In order to gauge the effectiveness of learning, one must agree upon an objective for that learning. Schunk states “Learning is an enduring change in behavior, or in the capacity to behave in a given fashion, which results from practice or other forms of experience.” I accept this definition of learning, and, dissociating learning from motivations, politics, and social integration, state that one appropriate measure of learning is a demonstration of effective application of knowledge to problem situations. A measure of learning must therefore always assess a kind of “reading” of problem situations, the ability to perform in various situations, and finally the skill in executing an application of knowledge that proves varying degrees of successful confrontation of the problem.
Now that that is out of the way, I can attempt to list some practices in which the most effective learning may take place:
Bloom identified at least two instructional methods that bring student performance to or near 2 sigma:
1-1 tutoring
Mastery learning (which provides cyclic opportunities to demonstrate learning followed by corrective feedback) (Kulik & Kulik)
I pull out the following features or practices that contribute to effective learning:
learner is motivated (preferably intrinsically, but also extrinsically)
expectations are high, and can counter inclinations toward “satisficing”
operations are within learner’s ZPD (Vygotsky)
operations are sufficiently stimulating but not too difficult (Willingham)
learner is able to access and connect new information with sufficient prior knowledge (Willingham)
learner has access to sufficient new information
cycles of performance, assessment, and feedback (Gusky)
assessments align with objectives of materials (Cohen)
assessments provide rich, instructive, corrective feedback (Gusky)
feedback is frequent enough to stimulate and induce corrective behavior
some feedback may be automated with technology for cost-effectiveness (Anderson)
learner has opportunities to apply corrective feedback, i.e. repeatedly attempt problems
IPT 692R Notes: 4-13-2010
What is the most effective way to learn?
In order to gauge the effectiveness of learning, one must agree upon an objective for that learning. Schunk states “Learning is an enduring change in behavior, or in the capacity to behave in a given fashion, which results from practice or other forms of experience.” I accept this definition of learning, and, dissociating learning from motivations, politics, and social integration, state that one appropriate measure of learning is a demonstration of effective application of knowledge to problem situations. A measure of learning must therefore always assess a kind of “reading” of problem situations, the ability to perform in various situations, and finally the skill in executing an application of knowledge that proves varying degrees of successful confrontation of the problem.
Now that that is out of the way, I can attempt to list some practices in which the most effective learning may take place:
Bloom identified at least two instructional methods that bring student performance to or near 2 sigma:
I pull out the following features or practices that contribute to effective learning: