Timeless Interplay between Learners, Teachers & Learning
Learning is a complex process and the learners’ previous experiences, immediate values and perceptions on their future selves have a huge impact on the outcome. Ultimately, it is the learners’ responsibility to learn. However, the educator’s role in the learning process is vital; teachers may impede or enhance learning depending on their practices, perceptions and beliefs.
This session is going to introduce the participants to some research-based information on learning dynamics both from the learners’ and the teachers’ perspectives, allowing them to discuss these findings by taking ELT into consideration and hopefully offer food for thought to implement necessary changes.
Burcu [email protected]@burcutezcanunal
The Flow
• Learning is like…• Affecting factors• Learning Theories• Dynamics in ELT • Questions and Comments
Timeless Interplay between Learners, Teachers & Learning
IGNORANCE KNOWLEDGE
LEARNING IS LIKE…..a youth pill
a bridge
a gift diving into cool water & finding
incredible surprises
breathing fresh air
a tree growing with the help of rain
light in the darkness
LEARNING IS LIKE ..
climbing up never ending stairs
witha - continuous
- suffering
that can be cumbersome
PROCESS
being the captain of your own ship against tides
throwing a stone into a bottomless well, you do not know when you will get the reaction(benefits)
a never ending journey
food as you can’t survive without, but you must have a balanced approach to digest it.
Learning is like……. making shapes with building blocks. Everyone has more or less the same items, but everyone's creation is different.
…. stepping on the gas pedal in an unfamiliar road. (you can adjust the speed by yourself).
….. falling in love. It takes curiosity, enthusiasm, ambition, devotion, self-sacrifice, sometimes pain.. But somehow you always get what you pay for.. And it changes you...
• Effects on learning
• Individual/ learner related factors• Teacher-related factors• Context-related factors
Please think about two learning experiences: one good and one bad- what is good or bad depends on your own description
BACKGROUND TO THE ACTIVITY
NOW- REFLECT BACK ON YOUR
EXPERIENCES AND TICK AS MANY
EFFECTS ON THE LIST
Individual/Learner Related Factors that trigger learning
“..... the learner already possesses in abundance what is needed for learning.......[when] given the o............y , sp........ and e..........ment, then learning will happen.”
Rogers’s “abundance model” (1983) as cited in Brockbank and McGill (1998, p. 25)
Theories and explanations of learning
• Behaviourist• Cognitivist• Humanist• Social constructivist• Constructivist
• By means of information processing
• reflection, perspective transformation
• Via social interaction• By positive reinforcement,
reward-punishment, feedback• For reaching self-
actualisation, for fulfilling needs
LET’S QUICKLY RECALL & MATCH
THEM
Theories and explanations of learning
• Behaviourist• Cognitivist• Humanist• Social constructivist• Constructivist
• By positive reinforcement, reward-punishment, feedback
• By means of information processing
• For reaching self-actualisation, for fulfilling needs
• Via social interaction• reflection, perspective
transformation
LEARNER LEARNS THANKS TO A COMBINATION OF ALL
in most cases!!
•Post-16 learners attend formal education environments with their baggage (Atherton, 2011, n.d.)
•and the choice, the reason, the timing, the place, the amount and the quality of learning depend on their “possible selves” (Markus & Nairus, 1986), which may change in time so as the learning engagements of the learner (Leondari, 2007; Bloomer & Hodkinson, 2000).
Making a choice for learning is complex
baggage “Possible selves”
that may change in time
A learner makes or doesn’t make a learning choice depending on
Individual / Learner Related Effects
How teachers/facilitators may influence learning
• “.... [teachers] certainly know more about the process of learning [when] compared to students...” (Svinicki, 1999p. 24),
• therefore, • it is expected that the existence of a
competent teacher in the learning environment enhances the learning.
Teachers may enhance or
impede learning by, implementing
or not implementing
Strategy Training
Reinforcement, Deliberate
Practice
ScaffoldingTeaching ways of
thinking/ Modeling
A variety of teaching and
assessment toolsFormative Feedback
• Teacher-related Effects on Learning
Establishing Rapport
Hattie’s Research on Educational Interventions
• Reinforcement, • Feedback and • Instructional quality
• Cited from (Atherton, 2011)
Dynamics in ELT
• Let’s discuss current situation in our society.Conclusion???Solutions???Suggestions???
Let’s first accept that learning is a complex phenomenon.
Improve our skills on strategy training and giving feedback.
Let’s allow time for learning individual differences, modeling and meaningful practice.
Let’s demand high, «cultivate the growth mind set», be a role model
What have we discussed today?
• Metaphors on Learning • Learning Theories• Learner perspective• Teacher intervention• Dynamics in ELT
References• Atherton, J. (2011). Learning and Teaching. http://
www.learningandteaching.info/learning/index.htm• Bloomer, M., & Hodkinson, P. (2000). Learning careers: Continuity and change
in young people's dispositions to learning. British Educational Research Journal, 26(5), 583–597.
• Bourdieu, P. (1990). Structures, habitus, practices. The logic of practice, 52-65.• Brockbank, A., & McGill, I. (1998). Facilitating reflective learning in higher
education. Open University Press: Buckingham.• Leondari, A. (2007). Future time perspectives, possible selves, and academic
achievement. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 114, 17–26. • Markus, H., & Nurius, P. (1986). Possible selves. American Psychologist, 41,
954–969.• Svinicki, M., (1999, Winter). New directions in learning and motivation. New
Directions for Teaching and Learning, 80, 5–27.