From
the perspective of a design student today in the digital age, what are the
essential components required to engage their heart and mind? What impact might
applied relevant learning, student choice, student-to-student student
interaction, and assessment, feedback, and evidence of success have on
instructional decision-making and student learning outcomes?
Relevant Applied Learning Recent brain research says that it is important for students to connect life experiences with new learning. In order for learners to engage, students must perceive content and concepts to be useful and worth investing the effort to make sense out of the lesson. If learners can relate to the content, then they are more likely to retain and recall the information. Willis (2006) describes the importance of relevance in how the brain forms long-term memory.
If we can relate the
context of our students’ life experiences with new information, then our
learners will be more available to make conscious connections to attend. With
each memory we as humans hold, there is an emotional attachment to prior
knowledge and experience. If the pathway is open, then the brain actively tries
to sort content, find relationships, and engage in the learning process. Student Choice Once students are engaged, next is maintaining interest, motivation, and disposition. Research says when students have a sense of control in their educational experiences, their ability to learn and retain the material increases. Reeves (2006) advocates for choice as an essential component to motivating students to their learning.
Caine and Caine (2006) remind us that learners make thousands of decisions every moment.
Integrating student
choice into instruction may seem somewhat unsettling. Reeves points out that
students are not choosing if they are going to engage in the assignment work,
rather it provides learners options of how to show evidence of their learning. Caine
and Caine reassures us that students are more than capable of focusing and
attending to something that matters to them, which in turn leads to the
development of new knowledge. Teachers acting as facilitators to clarify
learning activities and links to learning outcomes can empower students to take
charge and make decisions about how they learn. Student to Student Interaction Learning is a social process. Research indicates our personal identity is reflective, how we are perceived and treated by others largely determines how we see ourselves. Student-to-student interactions in pairs or small groups honor the importance of social relationships, the need to belong, and the feeling of being connected. Active engagement through collaboration, articulation, and inquiry prompts individuals to challenge their existing learning capacity and strive for acquiring new knowledge and skills. Given (2002) states interaction is inherent in our social nature.
Constructing a
Socratic classroom embraces diversity and creates a climate that invites all
students to connect new learning opportunities, reflect on viewpoints, and
openly communicate – which in turn motivates all students to learn. Assessment, Feedback, and Evidence of Success It is vital to remain flexible with instructional approaches based on students’ learning needs. If we gather continuous informative feedback on students’ levels of engagement, motivation, and disposition, then we can effectively track their progress to ensure successful learning outcomes. Today’s students want to be aware of what they must know and be able to do. If the goal is for our learners are to take responsibility for their learning and transfer understandings into new situations, then we must provide upfront clear descriptions of key knowledge and skills.
Assessment is an
ongoing topic with a long history of discussion and controversy. Millen et. al.
offers a balanced approach to assessing student learning outcomes throughout
the instructional process. Inviting students to participant at a meaningful
level, places learners in an active role to share their voice and insightful
input into the learning experience, thoughts, feeling, and ideas with their
peers and teacher. [1] Willis, J. (2006). Research-based strategies to ignite student learning. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. [2] Reeves, D. (2006). Five top tips to improve student engagement. Center for Performance Assessment. CPA-00011680. [3] Caine, R. & Caine, G. (2006). The way we learn. Education Leadership, 64 (1). [4] Given, B. K. (2002). Teaching to the brain’s natural learning systems. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. [5] Millen, Greenleaf, Wells-Papanek, Orvis. (2007). Engaging today’s students: What all teachers need to know & be able to do. Greenleaf Papanek Publications. www.greenleafpapanek.com |