Showing papers on "Experiential learning published in 2006"

Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem-Based, Experiential, and Inquiry-Based Teaching

Abstract: Evidence for the superiority of guided instruction is explained in the context of our knowledge of human cognitive architecture, expert–novice differences, and cognitive load. Although unguided or minimally guided instructional approaches are very popular and intuitively appealing, the point is made that these approaches ignore both the structures that constitute human cognitive architecture and evidence from empirical studies over the past half-century that consistently indicate that minimally guided instruction is less effective and less efficient than instructional approaches that place a strong emphasis on guidance of the student learning process. The advantage of guidance begins to recede only when learners have sufficiently high prior knowledge to provide "internal" guidance. Recent developments in instructional research and instructional design models that support guidance during instruction are briefly described.

Overview of Problem-Based Learning: Definitions and Distinctions.

Abstract: Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional approach that has been used successfully for over 30 years and continues to gain acceptance in multiple disciplines. It is an instructional (and curricular) learner-centered approach that empowers learners to conduct research, integrate theory and practice, and apply knowledge and skills to develop a viable solution to a defined problem. This overview presents a brief history, followed by a discussion of the similarities and differences between PBL and other experiential approaches to teaching, and identifies some of the challenges that lie ahead for PBL.

The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization

Abstract: This revised edition of Peter Senge’s bestselling classic, The Fifth Discipline, is based on fifteen years of experience in putting the book’s ideas into practice. As Senge makes clear, in the long run the only sustainable competitive advantage is your organization’s ability to learn faster than the competition. The leadership stories in the book demonstrate the many ways that the core ideas in The Fifth Discipline, many of which seemed radical when first published in 1990, have become deeply integrated into people’s ways of seeing the world and their managerial practices. In The Fifth Discipline, Senge describes how companies can rid themselves of the learning “disabilities” that threaten their productivity and success by adopting the strategies of learning organizations—ones in which new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, collective aspiration is set free, and people are continually learning how to create results they truly desire. The updated and revised Currency edition of this business classic contains over one hundred pages of new material based on interviews with dozens of practitioners at companies like BP, Unilever, Intel, Ford, HP, Saudi Aramco, and organizations like Roca, Oxfam, and The World Bank. It features a new Foreword about the success Peter Senge has achieved with learning organizations since the book’s inception, as well as new chapters on Impetus (getting started), Strategies, Leaders’ New Work, Systems Citizens, and Frontiers for the Future. Mastering the disciplines Senge outlines in the book will: • Reignite the spark of genuine learning driven by people focused on what truly matters to them • Bridge teamwork into macro-creativity • Free you of confining assumptions and mindsets • Teach you to see the forest and the trees • End the struggle between work and personal time

Inductive Teaching and Learning Methods: Definitions, Comparisons, and Research Bases

Abstract: Traditional engineering instruction is deductive, beginning with theories and progressing to the applications of those theories. Alternative teaching approaches are more inductive. Topics are introduced by presenting specific observations, case studies or problems, and theories are taught or the students are helped to discover them only after the need to know them has been established. This study reviews several of the most commonly used inductive teaching methods, including inquiry learning, problem-based learning, project-based learning, case-based teaching, discovery learning, and just-in-time teaching. The paper defines each method, highlights commonalities and specific differences, and reviews research on the effectiveness of the methods. While the strength of the evidence varies from one method to another, inductive methods are consistently found to be at least equal to, and in general more effective than, traditional deductive methods for achieving a broad range of learning outcomes.

Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work

Abstract: All four authors of Learning by Doing have had extensive experience with both the theory and practicalities of developing professional learning communities (PLCs) in schools. They have written about the topic in books and articles, developed PLCs in their own schools and districts, helped other educators establish PLCs, and—finally and significantly—continue to study PLCs and their impact on student learning. Learning by Doing translates what they have learned through these experiences into a useful guide based on a solid base of research and practice.

Interest and Self-Sustained Learning as Catalysts of Development: A Learning Ecology Perspective.

Abstract: Adolescents often pursue learning opportunities both in and outside school once they become interested in a topic. In this paper, a learning ecology framework and an associated empirical research agenda are described. This framework highlights the need to better understand how learning outside school relates to learning within schools or other formal organizations, and how learning in school can lead to learning activities outside school. Three portraits of adolescent learners are shared to illustrate different pathways to interest development. Five types of self-initiated learning processes are identified across these case portraits. These include the seeking out of text-based informational sources, the creation of new interactive activity contexts such as projects, the pursuit of structured learning opportunities such as courses, the exploration of media, and the development of mentoring or knowledge-sharing relationships. Implications for theories of human development and ideas for research are discussed.

Within and beyond communities of practice : making sense of learning through participation, identity and practice.

