teaching by using Gallery Walk

Definition :

Gallery Walk is a discussion technique that gets students out of their chairs and into a mode of active engagement. The advantage of the method is its flexibility and the variety of benefits for students and instructor alike. A Gallery Walk can be conducted with computers (a "Computer Run"), with pieces of paper on tables, or with posted chart paper. It can be scheduled for fifteen minutes (a "Gallery Run") or for several class periods. For students it's a chance to share thoughts in a more intimate, supportive setting rather than a larger, anonymous class. For instructors, it's a chance to gauge the depth of student understanding of particular concepts and to challenge misconceptions. Below is a short summary on how to conduct a Gallery Walk. For a more complete set of instructions on how to conduct a Gallery Walk, Computer Run, or Gallery Run see Step by Step Instructions.

The strengths :

Gallery Walk is flexible and has many benefits. Gallery Walk can be organized for a simple fifteen minute ice breaker or for a week long project involving graded oral and written reports. The technique encourages students to speak and write the language of earth science rather than just hearing it from the instructor. In addition to addressing a variety of cognitive skills involving analysis, evaluation, and synthesis, Gallery Walk has the additional advantage of promoting cooperation, listening skills, and team building.

1. Acts as an ice breaker because students need to interact with classmates and the instructor when debating responses at each Gallery Walk "station"; and
2. Dedicates time for students to practice discussing, debating, organizing, and writing the language of earth science rather than just hearing ideas presented by the instructor;
3. Emphasizes the collaborative, constructed nature of knowledge because students work in teams to synthesize information written from a variety of perspectives (Taylor, 2001); Learn more about cooperative learning
4. Encourages alternative approaches to problems, because students are exposed to a variety of perspectives posted at different discussion "stations" (Taylor, P. 2001);
5. Encourages movement around classroom as groups move from "station" to "station", interrupting the lethargy that sometimes results from being seated for long periods.
6. Promotes team building, fosters debate, and encourages consensus as students work together to accurately represent group member's ideas at different Gallery Walk "stations;"
7. Promotes the use of higher order thinking skills like analysis, evaluation, and synthesis when faculty choose the proper level of abstraction when designing questions; Learn more about creating questions for Gallery Walk using Bloom's Taxonomy
8. Provides an opportunity to gauge prior knowledge, skills, and misconceptions. The existing conceptual framework of students can be challenged and, if faulty, corrected during the "report out" phase of the Gallery Walk; Learn more about common student misconceptions in the earth sciences
9. Reassures students that their voices, ideas, and experiences are valued because students are more likely to share ideas among a non threatening group of peers (Taylor, P. 2001).

How to Use :

In Gallery Walk student teams rotate to provide bulleted answers to questions posted on charts arranged around the classroom. After three to five minutes at a chart or "station" the team rotates to the next question. Gallery Walk works best with open ended questions, that is, when a problem, concept, issue, or debate can be analyzed from several different perspectives. In this section find a variety of instructional resources such as preparing students for this technique, a step by step guide for using Gallery Walk, evaluation rubrics, and challenges in implementing the technique.

1. The instructor prepares several discussion questions. Student teams in a Gallery Walk typically number three to five. So, for a class of twenty write four to five questions. For larger classes either write more questions or repeat the same set of four to five questions, posting the same question set in different sections of the class. Questions can gauge knowledge and comprehension or can tap higher order thinking skills involving analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. For tips on preparing questions see Developing Questions for Gallery Walk to Engage Higher Order Thinking.
2. Questions are posted on different "stations" on classroom walls, placed on pieces of paper on desks in different locations around class, or typed on different computers. Plan on sufficient space for groups to congregate and discuss questions.
3. At each posted question a student team reviews what previous groups have written and adds new content. After a short period of time, say three to five minutes but the exact time will depend upon the nature of the question, say "rotate." The group then rotates, clockwise, to the next station. The rotation continues until all posted questions are addressed.
4. As students discuss questions, the instructor can circulate around the classroom, clarifying questions, gauging student understanding, and addressing misconceptions. Write down any misconceptions or lapses in student understanding and address these problems before the end of the exercise. In such a way, Gallery Walk becomes a valuable tool for informal assessment. For more information see Assessing Gallery Walk.
5. When the group returns to the station where it started, the group synthesizes comments and makes an oral report, the "reports out" phase of Gallery Walk," to the class. This stage of the Gallery Walk is a great chance for involving the entire class in discussion and to address misconceptions. Group or individual written reports can be completed in lieu of oral reports.

References

Fasse, B. and Kolodner, J. 2000. Evaluating Classroom Practices Using Qualitative Research Methods: Defining and Refining the Process, In B. Fishman & S. O'Connor-Divelbiss (Eds.), (pp. 193-198). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Fourth International Conference of the Learning Sciences.

Holbrook, J. and Kolodner, J. 2000. Scaffolding the Development of an Inquiry-Based (Science) Classroom, In B. Fishman & S. O'Connor-Divelbiss (Eds.), (pp. 221-227). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Fourth International Conference of the Learning Sciences.

Kolodner, J. 2004. Facilitating the Learning of Design Practices: Lessons Learned from an Inquiry into Science Education, Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, Vol 39, n3, p1-31.

Kolodner, J. and Gray, J. 2000. Facilitating the Learning of Design Practices: Lessons Learned from an Inquiry into Science Education, In B. Fishman & S. O'Connor-Divelbiss (Eds.), (pp. 221-227). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Fourth International Conference of the Learning Sciences.

Taylor, P. 2001. Gallery Walk (more info) , 3 October 2004.  This page explains how a gallery walk can be used as a first-day exercise in order to determine prior knowledge, encourage debate, and introduce students to one another.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2004. Gallery Walk: Lesson 4 of 9 (more info) , Accessed 4 Oct. 2004. A lesson plan for a gallery walk involving students' mathematical projects. Although the plan is written for a high school math class, it can easily be adapted to the geosciences. It challenges students to think critically about each other's work and helps students verbalize information they've previously represented on paper.

Hopkins, G. 2004. Proper Noun Gallery Walk Activity (more info) , Accessed 3 Oct. 2004This activity asks students to categorize proper nouns in a gallery walk format. Students are divided into small groups and challenged to list items within a category. The responses are then displayed and compared to see how items have been categorized.