The point of no return

This is number 27 in my series on learning theories. I'm working through the alphabet of psychologists and theorists, providing a brief overview of each theory, and how it can be applied in education. Previous posts in this series are all linked below. The previous post featured Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs. In this post, I will examine Jack Merizow's Transformative Learning theory. As usual, this is a simplified interpretation of the theory, so if you wish to learn more, please read the associated literature.

The Theory

When we learn something new, we alter the structure of our brains. It may be only a very small change, such as the connections of a few neurones, but change occurs and we are never the same again. This process goes on through life, but some learning experiences can change our lives, transform our attitudes, and bring us to a place where we are radically different because of what we have learnt. Sociologist Jack Merizow was interested in what causes transformational learning of this kind. His premise is that transformative learning can alter our emotional responses, our attitudes and our basic beliefs - and indeed ultimately, our world view. 

Merizow believed that when an individual experiences a disorienting dilemma, such as a life crisis or has a major life changing decision to make, this can transform them, changing the meaning schemes in their lives. Other transformative learning events can occur when the individual critically reflects on their actions, or experiments with their life in new and unfamiliar or uncomfortable roles. His list also includes explaining the options for alternative forms of behaviour, planning a course of action and relating the discontent of others. Merizow also saw that experiencing a sense of alienation or disconnect could present opportunities for transformative learning experience if there was enough critical reflection. Transformative learning is a point students reach where they never want to go back to the place they were before. It is, in Kevin Burden's terms, the event horizon of learning, the transformation horizon. It is the point of no return.

How it can be applied in education

Teacher should consider offering their students experiences that place them outside of their normal comfort zones, so that they are challenged not only about how they apply their existing knowledge and skills, but also around their attitudes and fundamental beliefs. The affective domain of learning is probably the most entrenched aspect of the individual as we grow older, and the most difficult to challenge or change. Students should also be encouraged to reflect on their own experiences, to critically evaluate their own work through self assessment, and supported as they attempt to improve their approaches and attitudes toward learning.

Teachers should provide as many opportunities as possible for students to gain confidence in new and unfamiliar contexts, especially those that challenge their pre-conceived ideas, beliefs and values. They should never be allowed to relax completely, but should always be challenged and in turn should also be encouraged to challenge others. The critical elements of thinking can be drawn upon when there is great uncertainty, and no immediate answer or solution is apparent. Teachers should therefore develop schemes of work and lessons that have elements of doubt and ill-structured problems for students to solve. Transformative learning is found in the struggle to make sense of chaos, in the churn of the unfamiliar, and in the cognitive dissonance of doubt. 

Reference

Mezirow, J. (2000) Learning as Transformation: Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Previous posts in this series:

1.  Anderson ACT-R Cognitive Architecture
2.  Argyris Double Loop Learning
3.  Bandura Social Learning Theory
4.  Bruner Scaffolding Theory
5.  Craik and Lockhart Levels of Processing
6.  Csíkszentmihályi Flow Theory
7.  Dewey Experiential Learning
8.  Engeström Activity Theory
9.  Ebbinghaus Learning and Forgetting Curves
10. Festinger Social Comparison Theory
11. Festinger Cognitive Dissonance Theory
12. Gardner Multiple Intelligences Theory
13. Gibson Affordances Theory
14. Gregory Visual Perception Hypothesis
15. Hase and Kenyon Heutagogy
16. Hull Drive Reduction Theory
17. Inhelder and Piaget Formal Operations Stage
18. Jung Archetypes and Synchronicity
19. Jahoda Ideal Mental Health
20. Koffka Gestalt theory
21. Köhler Insight learning
22. Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle
23. Knowles Andragogy
24. Lave Situated Learning
25. Lave and Wenger Communities of Practice
26. Maslow Hierarchy of Human Needs

Photo by Sid Mosdell on Flickr



The point of no return by Steve Wheeler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Going the extra mile

This is number 26 in my series on learning theories. I'm working through the alphabet of psychologists and theorists, providing a brief overview of each theory, and how it can be applied in education. Previous posts in this series are all linked below. The previous post highlighted issues around the theory of Communities of Practice, from the work of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger. In this post, I'm revisiting a well known and heavily used motivational theory - Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs. As usual, this is a simplified interpretation of the theory, so if you wish to learn more, please read the associated literature.

The theory

Just about everyone working in education and training has heard of Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs. The theory has been a basic element of all teacher education for several decades. We know there are various criticisms of the theory, and several flaws, but they are beyond the scope of this particular blog post. Maslow was interested in how people are motivated, and why they reach to achieve the pinnacle of human experience which he called self actualization. He argued that for people to be motivated, they need to satisfy a series of needs, and that some needs have to be satisfied before other needs are considered. Most versions of Maslow's Hierarchy are represented as pyramids.

How it can be applied in education

Many teachers know that learning spaces should be designed to optimise learning. If the classroom is cold or noisy, or the students are uncomfortable, or if they feel unsafe, they will be distracted and will concentrate less on their learning. The same applies to other needs identified in Maslow's model, including the need to be liked by others, and that they feel they belong in the group.

Perhaps the most important of the needs Maslow identified however, is the need for esteem. This is where people gain a sense of achievement and prestige by their own endeavours. Teachers should therefore ensure that all good work is recognised and rewarded, and useful feedback is given, so that learners are motivated to do more, or better next time. All students need a sense of accomplishment, and to know how they are progressing. It is the role of the educator to ensure that they receive timely and appropriate feedback so that students continue to be motivated to learn.

