This document discusses key ideas for supporting learning in higher education, including phenomenography, social constructivism, constructive alignment, situated learning, deep and surface approaches to learning, and threshold concepts. It provides explanations of these concepts and discusses how they relate to teaching practices and student learning. Examples are given of activities that teachers can use to align their practices with these frameworks and encourage deep learning.
Teaching and learning is a process that includes many variables. These variables interact as learners work toward their goals and incorporate new knowledge, behaviours, and skills that add to their range of learning experiences.
Teaching and learning is a process that includes many variables. These variables interact as learners work toward their goals and incorporate new knowledge, behaviours, and skills that add to their range of learning experiences.
Edle 5010---- teaching and learning theoriesjistudents
Directions:
Imagine you are the principal in a school with a large influx of new teachers who have been prepared to use constructivist teaching strategies and to distrust direct instruction. Your older teachers, on the other hand, are the opposite – they distrust the new constructivist approaches and believe strongly in “traditional teaching.”
Prepare a 20 minute (or longer) discussion/presentation about different theories of teaching and learning, including direct instruction. Include a PowerPoint presentation with recorded audio on the strengths and weaknesses of each of the learning perspectives discussed in this chapter –behavioral, cognitive, and constructivist. Be sure to discuss the situations for which the behavioral approach is best. Give at least one example for each approach. Make sure that during your presentation, you:
Consider the pros and cons of direct instruction
Contrast direct instruction with a constructivist approach to teaching
Examine under what situations each approach is appropriate
Propose and defend a balanced approach to teaching.
This is a wonderful information and cite the author if you are using it in your presentation. Thank you for checking it out.
Brearn Wright -- Making Learning MeaningfulBrearn Wright
These are presentation notes for Power Point entitled "Making Learning Meaningful." This presentation will lead to teacher improvement on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). Teachers will improve in the domain of Instructional Support and the dimension of Concept Development. Particularly, this presentation will help teachers with the following behavior indicators -- integration and connections to the real world.
Edle 5010---- teaching and learning theoriesjistudents
Directions:
Imagine you are the principal in a school with a large influx of new teachers who have been prepared to use constructivist teaching strategies and to distrust direct instruction. Your older teachers, on the other hand, are the opposite – they distrust the new constructivist approaches and believe strongly in “traditional teaching.”
Prepare a 20 minute (or longer) discussion/presentation about different theories of teaching and learning, including direct instruction. Include a PowerPoint presentation with recorded audio on the strengths and weaknesses of each of the learning perspectives discussed in this chapter –behavioral, cognitive, and constructivist. Be sure to discuss the situations for which the behavioral approach is best. Give at least one example for each approach. Make sure that during your presentation, you:
Consider the pros and cons of direct instruction
Contrast direct instruction with a constructivist approach to teaching
Examine under what situations each approach is appropriate
Propose and defend a balanced approach to teaching.
This is a wonderful information and cite the author if you are using it in your presentation. Thank you for checking it out.
Brearn Wright -- Making Learning MeaningfulBrearn Wright
These are presentation notes for Power Point entitled "Making Learning Meaningful." This presentation will lead to teacher improvement on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). Teachers will improve in the domain of Instructional Support and the dimension of Concept Development. Particularly, this presentation will help teachers with the following behavior indicators -- integration and connections to the real world.
Frameworks for teacher training sessions and workshops pdfBrionyBeaven
The one-off teacher training workshop or seminar continues to thrive for practical and organisational reasons despite widely acknowledged limitations. We will consider ways of overcoming some of the drawbacks and of avoiding an unprincipled, ad hoc approach to such events. Four traditions of teacher training will be surveyed and related to practical frameworks for use when planning workshops or seminars.
Unit 3.3 Cognitive Processes
Constructivism: Knowledge Construction/Concept learning
In the quotation above, “filling up the pail” is more linked to rote learning and behaviorism. It connotes that teaching is dominated by the teacher and the learners are passive receivers of knowledge. “Lighting the fire” is related to the cognitive perspective and constructivism.
Two Views of Constructivism
Individual Constructivism. This is also called cognitive constructivism. It emphasizes individual, internal construction of knowledge. It is largely based on Piaget’s theory.
Social Constructivism. This view emphasizes that “knowledge exists in a social context and is initially shared with others instead of being represented solely in the mind of an individual”.
Characteristics of Constructivism
1. Learners construct understanding. As discussed earlier, constructivists do not view learners as just empty vessels waiting to be filled up. They see learners as active thinkers who interpret new information based on what they already know. They construct knowledge in a way that makes sense to them.
