This should be on a bumper sticker!

From page 5 of the book "Adult Learning, Linking Theory and Practice" comes a very interesting quote from a publication "Powerful learning: What we know about teaching for understanding"

Students need to be prepared as self-directed, lifelong learners "for jobs that do not yet exist, to use technologies that have not yet been invented, and to solve problems that we don't even know are problems yet" (Darling-Hammond et al., 2008, p.2)

And yet, when I really think about it and look back on my career, I had no idea when I graduated from SAIT, that I be using a computer on a daily basis (or even carrying one in my pocket!). Or that we would be globally connected via this electronic infrastructure called the internet, allowing us to connect and communicate around the world......

Interesting Thoughts

I've started reading "Adult Learning, Linking Theory & Practice" by Sharan B. Meriam & Laura L. Bierema.

I haven't yet made it past page 5 and there are some passages that I find very interesting.....

Preface, page viii
"One of the assumptions of andragogy is that because adults are self-directing in their work, family, and community lives, they can also be self-directing in their learning"

Hmmmm, In my classes so far, I have seen the self directed learners, and I have also seen a fair percentage (I would guess at least a third of the class) that wait for the direction of the instructional staff.

That's not to say that they lack the ability, but I wonder if our K-12 structure here in Alberta has conditioned the students to follow the direction of the instructors, rather than take it upon themselves.

Definitely something to debate over coffee.....

Trends

A fellow instructor here in the Electrical Department is trying new techniques with his students whereby he assigns topics to small groups to research and then present to the rest of the class. While only tried in one class, he commented that the students were quite receptive to learning for each of the small groups. Again it occurs to me that this is another use of peer learning within the classroom.

And there may also be a side benefit of peer pressure, providing the students with additional incentive to give a good presentation in front of their fellow students.

Additionally, I can see that this sharing of the students is a peer learning technique that I want to utilize whenever possible in my lab classes. Providing 2 benefits; 1) Confirmation for the sharing student that they understand the material, and 2) Assisting the learning student with another viewpoint or person whom they can learn from.

In theory classes, I've identified the strong students based on their results in the evaluations that I have. I'll check with them first to ensure they are comfortable with it and if so, then I'll mention to the class that if they are looking for some extra help, or an additional perspective, to go talk with these students who have a solid grasp on the theoretical concepts.

New Insights

In the past few classes, I have noticed how some of the stronger students (those who find the electrical material easier to learn or comprehend) step up and assist the students who are struggling in the labs.

I really hadn't paid much attention to it until I started researching "Peer Learning" for this module.

I see that these students were sharing what they have just learned with their counterparts, and in the process helped to strengthen their own understanding of the material while assisting their lab partners to further comprehend the new concepts. Additionally I saw that the students who were sharing their knowledge were describing it in terms that they understood and I believe that this benefited the other students because they were exposed to another viewpoint, or another way of looking at the material.

This goes back to what Glenn had mentioned, (I'm paraphrasing) "We teach the way we learn".

Another amusing moment occurred when I was reading the front page on the Peeragogy website. They quote "“Education is not an affair of ‘telling’ and being told, but an active and constructive process." (Dewey, 1916). The amusing moment came when I looked at the publication date..... It impresses me to see that so much learning is not recent, but really ongoing. 

As a relatively new instructor with 1 year under my belt, I have participated in discussions where the seasoned instructors would caution against becoming a "Sage on the Stage". In my opinion, not having much history allows me to continue to develop my teaching style and philosophy. Resulting in (I hope) an easier acceptance of teaching methods such as Peer Learning.

References:

1.  Dewey,J (1916), 'Democracy and Education'

Conference

Part of the assignment is to have a web conference with your working partner. I am very fortunate to be paired up with another instructor here at SAIT.

I had a great meeting with Stacey on Monday, to discuss our shared topic on Peer Learning.

She brought some articles which I found interesting. One from the National University of Singapore labelled Peer Learning: Enhancing Student Learning Outcomes had a very interesting quote: "Students learn a great deal by explaining their ideas to others and by participating in activities in which they can learn from their peers"" (Boud, 2001)

As an Electrical Apprenticeship instructor I have experienced this most recently in a lab last week. The students were grouped in pairs for the lab class where they were learning to hook up a motor and have it run correctly, when none of the leads were labelled. They had to go through a test procedure to correctly identify each wire and then successfully connect and operate it. Some students found the process quite easy where others had a greater challenge. It was interesting to see the students who had mastered the process support their peers who were struggling.

One of the challenges that we both identified was performing a good post assessment. Peer Learning can be very effective for the student who is sharing with their fellow peers. However it is equally important to ensure that all of the students within the peer learning group are participating and engaged in the process. Referring back to my students within the lab environment, I have experienced group dynamics where both students are working through the lab module. As well, I've noted situations where one student is heavily engaged and the other is mildly interested. In my opinion, having an effective post assessment tool can help to motivate some students to take a more active role.

Finally, it was interesting to note that both of us came upon an excellent website; Peeragogy
Many folks have come together to develop a handbook on collaborative learning.

References:

1. Boud, D. (2001). 'Introduction: Making the Move to Peer Learning'. In Boud, D., Cohen, Ruth & Sampson, Jane (Ed.). Peer Learning in Higher Education: Learning From & With Each Other. London: Kogan Page Ltd, 1-17

Staying on track while surfing the 'net

Funny how you can search the internet looking for one topic and before you notice it, you've shifted over to something unexpected!

I started out by googling "peer learning" and stumbled across a website on "peeragogy"

For those (like myself) that don't know all of the terms, wikipedia defines the term "pedagogy" as the "science and art of education".

Smarter folks than I coined another term called "andragogy" which focuses on "Adult Education". There is a great definition and comparison by Ron Kowit on Andragogy vs. Pedagogy

The basis of my thoughts for the moment has been to look at pedagogy initially and then to observe the differences in andragogy. How are adult learners different from young learners?

Then I run across articles that question that progression? Can we not use the methods that are identified for an adult learner with children? Tom Whitby has a great article on just this

So much for staying on track with peer learning!!!

So, to refocus, my goal is to evaluate how Peer Learning is changing my role as an Adult Educator.

First meeting with my Trends & Roles Partner

Yesterday, I had a nice meeting with my learning partner for this stage of our PIDP 3100 class. Stacey also works at SAIT and we were able to come up with a common topic that is of interest to both of us.
We've chosen to work on Peer / Blended learning approaches in our classrooms. Stay tuned for updates as the research continues!

Welcome to my PIDP Pathway

This blog was created by myself (Robin Greig) to help chronicle my journey through the Professional Instructor Diploma Program that I am currently enrolled in through the Vancouver Community College.

Thanks for visiting,
Robin