The Navigation and Sailing Report #9

Port Name: ETEC 512

Port Section: 64C

Port Website: http://met.ubc.ca/etec-512 

Port Time Frame: (Sep-Dec 2014)

Port Specialty: Applications of Learning Theories to Instruction (core course)

Port Director: Dr. Janet McCracken

Port Administrator: David Roy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Description

This course is intended as an overview of the major theoretical approaches to learning, especially as they are applied to educational contexts. In this course, students learn to recognize major learning theories and apply them to specific instructional situations in an effort to solve instructional design problems. Beginning with an investigation of personal learning strategies, students take what they have learned and apply it to their own settings.

 

Objective

As will become clear during ETEC512, there is no 'best' theory that can account for all aspects of human learning. As such, the overarching objective of this course is to expose students to a variety of theories, each of which has potential to be useful in understanding learning and teaching in a variety of settings. However, for this information to be useful, educators need to have an understanding of when and how different approaches should be utilized. To this end, many of the assignments and activities of this course will focus on applying different theoretical perspectives to ill-defined, realistic learning situations. In addition, one of the goals of this course is for students to develop a coherent, explicit sense of their own beliefs about learning, and how the various theories hold together and are related to, or influenced by, the other perspectives.

This course is comprised of 5 separate modules, not of equal length . As a starting place, in the first module (weeks 1 and 2) students will be expected to articulate their personal pedagogical perspective. The readings and activities associated with this module are designed to facilitate this. In a similar fashion, to close out the course, the final module will provide an opportunity for the students to revisit their learning theory and re-articulate it, incorporating the knowledge acquired from this course. The intervening modules will cover different aspects of learning, and as each topic is covered, students will revisit their pedagogical beliefs. More specifically, starting in the second module, students will be expected to develop a concept map of their perspective of learning. This map will be added to and reformulated at the end of modules 2 through 5. In addition, for each of the major topics, thought questions will be posed for students to respond to, with the goal of developing a deeper understanding of the material presented. Below is an overview of the modules:

• Module 1 (week 1 & 2): Developing a Personal Learning Theory

• Module 2 (week 3, 4 & 5): Behaviourist and Cognitive Approaches to Learning

• Module 3 (week 6, 7 & 8): Developmental Approaches to Learning

• Module 4 (week 9, 10, 11 & 12): Social Approaches to Learning

• Module 5 (week 13): Consolidation

 

Artifact #1: Learning Theories - Thought Paper 2 and Thought Paper 3

 

In the Thought paper 2, I had to reflect on the role of the teacher covered in the reading below, and whether I agree that neural understanding can empower teachers.

The reading by Coch and Ansari (2009) argues that although there has been an increase in interest in applying neuroscience to education, emergent practices are not evidenced-based and often focus on simple left/right brain delineations, which have not been shown to be effective. The authors make the case for the importance of Mind, Brain, and Education, and even suggest ways to enhance teachers' neurological understandings (primarily though pre-service teacher programs).

 

In the Thought paper 3, I had to explain the quotes below, and what they mean for constructivist teaching.

On Page 37, von Glasersfeld states: “… to assess the truth of your knowledge you would have to know what you come to know before you come to know it”. He also says “… it appears that knowledge is not a transferable commodity and communication not a conveyance” (p. 48).

 

Artifact #2: Online Learning Conference - Information Processing (Collaborative Project)

 

For Online Learning Conference, my group of 4 MET classmates, got a task to create an online project about the Information Processing Theory. We chose to host the IP project website on the free Wordpress web platform.

One way of conceptualizing attention is to think of humans as information processors who can only process a limited amount of information at a time without becoming overloaded. Broadbent and others in the 1950's adopted a model of the brain as a limited capacity information processing system, through which external input is transmitted. We well explained the human information processing theory in detail and drew some interesting analogies about human mind and computer information processing, as well as additonally enriched the project with the current IP technologies, tools, experiential activities and relevant resources.

 

 

Artifact #3: Lesson Plan Critique and AB Sc 10 Lesson Plan (improved), AB Sc 10 LP Suggestions and Reflections

 

The purpose of this assignment was application of my ideas relative to the presentation of various learning theories and its  perspectives learnt from the course, and its proper application in the real educational settings. The assignment had to be completed individually and included the identification and the approval of the appropriate lesson plan.This implied my choice of critiquing and improving of an existing Alberta Science 10 Lesson Plan. The original lesson plan had to be submitted to the instructor for approval, including the overview of the theoretical perspectives already implemented in the lesson plan, and the comprehensive critical analysis of the deficiencies in the application of learning theories, including the detailed rationale and a number of learning theory supported suggestions for significant improvements. I am proud that I did the assignment very well.

 

Captain's Log:

 

Thanks to warm fall weather, peacefull waves of the MET Sea and a company od dedicated and experienced navigators and sailors, the course was and extraordinary journey and example of practical synergy of theory and practice in its dialectical presence and importance. 

In science education, constructivism plays important role to improve teaching and learning in chemistry and develop the research area in chemistry education.  The teaching strategies informed by constructivism are powerful to create the meaningful learning process in chemistry.  I believe that by shifting the focus of a part of the Alberta Science 10 Lesson Plan from a comprehension model to a synthesis model, the lesson will better facilitate the overall comprehension of basic chemistry science principles and constructivist knowledge building.  A hands-on approach where students must demonstrate their learning through a dialectical method will hopefully help students understand the intended basic chemistry concepts.

Based on my thorough research of this science education topic and the theoretical analysis, critique and suggested lesson improvements provided, I strongly believe that my theory and practice based suggested improvements, will additionally empower the lesson plan and be highly beneficial for AB Science 10 teachers and students. I am very proud of my research and contribution to decent improvements of the lesson plan.

 

Artifact References:

 

Benaros, S. & Lipina, S. & Segretin, M. & Hermida, M. & Jorge, J. (2010). Neuroscience and education: towards the construction of interactive bridges. Rev Neurol, 50(3), 179-186.

 

Bloom's Taxonomy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2004). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom's_Taxonomy.

 

Coch, D. & Ansari, D. (2009). Thinking about mechanisms is crucial to connecting neuroscience and education. Cortex, 45(4), 546-7.

 

Ernst von Glasersfeld on teaching and radical constructivism (2010). Retrieved from: http://youtu.be/YozoZxblQx8

 

Jean Piaget - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2003) Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Piaget.

 

John-Steiner, V., & Mahn, H. (1996). Sociocultural approaches to learning and development: A Vygotskian framework. Educational psychologist, 31(3-4), 191-206.

 

McLeod, S. A. (2008). Information Processing. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/information-processing.html

 

Science 10 - Alberta Education (2005). Science 10 Program of Studies 2005 (Updated 2014). Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/media/654833/science10.pdf

 

Von Glasersfeld, E. (2008). Learning as a Constructive Activity. AntiMatters, 2(3), 33-49.