2. New learning depends on current understanding. Background information is very important. It is through the present views or scheme that the learner has, that new information will be interpreted.
3. Learning is facilitated by social interaction. Constructivists believe in creating a “community of learners” within classrooms. Learning communities help learners take responsibility for their own learning.
4. Meaningful learning occurs within authentic learning tasks. An authentic task is one that involves a learning activity that involves constructing knowledge and understanding that is so akin to the knowledge and understanding needed when applied in the real world.
Organizing Knowledge
Concepts. A concept is a way of grouping or categorizing objects or events in our mind. A concept of teach, includes a group of tasks such as model, discuss, illustrate, explain, assist, etc.
Concepts as Feature Lists. Learning a concept involves learning specific features that characterize positive instances of the concept. Included here are defining features and correlational feature. A defining feature is a characteristic present in ALL instances.
A correlational feature is one that is present in many positive instances but not essential for concept membership. For example, a mother is loving.
Concepts as Prototypes. A prototype is an idea or a visual image of a “typical example. It is usually formed based on the positive instances that learners encounter most often.
Concepts as Exemplars. Exemplars represent a variety of examples. It allows learners to know that an example under a concept may have variability.
Making Concept-learning Effective. As a future teacher, you can help students learn concepts by doing the following:
• Provide a clear definition of the concept
• Make the defining features very concrete and prominent
• Gi
The learning files are an initiative of the Zambian National CPD Task Team. They are written by and for the Zambian Colleges of Education and deal with topics that concern education in general and education in colleges more specifically. The files give a mixture of literature, good practices, self-testing and tips and tricks to tackle a certain problem. Some guidance and ideas on how to do CPD on this topic are included. In this case: consulting students.
Being a Teacher: Section Seven – Making a differenceSaide OER Africa
Being a Teacher: Professional Challenges and Choices. Section Seven | Making a difference. What essential qualities do teachers (and schools) need in order to ‘make a difference’? This section provides a platform for teacher agency and reflective practice.
When you have completed this section, you should be able to:
demonstrate a significantly richer understanding of the term professionalism in relation to teaching;
recognize the value of adopting a reflective approach to your teaching in collaboration with colleagues;
practise systematic reflective practice in your teaching; and
appreciate the significance of agency and the scope that it creates for teachers in education.
1. HEPP7001 Foundations of Academic Practice
Key ideas on teaching
to support learning in
Higher Education
Simon Allan MODULE LEADER
Dawn Johnson PROGRAMME LEADER
2. Underpinning ideas
• Taking a scholarly approach to drive and support
teaching for effective learning.
• Theoretical approaches that underpin programme
design and content.
• Frameworks to underpin your own practice.
• Critical reflection on how this programme models
these approaches to support your learning.
3. These ideas include…
• Phenomenography
• Social constructivism
• Constructive alignment
• Situated learning
• Deep and surface approaches to learning
• Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge
4. Phenomenography
• This term was coined by Marton following his
work with Saljo (1984) looking at student
approached to their learning.
• The learner’s perspective defines what is
learnt and the way [s]he sees the world and
the teacher’s role is to alter that perspective of
the way the learner sees the world.
5. Social Constructivism
• Originates with Piaget and Vygotsky.
• Emphasises the students’
construction of meaning and
knowledge through what they ‘do’.
• Focus is on student activity rather
than teacher activity.
• As we learn our conceptions of
phenomena change.
Biggs. J. and Tang, C. (2007)
• Acquisition of information in itself does Teaching for quality learning at
university. (3rd Ed.)
not bring about the change, but the Maidenhead, OU Press
way we structure that information and Entwistle, N. (2009) Teaching
for Understanding at
think with it does. University: deep approaches
and distinctive ways of
thinking. London, Palgrave
Macmillan
6. Activity 1
With a partner
Briefly discuss these two philosophies underpinning
learning, and how your approach to ‘teaching for
student learning’ may relate to the principles – jot
down a couple of examples from your experience as
a teacher or a learner…
7. Diagram of Constructive Alignment
Learning
Teaching/learn outcomes Assessment
ing activities Expressed as tasks
Teacher, self or verbs that the
Evaluate how well
peer controlled students have to
outcomes are
as best suits enact
demonstrated
context Verbs are chosen
to select level
Chapter 4 in Biggs. J. and Tang, C. (2007) Teaching for quality learning at university. (3rd Ed.)
Maidenhead, OU Press. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMZA80XpP6Y is also useful.
