The nature of learning

1. The nature of learning Reinventing Education Week 3 Will Curtis

2. Initial questions… Tell the person next to you about a positive and a negative learning experience you have had (this may be in a formal or informal setting) Discuss the following: • Do your stories share anything in common? • What do these experiences tell you about yourself/each other as learners? • What might they tell you about learning more generally?

3. Behaviourism…. • Dominant for much of 20th century – esp. Pavlov and Skinner • Emphasis on observable qualities of learning – ie.behaviour – not internal, mental processes • Key concepts: • Classical and operant conditioning • Positive and negative reinforcement

4. Cognitivism…. • Esp. Piaget • Learning as a journey through stages of (relatively fixed) development • Thinking processes develop through maturation, activity and social interaction • Emphasis on learning as an internal mental process of organisation and adaption

5. Piaget’s ‘stages of cognitive development’ From: http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/devel/ibank/image/0033.jpg

6. Humanism…. • Esp. Rogers, Maslow • Emphasis on the learner as a unique person with needs, interests, feelings • Significance of relationships, personal growth, safety, self-esteem, freedom and ‘self-actualisation’

7. Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs’ http://theskooloflife.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/maslows-hierarchy.gif

8. Constructivism… • A very, very broad range of ideas, theorists – can be prefixed with ‘cognitive’ (Piaget), ‘critical’, ‘communal’, ‘pragmatic’ and, most commonly, ‘social’….. • Share the idea that learning is a social activity, dependent on interactions and social contexts • Vygotsky and Bruner are the key figures

9. Social constructivism….. “teaching should promote experiences that require students to become active, scholarly participators in the learning process. Windshitl (1999) goes on to note that ‘such experiences include problem-based learning, inquiry activities, dialogues with peers and teachers that encourage making sense of the subject matter, exposure to multiple sources of information, and opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding in diverse ways’.” (Gordon, 2009, pp39)

10. Key constructivist concepts • CULTURAL TOOLS – to develop psychological abilities • The ‘ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT’ – potential developmental level • SCAFFOLDING – to structure activity • NARRATIVE – a world of stories • INTERSUBJECTIVITY – two-way communication • MEANING-MAKING – process of knowledge construction

11. Learning as a cultural activity… • how we learn: What are considered the most appropriate strategies to facilitate learning? Do we learn by listening or doing? Do we learn by rote or through activity? • when we learn: At what ages should learning take place? At what times of the day should people learn? What times of the year? For how long? • who we learn from: What should the teacher training involve? Can pupils and students learn from each other? Can older people learn from younger people? • who should learn: Should everyone learn the same things and in the same way? Should there be a different education for the higher social classes? • what we learn: What subjects should be included on a curriculum? Should learning be divided into distinct subjects? Should there be a curriculum? Should it be content-led, skills-led, or competence-led? • where we learn: Can learning only take place within formal settings? Can we learn outdoors? Is watching television as learning? • why we learn: Do we learn to improve our job prospects? To earn more money? For personal development? For knowledge acquisition? Because we have to?

12. The learner as…. • an individual, with a unique set of prior cultural experiences • increasingly taking responsibility for her own learning • participating in a complex and dynamic learning environment • exploring multiple perspectives • participating in the decision making process • undertaking relevant tasks • understanding her/his role in knowledge construction • the centre of an active and social process • part of a ‘community’ where learning is a shared and cooperative enterprise

13. Some examples…. • ‘Inquiry method’ (see Postman and Weingartner, 1971) • ‘Learning communities’ (see Bielaczyc and Collins, 1999) • ‘Enquiry learning’ (see Hutchings, 2006) • ‘Learning by teaching’ (see Goodlad and Hirst, 1989) • ‘Problem-based learning’ (see Schwartz, 2001) • ‘Instructional conversation’ (see Goldenberg, 1991) • ‘Guided participation’ (see Rogoffet al, 1993) • ‘Liberatory education’ (see Freire, 1970) See examples from Cook-Sather (2008) “Returning to the Mirror”. Cambridge Journal of Education, 38 (2) pp 231-245

14. Gardener - ‘Multiple Intelligences’ Among the intelligences Gardner establishes are….  • linguistic – to learn and use languages (e.g. essay writer); • logical-mathematical – to analyse problems logically (e.g. problem solver); • musical – to compose, perform and appreciate music (e.g. band member); • bodily-kinaesthetic – movement and hand-eye coordination (e.g. footballer); • spatial – to perceive the physical world accurately (e.g. art student); • inter-personal – to understand other people’s moods and desires (e.g. friend); • intra-personal – to understand ones own strengths and weaknesses (e.g. creative writer); • naturalistic – to use the environment effectively (e.g. school allotment helper); • existential – to contemplate big questions about meaning of life (e.g. critical thinker). Adapted from Gardner (1999)

15. Lucas & Claxton readingCentre for Real World Learning website Intelligence is… • Composite • Expandable • Practical • Intuitive • Distributed • Social • Strategic • Ethical

16. Building Learning Power What it is - Building Learning Power

17. A different approach to school learning • Bishop’s Park College in Clacton This is Our School | Schools World • Discuss this learning environment: • Small ‘learning communities’ • Thematic curriculum • ‘Masterclasses’ • Expectations on teachers • Tutoring • Outside experts • School ethos

18. Next week…. Educational networks Please read: Chapter 6 http://www.preservenet.com/theory/Illich/Deschooling/chap6.html