Leading view papers – Days 1 to 7

Changing and advancing how students learn: our personal approach in providing support for the deep learner

 

Abstract

The major task of the educator is to provide for learners’ needs. It is in providing for these needs that educators have a lot of learning and knowing to do, to be able to apply applicable strategies, methods and approaches to achieve success (McNeil & Wiles, 1990; Perrott, 1999). It is the active interaction of both good instructional practices with learners’ strategic learning strategies and skills that result in effective transfer of learning outcomes that becomes the property of the learner (Mckeachie, 1994).

Meeting the needs of learners is a task that needs a lot of knowing on the part of the educator. The various categories of learners that we have in our various classrooms pose a mammoth challenge to educators, especially our millennium learners who are technologically reactive (Krüger & Müller, 1995). In the light of meeting their needs, educators find themselves in a dilemma, where some get frustrated and give up their profession while others get encouraged and move on into the future.

This paper will attempt to discuss our personal views about how educators can change and advance how students learn, to provide for all categories of learners in the school setting.

Introduction

Very often educators think that they need to make sure that students learn through their guidance. If this is true, how do educators guide learners to learn? The problem here is not a matter of how we guide our students or tailor them to be able to learn. The problem is the form this guidance should take. In the normal traditional teacher training institutions – university faculties of education or colleges of education or teacher training colleges, as the name may apply – individualisation or personalisation of student learning has not been made part of the curriculum used in the training institutions. In fact, nothing is done at all about this issue, either during the initial or inservice teacher training. It is therefore important to indicate that such sub-topics should be included in the teacher training curricula in institutions, so that would-be teacher trainees can be equipped with the tools of the trade, especially this very teaching style – personalised or individualised learning. The salvation of our future students from stereotyping knowledge acquisition lies in individualised or personalised learning. Any learning support system should consider the individualisation concept for one reason; that the world is becoming a cyber-environment and, for that reason, the individual will come to stand in the centre of every educative activity that will take cognisance to self-tuition.

Who should take the initiative?

This must not be the concern of a set of teachers to devise a strategy to individualised teaching and learning. If we are to make a mark in the students’ lives and make them to grow to become creative, independent and progressive learners, this should begin right from the nursery school, and not just in the secondary school. Skills cannot be taught arbitrarily. Ensuring that students acquire a particular skill needs elaborate planning, planning and planning before implementation, assessment and later evaluation before readjustment, reimplementation, reassessment and, finally, agreeing with workable approach. We, as practising educators, should always take the initiative and make this known to education planners and policy makers for dissemination to others (Dunleavy, 1991).

How we initiated individualised or personalised learning in our schools

In our attempt to individualise or personalise student learning, we have always given thought to planning; not just planning for the sake of it but elaborate planning (Ashman & George, 1980). We have always considered, among other things, the following in our initial and advanced planning (Ellis & Hopkins, 1985; Fisher Cassie & Constantine, 1977; Freeman, 1982): This includes the ability of the student to:

• read and understand the medium of communication, that is, the language in which the student is being instructed.
• read at a reasonably faster pace, to be able to cover a given task
• take note of key information, while reading by keeping notes
• consult and make references from sources consulted while studying
• keep accurate records for future use – notes, files, and so on.
• use resources like the following: library, laboratory, workshop, computer and internet
• summarise key information from a jungle of reading materials
• write a clear to understand report on what is read, studied or observed.

What if the students do not have the skills required to do all this? The answer is that you have to begin from the beginning to lay that foundation in a solid manner, so that the learners are able to build on such a solid foundation (Gibbs, 1981; Harman & Freeman, 1984). We personally think that it is absolutely necessary to make sure that students realise the need to rely on their own given talents and turn them into assets, so that they are able to make use of their God-given talents, skills and knowledge, to be able to solve their individualised problems as they come face to face with them. Being able to solve individualised problems is a great hallmark to independence, which is one of the major aims of education (Marshall & Rowland, 1983; Mckeachie et al 1994; Palmer & Pope, 1984; Rowtree, 1990; Walter & Siebert, 1984; Weistein et al, 1994)). All teachers will love to see students develop into independent thinkers

We must also consider the significance of the school climate, individual differences and, above all, modern technology. We must sincerely take all these into account when trying to approach the concept of individualised or personalised learning. We need to make sure that the school climate is ideal. We need to make sure that individual differences become a central hob for activities because each individual student is the controller of his or her learning philosophy. Lastly, we must take into account the application of modern technology, which has infiltrated into every facet of modern life. Being able to positively use this technology is an added advantage and a major contributor to individualised or personalised learning.