8. Deep and surface learning approaches
Constructive alignment is highly influential in helping
students to adopt a deep approach to their learning.
As a reminder the following slides summarise what
is meant by these terms ‘deep’ and ‘surface’
approaches to learning…
9. Surface learning
Students focus their attention on the details and
information in a lecture or text. They try to memorise
individual details in the form they appear in the
lecture of text or to list the features of the situation.
They do not focus on overall meaning or consider
challenging the concepts and discourse. It is of little
use to students once they have completed their
assessments as it is quickly forgotten and not
integrated with their other learning.
10. Deep learning
Students focus their attention on the overall meaning
or message in a lecture, text or situation. They
attempt to relate ideas together and construct their
own meaning, possibly in relation to their own
experience. ‘Facts’ are learnt but in the context of a
meaning and can therefore be challenged through
discussion and experience. It is more easily retained
as it encourages a broader understanding of the
context and means something to the student. Deep
learning involves integrating new ideas with existing
learning.
11. Activity 2
With a different partner
Discuss what may influence students’ approaches to
adopting a surface of deeper approach to learning
and how you in your teaching role can manage this.
12. You may have included…
Deep Surface
•Motivational context •Excessive content
•Student activities appropriate •Excessive workload
to level
•Lack of background student
•Student interaction knowledge
•A well-structured knowledge •Assessment that encourages
base to enable building up or tolerates memorisation
new knowledge
•Large classes
•Teaching to elicit responses
•Teacher-focus
•Emphasis on principles and
depth of understanding
13. Situated learning
• Influenced by Vygotsky and
Bruner.
• All learning is context specific.
• Communities of practice, sharing
common values, goals, practices,
standards.
• Professional knowing: fluid,
mobile, nuanced, tacit.
14. Threshold concepts
Areas of learning that involve conceptual
change rather than incremental adding of
knowledge – transformative in terms of
understanding of the subject.
The ‘aha’ moment – seeing the world
differently.
Irreversible – it cannot be ‘unlearned’.
Integrative – acquisition of threshold
concepts illuminate the underlying inter-
relatedness of other aspects of the subject.
Land, R., Meyer, J.H.F. & Smith, J. (eds) (2008) Threshold
Concepts within the disciplines. Rotterdam, Sense Publishers
15. Troublesome knowledge
Conceptually difficult – e.g. threshold concepts
Ritual – meaningless and routine
Inert – difficult to transfer into meaningful situations
Foreign – too far removed from what is known
Tacit – deeply embedded and difficult to articulate
16. Pulling these ideas together
At your tables
Recap on the principles and ideas we have
discussed this morning and then…
Individually, construct a concept map of how they
interact, and some of the teaching and learning
activities you have experienced that exemplify the
ideas.
17. Standing back and looking in
At your tables
How have the methods we have used so far in this
workshop been congruent with these various
theories and principles in…
•Building up the knowledge;
•Creating links, looking for relevance to contexts;
•Social interaction to explore and clarify concepts;
•Modeling practice?
Discuss together and jot down a couple of
comments on a postcard.
Editor's Notes
Boyer – scholarship of teaching Theories for curriculum, learning, teaching, assessment design Practice of teaching – pedagogy, We will have our own practice that does enact some of these values – you can use this to unpick and analyze, critique and evaluate what we are doing to help understand concepts and consider them in your own teaching.
Phenomenography and social constructivism are the two most influential theories of learning at present Constructive alignment is the basis for developing learning activities and assessment that is right for the learning you wish the students to achieve Situated learning is particularly pertinent for professional learning where ‘ functioning ’ knowledge within a community of practice is important D&S learning – and the activities that can promote these Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge at this higher level of knowing. – and what is knowledge anyway!
Phenomenography is the research lense for considering the philosophical phenomenology perspective.
In his studies, Piaget noticed there was a gradual progression from intuitive to scientific and socially acceptable responses to unexpected questions. Piaget theorized children did this because of the social interaction and the challenge to younger children’s ideas by the ideas of those children who were more advanced.
Constructive in that students construct their meaning and context of the ILOs Alignment is activation of learning through appropriates activities for learning and assessment Remember – what the student does is usually more important than what the teacher does (or says) So first of all decide what you want the students to learn, then decide how you will know that they have learnt it (or what they have learnt), and finally consider what activities will best help them to do that learning. This should enable maximum consistency through the curriculum – at both micro and macro levels.
Vygotsky – learning through interactions in social contexts Bruner – most important intellectual activity is meaning making which is inevitably socially and culturally acquired