The main focus of this course was exploring how people learn. I had the opportunity to read and discuss different theories in order to develop my own idea of what learning is, how it happens, and how it can be evaluated. These theories ranged from behaviorism to constructionism and included perspectives such as sociocultural theories, connected learning, collaborative learning, and gamification. The course culminated in a final paper that reflected my personal beliefs about learning, which can be read below.
What is Learning?
Learning is the process of constructing knowledge based on one’s own experiences. This process includes applying prior knowledge, collaborating with others, using tools and technology, and interacting within authentic learning environments. An individual can assess their own learning based on their ability to apply knowledge to different contexts.
This definition of learning blends aspects of several different learning theories including cognitivism, constructivism, and constructionism. Cognitivism argues that people actively make sense of their environment (Wortham, 2003). As individuals encounter new situations, they relate the new information to prior knowledge and modify their mental models or structures if needed (Yilmaz, 2011), which I believe is an important aspect of the learning process. Constructivists argue that learning goes beyond mental representations to include social practices (Wortham, 2003). They emphasize the use of complex, relevant learning environments where students work with others, learn from multiple perspectives, and reflect on their understanding (Driscoll, 2005). This theory supports my belief that learning occurs through interacting with others in settings that are relevant to the learner, as well as the idea that students can regulate and assess their own learning. Constructionism adds to the idea of learning by interacting with others, with an emphasis on shared knowledge construction. This theory supports my definition in that learners are encouraged to interact with not only other people, but also objects such as programs, robots, or games to strengthen connections between new and prior knowledge (Kafai, 2006).
Now I want to delve deeper into the idea of individual knowledge versus collective (or social) knowledge. In traditional education, there is a high emphasis on individual tasks and individual mastery. Student learning is assessed through tests, independent practice, and the occasional group project. However, often times the group projects are a cooperative experience, where group members split the work and then combine the pieces for a final product (Sawyer, 2014). This is not the same as true collaboration, where students do the work together and learn through negotiating and sharing, forming a sort of collective knowledge. While individual learning is still part of the process, the focus is on the joint knowledge building of the group (Sawyer, 2014). I think it is important to provide students with more opportunities to truly collaborate and share knowledge because it better reflects the informal learning they experience in their everyday lives. One example of this real life collaboration is connected learning, where an individual can “pursue a personal interest with support and in turn is able to link this learning to academic achievement, career success, or civic engagement,” (Ito et al, p. 42). Individuals are learning with peers, mentors, and experts – all of them working towards a collective goal, whether it be academically, civically, or politically oriented. This social support and collaboration is a crucial component of connected learning. Each individual’s growth is tied to the group’s goals and development.
Another key component of connected learning is interest, something that is often absent in traditional curriculum. Many of the concepts in school are disconnected from everyday contexts. Students can do the bare minimum to pass the assessments, which means they aren’t developing a deep understanding of the concepts. If schools can incorporate student interest, students would be motivated to further their understanding and explore new learning pathways (Barron, 2006). For example, individuals with an interest in gaming (such as MMOG) learn more than just how to play a game. The challenges in MMOG provide individuals with opportunities to develop problem-solving skills, communication skills, and literacy practices (Gee, 2005). If educators could implement some of the principles used in gaming, they can empower learners, promote problem-solving, and support deeper understanding of the content.
I want to expand on some of these gaming principles that could be used to improve student learning experiences. (1) Gamers feel like their actions and decisions influence their experience, which echoes the idea that students are more self-driven when pursuing interests. (2) Gamers can use different learning styles and try new ones, which connects to the idea of metacognition. Metacognition refers to the ability to monitor one’s own learning and understanding. Experts have learned this skill, which enables them to recognize their limits and take steps to push past those limits (Bransford, 2000). We should provide students with the same opportunities to figure out how they learn best, what they know, and how to learn what they don’t know. (3) Games provide well-ordered problems that challenge gamers at the right level. It is important to provide students with authentic and challenging problems in order to support their development of transfer. Transfer refers to the ability to extend what has been learned in one context to new contexts (Bransford, 2000). Transfer is difficult when content is only taught in one context, so it is important to provide authentic situations for students to apply their knowledge. It is also important to provide challenges that aren’t too easy to become boring or too difficult to cause frustration. Challenges must be at the proper level to remain motivating (Bransford, 2000). (4) Gamers get information “on demand” and “just in time.” This connects to the idea of conditionalized knowledge. Experts organize their knowledge so that it includes details about the contexts in which it is used. Often, traditional curriculum doesn’t provide information about when, where, and why concepts would be used, which makes it difficult for students to truly understand the information. However, conditionalized knowledge is easier to retrieve when needed (Bransford, 2000).
