Aletha's Learning Environments Unit 2 Blog

The emphasis these two weeks was on the different modes of learning modules that will enhance critical thinking, promoting learning on a deeper level, encouraging self-esteem and openness to others, and improving interpersonal relationship as a team. Some of the approaches are born out of the Behaviorist Approach, Constructivism, and the Cognitive Theory.

The first method is Cooperative Learning:  Which refers to working in small groups as a collective unit but each working on specific task.  Learners are able to work together in manner that enhances both group and individual learning.  In the readings of the authors the suggestions of what cooperative learning does are as followed;  transfer of knowledge, increase learner interaction, and social interdependence whether positive or negative. The negative aspect is that the learner in this environment will be competitive and work against one another. One of the strategies used in cooperative learning is “Jigsaw”, according to Kerr and Bruun (1983), this increases individual involvement, helping those who usually feel isolated and participate marginally. This learning is student to student.

The second method is Problem-Based Learning (PBL):  a student-centered method in which students learn about a subject in the context of a realistic problem. Working in small groups, just like cooperative learning, to identify what they already know, what they need to know, and how and where it assesses the information that they will need to bring a resolution to the problem. PBL actively engages the student in constructing knowledge in their own mind by themselves and the teacher is more a facilitator which is very different from the traditional classroom. Some of the characteristics of PBL is; learning is driven by challenging, open-ended problems, students generally work in a collaborative group not on a competitive level, and the teacher role is more facilitator of leaning. In this learning environment students are encouraged to responsibility for their group and organize and direct the learning process with the support of the teacher.  Although in viewing this learning method it would seem to enhance student communication, problem-solving skills, and team building, my question would be can all students (ie EC, LD, and BEH)  perform this learning task?  Sweller and others have published a series of studies over the past twenty years that is relevant to problem-based learning but concerning   cognitive overload and what they describe as the guidance-fading effect (Sweller, 2006)

The third is Situated Learning: the means of learning in a community of practice. Lave and Wenger (1991), states that at its simplest, situated learning is learning that take place in the same context in which it is applied. For example, field trips, workshops, classrooms, trainings, apprenticeship, and various practices which are real life settings that we have encountered all of our life and have learned from the experience.  The behaviorism approach which details that we learn by practice, reinforcement, active learning, shaping and modeling and the repetition of these strengthens learning (Davidson-Shivers and Rasmussen, 2006).

Cooperative learning group theory would probably be the best mode of learning for my student population. Because it gives me the option of individualistic, competitive, and cooperative and in a special education classroom with multiple grade and intellectual levels, these options would work better.

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