For this project I am mashing up the Communities of Practice theory of learning with the Learning Styles model.
Communities of Practice states that people learn as part of a societies. As people interact with one another, they become inculcated through social interactions, learning norms, values, and life lessons from one another to create the body of learning that allows them to get by. As such, learning comes about as an interactive practice in which fellow learners are just as much a part of the learning process as instructors.
The downside of the Communities of Practice theory is that it insists that learning cannot be done by any other means than direct experience. This fails to take into account certain types of personalities. This is where the Learning Styles theory steps in and takes over.
Learning Styles states that there are principally two types of learners with very different approaches. The first type is the Concrete Active learner. This person takes a hands on approach to learning, wanting to get hands dirty and directly learn through trial and error. The second type is the Abstract Reflective learner. This person prefers to sit back, observe, and then spend time theorizing about the observations.
Communities of Practice theory clearly speaks to the Concrete Active learner, but fails to address the Abstract Reflective learner. However, it recognizes the communal nature of learning. My mash-up theory combines these two. It states that a community of learning can be formed by utilizing the Concrete Active learner as a tool for instructing the Abstract Reflective learner.
It works like this. After providing the base learning (through readings, lecture, or demonstration) needed to give the minimum of instruction necessary, the lesson then moves into a hands on sort of learning directed toward the Concrete Active learner. However, this project is purely voluntary. Abstract Reflective learners do not have to actively participate. Instead they become observers of the Concrete Active learner, with a responsibility to explain why observed successes and failures occurred. This allows the Concrete Active learner to learn in the method best suited to their needs while simultaneously allowing the Abstract Reflective learner to learn through taking the time to think about what they saw and mentally figuring out how it fits together.
Thus one still has a Community of Learning that takes into account different Learning Styles.
One potential problem I see with this theory, based on Bransford's HPL framework, is the lack of learner centerdness for Abstract learners. If they are only observing other people, they are experiencing the activity through the lens of someone else's experiences. It does fit in with the community centerdness aspect of the theory, which acknowledges that learners are part of larger communities that affect their learning and contribute to their experiences.
ReplyDeleteI'm not an educator, so I am quite prone to error in this. *chuckles* My thought was that the Abstract learner isn't being left out completely. Rather, the Abstract learner is playing to their strength. They aren't simply sitting back and not being involved. Rather, they are meant to actually actively evaluate the results of the Concrete learners. By having to explain *why* a Concrete learner's project did or did not succeed they have to spend time really thinking through all the lessons about it. So they still have a role to play in their education, it's simply one suited to those who prefer to sit back and think things through.
ReplyDeleteIt may not work. I'm not an experienced educator (long term goal) so I don't have practical experience to apply to this. I welcome further thought.
Your theory is very community centered, which is a major part of Bransford's theory. I agree with some of the Communities of Practice Theory. I have been put into a new community by joining SL. I have been learning the social norms through interaction with my peers, and I am beginning to understand how that shapes my learning. I am learning so much just by listening to my peers answer questions and discuss their experiences. I have learned more from doing that than I would of from reading. I am also learning about social norms and how to get around and be successful in the course from my group interactions as well.
ReplyDeleteI do like the community centered part of this theory meshing with the abstract reflective learner since that is how I have been learning through this program. I have been an introvert much of my life, but after becoming a teacher I was thrown into the world of community building, interactive learning, and reflection on not just my own take of information but of others as well.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate seeing all the comments about the social aspect of learning. I think of it as a given in all circumstances and if a teacher does not design an environment with this in mind, it does not mean it is not present, its just not being used by the teacher. (Kids passing notes, helping each other in study groups, watching how the class leader gets A's, seeing who the teacher favors and why). I like how this mash-up thinks about the social setting and plans for the two broad roles. There is a concept from Lave and Wenger call "legitimate peripheral participation" which might be connected here; I'll be interested to see if others agree.
ReplyDeleteHi Alana! I enjoyed your mash-up of Communities of Learning and Learning Styles theories. It is an interesting way to look at this. I would have to put myself into the Concrete Active Learner category. I like to “get my hands dirty” as you put it. However, I do like to people-watch as well. Hmm, maybe we all have a little bit of both in us.
ReplyDeleteI have a quick question for you in the area of research. I am wondering if students in general who follow this learner-centered model where learning becomes student-centered are as prepared to earn a proficient on the state standardized tests. There is so much hype about those tests. Some states are basing teacher effectiveness (and pay) on the scores. I know these tests are not a good indication of student learning, but until they are changed, as teachers, we have no choice but to prepare students to do well on them. My question is that I wonder if research has been done on a student's ability to gain proficiency on these tests if they take a class (say in mathematics) that is learner-centered where they are allowed to make their own choices about what and how to learn. It seems like a conundrum to me. What do you think?
There is one thing I want to bring out with the Abstract Reflective learners. You described these learners as ones who do not have to actively participate, instead they observe while the Concrete Active learners perform the action of learning. I was reading in our textbook about the kitten. Did you read that one? It was located in the first chapter. I remember it because it made a mental picture in my mind. The researchers placed one kitten on a gondola and harnessed it to another kitten that could freely move around and explore. The kitten on the gondola was a passive watcher while the other kitten did all of the things a kitten does. They found that the result was only the active kitten developed normal depth perception. The other kitten, even though it’s visual sensory input had been the same, did not. I wonder if Abstract Reflective learners would develop similar patterns as these kittens? Hmm food for thought.