So to summarize my ideas so far, this is what I would like to see in education. Teachers should help students become more aware of their own thinking. Students need to learn how to monitor their understanding and assess their readiness. Teachers should provide multiple representations of information to reach a variety of students who come with their own prior knowledge and experiences. Students should collaborate with others to learn from others’ perspectives and experiences. Teachers should give students the opportunity to explore how knowledge is used in context. In other words, students should understand when, where, and why they would use that knowledge. The fact is, many of these ideas are used in informal learning contexts, but have yet to be implemented in schools. I’d like to discuss an example, which was an art class that I was a part of. While this was a class, I consider this example to be an informal learning environment because it was very different from the formal learning you see in today’s schools. First of all, the individuals in the class were motivated to learn because they chose to be there and the lessons were personally interesting to them. Second, there weren’t tests, there were projects. After introducing new mediums (pencil, charcoal, paint, clay, etc.), the teacher gave us time to play around with the tools and get a feel for the different techniques. Third, not only did the teacher provide feedback, but other students in the class shared ideas and techniques. I also loved seeing how each person in the class interpreted the project differently based on their own experiences and cultures. I learned just as much from discussing with my classmates as I did from the teacher.
I’d also like to explore how my definition would relate to a student in a CTE program, and I’m going to refer back to my definition at the very beginning of this paper. I stated how the process includes applying prior knowledge, collaborating with others, using tools and technology, and interacting within authentic learning environments. I have students who choose to participate in a CTE program their senior year of high school instead of traditional school curriculum. The program is set up to teach them initial knowledge and then have them use that knowledge to solve problems in their chosen field (nursing, manufacturing, construction, transportation, etc.). Individuals learn through some instruction, but mostly through authentic applications of their skills. They work in shops where they can learn from and collaborate with their peers and mentors. Plus, they have the ability to use tools and technology that they would have to use on the job in the real world. While there are teachers, they act more as a mentor or guide, providing scaffolding and “just in time” information to make sure students understand why and how to use the information. The second part of my definition was that an individual can assess their own learning based on their ability to apply knowledge to different contexts. What is truly great about the CTE program is that students learn to monitor their own learning. As they are solving problems, they have to assess what they know and how to use their knowledge to complete the task. They also have resources available if they find they don’t know the information – they have mentors and peers to supplement their individual knowledge. I think this example demonstrates the type of learning environment I wish was more prevalent in today’s schools. As I read more about constructivist approaches to learning or the connected learning theory, I am more motivated to implement new strategies in my own classroom. My goal at the end of the day is to help students be successful once they leave my classroom, and I want them to be able to connect what they’ve learned to the real world.
References
Barron, B. (2006). Interest and self-sustained learning as catalysts of development: A learning ecology perspective. Human development. 49(4), 193-224.
Bransford, John D., et al. How Experts Differ from Novices. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington D.C. National Academy Press. 2000. 0309070368. Ch. 2. pp. 31-50.
Bransford, John D. et al. Learning and Transfer. How people learn: brain, mind, experience, and school. Bransford, John D. et al., eds. Washington, D.C. National Academy Press. 2000. 0309070368 Ch. 3. pp. 51-78.
Driscoll, Marcy. Radical Behaviorism. Psychology of Learning for Instruction. Boston. Pearson. 2005. 9780205375196.
Gee, J. P. (2005). Learning by design: Good video games as learning machines. E-learning and Digital Media, 2(1), 5-16.
Ito, Mizuko, et al. Connected Learning: An Agenda for Research and Design. New York. Digital Media and Learning Research Hub. 2013. pp. 32-87.
Kafai, Yasmin B. Constructionism. Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences. Sawyer, K. ed. New York. Cambridge University Press. 2006. 0521607779. Ch. 3. pp. 35-46.
Sawyer, R. K. (Ed.). Chapter 24: Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning. (2014). The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Wortham, S. (2003). Learning in Education. Retrieved from http://repository.upenn.edu/gse_pubs/82
Yilmaz, K., (2011). The Cognitive Perspective on Learning: Its Theoretical Underpinnings and Implications for Classroom Practices. The Clearing House, 84(1), pp. 204-212.