The Mission:
Should I choose to accept it, was to explore learning theory relevant to my context and find one that resonated and apply it to my flexible learning plan.Heather Day points out, that when trying to find a theory ask yourself:"How does this connect to what I do and what I believe about teaching/facilitation?" |
"If it doesn't connect easily move on until you find something that does." |
The Problem:
Finding one theory that is really OSFA... I actually find it ironic that in flexible learning this would be the directive... that's not very flexible. I say this, because as I read, I thought that many theories had relevance and that actually it wasn't about ME finding the right theory for ME, but me providing the right theory for each and everyone of my learners... isn't this the goal?So some might be all about social learning and constructivisim, others might like behavourist-type learning environment...So with that little rant over - the world is truly a mish-mash of grey, and really not black and white...- the theories that I connected with (and I have to say, I'm a little confused about where connectivism fits in... see note on this below) include:- cognitivist theory (because this suits me - but I'm going to leave this out because I don't think a huge number of my learners engage this way...)
- social and situational theory (including constructivism)
- connectivist theory (there seems to be some argument about whether this is a theory or a pedagogical view...)
The Definitions:
cognitivism(I have included for completeness' sake...);"Cognitivism is the theory that humans generate knowledge and meaning through sequential development of an individual’s cognitive abilities, such as the mental processes of recognize, recall, analyze, reflect, apply, create, understand, and evaluate." wikipediaconstructivism:"Simply stated, it is a learning process which allows a student to experience an environment first-hand, thereby, giving the student reliable, trust-worthy knowledge. The student is required to act upon the environment to both acquire and test new knowledge." wikipedia
connectivism:
"Connectivism was introduced as a theory of learning based on the premise that knowledge exists in the world rather than in the head of an individual.""Summing up connectivist teaching and learning, Downes states: "to teach is to model and demonstrate, to learn is to practice and reflect." " wikipedia
And I'm guessing I'm missing something here, as these seem to be talking about the same/similar thing. Learning by doing and reflecting and practise. So because there's argument about connectivism, I'm choosing constructivism for my FLP.
The Reason:
I've chosen this theory because as a generalisation for my cohort of students, I think that DOING and learning via hands on and actual practise is more the way the majority of them learn. This theory includes concepts like Kolb's learning cycle, and this very strongly reflects the way that we aim to teach many practical tasks... eg, induction and surgery, fluid lines, prepping the patient. They see, they try, they err, they do again... over and over until they are confident and competent (hopefully). This of course, suits the way we teach these skills in real life surgery sessions, and much of the information in the course is transferred through practical, hands-on learning."David Kolb, in his books Learning Style Inventory Technical Manual[7]and Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development [8], emphasizes the importance of conditionalized knowledge through experiential learning. David A. Kolb and Roger Fry created the Kolb & Fry Model out of four elements: concrete experience, observation and reflection, the formation of abstract concepts, and testing in new situations." wikipedia
I can imagine the uproar if I suggested that people choose their favourite top 10 learning theories. :) Perhaps it would be fairer to suggest that people describe the mix of learning theories that inform their teaching.
ReplyDeleteIdeally this topic prompted everyone to do a bit of exploration, and thinking about the main learning theory underpinning their approach to flexible learning.
Are you sure that your students are engaging in social constructivist learning if they have to do something until they gain competency? Isn't this also mean that mastery learning is part of the mix. Therefore, behaviourist learning theory - where positive reinforcement is key is also included. I think what this demonstrates is that most teachers use a mix of different learning theories. Also your teaching is also underpinned by experiential learning theory, and as you say it is impossible to pick just one. But you can have an overarching learning theory such as social constructivism and within that are the ingredients of other theories.