BILC Conference Athens, Greece 22 – 26 June 2008 Ray T. Clifford General Proficiency and Specialized Needs: The Philosophical Implications of Education versus Training BILC Conference Athens, Greece 22 – 26 June 2008 Ray T. Clifford

Education versus Training: Four Major Considerations The kind of learning expected. The testing method applied. The teaching strategy used. The time available.

The Kind of Learning Expected : 3 Types of Learning Limited Transfer Near Transfer Far Transfer

Learning for limited transfer. First Type of Learning Learning for limited transfer. Memorize and practice specific responses. Focus is on the content of a specific course, textbook, or curriculum. Students learn only what is taught.

Second Type of Learning Learning for near transfer. Go beyond rote responses to rehearsed and semi-rehearsed responses. Focus on a predetermined set of tasks or settings. Apply what is learned within a range of familiar, predictable settings.

Third Type of Learning Learning for far transfer. Prepare the learner to transfer what is learned from one context to another. Acquire the knowledge and skills needed to respond spontaneously to new, unknown, or unpredictable situations. Learn to continue learning.

Testing Methods: 3 Types of Tests Achievement Performance Proficiency

Achievement testing measures: First Type of Test Achievement testing measures: Practiced, memorized responses. What was taught. The content of a specific textbook or curriculum.

Performance testing measures: Second Type of Test Performance testing measures: Rehearsed and semi-rehearsed responses. Ability to communicate in constrained, familiar, and predictable settings. Whether learning transfers to similar situations.

Third Type of Test Proficiency testing measures: Whether skills are transferable to new tasks. Spontaneous, unrehearsed abilities. General ability to accomplish communication tasks across a wide variety of real-world settings.

Aligning Test and Learning Types Limited Transfer => Achievement Memorized responses using the content of a specific textbook or curriculum. Near Transfer =>Performance Rehearsed ability to communicate in specific, familiar settings. Far Transfer => Proficiency) Unrehearsed general ability to accomplish real-world communication tasks across a wide range of topics and settings.

The Teaching Strategy: Two Alternatives Teaching for near transfer. Teaching for far transfer.

For Limited Transfer Learning, Teach the Textbook Analysts list high frequency language tasks. 1. Textbook writers include the most important items in a textbook. 2. Teachers present the textbook. 3. Students demonstrate their mastery of sample items drawn from the textbook. 4. The real language Textbook Teaching Test

For Far Transfer Learning, Expand on the Textbook Course developers sample from the real-world domain areas to create a textbook. 2a. Textbook Language Needs Assessments define the Real-world Instructional Domains. 1. Real-world Instructional Domains: cognitive understanding, psychomotor skills, and affective insights. Teachers adapt text materials to learners’ abilities, diagnose learning difficulties, adjust activities and add supplemental materials to help students apply new knowledge and skills first in constrained achievement and performance areas, and then in real-world settings. 3. Teacher Test developers use a sample of the real-world domain areas to create proficiency tests that are independent of the textbook. 2b. Students Students practice, expand, and then demonstrate their unrehearsed extemporaneous abilities across a broad range of real-world settings that are not in the textbook. 4. Test

Time Available Limited time: Emergency response situations. Extended time: Force-building and long-range professional development.

When Time is Limited Focus on the most critical knowledge and/or skills – not just the most frequently occurring needs. Teach for achievement. Effective for limited needs. Includes the option of planned, Just-In-Time training. Continue later to build transferable skills.

When More Time Is Available Teach for proficiency. Continually present challenges just beyond the learners’ abilities. Requires planning, course articulation, and extended learning sequences. Recognize that developing far-transfer capabilities in any field requires time. Simon’s law: It takes about a decade of effortful study to master any field. The Expert Mind, Scientific American. August 2006

Summary: Comparing the Processes Training < = > Education Teach the “textbook”. Expand on the “textbook”. Provide a short learning time. Provide extended learning. Practice limited or near transfer. Practice far transfer. Test for Achievement or Test for Proficiency. Performance.

Summary: Comparing the Results Trained < = > Educated Can do well what was taught. Can handle new situations. Not bothered by interruptions. Can perform while distracted. Learns new training tasks faster than non-experts.

Training versus Education: Some Key Questions Training < = > Education What do you want? What do you need? How much time do you have?

Training versus Education: Some Key Questions Training < = > Education What do you want? What do you need? How much time do you have? And most importantly: What do you do when your “wants” or your “needs” exceed the time available?

Training OR Education? During the BILC 2008 conference, we will learn how others have answered this important question.