My Personal Learning Theory – building upon Fundamentals     Etec 512

My Personal Learning Theory is a vital artifact from MET experience.

The declaration of theory is only 300 words in length, but took a full 3 months to develop.  In many ways, Etec 512 was a transformational experience.

Like many of you, I was conferred an Education degree with honours.  I studied under highly accomplished professors and benefitted from the generous mentorship of my school advisors.

I then interviewed for work in two different school districts, Kamloops and Surrey, and taught in both.  I interviewed at least six times for different positions, including my most recent interview to become a department head.  Many times, school and district administrators asked me what I do with students.  Not once did a single person ever ask me a very pivotal question:

“How do your students learn?”

Dr. Cliff Falk was the first person to ask me that question and I was floored by it.  I remember thinking that this Falk fellow was asking me the wrong question.  I remember wondering: “the learning just happens – why do I need to explain the internal processes in students’ minds? Why on earth doesn’t Falk just ask me about the strategies I use in class to facilitate learning?”  I knew in general terms that  try to engage students, get them excited about class, get them active, take them into the community, expose them to real-life experts, have them role play etc…

I knew that these activities fuel learning, but I really had no good explanation as to exactly how learning takes place.  I knew from provincial exam results and feedback that my students were internalizing what we did in class, but I was lost as to exactly how or why.

Another thing I knew is that Dr. Falk could care less about provincial exam results or testimonials.  He was seeking a research based answer to a very precise question.  It had been almost 15 years since I had taken a course in Educational psychology, and I wondered if I had the skills to answer this question in a manner a university professor would find acceptable.

In Etec 512, we were provided with many opportunities to drill down into the writings of leading theorists such as Bandura, Vygotsky, Piaget, Ausubel, Skinner, Gardner, Anderson, Nardi, and Anderson.   During each week, I was surprisingly enthralled with course readings and began to appreciate the significance of the learning process.  It became clear that learning extends far beyond the explanation provided by any single theory or theorist.

In what appears to be a futile attempt to try to capture the complexity of learning in one sentence, I began my statement with: “Like human learning itself, my personal learning theory is multi-faceted and incorporates elements from developmental, cognitive, social, and behaviouristic approaches.”

Here’s a few more highlights:

• Considerable learning occurs when students are active in educational processes.  Meaningful contexts fuel student motivation…
• Much of what we learn is socially constructed
• The wisdom of my class exceeds the wisdom of any individual
• Reflection is vital in promoting the self-regulation and metacognition that drives continued inquiry
• my teaching strives to create guided and collaborative structures that assist with the scaffolding of knowledge
• If a student can accommodate new information, then existing cognitive structures are modified (assimilation, subsumption); if a student is perturbed by stimuli, new cognitive structures are constructed
• Much human knowledge is transitory. Therefore, it’s important to focus students’ attention on the processes of learning as opposed to the products of education

Connection to Metaphor

So how is intense study of Learning Theory connected to golf you ask.

In 1957, the legendary golfer Ben Hogan wrote a book entitled The Modern Fundamentals of Golf.  This text which is a classic of golf instruction, first ran as a series in Sports Illustrated.  The magazine described the book in this way: “The greatest golfer of our time has distilled all of his knowledge, his experience aid his perceptions into five extraordinary lessons which he believes will enable the average golfer to shoot in the 70’s.”  (Sports Illustrated, 1957).

Hogan believed that with clear understanding of the golf swing, any golfer could reach the high level of expertise that it takes to shoot golf rounds with a score of 70.  Hogan emphasized fundamentals such as posture, grip, swing plane, and follow-through.  Since 1957, golf equipment and the golf ball have revolutionized how the game is played.  Golfers can now go out and routinely play on manicured golf courses, and enjoy the all the trappings of modern golf technology.

Despite all of these technological advances, in 2011, less than 5% of golfers shot a score routinely in the 70’s (National Golf Foundation, 2012).  The really surprising part is that in 1957, the number of golfer shooting scores in the 70’s was a similar percentage (National Golf Foundation, 2012).

Reflection

What the golf statistics remind me of is the need for educators to deeply understand the fundamentals of their craft.  Just as expert golfers know that it’s not prudent to blindly practice golf without an understanding of factors such as swing plane and posture, master teachers know that it’s not wise to just do stuff with classes in the hope that such activities may facilitate learning.  A master teacher has taken the time to understand her craft deeply and develops learning activities through an awareness of her students and the context that surrounds them.

There are a lot of good teachers in schools and it’s healthy that educators continue to ask why we do the things we do.  I am astounded that it took me 15 years of practice to articulate my thoughts on learning in any precise way.  I also appreciate that the précis I wrote for Dr. Falk will change in upcoming years.

Since I wrote my Personal Learning Theory, I have come to realize that the use of transmission techniques can persist despite the changes that technology is precipitating in schools.  I teach at a BC grades 10-12 virtual school.  Having lectures delivered online as opposed to face-to-face  still utilizes a transmission model.   It’s also become apparent to me that Inquiry and Discovery as described by Bruner (1967) is an important strategy in developing learning that endures.   While the research on retention of student learning is something that is open to debate (see Thalheimer, 2006), Inquiry learning has tremendous potential in Social Studies because of its focus on authentic contexts and problem solving.

Just as our understanding of the fundamentals of golf has evolved, so too has our understanding of learning.  In my own case, the process of drilling down and thinking deeply of how students learned has helped me to improve my practice.  Instead of hoping that something that I am doing will improve results, I am now trying to operate in a research supported framework that identifies strategies such as Inquiry that will help my students build meaningful connections with school curriculum.   All good golfers know that it takes considerable time and practice to develop a strong understanding of the fundamentals of golf.  Likewise, I realize that learning about learning is a continuous journey that will require further study, practice, and reflection.

References

Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.

Bruner, J.S. (1967). On knowing: Essays for the left hand. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.

Hogan, B. (1957).  The Modern Fundamentals of Golf.  Retrieved from http://www.golf.com/instruction/ben-hogans-modern-fundamentals-golf

National Golf Foundation (2012).  How do golfers score on an 18-hole regulation golf course?  Retrieved from http://secure.ngf.org/cgi/faqa.asp#5

Thalheimer, W. (2011).  People remember 10%, 20%…Oh Really? Retrieved from http://www.willatworklearning.com/2006/05/people_remember.html

Schunk, D. H. (2008). Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective. Macmillan Publishing Company, U.S.A

Vygotsky, L. 1978. Mind in society. London: Harvard University Press