015. I am proud to be in this team as a lot of students wanted to be in it. I am also proud because I think the work we do is really important, like composting and recycling".

Do you teach Science? Or Inquiry?

Recently I had a conversation with an on-to-it 10 year old about school. 

They stated they 'did not do' Science at school.

On the surface this may be concerning, but it went deeper - this student was in the middle of an Inquiry with a heavy Science focus. 

When I asked this student what their favourite subject at school they answered 'Inquiry'. Why? 'I like the experiments we do and learning about real things'. 

Obviously this student was learning about key scientific principles - but had no idea this was Science. Maybe this is just semantics but I see this as a problem.

Before I continue I would like to point out I have no issue with an Inquiry Learning approach. With this statement in mind, here are my Top 5 reasons we should stop calling our Science/Social Studies/Arts subjects 'Inquiry'.

1. Making Connections. Adults talk about Science and History - kids bundle all these things into a 'subject' named Inquiry (see above). This makes it harder for students to make connections with the world outside of the classroom.

2. It's a Learning approach - not a Subject! Only calling some subject areas 'Inquiry' and not others implies (to teachers and students) that the Inquiry approach to learning only lends itself to certain subjects. This is wrong. Why not call Maths 'Inquiry'? PE 'Inquiry'? I know many teachers use an Inquiry approach for these subjects, but imagine if every time we did an Inquiry process in Maths we stopped teaching Maths and started teaching 'Inquiry'.

3. Subject Bias. By removing the word 'Science' from our teacher vocabulary (just look at any primary teachers planning to see how hard it is to spot this word) we emphasise subject importance to our students. Of course our students struggle in Science - they don't even know it is a subject! Every 7 year old could explain what they learn in Maths - ask them what they learn in Science...

4. Further Subject Bias. Maths and English is put on such a pedestal that we even tell students what area of the subject we are learning e.g. Geometry, Narratives, Statistics etc. I have yet to see a primary school teacher (including myself) put on their timetable Chemistry, Sociology or Physics. Are we teaching these things? Absolutely. Can young children learn the various sub-areas of Science and Social Studies? Of course - they do for Maths and English.

5. Is it even always Inquiry? To me, unless the students are going through some sort of 'Inquiry cycle' it is not really Inquiry Learning.

I will put my head on the block and say that I taught a 2 week integrated unit about Waitangi Day and wrote 'Inquiry' on the board every afternoon. Did we have a true Inquiry process? No. We went through some Inquiry aspects - but no more than what I would in Maths or Reading.

Maybe if I had have written 'History' on the board for 2 weeks a Grandfather may have seen it and offered to talk about his experiences, or a seed may have been planted for a child that they enjoyed learning about something called 'History' that stuck with them. Maybe a child would have made a connection with the outside world and realised the 'History channel' on TV was relevant to something they are learning at school...

So, lets either stop calling it 'Inquiry' or start calling every subject 'Inquiry'. The name of a subject holds more importance than we give it credit.