Diversity in Teaching and Learning during Implementation - Indivudal and Group level Learning

 In previous blog posts, I discussed various aspects of the planning process for competence-based learning in vocational and higher education. Programs in such learning systems will fail if planning and implementation do not work in tandem. This blog post will concentrate on the execution of previously planned processes. As a result, it is critical to summarize what we know about the planning process. The key takeaways were that students will have individual learning paths, will be able to demonstrate their knowledge, and will be able to work collaboratively to learn and teach others despite having individual learning paths. With this context in mind, I'd like to focus on four areas (which cohort participants taught each other from an implementation standpoint) in this post. These include: (A.) the role of classroom teaching methods in promoting individual learning paths, (B.) the methods teachers can use to guide groups and individuals, which is only possible if (C.) group dynamics and collaborative learning theory and methods are understood, and (D.) applying different pedagogical methods based on the previous three implementation considerations.

Group one (A.) discussed the role of various teaching methods in depth. They emphasized a variety of classroom learning methods based on the individual learners. The explanation that learning styles can be classified as visual (by seeing), auditory (by discussions), and tactile (by practice) (c.f. Zapalska & Dabb, 2002) was at the heart of all the explanations, discussions, and session activities.  Teachers can include a variety of methods to keep all learners interested and motivated by understanding and recognizing different learning styles. These considerations will help teachers create appropriate learning materials. Later in the day, during a discussion of pedagogical models, group 3 (D.) criticized categorizing learning styles with individuals. They demonstrated through the activity that, while different learning styles are applicable, the core argument is not that different learning styles suit different individuals, but that learners benefit more when these methods are combined. Regardless of the theoretical debate over different lenses through which to view learning styles (cf. Reynolds, 1997; Garner, 2000; Riener & Willingham 2010), the key takeaway for teachers is that we will use a combination of these. Group 3 very well demonstrated how the cohort participants had used multiple styles to first learn and then teach the pre-task (learning to make an origami bird). Both groups' work complemented one another. The participants learned about the proper implementation of various methods appropriate for different situations and levels, not just vocational education, during the discussion. These methods include learning through practice, learning through teaching and assisting, learning through real-world problem solving, learning through coaching, learning through inquiry, learning through critical thinking, learning through drafting and sketching, learning through games, and learning through simulation. Group three explained similar learning methods from the perspective of pedagogical models, which improved our understanding of Constructivist, Cognitivist, Collaborative, and Inquiry-Based models. The most important takeaway for me was that pedagogical models exist at Macro level from where the micro level explanations of various teaching methods flow. The theory underlying these models guides the implementation principles underlying the teaching methods. This Macro-Micro understanding refines teachers' actions so that they can be tailored to individual learner needs while also enhancing collaborative learning. ​

Collaborative learning, which promotes diversity among learners and tutors alike, is an essential component of vocational education at the group level. To accomplish this goal, our group (4) demonstrated collaborative learning processes as well as some tips for teachers on how to promote such learning in vocational education. Group 3 expanded on this discussion and guided the cohort more specifically by focusing on the role of teachers in implementing collaborative learning methods. We discussed how collaborative learning cannot be separated from the socio-cultural contexts in which it occurs. In their sociocultural theory, Vygotsky and Cole (2018) discussed this idea and emphasized the "zone of proximal development" in learning. Students have a certain level of understanding and knowledge, which develops further when they receive instructions from others (teachers and peers) and apply those to their social settings to refine existing knowledge and create new knowledge. To gain a better understanding, we investigated the work of Zettinig et al (2021) on collaborative learning in higher education, which is based on the concept of sociocultural learning in groups (I will discuss this paper in detail in my next blog post w.r.t. role of research in vocational education).

 

Learning Process in Groups (Zettinig et al. 2022)

 According to the paper, group learning occurs by first acquiring subject knowledge, then applying that knowledge with the group to real-world problems, and finally reflecting on the outcomes of both the real-world problems and the group interactions. As a result, as teachers, we must make students aware of the variety of learning processes and guide them through group dynamics as well as subject-level learning. The role of conflict is important in group dynamics, and in our discussions, we focused on first understanding the nature of conflict as team members and promoting the idea that students should resolve conflicts themselves (as it constitutes learning as well).  If not, we discussed the role of teacher interventions. Towards the end we discussed multiple strategies for collaborative learning in class room which included brain writing, peer review, jigsaw model and think-pair-share strategies.

Collabrative Learning Strategies (from here)

Overall, it is clear in the implementation phase that the majority of the methods and strategies at the individual and group levels are heavily influenced by the learning theories and other documentation created prior to the start of the learning process in the planning phase. As a result, while teachers must develop skills in implementing these strategies, they can only do so by focusing on proper planning.

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References

• Garner, I. (2000). Problems and inconsistencies with Kolb's learning styles. Educational Psychology, 20(3), 341-348.
• Reynolds, M. (1997). Learning styles: A critique. Management learning, 28(2), 115-133.
• Riener, C., & Willingham, D. (2010). The myth of learning styles. Change: The magazine of higher learning, 42(5), 32-35.
• Vygotsky, L., & Cole, M. (2018). Lev Vygotsky: learning and social constructivism. Learning Theories for Early Years Practice, 58.
• Zapalska, A. M., & Dabb, H. (2002). Learning styles. Journal of Teaching in International Business, 13(3-4), 77-97.
• Zettinig, Peter, Majid Aleem, Danijela Majdenic, and Michael Berry. "Learning Laboratory: An Integrative Learning Design for International Business in a Complex Dynamic World." Journal of Management Education 46, no. 3 (2022): 531-557.
• https://www.teachfloor.com/blog/10-collaborative-learning-strategies-for-online-teachers