This document discusses different metaphors for conceptualizing learning - the acquisition metaphor and participation metaphor. Under the acquisition metaphor, knowledge is seen as an entity that learners receive from tutors or construct individually. Under the participation metaphor, learning involves becoming part of a community of practice where knowledge is demonstrated through participation rather than possession. The document considers how these metaphors relate to assessment practices and capturing learning gain. It prompts discussion of how tutors take different roles under each metaphor and how a community of practice might function in a course. Participants sketch examples and consider challenges around using the participation metaphor to integrate and demonstrate learning gain through assessment.

1. Capturing Learning
Paul Orsmond, Staffordshire University
Rachel Forsyth, Manchester Metropolitan University @rmforsyth

2. Learning gain?
Are there different ways of thinking about
and capturing learning gain?
Different metaphors of learning and a
range of assessment practices.
Photos: Manchester Met

3. Photo:Wikimedia,cclicensed

4. Acquisition metaphor
Knowledge is seen as an entity – learners either receive (transmitted)
knowledge entities or knowledge is constructed individually. Tutors’
role is either to provide the knowledge or to aid learner in her or his
individual construction process.
Wegner and Nückles (2015)

6. Participation metaphor
Knowledge is not something a person possesses, but something a
person does. Learning does not mean you ‘get’ something, but through
learning you ‘become a part of a learning community of practice’. Not
an individual activity. Tutors are not providers nor facilitators in
knowledge construction, but rather experts or full participants within a
community.
Wegner and Nückles (2015)

7. Discussion
How do we recognise learning in relation to:
• the acquisition metaphor? (in what situations are tutors facilitators
and providers?)
• participation metaphor? (in what situations are tutors full participants
in the learning community?)
List as many ways as you can think of in five minutes…
5 minutes

9. Participation Metaphor and Communities of
Practice in taught courses
What might a Community of Practice
look like?
• Who is in the community?
• How does legitimate peripheral
participation (LPP) fit in? LPP - learn to
talk rather than learning from talk?
• Is there correlation of increased
confidence with increased belonging?

10. Sketching the community
1. Consider a disciplinary area
2. Discuss how integration into a CoP might be characterised in the
curriculum. Think about the practitioner.
3. Do current assessments (of, for, as learning) capture this? How? Can
this be characterised as learning gain?
4. Can you think of an assessment which demonstrates these aspects?
10 minutes

11. Learning gain?
Can the participation metaphor be used to integrate
learning gain into assessments? Using the assessment you
have previously identified, produce 2 proposals and 2
challenges.
• Is legitimate peripheral participation a way of
demonstrating learning gain?
• What steps could we take to make this more explicit?
• What are the challenges of thinking about capturing
learning more holistically?
10 minutes

12. Concluding slide
What could we do next as a
community?
Are there other conversations we
could be having?
Do you have any exemplars
(please add contact details) ?

13. References
Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Sfard, A. (1998). "On two metaphors for learning and the dangers of choosing just one." Educational researcher 27(2): 4-13.
Swaffield, S. (2011). "Getting to the heart of authentic Assessment for Learning." Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy
& Practice 18(4): 433–449. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2011.582838
Wegner, E. and Nückles, M. (2015). "Knowledge acquisition or participation in communities of practice? Academics’
metaphors of teaching and learning at the university." Studies in Higher Education 40(4): 624-643.
Photos all CC licensed or used by permission of Manchester Metropolitan University
Slides at https://www.slideshare.net/rmforsyth
Powerpoint timers by Dave Foord, CC licensed from www.a6.training.co.uk