SCHEME FOR PROFESSIONALS IN HIGHER EDUCATION SESSION 4: Contextualised/Situated Learning

Context & Drivers National Increased numbers of students Decreased funding Increased emphasis on competence bureaucracy Local (for example) The USARs Personal Emotional factors, background factors

Local context example: USARs Level 1 - Level 2 Average 40% across modules Demonstrate Learning Outcomes of level Minimum 90 credit points 1 re-sit offer within the level Level 2 - Level 3 Minimum 105 credit points 25% at Level 2 and 75% at Level 3

Practical Task: Implications for Professional Practice What are some of the practical implications for you and your students? Does this context example challenge or support some of your own philosophies about ‘learning’ and ‘approaches to learning’? (Both generally and specifically within your own area of practice?)

SITUATED LEARNING The personal, physical and social contexts within which learning takes place are integral to what is learned Thus, learning in the HE context is an experience unique to that environment The environment is not merely the place in which learning occurs - the situational dimension is integral to (and governs) what is learned

HE Influences Upon Contextualised/Situated Learning The HE context encompasses multiple, diverse, emergent and changing discourses - macro & micro politics, discipline specific requirements, additional accreditation(s) requirements... Impact of these discourses upon different ‘learning contexts’ - implications for ‘real world’ connections Impact of discourses upon the learners, and their…. Subsequent approaches to and level(s) of learning

The Changing Context/Situation for the Learner Type of environment - facilities & resources Type of support available - formal, distance, who Knowledge base - developing, prioritised Ways of managing learning - levels & approaches Student body - peer support, significance Institutional demands - USARs, finance External agency demands - QAA, DfES Accreditation demands - additional ‘qualifications’

Setting The Learning Situation/Context... TEACHER Prior knowledge - subject/discipline, content, environment, students, routines, schemata Beliefs - environment, ethos, students, content Goals - intended outcomes & strategies for achieving them Emotions and Empathy LEARNER Prior knowledge - subject/discipline, environment, peers, tutor Beliefs - environment, ethos, content Goals - intended outcomes & strategies for achieving them Emotions and Empathy

SITUATED LEARNING What are some of the implications for your own professional practice? What is your belief regarding assumptions about the transferability of knowledge? (Note “standards” agenda) How might this link to ‘strategic learning’?

Situated learning -an alternative view Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger (1991). Jean LaveEtienne Wenger Situated Learning: Legitimate peripheral participation (1991) - communities of practice Lave & Wenger (1991) provide an analysis of situated learning in five different settings: Yucatec midwives, native tailors, navy quartermasters, meat cutters and alcoholics. In all cases, there was a gradual acquisition of knowledge and skills as novices learned from experts in the context of everyday activities.

THEME 3: HOW PEOPLE LEARN & LEARNING THEORIES HOW MIGHT WE KNOW…. THAT LEARNING HAS OCCURRED? WHAT LEARNING HAS OCCURRED? HOW LEARNING HAS OCCURRED?

LEARNING POTENTIAL The major point of the teaching-learning relationship is to bring about learning Achievement of the type of learning intended for a particular context is the key determinant in considering the success of this relationship Any single learning or teaching strategy may (or may not) promote desired learning for some (or none) of the learners Thus we can consider the learning potential of different strategies and contexts

POWER/ROLE/EXPECTATIONS OF LEARNER & OF TEACHER? LECTURE SEMINAR WORKSHOP LABORATORY/FIELDWORK GROUP TUTORIAL INDIVIDUAL TUTORIAL PLACEMENT

WHAT’S THE USE OF LECTURES?  What is a lecture? Define? Do we “lecture”?  What are your experiences of lectures, how do you FEEL about them? Good/bad; as student as lecturer;large/small numbers; raked theatre, flat room/small room; seat/desk types; taking notes/ being given handouts, etc. etc?  What do you THINK about lectures and situations above?  How much are your feelings and practices influenced by your experience as a student?  Are views about lectures based on Evidence? Experience? Rumour? Prejudice? Pragmatism? (School of Computing Seminar 2001)

TEACHING STRATEGIES TRAINING & COACHING: “Learning to do”. Basic and advanced specific skills. Concerned with results, efficiency, performance of tasks. Linked with BEHAVIOURIST LEARNING THEORY LECTURING & EXPLAINING: “Learning to acquire information, remember & understand meaning/concept”. Linked with COGNITIVE LEARNING THEORY INQUIRY & DISCOVERY: “Learning to Think” GROUPS & TEAMS: “Learning to work together”. Can promote affective learning outcomes in particular. EXPERIENCE & REFLECTION: “Professional learning and practice” – clinical, off-campus, placement, work- based, etc. American Council on Education in HE

LEARNING & TASK ACHIEVEMENT Although related, these terms are not synonymous! Learning outcomes are capabilities (skill, knowledge, concepts) that the learner gets ‘in their head’ through the learning process Learning task allows the learning to be demonstrated e.g. essay, presentation, write up… they indicate the learning but are not the gain itself The task can be a learning activity, but not necessarily appropriate: ‘We’ve been through this over & over again but….!!’

Tasks & Outcomes in Contexts there Evidence is now there to the effect that the quality and character of the way that students are taught and the learning environment they experience has profound impacts on the quality of their learning (Entwistle et al 1992) The value, worth and appropriateness of lectures are questioned by both lecturers & students, yet they still predominate in HE! (see also Bligh,1998, Willcoxson, 1998)

Tasks & Outcomes in Contexts (2) How do you access and take in to account informal learning? What counts as “success”? Is learning ‘embodied’ in any way? How is learning evaluated?

Factors Affecting Learning Teacher’s aims/ILOs The group Guessing what is to be understood Guessing what is needed to demonstrate this e.g. the task Previous experiences of similar situations Motivation Complexity of material Constraints e.g. time, resources Threshold of boredom or interest Learning strategies Intentions for the learning Approaches to learning: deep, surface, strategic

Practical Task Thinking about learning outcomes you use: How were these determined? What factors influenced their establishment?/ Do you do anything consciously to ensure they are a) core, b) addressed, c) achievable by all? (beyond the learning task) Is learning beyond the ILOs relevant / desirable / acknowledged / valued?

USE OF LECTURES  fflecyu.htm fflecyu.htm  d/firstwords/fw12.html d/firstwords/fw12.html lectures.asp