Improving Learning Quality Some basic principles Dr. Peter den Boer Lecturer VET-college W. Brabant

Improving Learning Quality LQ concerns students – learners / Lerner How can we see this quality: –Competencies of students: knowledge, skills, attitudes What does this quality reflect? –The quality of the educational environment: the quality of teachers, teaching, trainers, supervisors, counsellors

Improving Learning Quality Basically concers teachers/trainers and teaching (in school, companies, etc) Teaching Quality Learning Quality Qualities of Learner

How can teachers improve quality By being good professionals (didactics & Pedagogics) –NZL: John Hattie (2003) –NL: Robert Marzano (2003) Marzano & Miedema (2011) By working in a supportive environment: –Learning environment: buildings, class rooms, possibilities for learning in companies, leraning materials, etc etc –Supportive / learning teams –Supportive Management

Teaching Quality Learning Quality Learner Qualities Quality/ Support Team Quality of Management

Quality of management (very briefly) Appreciative Inquiry: 4D + ! Flexible leadership

Expert teams are learning teams Situation awareness Plan execution Plan formulation Team Learning Shared mental models Team situation awareness Psychological safety (Salas et al. 2006)

Quality of learners Learning capacities (=? Time) Learning strategies (cf Hattie & Marzano) Motivation

Content of subjects Perspective

Chocolate

Chocolate study Chernev, 2003 Assignment: Choose a chocolate Preparation –What is your favourite (i.e. truffle, pure, vanilla, hazelnut) Offer –Group 1: 4 chocolates –Group 2: 16 chocolate Assignment: choose 1 Question: do you want to swap?

Results Chernev (2003)

Norway  Netherlands 9 domains  350 training programmes Both: problems with choice, drop out and switching behavior WHY ?

Chocolate -metaphor revisited

Experience (with labour) Metal processing Vocational Identity Self-direction Empirical evidence (N=15) Den Boer, Jager & Smulders, 2003

Help them gain perspective!

Two types of reflection Task reflection: –what went well? what went wrong? what will you do differently next time? what do you want/have to learn? assessement by expert necessary! Personal reflection: – what have you experienced? how was that for you? what was the most important thing? what made that so special? what does that tell you about your preferences in work?

Craftsmanship 60’s & 70’s Perspective / Identity Work attitude KnowledgeSkills

Craftsmanship 80’s Perspective / Identity Work attitude KnowledgeSkills

Craftsmanship 21 st century Perspective / Identity Work attitude KnowledgeSkills

Talent Galton (1865): possibilities limited by innate factors Recent research (Ericsson & Lehman, ‘99): people we consider talented have spent much more time practicing than the rest 10 year rule flying hours

Deliberate Practice (Ericsson, 1996, 1998) Deliberate, well structured practice: –Focussed (concentration) –Programmatic –Extended periods of time –Monitoring & guidance (trainers) Examples: –Chess –Sports – Epke Zonderland –Typing

Does good typing make a good secretary? Broader concept of talent / expertise What about teachers, trainers, tutors supervisors, etc.?

Most teachers (Gen. Educ.) Education Subject practice theory Fields of expertise teachers

Pedagogues Subject Enthousiasts Education Subject practice theory Practitioners

Expert teams (revisited) Shared mental models Team situation awareness Psychological safety

Teachers & Students Both need a perspective to enhance learning Teachers are AT WORK: –Experiential learning! –With time outs for off the job training, BUT: –Transfer does not occur automatically Students too need experiential learning –When what?

Learning strategies 2 basic types of learning Knowledge / Skill acquisition – pouring knowledge into their heads / cognitive apprenticeship Participation – experiential learning

2 types of learning: not either or, but which when? Knowledge / Skill acquisition Context of certainty Experiential learning Context of UNcertainty Learning through reflection

Principles 1 1.ILQ is about teachers, tutors, trainers, counsellors, supervisors, etc. 2.ILQ is about motivating students by helping them gain perspective: –Organise experience –Take time to reflect on that to make learning possible –Perspective  motivation, meaning

Principles 2 3.ILQ is about which type of learning when: a.Knowledge acquisition when needed b.Experiential learning when context (including motivation) uncertain 4.ILQ is about a supportive learning environment: a.Learning teams b.Supportive management (knowing how to encourage and lead different processes appropriately)

Principles 3 5.Supportive teams use the available talents in the team: Subject knowledge, practical knowledge, pedagogical knowledge 6.Talent needs practice! a.10 year rule b flying hours