Courtesy of: Mentoring Minds
If you have been around school of any level for the past 20 – 30 years or more you may have noticed that there are all kinds of learning. The following list is just a very short snapshot of the past 25 years and is by no means complete or is it chronological:
Flexible Learning
Digital Learning
Blended Learning
21st Century Learning
Mobile Learning
E-Learning
Virtual Learning
Online Learning
Distance Learning
Active Learning
Student-centred Learning
Problem-based Learning
Project-based Learning
Natural Learning
Mastery Learning
Social Learning
Discovery/Inquiry Learning
Experiential Learning
Case-based Learning
Scenario-based Learning
Situated Learning
Authentic Learning
Even when learning theorists place the different types of learning into one of the follow four major paradigms:
- Behaviorism,
- Cognitivism,
- Humanism,
- Constructivism;
we are still left with a fundamental problem.
We focus on the type of learning and not the learning itself. There is an assumption with most educators that we have the learning part figured out and if we, for example, get the mobile, or digital, or flexible and so on… part right then everything will work just right. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
It’s about the learning first–the type, approach or “ism” comes second.
Fortunately, the human being is one of the most amazing learning entities on this planet and as John Hattie points out in his book, Visible Learning, and various presentations, short of physical and psychological abuse, almost anything you do in the classroom will positively impact student achievement…the key is to figure out what promotes achievement.
Yes. It’s about the learning.
This past week in a curriculum development course I was facilitating I was reminded of a huge responsibility I have as a professor; and that we all have as members of humanity.
As is normally the case when I show my class a Youtube video on Carol Dwecks Mindset the ensuing discussion was lively, passionate and sobering. In Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Unfortunately this too often is not the mindset that we see in most of our learners. One seasoned and insightful instructor taking my course pointed out that too many of his learners believe they are entitled to an “A”, believe that challenges are only for those who lack ability, are not willing to learn from feedback and are threatened by the success of others. He rightfully pointed that many of these types of learners would be quite upset with having to deal with this idea of the growth mindset because they been feed a consistent diet of fixed mindset thinking. This type of thinking could shake their world.
He was right…this type of thinking has the potential to change the learner. Change often puts people on the defensive or even makes them angry. Even if we just reach one learner at a time in our classrooms, the ripple effect from this change will eventually change that learner’s world. It is possible to change the world one learner at a time.
So is this yet another responsibility placed upon college and university professors, teachers and instructors? When you consider that anywhere from 70 – 90% of learning is informal and happens outside of the classroom (see Jay Cross post Where did the the 80% come from) the responsibility to impact the learners around us is societal. We are all learners. Whether they are our children, family, friends, co-workers our staff or colleagues we all have learners in our sphere of influence.
Are you changing the world one learner at a time?