Abstract: Situated learning theory offers a radical critique of cognitivist theories of learning, emphasizing the relational aspects of learning within communities of practice in contrast to the individualist assumptions of conventional theories. However, although many researchers have embraced the theoretical strength of situated learning theory, conceptual issues remain undeveloped in the literature. Roberts, for example, argues in this issue that the notion of 'communities of practice' - a core concept in situated learning theory - is itself problematic. To complement her discussion, this paper explores the communities of practice concept from several perspectives. Firstly, we consider the perspective of the individual learner, and examine the processes which constitute 'situated learning'. Secondly, we consider the broader socio-cultural context in which communities of practice are embedded. We argue that the cultural richness of this broader context generates a fluidity and heterogeneity within and beyond communities. Finally, we argue that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish conceptually between the terms 'participation' and 'practice' because of occasional duplication of meaning. We propose, instead, a refinement of the definition to allow for greater conceptual clarity.

Superman or the Fantastic Four? knowledge combination And experience in Innovative Teams

Abstract: This study focuses on effects of knowledge and experience on both mean and variance measures of individual and team innovations. We propose that multiple knowledge domains produce novel combination...

Complex Systems in Education: Scientific and Educational Importance and Implications for the Learning Sciences.

Abstract: The multidisciplinary study of complex systems in the physical and social sciences over the past quarter of a century has led to the articulation of important new conceptual perspectives and methodologies that are of value both to researchers in these fields as well as to professionals, policymakers, and citizens who must deal with challenging social and global problems in the 21st century. The main goals of this article are to (a) argue for the importance of learning these ideas at the precollege and college levels; (b) discuss the significant challenges inherent in learning complex systems knowledge from the standpoint of learning sciences theory and research; (c) discuss the "learnability issue" of complex systems conceptual perspectives and review a body of literature that has been exploring how learning sciences pedagogical approaches can lead to student learning of important dimensions of complex systems knowledge; (d) argue that the cognitive and sociocultural factors related to learning complex sy...

Project-based learning in post-secondary education - theory, practice and rubber sling shots

Abstract: The purpose of the study was to explore what project-based learning is, what are the pedagogical or psychological motives supporting it, how it has been implemented and what impact it has had on learning in post-secondary education. The study is based on a qualitative review of published articles. The work revealed that the majority of articles on project-based learning are course descriptions focusing on the implementation of individual courses, whereas serious research on the topic is virtually non-existent. In addition, the term project-based learning subsumes different activities with varying purposes. Therefore, practitioners and curriculum developers are encouraged to reflect upon the purpose and possibilities of project-based learning along with students and to set realistic, clear goals. Practitioners and researchers are urged to document courses even more carefully. Several issues for further research are identified.

Doing away with ‘study skills’

Abstract: This paper argues that the widespread approach to enhancing student learning through separate study skills courses is ineffective, and that the term ‘study skills’ itself has misleading implications, which are counterproductive to learning. The main argument is that learning how to study effectively at university cannot be separated from subject content and the process of learning. The role of ‘study skills’ within universities’ skills frameworks, and as a component of students’ long-term development is discussed. Then, it is examined, with a focus on academic writing, what learning at university entails, and what is needed to support this learning. Finally, effective approaches to the enhancement of learning at university and beyond are considered.

Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance

Abstract: Download PDF Ebook and Read OnlineInformal Learning Rediscovering The Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation And Performance By Jay Cross%0D. Get Informal Learning Rediscovering The Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation And Performance By Jay Cross%0D Informal Learning Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance [Cross, Jay] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance http://home.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/Informal-Learning--Rediscovering-the-Natural-Pathways-Th at--.pdf Informal Learning Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance by Jay Cross (2006-11-10) [Jay Cross] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance by Jay Cross (2006-11-10) http://home.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/Informal-Learning--Rediscovering-the-Natural-Pathways-Th at--.pdf Informal Learning Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance Kindle edition by Cross, Jay. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance. http://home.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/Informal-Learning--Rediscovering-the-Natural-Pathways-Th at--.pdf Informal Learning Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance Jay Cross Pfeiffer/Wiley In the Introduction, Cross makes a number of crisp assertions, several of which are certain to generate controversy. For example, "Workers learn more in the coffee room than in the classroom." http://home.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/Informal-Learning--Rediscovering-the-Natural-Pathways-Th at--.pdf Informal Learning Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Most learning on the job is informal. This book offers advice on how to support, nurture, and leverage informal learning and helps trainers to go beyond their typical classes and programs in order to widen and deepen heir reach. The author reminds us that we live in a new, radically different, constantly changing, and often distracting workplace. He guides us through the plethora of digital http://home.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/Informal-Learning--Rediscovering-the-Natural-Pathways-Th at--.pdf Informal Learning Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance Jay

Social software: E-learning beyond learning management systems

Abstract: The article argues that it is necessary to move e-learning beyond learning management systems and engage students in an active use of the web as a resource for their self-governed, problem-based and collaborative activities. The purpose of the article is to discuss the potential of social software to move e-learning beyond learning management systems. An approach to use of social software in support of a social constructivist approach to e-learning is presented, and it is argued that learning management systems do not support a social constructivist approach which emphasizes self-governed learning activities of students. The article suggests a limitation of the use of learning management systems to cover only administrative issues. Further, it is argued that students' self-governed learning processes are supported by providing students with personal tools and engaging them in different kinds of social networks.

