A related challenge was Professor JB’s ability to identify
a manageable number of concepts to teach. She recognized
the need to focus on fewer concepts and reorganize course
content accordingly, thus enabling her students to be more
focused. Professor JB felt that she was most successful in designing
and implementing Connect activities that provided
her students with a personal connection to course concepts,
and eventually to the content to be taught. Although in the
past she had created some interesting activities, none of these
were nearly as powerful as those she designed using 4MAT.
For example, she introduced a unit on worldview by having
the students’ examine characteristics of volcanoes, salad
dressing, and bread. She felt strongly that these types of
activities provided her students with a solid foundation for
learning.