DIMENSIONS OF LEARNING OVERVIEW

Framing the learning Write down anything you already know about the Dimensions of Learning. If it is mentioned in this lecture tick it If you hear new information that interests you add it to your notes

Robert Marzano Fascinated by what good teachers do Why is it that one teacher can teach a group of children successfully and another teacher cannot teach the same group Observed 70,000 classrooms in total Published many books/articles Many of his books in the CDU library

Dimensions of Learning is a comprehensive model that uses what researchers and theorists know about learning to define the learning process.  Its premise is that five types of thinking- called the five dimensions of learning, are essential to successful learning. 

Why is it useful? The Dimensions framework is a tool that helps teachers to: maintain a focus on learning study the learning process plan curriculum, instruction and assessment that takes into account the five critical aspects of learning.

How do the Dimension fit together?

Dimension 1 Attitudes and Perceptions CLASSROOM CLIMATE Students: feel accepted by teachers and peers experience a sense of comfort and order Experience deliberate strategies designed to support a positive classroom climate CLASSROOM TASKS perceive tasks as valuable and interesting believe they have the ability and resources to complete the task understand and are clear about the task Experience strategies designed to support positive attitudes toward classroom tasks

What does this mean for students? This involves learners: understanding about their own learning styles being able to identify their own strengths and weaknesses identify areas they need to work on to be successful learners being guided through learning experiences that help them reflect on themselves as a learner both individually and in groups being able to identify the various roles people take on in groups and how this can impact on learning understanding aspects that impact on their own attitude towards learning Identifying negative perceptions they might need to overcome seeking to find the connections between different learning that they engage in

What does this mean for teachers? Discuss attitude with students Greeting the students as they come into the class. Be wary of labelling or talking about children in negative ways. Involve students in making decisions about classroom climate, guidelines for behavior, comfort and space in the classroom. Frame these in positive language. Establish a relationship with each student in the class. Learn about each student. This might be an interest or achievement. Use this information to establish rapport and trust. Give each student undivided attention (even for a short time each day) Even if a child responds incorrectly, always give credit for trying Take steps to prevent bullying Be open and encouraging to differences and creativity Cater for individual differences - give students opportunities to choose tasks that suits their preferred learning style (can be found through online profiling) and give examples of success stories of individuals from a range of backgrounds. http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html

Be creative in finding things for fast finishers to do so they feel important too. Include quiet or left out students by making yourself available to them Value ideas and contributions of all students and allow enough time for all students to respond to tasks Carefully structure group work to enable students to become more confident in relationships, oral explanations, and group problem solving There are many games and self-esteem building activities for students to get to know each other in different social and learning situations Frequently change activities and allow students to move around regularly. Take short exercise breaks, or games when energy wanes. Encourage students to think about their thinking, and use strategies such as "bracketing" to maintain focus and attention by consciously blocking out distractions (see DOL Teachers Manual page 24)

Dimension 1 Attitudes and Perceptions

Dimension 2 Acquire and Integrate Knowledge (Declarative and Procedural) Declarative Knowledge (know….understand) • is composed of facts, concepts, and principles we want students to know Acquiring and integrating declarative knowledge involves three phases: constructing meaning, organizing and storing To acquire and integrate new knowledge (declarative knowledge) learners need to - build on what they already know - be able to organise information - find strategies to make new knowledge part of long term memory.

Procedural Knowledge (be skilled at…master) • is composed of processes or skills that we want student to know how to do • Acquiring and integrating procedural knowledge involves three phases: constructing models, shaping, and internalising • Solves multi-step problems involving fractions, decimals, and basic percents • Uses prewriting strategies to plan written work • Predicts possible results of scientific investigations • Summarises information found in texts • Prepares a slide for biology • Follows steps in a recipe

Dimension 2: Acquire and Integrate Knowledge Procedural Knowledge Declarative Knowledge Content and Information Construct Meaning Organise Store Skills and Processes Construct Model The pedagogical elements of building declarative and procedural knowledge showing the differences in these pedagogical models hence choice of instructional strategies. Shape Internalise

