Deep and Surface Approaches to Learning | Higher Education Academy Engineering Subject Centre Approaches to learning describe what students do when they go about learning and why they do it. The basic distinction is between a deep approach to learning, where students are aiming towards understanding, and a surface approach to learning, where they are aiming to reproduce material in a test or exam rather than actually understand it. This theory is explored further in Tool 3 of education theories on learning by Jenni Case (2008). Introduction The concept of preferences to different individual learning styles was introduced in an accompanying document. Deep and Surface Approaches Deep and surface approaches to learning are words that most academics will have heard. Simply stated, deep learning involves the critical analysis of new ideas, linking them to already known concepts and principles, and leads to understanding and long-term retention of concepts so that they can be used for problem solving in unfamiliar contexts. Designing for Deep Learning Putting theory into practice Source
Insources - Training and Education Blog Content Covered is not Content Learned A stall occurs when the wing of an aircraft quits flying because the airflow that causes lift is disrupted. There are many reasons for a stall but the main remedy is to increase airspeed by lowering the nose of the aircraft. The pilot of Continental Flight 3407 responded exactly the wrong way to the stall warning by pulling the nose up and accelerating the stall. According to the head of the pilot training program of Colgan Air, the stall emergency response was "covered" in the ground school portion of training but never practiced in a simulator. Because "content covered" does not translate into content learned, 50 people died in Buffalo on 12th February, 2009. Continental Flight 3407 was an especially tragic poster child for a widespread misconception – namely, that content covered translates into content learned. What is content covered? These three main learning goals: acquire knowledge, build procedural skills, and build strategic skills are summarised in the table below. Reference:
Kolb's Learning Styles and Experiential Learning Cycle by Saul McLeod published 2010, updated 2013 David Kolb published his learning styles model in 1984 from which he developed his learning style inventory. Kolb's experiential learning theory works on two levels: a four stage cycle of learning and four separate learning styles. Much of Kolb’s theory is concerned with the learner’s internal cognitive processes. Kolb states that learning involves the acquisition of abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations. “Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Kolb, 1984, p. 38). The Experiential Learning Cycle Kolb's experiential learning style theory is typically represented by a four stage learning cycle in which the learner 'touches all the bases': 1. 2. 3. 4. Kolb (1974) views learning as an integrated process with each stage being mutually supportive of and feeding into the next. Learning Styles Learning Styles Descriptions Diverging (feeling and watching - CE/RO)
63 Things Every Student Should Know In A Digital World 63 Things Every Student Should Know In A Digital World by Terry Heick It could be argued—and probably argued well—that what a student fundamentally needs to know today isn’t much different than what Tom Sawyer or Joan of Arc or Alexander the Great needed to know. Communication. Resourcefulness. Creativity. Persistence. How true this turns out to be depends on how macro you want to get. But in an increasingly connected and digital world, the things a student needs to know are indeed changing—fundamental human needs sometimes drastically redressed for an alien modern world. Of course, these are just starters. The Changing Things They Need To Know: 13 Categories & 63 Ideas Information Sources 1. 2. 3. 4. Learning Pathways 5. 6. 7. 8. Human Spaces 9. 10. 11. 12. Socializing Ideas 13. 14. 15. 16. Digital Participation 17. 18. 19. 20. Publishing Nuance 21. 22. 23. 24. Applying Technology 25. 26. 27. 28. The Always-On Audience 29. 30. 31. 32. Social Rules 33. 34. 35. 36. Diction 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43.
Helping Students Embrace Deep Learning By Laura L. B. Border, University of Colorado at Boulder Teachers are more comfortable in the classroom when they can use multiple methods; students learn in depth when they are stretched beyond their comfort zones. Just as a video recorder catches a teacher’s classroom behaviors on film, a learning styles inventory captures the intangible and invisible aspects of what a teacher believes (and enacts) about learning. Interestingly, there seems to be some confusion in the literature about what “learning styles” really are. Kolb describes an “experiential learning” cycle, starting with concrete experience (CE), working through reflective observation (RO), abstract conceptualization (AC), and ending with active experimentation (AE). Some writers who focus on Kolb’s work describe the “learning styles” as functions of the quadrants, that is as divergent (CE/RO), assimilating (RO/AC), convergent (AC/AE) and accommodating (AE/CE). Redefining Deep Learning Differences in Learning Styles
Mindsets and STudent Agency Deeper learning requires students to think, question, pursue, and create—to take agency and ownership of their learning. When they do, they acquire deeper understanding and skills, and most important, they become more competent learners in and out of school. They become better prepared to succeed in academics, but also in 21st century careers and in life. We can’t force students to develop agency and drive their own learning. Hierarchy of Learner Needs A large body of research in psychology and education, focused on areas such as motivation, mindset, college & career readiness, grit, non-cognitive factors, and 21st century competencies, is uncovering the critical elements needed for students to drive their own learning. Before diving in, let’s acknowledge that just like any other human being, students need to meet their physiological needs such as food, safety (physical and emotional), and connection with others. A growth mindset can be learned. We must teach kids how to learn. Dweck.
Deeper Learning: Hewlett Foundation Rahil Maharaj explains that attending Impact Academy, an Envision school in Hayward, California, has given him the inspiration and confidence to work hard and apply to college. Watch the video >> 0 To succeed in the future, students will need to know how to analyze, collaborate, and innovate. But our education system isn’t as effective at preparing them as it could be. Watch the video >> 0 “In order to prepare young people to do the jobs computers cannot do we must re-focus our education system around one objective: giving students the foundational skills in problem-solving and communication that computers don’t have.” – Frank Levy and Richard J. “I provide students with the opportunity to ask the questions, to become captains of their own learning.” All students have the right to a motivating, challenging education that will prepare them to succeed in college, careers, and life and become engaged citizens. What is deeper learning? Learn more >> Why is deeper learning important?