Master of Science – Introductory Semester (E7 – Intro) PE-course Project Organised Learning (POL) Mm 5: Learning – individually and in the Team Master of Science – Introductory Semester (E7 – Intro) Lecturer: Lars Peter Jensen Ass. teacher: Xiangyun Du E7 Intro - E03

Mm 5: Learning – individually and in the Team Learning outcome: After this mm you should be able to Explain the concepts of learning, meta-learning and team roles E7 Intro - E03

Mm 5: Learning – individually and in the Team Contents: Lecture 1: On learning, meta-learning and learning style Self-test of learning style Lecture 2: On team roles E7 Intro - E03

What is ’learning’? Yes, it’s actually true – you can get a degree by repeating everything the teacher says. The psychological mistake in learning: ”We pretend that there is co-incidence between what is being taught and what is being learned” (Illeriis, 1998) E7 Intro - E03

Learning – two different perceptions ’Knowledge’ is objective, measurable, conscious. ’Learning’ is ’to receive knowledge’ from outside. ’Teaching’ is ’to handout knowledge’ (’waterglass-pedagogics). B ’Knowledge’ is subjective, non-measurable – often implicit. ’Learning’ is ’personal transformation of experiences’. ‘Teaching’ is ‘to stage transformation of experiences’, ‘to establish room for learning’. E7 Intro - E03

Passive versus active learning A study performed by Socony-Vacuum Oil Company shows that students learn (i.e. remember) : 10% of what they read 26% of what they hear 30% of what they see 50% of what they see and hear 70% of what they say 90% of what they say and do passive active E7 Intro - E03

Experiential learning - Kolb’s learning cycle Test Generalisation/ conceptualisation Reflection Experience Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experiences - David Kolb Learning is a function of the activity, context, and culture in which it normally occurs, thus it is situated - Jean Lave & Etienne Wenger E7 Intro - E03

Experiential learning – the Cowan loopy diagram P0-proces analysis ”P1-midway seminar” P1-process analysis on action Reflection for in Eksperimental, testing Consolidating, verifying Next project P0-project start Time E7 Intro - E03

Everyday reflections – an enhanced Cowan loopy diagram Planned and joint ’grand’ reflections Incidential and personal ’small’ reflections Time E7 Intro - E03

WHAT? Learning about learning WHY? Deeper, more lasting learning Meta-learning WHAT? Learning about learning WHY? Deeper, more lasting learning HOW? Via reflection on own learning process WHO? You, individually and in the group WHERE? In the POL-course and in other learning situations WHEN? When there is a need to improve learning processes E7 Intro - E03

Learning and meta-learning - the Pask model Experiential learning = ’to find the way out of the maze’ by: Gain experience by trying Reflect on the result Generalise Test generalisation by new trials Genera- lisation Test Reflection Experi- ence E7 Intro - E03

Learning and meta-learning - the Pask model Meta-læring = become better in ’finding the way out’ by having my ’observing self’ climb up and: Observe my ’learning self’ in the maze, Reflect on learning processes, i.e. my attempts to ’find the way out’ Generalise learning processes, Test new methods of learning. Genera- lisation Test Reflection Experi- ence Genera- lisation Test Reflection Experi- ence E7 Intro - E03

Meta-learning (cont.) Meta-learning is associated with concepts such as: Lifelong learning Learning-to-learn Responsibility for own learning Development of personal skills Change management Flexibility E7 Intro - E03

Meta-learning (cont.) Meta-learning deals with such questions as: Knowing what you know Knowing what you do not know Knowing when you know Knowing when you do not know Knowing what you need to know Knowing how to best learn what you need to know E7 Intro - E03

On Learning Styles Overview: WHAT is learning style? WHY test learning style? The test Different learning styles E7 Intro - E03

WHAT is learning style? A person’s way of taking in and processing information – and thereby learn. Different persons have different learning styles. E7 Intro - E03

WHY test learning style? To make you aware of how you learn …and thereby improve your learning process To enable the group to take into consideration the group members’ different learning styles … and thereby improve your team work E7 Intro - E03

The learning styles test (1) Circle "a" or "b" for every one of the 44 questions. E7 Intro - E03

The learning styles test (2) Fill out the scoring sheet with a ’1’ for each of your answers. Add ’1’s in column ’a’ and column ’b’ in each of the 4 fields. Calculate the numerical difference between a-score and b-score and add an ’a’ or a ’b’ depending upon which is the larger sum. E7 Intro - E03

E7 Intro - E03

The learning styles test (3) Transfer your 4 preferences to the preference sheet which you keep yourself. Each group member transfers her/his 4 preferences to the group preference sheet, as well as to the group acetate. The scoring sheet is handed in to the lecturer. Remember to write name, sex and nationality. The group acetate is also handed in to the lecturer. E7 Intro - E03

E7 Intro - E03

Different learning styles – Information channel Visual Learners ‘Show me’ Pictures Diagrams Sketches Schematics Flow charts Verbal learners ‘Explain it to me’ Spoken word Written words E7 Intro - E03

Different learning styles – Information processing Active Learners ‘Let’s try it out’ Process actively Jump in prematurely Like group work Reflective Learners ‘Let’s think about it’ Process introspectively Work quietly Slow in starting Like solo or pair work E7 Intro - E03

Different learning styles – Perceiving Sensing Learners Concrete: facts and data Focus on sensory input Practical Observant Repetition Intuitive Learners Abstract: theory and models Focus on subconscious Imaginative Look for meanings Variety E7 Intro - E03

Different learning styles – Comprehension Sequential Learners Function with partial understanding Steady progress Explain easily Analysis, details Global Learners Need big picture to function Initially slow, then major leaps Can’t explain easily Synthesis, systems-ecological thinking E7 Intro - E03

REMEMBER: The test cannot be used to categorise people. No learning style is better than another – they are simply different. The test informs you about your preferred learning style(s) – strengths and weaknesses The more ways you are able to learn the better you learn. Take into consideration differences in learning styles when cooperating in the group. E7 Intro - E03

Espoused theory/theory in use – be aware of the difference - 1 Chris Argyris (from ”On Organizational Learning”): Ask people in an interview or questionnaire to articulate the rules they use to govern their actions, and they will give you what I call their ”espoused” theory of their action. But observe the same people’s behaviour, and you will quickly see that this espoused theory has very little to do with how they actually behave. When you observe people’s behaviour and try to come up with rules that would make sense of it, you discover a very different theory of action – what I call the individual’s ”theory-in-use.” Put simply, people consistently act inconsistently, unaware of the contradiction between their espoused theory and their theory-in-use, between the way they think they are acting and the way they really act. E7 Intro - E03

Espoused theory/theory in use – be aware of the difference - 2 What’s more, most theories-in-use rest on the same set of governing values. There seems to be a universal human tendency to redesign one’s actions consistently according to four basic values: To remain in unilateral control To maximize ”winning” and minimize ”losing” To suppress negative feelings To be as ”rational” as possible – by which people mean defining clear objectives and evaluating their behaviour in terms of whether or not they have achieved them The purpose of all these values is to avoid embarrassment or threat, feeling vulnerable or incompetent. In this respect peoples actions is profoundly defensive. E7 Intro - E03

Espoused theory/theory in use – how to change from defensive to productive reasoning Soft data Tacit, private inferences Conclusions not publicly testable Tacit theory of dealing with treat Set of tacitly interrelated concepts Set of tacit rules for using concepts to reach private conclusions, and private criteria to judge the validity of the test Productive: Hard data Explicit inferences Premises explicit, conclusion publicly testable Explicit theory of strategy formulation Set of directly interrelated concepts Set of rules for using concepts to reach testable conclusions, and criteria to judge the validity of the test E7 Intro - E03