The women in the picture above were taking part in a charity event called Race for Life - a run organised by cancer charities. They didn't have to run several miles and put their bodies through a certain amount of stress, but they decided to do so because they had a very special reason. They were motivated to take part because they knew a family member or friend who has suffered from cancer. This kind of motivation is more than simply belonging or esteem needs fulfillment. It is more likely that they were performing an altruistic act because they identified with someone who has suffered, and they wished to do their part to try to change the situation for future sufferers. To my mind, this represents a form of self actualization. The runners gave of their time and energy because they cared about something strongly enough.

How can we make this happen in education? Teachers are in a position where they can inspire their students to the point where they will also want to 'go the extra mile'. Students who do extra work because they are interested in their topic, or who spend more time than is average on their projects are examples. How teachers encourage and support this kind of self actualization relies a lot on their creativity, their ability to inspire, and how well they practice the fine art of education.

Reference
Maslow, A. H. (1954) Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper and Row.

Previous posts in this series:

1.  Anderson ACT-R Cognitive Architecture
2.  Argyris Double Loop Learning
3.  Bandura Social Learning Theory
4.  Bruner Scaffolding Theory
5.  Craik and Lockhart Levels of Processing
6.  Csíkszentmihályi Flow Theory
7.  Dewey Experiential Learning
8.  Engeström Activity Theory
9.  Ebbinghaus Learning and Forgetting Curves
10. Festinger Social Comparison Theory
11. Festinger Cognitive Dissonance Theory
12. Gardner Multiple Intelligences Theory
13. Gibson Affordances Theory
14. Gregory Visual Perception Hypothesis
15. Hase and Kenyon Heutagogy
16. Hull Drive Reduction Theory
17. Inhelder and Piaget Formal Operations Stage
18. Jung Archetypes and Synchronicity
19. Jahoda Ideal Mental Health
20. Koffka Gestalt theory
21. Köhler Insight learning
22. Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle
23. Knowles Andragogy
24. Lave Situated Learning
25. Lave and Wenger Communities of Practice

Photo by Steve Wheeler



Going the extra mile by Steve Wheeler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Knowledge, practice and community

After a break from blogging during the summer holidays, I'm back, and here is the continuation of my series on theories of learning, with number 25. You may recall that I'm working through the alphabet of psychologists and theorists, providing a brief overview of each theory, and how it can be applied in education. Previous posts in this series are all linked below. The previous post highlighted issues around the situated learning theory of Jean Lave. In this post, I extend this idea into the work Lave did with Etienne Wenger, which has become known as Communities of Practice. As usual, this is a simplified interpretation of the theory, so if you wish to learn more, please read the associated literature.

The theory
You will recall that Lave's work was based on social constructivist theory, and focused on how novice learners can become expert through a social process that involves scaffolding and situated learning. The theory also borrow heavily from Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, arguing that we learn better when in the presence of others who are experts. The work of Lave and Wenger advances this concept, turning its focus to the people who make up the learning communities we are all a part of. Communities of Practice (CoP) are made up of people who have a common purpose and interest, and who are essentially learning together. This can be in any field of expertise, and can be formal or informal in constitution. The act of regular interaction between members of a CoP creates a cultural capital upon which all members can draw.

In an ideal CoP information is shared between members as they discover new methods to improve their domain of expertise, and discussion flows freely between members. The CoP does not focus solely on a shared interest, but extends to the practice and execution of the expertise in authentic contexts. CoPs typically take part in sustained activities such as problem solving, discussion, creation and sharing of resources, requesting and sending of information and experiential components.


How it can be applied in education
Knowledge, especially expert domain knowledge, is a critical and essential resource for any form of professional learning. We are all members of our own CoPs, and depending on our domain of expertise, we can involve ourselves at many levels. With the advent of social media and networked technologies, anyone can join informal CoPs such as those found on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, to share ideas, ask questions of peers, seek advice, solve problems and collaborate in learning together to enhance and extend specialist knowledge.

Teachers can encourage students to participate in online and face to face discussions around problems and challenges specific to their study domains. They can facilitate greater collaboration between community members inside and outside of the group by providing resources and connections. The spread of domain specific content can become exponential if propagated through technology to a large enough global CoP, through the use of mobile technology and social media. Useful domain specific knowledge can also be made available to those who are outside of a specific CoP. Substantial health information or advice on legal issues for example, are available online to people outside of the medical and legal CoPs.

The essence of the theory of communities of practice is that we are stronger together, and can all learn something new from each other every day, so stay connected!

Previous posts in this series:

1.  Anderson ACT-R Cognitive Architecture
2.  Argyris Double Loop Learning
3.  Bandura Social Learning Theory
4.  Bruner Scaffolding Theory
5.  Craik and Lockhart Levels of Processing
6.  Csíkszentmihályi Flow Theory
7.  Dewey Experiential Learning
8.  Engeström Activity Theory
9.  Ebbinghaus Learning and Forgetting Curves
10. Festinger Social Comparison Theory
11. Festinger Cognitive Dissonance Theory
12. Gardner Multiple Intelligences Theory
13. Gibson Affordances Theory
14. Gregory Visual Perception Hypothesis
15. Hase and Kenyon Heutagogy
16. Hull Drive Reduction Theory
17. Inhelder and Piaget Formal Operations Stage
18. Jung Archetypes and Synchronicity
19. Jahoda Ideal Mental Health
20. Koffka Gestalt theory
21. Köhler Insight learning
22. Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle
23. Knowles Andragogy
24. Lave Situated Learning

Photo by Steve Wheeler



Knowledge, practice and community by Steve Wheeler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.