Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Self-directed learning: Exploring the fears
Author: Virginia B. Ricard
Source document
Many degree programs for adults include a self-directed learning component to offer learners the opportunity to use mature skills in a flexible learning environment. Problems with making the self-directed component work may be the learning setting, learner attitudes, and fears of both skilled and less skilled adult learners. Some learner fears are best understood through a comparison of self-directed learning as carried out in formal and informal settings. Adult learners control their learning direction outside formal settings and share control within. The increased number of initiators within the formal setting often complicates the learning process, and learners may seek to clarify the roles of persons involved. Institutional credibility is strengthened by the provision of clear expectations and role definitions. The traditional grading process also presents barriers to the effective facilitation of sell-directed learning. Other major areas of concern are how self-directed the program will be, how program-expectations will be clarified for learners, program standards, and the program definition of self-directed learning. These fears must be recognized and dispelled to develop effective self-directed learning programs in formal settings.
Many degree programs for adults include a self-directed learning component to offer learners the opportunity to use mature skills in a flexible learning environment. Problems with making the self-directed component work may be the learning setting, learner attitudes, and fears of both skilled and less skilled adult learners. Some learner fears are best understood through a comparison of self-directed learning as carried out in formal and informal settings. Adult learners control their learning direction outside formal settings and share control within. The increased number of initiators within the formal setting often complicates the learning process, and learners may seek to clarify the roles of persons involved. Institutional credibility is strengthened by the provision of clear expectations and role definitions. The traditional grading process also presents barriers to the effective facilitation of sell-directed learning. Other major areas of concern are how self-directed the program will be, how program-expectations will be clarified for learners, program standards, and the program definition of self-directed learning. These fears must be recognized and dispelled to develop effective self-directed learning programs in formal settings.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
The acquisition of autonomous learning behaviour in children from 8 to 16 years
Author: V.M. Howe & T. Thomson
Source document
Studies and monographs on school life
On the occasion of the International Year of the Child, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization promoted consideration on how to meet children’s needs in those areas within its competence. In education, two complementary fields were explored: the child’s right to education, and the pupil’s right to a certain quality of life at school.
In the former connection, a work entitled The child’s right to education was published as early as October 1979. It comprised contributions from experts throughout the world on three topics: the nature of the right to education, the extent to which it is really exercised, and its promotion. It makes no claim o offer a definitive formulation but rather offers normative elements and makes recommendations which can already be considered by the Member States.
It is not the same with the second field, related to the child’s school life. Beginning with Living at school during the International Year of the Child, followed in 1981 by four monographs on the acquisition of independent learning behaviours by pupils from varying cultural contexts, consideration of school life will become richer as more and more contributions appear.
While looking into the conditions contributing to quality of life at school within the context of promoting the right to education, the combined Member States and the international scientific community should together work for the solution to this multidisciplinary problem, the relationship between the fulfilment of pupil per se and that of the physical, cognitive, affective and social development of the child.
Where Living at school aimed at identifying the principal variables in the concept of the school life on the scale of Unesco’s overall membership, each of the four monographs on acquiring the ability to learn on one’s own treats these educational attempts in their national context.
Thus the present study analyses experiences in British schools. The authors, V.M. Howe and E. Thomson (United Kingdom) describe the entrance structures for British pupils, the corresponding examination system and the increasing adoption during the last 30 years of a child-oriented approach to education.
Member States can extract from these studies some elements of comparison with their own problems relative to quality of school life. In particular they will notice the need to adapt the experiences specifically for each of pre-school, primary or secondary schools. In the case of secondary schools, it would appear that the sharing out of a pupil’s time among several teachers hampers the creation of an environment favourable to developing an overall “learning-on-one’s own” behaviour pattern. In addition, the efforts recorded are sectoral, dealing with one subject matter only, eg.g. French, the sciences, English, drama, technology drawing, etc.
The Secretariat wishes to express its thanks to V.M. Howe and E. Thomson for their contribution to “Studies and monographs on school life”.
The opinions stated in the present work are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Unesco.Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Independent Learning by Cyril Kesten
Author: Cyril Kesten
Summary:
Independent Learning: A Common Essential Learning
The purpose of this paper was to explore the Common Essential Learning – Independent Learning in order to define it in a manner consistent with the Goals of Education and in a manner usable by curriculum committees.
Independent Learning was defined as that learning in which the learner, in conjunction with relevant others, can make the decisions necessary to meet the learners’ own learning needs. These decisions ought to be made within the bounds of social acceptability and by self-directed, self-motivated, willing learners. It is part of the education system’s mandate to give support to learners in the process of becoming Independent Learners as well as giving learners the opportunity to be Independent Learners.
The review of the literature identified a number of notions which should not be part of this consideration of Independent Learning. Independent Learning is not an absolute standard but a direction or goal to be pursued. Independent Learning is not a set of identifiable competences but is more of an ongoing developmental process. Independent Learning is not individualized instruction nor is it learning in isolation. It does not demand a one-to-one relationship between teacher and learner. Finally Independent Learning is not permissive. Independent Learners accept responsibilities and standards as well as understand the limitations imposed by available resources, prior knowledge, level of development as well as their personal skills, disposition and abilities.
Independent Learning is for all students regardless of level of ability or background. It is fostered by sensitive, flexible and responsive school systems and school personnel.
Independent Learning has value from both social and personal perspectives. Society values those individuals who can freely respond to the changing demands of society. Individuals strive for independence and are better able to fulfill their functions as workers, family members and citizens when they are Independent Learners.
A model of Independent Learning was proposed in the paper. This model describes the areas in which negotiations and shared decision-making can take place regarding the learners’ needs, experiences and evaluations. The extent of sharing in decision-making is determined by the age, experience, developmental level, personal background and capabilities and situation of the learner. The teacher is, at least, a guide, mentor and facilitator in this process, as well as a representative of the values and norms of society. A series of objectives for Independent Learning are included in appendix A to assist in the process.
Implications for schools and teacher were reflected in the recommendations made. They are:
- Independent Learning should be an approach and goal for all students regardless of intellectual and physical capabilities.
- Parents and the community at large as well as school personnel should be advised of and accept the use of Independent Learning as part of the K-12 students’ educational experience.
- Helping students learn to learn and love to learn should be important objectives in every lesson presented by every teacher in every grade and in every subject.
- Learning experiences should be constructed so that learners will not only have the opportunity to be Independent Learners, but so that the learners will learn how to become Independent Learners.
- A variety of resources both in and out of the schools should be made available to both learners and teachers.
- Curricula should be written to give learners latitude to satisfy their own learning needs in the subject areas.
- Scholl administrators must accept and promote the idea of Independent Learning as a Common Essential Learning.
- Some part of the school day should be organized so that learners can use the resources of the school to meet their individual learning needs which may not be met otherwise.
- Teachers should receive training in counseling skills.
- Teachers should be familiar with and use instructional strategies such as Inquiry, Discovery, Cooperative Learning, etc. Which teach and promote the use of independent learning skills.
- Teachers should be provided with in-service and in school support in attempting to promote Independent Learning while teaching their subject areas.
- Teachers should identify where, when and how they will let learners participate in the education decision-making process.
- Student evaluations should include a description of how the student is behaving as an Independent Learner.
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