Mr. Brown expresses a truth that I'd not realized until well out of my undergraduate education, "learning is a remarkably social process." It was only after thinking about this quote that I saw the truth in it. I *actually do* learn the most when I'm in conversation or debate with my friends over politics, sustainable living, privacy issues and a myriad of other topics. This small realization made me reconsider my attitude towards blogs, wikis, etc. etc., maybe there really is value to things... it isn't simply a form of exhibitionism. If so, then these tools can be great mediums through which to inform, educate and unite people.
Unlike my undergraduate days where learning was a passive experience only made active through constructed laboratories - of which many times I didn't even know what I was supposed to be learning (I was simply going through the steps), learning in the digital age has become active. This idea that learning is an active experience is underscored by his assertion that, "we must move far beyond the traditional view of teaching as a delivery of information" and "knowledge is inextricably situated in the physical and social context of its acquisition and use." I agree with this assertion that learning is most effective when it is made relevant by placing it in a physical and social context that draws upon individuals prior experiences, but I do wonder if this is more appropriate to older learners (10-12, undergraduate, graduate, and life-long learning students) due to their already established critical thinking skills. Later on in the article he uses examples, all of which are based in the university setting.
This active approach to learning is also expressed through the concept of Legitimate Peripheral Participation defined by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger. By a learner participating in communities, deep and relevant learning can occur. It is due to the application of information through communication that debate and vicarious learning can occur. The example is given that people don't become physicists by memorizing the explicits such as formulas, it's the implicits of the practice which reveal questions, sensibilities and aesthetics of the community that create a physicist. Knowledge is in the doing and indoctrination into the community. Some of the mechanisms by which this sort of learning can be fostered include:
- Studio and lab experiences
Another jewel uncovered by the article is the idea that Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences theory can be met through technology. "The Internet and other technologies honor multiple forms of intelligence - be they abstract, textual, visual, musical, social, or kinesthetic - and therein present tremendous opportunities to design new learning environments that enhance the natural ways that humans learn." Finally, I've found a document that expresses a long held belief of mine. Some of the mechanisms by which this sort of learning can be fostered include:
- Persistent Online Worlds (such as Second Life and There)
- Virtual Universities (remote learning)
4 comments:
I too realized, as reading the article, that the way I learn is active. I had never really considered it until now. I really do retain knowledge better when I am learning in an active way: through conversation, surfing the web, etc. Perhaps because this type of learning is not forced. It is so automatic that we don't even realize we are doing it.
"I do wonder if this is more appropriate to older learners (10-12, undergraduate, graduate, and life-long learning students) due to their already established critical thinking skills". If you look back with your own learning, your probably learned a lot from your peers, even when you are in kindergarten. They watch other kid how they do, then imitate them. I learned my times table from and with my friends, not from my 3rd teacher.
come and see africa said, "If you look back with your own learning, your probably learned a lot from your peers..."
When you frame it that way, it is true that I did learn by watching - in fact I still do to this day. And discussions with friends also is another big influence on how I learn and how my views are shaped. But a key skill that helps me to learn, digest, and apply the information is my ability to attempt to remain unbiased and critically assess the validity of what is being discussed. I'm left wondering how to teach that skill at an early age. Maybe I'm being too linear in my thoughts on how education progresses over time due to my own experience which is very different from learners of the digital age?
monsties said, "...the way I learn is active..."
Yes, me too. I think the active part is where we really come to understand through experience (whether that is talking, drawing, doing, etc.). Then the application of that knowledge (even just by sharing it with others when relevant) makes the information concrete. I'm glad that there is so much discussion about how to make learning more engaging and why it's so important.
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