Twisted Instruction

 

Developed by Valdosta State University faculty Dr. Emily Cantonwine, Professor of Biology, and Dr. Gwen Scott Ruttencutter, Assistant Professor of Adult Learning & Development, Twisted Instruction © (2024) is a student-student pedagogical approach that models the inquiry and practice of professionals.  

WHY THE “TWIST”?  

Twisted Instruction invites learners to actively co-construct disciplinary knowledge and professional practices by transforming learners from passive receivers of information to members of a community of practice, as they develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities emblematic of the profession. The method trains students to approach learning with a professional mindset, which results in increased confidence in the discipline and an improved sense of professional identity.

WHAT ARE THE “TWISTS?”  

Twist on the purpose of the course, moving from concept attainment and twisting toward professional practice  

Twist on the instructor positionality, moving from knowledge-holder and twisting toward partner-in-learning  

Twist on the learner positionality, moving from a passive recipient of information and twisting toward a more self-directed learner developing a professional identity    

GENESIS OF THE TWIST   

Trained in cooperative learning and inquiry-based learning, Dr. Cantonwine has been experimenting with her pedagogical approaches and instructional methods at Valdosta State University since 2007. Although much of her teaching has been oriented toward student-centered instruction and fostering professional identity, including a set of laboratory activities shared in a 2014 publication in Plant Health Instructor, Twisted Instruction as a method remained uncharacterized until a recent collaboration with Gwen Ruttencutter. Dr. Cantonwine unveiled the Twisted Instruction approach in an invited talk at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Mycological Society of America.

Students have reported an improved sense of science, greater awareness of conceptual interconnections, enhanced intrinsic motivation, and increased confidence with noncognitive skills.

If you want to learn more about Twisted Instruction, contact Emily Cantonwine or Gwen Ruttencutter.

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