Towards a More Authentic Science Curriculum: The contribution of out‐of‐school learning

Abstract: In many developed countries of the world, pupil attitudes to school science decline progressively across the age range of secondary schooling while fewer students are choosing to study science at higher levels and as a career. Responses to these developments have included proposals to reform the curriculum, pedagogy, and the nature of pupil discussion in science lessons. We support such changes but argue that far greater use needs to be made of out-of-school sites in the teaching of science. Such usage will result in a school science education that is more valid and more motivating. We present an "evolutionary model" of science teaching that looks at where learning and teaching take place, and draws together thinking about the history of science and developments in the nature of learning over the past 100 years or so. Our contention is that laboratory-based school science teaching needs to be complemented by out-of-school science learning that draws on the actual world (e.g., through fieldtrips), the presented world (e.g., in science centres, botanic gardens, zoos and science museums), and the virtual worlds that are increasingly available through information technologies.

Implications of Research on Children's Learning for Standards and Assessment: A Proposed Learning Progression for Matter and the Atomic-Molecular Theory.

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to suggest ways of using research on children's reasoning and learning to elaborate on existing national standards and to improve large-scale and classroom assessments. The authors suggest that learning progressions—descriptions of successively more sophisticated ways of reasoning within a content domain based on research syntheses and conceptual analyses—can be useful tools for using research on children's learning to improve assessments. Such learning progressions should be organized around central concepts and principles of a discipline (i.e., its big ideas) and show how those big ideas are elaborated, interrelated, and transformed with instruction. They should also specify how those big ideas are enacted in specific practices that allow students to use them in meaningful ways, enactments the authors describe as learning performances. Learning progressions thus can provide a basis for ongoing dialogue between science learning researchers and measurement specialists, leadi...

Writing and using learning outcomes: a practical guide

Abstract: Given that one of the main features of the Bologna process is the need to improve the traditional ways of describing qualifications and qualification structures, all modules and programmes in third level institutions throughout the European Higher Education Area should be (re)written in terms of learning outcomes. Learning outcomes are used to express what learners are expected to achieve and how they are expected to demonstrate that achievement. This article presents a summary of developments in curriculum design in higher education in recent decades and, drawing on recent practical experience, suggests a user-friendly methodology for writing modules, courses and programmes in terms of learning outcomes. Content Page

Changing Practices in Chinese Cultures of Learning.

Abstract: This paper analyses of some changing aspects of learning and ‘cultures of learning’ in China: these are related to meeting the needs of Chinese learners studying in higher education in the UK. We use the term ‘cultures of learning’ to draw attention to the socio-cultural aspects of key practices, expectations and interpretations of learning and the term is understood to include diversity of practices both at individual and group levels. We use the notion of changing practices in a double sense: firstly, practices in learning at school and university levels are changing in China and hence the cultures of learning that are likely to influence students' pre-departure experiences include an aspect of dynamic change. Secondly, Chinese students in the UK change their practices in many respects as they learn in, and from, British academic cultures. The paper also delineates some long-standing features of learning in the Confucian heritage and summarises recent developments in the Chinese national curriculum for ...

Personal Learning Environments: Challenging the Dominant Design of Educational Systems.

Abstract: Current systems used in education follow a consistent design pattern, one that is not supportive of lifelong learning or personalization, is asymmetric in terms of user capability, and which is disconnected from the global ecology of Internet services. In this paper we propose an alternative design pattern for educational systems that emphasizes symmetric connections with a range of services both in formal and informal learning, work, and leisure, and identify strategies for implementation and experimentation.

An entrepreneurial‐directed approach to entrepreneurship education: mission impossible?

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the entrepreneurial‐directed approach to entrepreneurship education by discussing different teaching techniques aimed at infusing entrepreneurial skills and behaviour among students in the university setting.Design/methodology/approach – The authors experimented with the entrepreneurial‐directed approach in their university‐level teaching, and used a combination of qualitative research methods and observation techniques to evaluate its feasibility and applicability. Information sources analysed include written material, e.g. learning diaries provided by the students, teachers' observations, and group discussions during the programme.Findings – The study provides information on recent studies on entrepreneurship emphasising the core role of opportunity – discovering, evaluating and exploiting it – and reviews teaching techniques currently used in entrepreneurship education. The entrepreneurial‐directed approach seems to be well suited to the teaching situat...