As indicated earlier, certain basic skills that positively support individualised or personalised learning need to be firmly established so that confidence (a major ingredient in individualised or personalised learning) is created and developed by the student. This enables the student to take charge of his or her own learning. It is only when the whole picture has been looked at from the perspective discussed can there be a real individualised or personalised learning strategy for teachers to practically apply in their teaching.

Further to the above discussed issues is the categorisation of our school system into primary, middle, secondary and high schools. Each of these categories has its peculiar student characteristics. These take into account students’ capabilities and help to determine what the students in each category are able to do unassisted. The individualisation, or personalisation, to learn in each category is required to groom students into becoming lifelong learners. To become a lifelong learner requires:

• developing as a responsible learner
• developing as a resilient learner
• developing as a resourceful learner
• developing as a reflective learner
• developing as a reasoning learner.

The involvement of the students in this approach is more than just inquiry or project-based learning. It is also self-identification, self-adjudication and, above all, self-discipline. The students should be channelled to be intrinsically motivated and wanting to work without coercion, so they are able to take control of their entire learning.

Conclusion

From the above discussion, it can be concluded that there are many ways that educators can help learners to learn. The concept ‘individualised’ or ‘personalised’ learning is inspirational and transformative. The success of this approach will depend on the ‘knowing’ and ‘doing’ by both the teacher and the student. If it finally becomes operative and successfully applied by teachers, and the skills are acquired by students, the actual burden of the teacher – teaching, teaching and teaching – will be lessened. The teacher will have time to attend to individual learners as they go about doing their work on their own. Once students have been couched into this scenario, where they are able to do their own individualised or personalised learning with little or no supervision, it is then that we (all teachers) can look for a definite definition for the concept individualised or personalised or deep learning. Before that time comes, we personally take the concept of deep learning to mean ‘making students take control of their learning through structured programme that allows for very little or no involvement of the teacher’.

References

Ashman, S & George, A. Study and learn. 1980. London: Heinemann Publishing Co. Ltd.
Dunleavy, P. Studying for a degree in the humanities and social sciences. 1991. London: MacMillan Education Ltd.
Ellis, P & Hopkins, K. How to succeed in written work and study: a handbook for students. 1985. London: Collins.
Fisher Cassie, W. & Constantine, T. Student’s guide to success. 1977. London: MacMillan.
Freeman, R. Mastering study skills. 1982. London: MacMillan.
Gibbs, G. Teaching students how to learn. 1981. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
Harman, C. & Freeman, R. How to study effectively. 1984. Cambridge: National Extension College. Correspondence Text ED07.
Krüger, R.A. & Müller, ECC. Lesson structure and teaching success. 1995. Doornfontein: Perskor Book Printers.
Marshall, LA & Rowland, F. A guide to learning independently. 1983. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
Mckeachie, WJ et al. Teaching tips: strategies, research and theory for college and university teachers. (9th ed.). 1994. DC Heath & Company. Lexington. Mass. Toronto.
McNeil, J.D. & Wiles, J. (2002). The essentials of teaching: decisions, plans, methods. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Palmer, R & Pope, C. Brain train: studying for success. 1984. London: Spon.
Perrott, E. Effective teaching: a practical guide to improving your teaching. 1999. London: Longman.
Rowtree, D. Learn how to study. 1980. London: Macdonald.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr Nana Adu-Pipim Boaduo FRC is a lecturer in the Department of Languages and Social Sciences Education, in the Faculty of Education, at the University of Botswana.
Ms Saline Monicah Babitseng is a language adviser and teacher at Gabane Primary School, in Botswana.

 

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