Month: June 2023

Prompt #2 – Approach to a learning environment: Open Pedagogies

In the digital age, traditional education models are evolving to meet the changing needs of learners. One such progressive approach gaining momentum is open pedagogy, which places emphasis on collaboration, creativity, and unrestricted access to knowledge. My blog post explores the principles and benefits of open pedagogy, providing insights into how it can revolutionize the learning landscape.

Open pedagogy is founded on the principles of openness, sharing, and participation. it encourages educators and learners to create, curate, and collaborate on educational resources that can be openly accessed and modified. By embracing open educational practices, educators can foster an inclusive and interactive learning environment that promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and the development of digital literacy skills. Learners have the opportunity to actively engage with the learning material, shaping their own educational experiences and taking ownership of their knowledge acquisitions.

Open pedagogy offers numerous benefits for both teachers and learners. By utilizing open education resources, instructors can adapt and customize content to suit their specific teaching objectives, enhancing flexibility and relevance. Learners gain access to a wealth of diverse and current resources that cater to their individual learning styles. Open pedagogy promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing, fostering a sense of community and empowering learners to take an active role in their education.

How would the learning be designed differently by a behaviorist, a cognitivist, and a constructivist?

In today’s dynamic educational landscape, understanding various learning theories is crucial for educators to design effective and engaging lessons. When it comes to teaching a complex and pressing topic like climate change, the learning experience can be enriched by adopting different approaches. In this blog post, I will explore how a behaviorist, a cognitivist, and a constructivist would design the learning experience for a high school studies class focused on climate change.

Behaviorist:

In behaviorism, learning is considered successful when a person displays the correct response after being exposed to a specific trigger, referred to as a stimulus. The goal of behaviorism is to learn by providing an appropriate response to the stimulus. To improve on behaviorism learning techniques, it’s important to focus on the relation between the stimulus and the response and how it can be made, maintained, or strengthened.

A behaviorist educator would emphasize observable behaviors and conditioning. A behaviorist-focused teacher could create a structured environment, employing techniques such as rewards to shape student behavior. Their learning experience would involve clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and repetition of key concepts. In the context of teaching climate change, a behaviorist teacher might utilize worksheets, quizzes, and direct instruction to convey factual information, reinforcing correct responses with positive reinforcement.

Cognitivist Approach:

In cognitivism, learning is seen as a discrete change in a student’s individual knowledge, rather than changes in the probability of their responses to stimuli. The focus is on understanding how learners’ minds conceptualize the learning process and how information is received, organized, stored, and retrieved from a student’s mental framework.

A cognitivist educator would focus on the mental processes of learning, including perception, memory, and problem-solving. A cognitivist teacher would engage students in activities that promote active thinking and reflection. They may use multimedia resources, interactive discussions, and group projects to facilitate knowledge construction. In the context of teaching climate change, a teacher could have students analyze data and evaluate evidence to develop their understanding of climate change through inquiry-based learning.

Constructivist Approach:

In constructivism, learning is the process of creating meaning from personal experiences. Constructivism believes the mind filters incoming information from the world to create its own reality. Unlike cognitivists and behaviorists, constructivists do not hold the belief that knowledge exists independently in the mind. They argue that what we know about the world derives from students’ interpretations of their experiences.

A Constructivist educator would focus on learning as an active process where learners construct knowledge based on their experiences and interaction with the world. A constructivist teacher would provide opportunities for students to explore multiple perspectives, encouraging them to develop their own understanding of certain topics. In the context of teaching climate change, an educator might have students engage in debates, simulations, or field trips connecting climate change to real-world scenarios.

Conclusion:

Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism share many similarities but their distinctions are key to developing instructional design. In my personal experiences, I have found that a constructivism learning approach has helped me learn the best. I personally enjoy learning by doing and creating experiences to gain knowledge. I also found a quick video that helped me visualize the three learning types and break it down in a simple way.