Ways of Learning: Learning Theories and Learning Styles in the Classroom

Abstract: Teachers are very good at providing excellent opportunities for children's learning to progress. Often, without fully understanding the reasons why, teachers encourage learning in their charges which works very well, and is a very good approach at a particular time with a particular child or group of children. With greater insight into what is currently known about the processes of learning and about individual learning preferences, teachers are able to provide even better learning situations which are even more likely to lead to effective learning. This book seeks to provide the detail which teachers can make use of in their planning and teaching in order to provide even better opportunities for effective and lasting learning. The first edition of this book has been used widely and has now been revised to include updated information in the existing chapters as well as a new chapter which covers the area of learning difficulties and special educational needs.

Improving Self-Efficacy and Motivation: What to Do, What to Say

Abstract: It is not surprising that many struggling learners have low self-efficacy for academics. They believe that they lack the ability to succeed. Consequently, they tend to avoid academics and give up quickly when difficulties arise. This article suggests practical solutions based on self-efficacy theory to improve the motivation of struggling learners. Specifically, the authors present three sources of self-efficacy—enactive mastery, vicarious experiences, and verbal persuasion—as ways for teachers to figure out what to do and what to say to strengthen struggling learners' beliefs in their academic abilities and increase their willingness to engage in academic tasks.

Studying in higher education: students' approaches to learning, self‐regulation, and cognitive strategies

Abstract: The authors looked at aspects of successful and problematic studying in terms of three different research traditions: students’ approaches to learning, self‐regulated learning and cognitive strategies. These frameworks have been widely applied when explaining university student learning. However, relations among different traditions have not been sufficiently looked at. In this study the authors explored the relations between learning approaches, regulation of learning and cognitive strategies. The subjects were students at the University of Helsinki who filled in the Task Booklet of Learning and the Strategy and Attribution Questionnaire. Their academic achievement was coded from university archives. It was found that approaches to learning, regulation of learning, and cognitive strategies were related to each other, and further, to study success.

On Some Necessary Conditions of Learning

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to identify some necessary conditions of learning To learn something, the learner must discern what is to be learned (the object of learning) Discerning the object of learning amounts to discerning its critical aspects To discern an aspect, the learner must experience potential alternatives, that is, variation in a dimension corresponding to that aspect, against the background of invariance in other aspects of the same object of learning (One could not discern the color of things, for instance, if there was only one color) The study results illustrate that what students learn in a sequence of lessons is indeed a function of the pattern of variation and invariance constituted in that sequence All teachers make use of variation and invariance in their teaching, but this study shows that teachers informed by a systematic framework do it more systematically, with striking effects on their students' learning

The professional learning of teachers in higher education

Abstract: Educational professional development is a global concern. It is often characterised by event‐delivery methods, though there are signs that other approaches are gaining favour. The authors stress the significance of non‐formal learning, and the ways in which it can be promoted and enhanced within the activity systems within which teachers in higher education work. Their argument is complemented by findings from a study of 2401 part‐time teachers, and online responses from 248 full‐time staff, in the UK Open University. Twelve implications for international practice are identified.

Broadening conceptions of learning in medical education: the message from teamworking

Abstract: Background There is a mismatch between the broad range of learning theories offered in the wider education literature and a relatively narrow range of theories privileged in the medical education literature. The latter are usually described under the heading of ‘adult learning theory’. Methods This paper critically addresses the limitations of the current dominant learning theories informing medical education. An argument is made that such theories, which address how an individual learns, fail to explain how learning occurs in dynamic, complex and unstable systems such as fluid clinical teams. Results Models of learning that take into account distributed knowing, learning through time as well as space, and the complexity of a learning environment including relationships between persons and artefacts, are more powerful in explaining and predicting how learning occurs in clinical teams. Learning theories may be privileged for ideological reasons, such as medicine's concern with autonomy. Conclusions Where an increasing amount of medical education occurs in workplace contexts, sociocultural learning theories offer a best-fit exploration and explanation of such learning. We need to continue to develop testable models of learning that inform safe work practice. One type of learning theory will not inform all practice contexts and we need to think about a range of fit-for-purpose theories that are testable in practice. Exciting current developments include dynamicist models of learning drawing on complexity theory.

What is teacher learning? A socio‐cultural perspective

Abstract: This article responds to Evans’ (2002) framework for a research agenda for teacher development. The term teacher learning is introduced as the process by which novice teachers move towards expertise, and a distinction is made between teacher knowing and teacher identity. Cognitivism currently dominates considerations of teacher learning, but there are a number of limitations to this theoretical position which render it inadequate for understanding the complexity of teacher learning. It is argued that socio‐cultural theories are more helpful, providing insights into teacher learning which are used to respond to Evans’ proposed agenda. Finally, the implications of a socio‐cultural perspective for teacher learning are discussed and potential areas for future research identified.