Dimension 3 Extend and Refine Knowledge Once new knowledge has been acquired and integrated, students need to develop in-depth understandings by extending and refining their knowledge. This is done through deeper consideration of the knowledge by - analysis that involves application of more complex reasoning processes (higher order thinking) or - transforming the knowledge into another form

Steps to Designing Learning Tasks for Complex Reasoning Complex reasoning processes need to be explicitly taught through a 5 step learning process outlined below. The student will develop better understandings of these processes if they contextualized in familiar, interesting and engaging ways. Help students understand the process Give students a model for the process, and opportunities practice using the process As students use the process, help them focus on critical steps and difficult aspects Provide students with graphic organizers or representations of the model Use teacher-structured and student-structured tasks

Analysing Perspectives Dimension 3: Extending and Refining Knowledge Comparing Classifying Abstracting Inductive Reasoning Eight Complex Reasoning Processes Deductive Reasoning Constructing Support Analysing Errors Analysing Perspectives

Dimension 4 Use knowledge Meaningfully Learners will more effectively internalise knowledge when they are able to use it to perform a meaningful task. This may be - something in real life that uses the new skills, or - a life-like opportunity so that students can practice their new knowledge and skills in a safe environment.

Dimension 4 Using Knowledge Meaningfully Six reasoning processes for designing assessment tasks Decision Making: Generating and applying criteria to select from among seemingly equal alternates Problem Solving: Overcoming constraints or limiting conditions that are in the way of pursuing goals Creating: Developing unique products or processes that fulfill perceived needs Experimental Inquiry: Generating and testing explanation of observed phenomena  Investigation: Identifying and resolving issues about which there are confusions or contradictions Systems Analysis: Analyzing the parts of a system and the manner in which they interact.

Example of Systems Analysis ENGLISH/THE ARTS Select a well known fairy tale. Draw up a character web for that story, identifying the relationships involved. Map the main events (or plot) of the story. If you change the nature of one of the relationships in the story, how would the story change? (e.g. if one of Cinderella’s step sisters really liked her how would the story be different?)? Create a new plot line for the story. Select the most interesting new scene to act out. SCIENCE/SOSE Select a local waterway and identify the most obvious parts of its ecosystem. In small groups, select one part of your ecosystem. Identify how this part could be affected by environmental change. What would happen to the rest of the ecosystem if your part changed?

Examples of Invention ENGLISH/SOSE/ARTS As part of a local promotional campaign the region is wanting to design a new logo. Consider what aspects of the region should be represented and how these can be shown symbolically. Also look at elements of design and the way colour can work symbolically. Design and present your logo to an evaluation panel, explaining the significance of different aspects of your design. HPE/MATH/TECHNOLOGY/ENGLISH The school wishes to increase the opportunities for students to engage in exercise activities both in HPE time and at lunchtimes and is proposing to build a fitness circuit in the playground. You will need to consider different apparatus that could be used or constructed, and the exercises you could do on each one. Work out a circuit where a whole class could be kept meaningfully engaged (e.g. some stations could have activities for small groups). Also consider safety issues. Design the fitness circuit and the instruction panels that would need to be attached to each station.

Dimension 5 Habits of Mind A Habit of Mind is knowing how to behave intelligently even when you don’t know the answer. A Habit of Mind means having a disposition toward behaving intelligently when confronted with problems, the answers to which are not immediately known The critical attribute of intelligent human beings is not only having information, but knowing how to act on it.

Dimension 5 Habits of Mind Recognition Persisting Managing Impulsivity Listening with understanding & empathy Thinking flexibly Thinking about thinking Striving for accuracy Questioning & posing problems Applying past knowledge to new situations Thinking & communicating with clarity and precision Gathering data through all senses Creating, imagining, innovating Responding with wonderment and awe Taking responsible risks Finding humor Thinking interdependently Remaining open to continuous learning

How does it fit together?

Three minute pause Take three minutes to stop and think about the research we have been talking about How is this already reflected in my teaching or the teaching that I am seeing? What do I find interesting and would like to learn more about?