4. How do we learn? What is learning? Approach 1 1. Through considering an idea 2. By doing something with it 3. By making mistakes 4. Then reflecting on them 5. Then refining the idea 6. Then applying it differently 7. Then make more mistakes, etc Approach 2 1. By reflecting on an experience 2. Then refining understandings 3. Then applying them & practicing 4. By receiving support & feedback 5. Then reflecting 6. Then reapplying & practicing 7. Then refining ideas, etc
9. Conditions that support learning Six principles for effective facilitation of learning 1. Voluntary participation 4. Action and reflection 2. Mutual respect 5. Critical reflection 3. Collaborative spirit 6. Self-direction
How would you learn to fold a T Shirt? What does it mean to actually learn something, what processes are involved, what conditions need to be in place and how do you know how well you’ve learnt it? Today’s objectives are…
To become excellent trainers (or to improve), we need an understanding of how we learn. Without this understanding we’ll only ever have half of the story or of the essential perspective on how to teach and will tend to follow the instructions provided to us in training materials without much thought of how to improve the learning of our students. It’s one thing to attempt to teach but quite another thing to teach according to how people other than yourself may learn. The two learning approaches above highlight some aspects of how we learn. They are of course only two examples of many, and while they point to how we learn, they don’t actually explain what learning is.
A simple definition : Learning is acquiring new knowledge, behaviours, skills, values. Learning is the act, process, or experience of gaining knowledge, behaviours, skills or values. Having learnt something and being competent means being able to do something specific, to a certain standard of performance and within a variety of conditions.
These points capture some of the differences between the two main approaches. Tomorrow, we’ll look at delivery methods (amongst a number of other topics) which considers what methods fit with each of these two approaches.
So if these are two important aspects of education and training, what is it about SCL that’s so important or useful or effective? Or why bother with Student-centred approaches, where’s the value?: In threes, discuss this for 2 minutes. Key points: The focus is on learning rather than on instruction and nearly always results in deeper learning Enables learners to become better life-long learners and not just in formal learning situations They become more able to self-assess, to reflect, to create meaning from situations and to make decisions about how to improve They become much less reliant on trainers and others and more self-reliant
![Learning to fold a T-shirt ,[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)