Locating educational practices
One of the things I talked about at the CODE International Symposium in Japan last week was a framework for locating educational practices. The framework has two dimensions: teacher-centered vs. student-centred learning (i.e. where the locus of control is for the learning process) and content-based vs. activity-based learning. I then showed how this could be used to map different types of learning across formal, non-formal and informal learning context. So in the lower left hand side fairly didactic approaches, such as a traditional lecture presentation are located. Here the control is very much teacher-centred and the main learning is via delivery of content. Adopting more activity-based approaches, but still within formal educational contexts, shifts to the upper left hand quadrant – i.e. approaches such as problem-based, case-based, scenario-based or inquiry learning. The teacher is usually still controlling the learning process and here the focus is around some specific context and is primarily activity-based in nature. The bottom right hand quadrant considers approaches that are content focused but student controlled. A lot of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or skills-based vocational learning fit within this space. Finally, informal learning approaches which are based around activities and engagement with others such as for example amateur photography, just-in-time language learning, gardening etc. fit in the top right hand quadrant.Of course these are extremes, specific instantiations of these different approaches to learning will shift – a lecture might actually have some degree of activity or might be more student focussed, nonetheless it is useful I think to consider these different approaches along these two dimensions, particularly as much of the rhetoric around the use of new technologies suggests a shift towards learner,-centred/activity-based learning - would welcome thoughts!
February 23rd, 2010 at 11:51 am
I am starting off a bit off topic. There is a project at Lancaster IAS to examine “experimentality”. I am trying to interest them in Plan-Do-Check/Study-Act as relevant to this but I find that quality ideas do not fit easily with academic concerns. During one meeting I became aware that there is widely assumed to be a “dark side” to mode two knowledge but I cannot find this written up anywhere it is easy to understand. Mode Two seems to be about knowledge from problem situations with a mix of disciplines and involvement of practitioners. It is mostly about science and technology but the term is used in management etc. in various ways. I think there could be a bright side to mode two but I can see why some academics would resist this. Your positioning of formal “traditional” courses has an implication for the stacks of journals etc. Informal web-based learning is not obviously material for a new academic subject, whatever you want to call it.
One thought is just to accept that quality assurance is a mode two sort of thing. It might relate to various academic subjects such as statistics or systems but not be very interesting in itself. Same possibly for “technology enhanced learning”.
Did you find any difference in the response to your views just because the audience was in Japan? Maybe things are less different as media are globalised but I still wonder why Deming ideas seem to work in Asia but not in US/UK.
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/experimentality/blog/dark-side-mode-two-draft-story-ohmynews
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/experimentality/
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=139117893762&topic=11377
February 26th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Lol re: ‘quality ideas do not fit easily with academic concerns’!!
From a personal perspective it is interesting for me as my PhD was in Chemistry whereas what I do now is very much applied research. I think both ‘traditional’/formal research domains and more applied was are valuable particularly in today’s complex, messy world. We need to ensure we adequately reflect this in both formal educational offerings and find ways to support and value non-formal and informal learning.
Re: Japan difficult to say to be honest as I wasn’t there long enough. One interesting statistic though was that they only have about 40% PC ownership with their students which has implications for how they deliver content. They still have a significant emphasis on TV production.
March 4th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
I’d be very interested to see the framework, the link isn’t working at the moment Grainne
March 4th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
I’ve actually found the framework by following through the links to the slideshare for the conference.
March 4th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Thanks for spotting this Gary - there was a big which has now been fixed so should be able to see the framework on the blog posting.