This chapter was very
interesting in tackling four concepts which I will explain in moderate detail
to tackle the idea of learning and the effect the environment can have on that.
The first type of environment (and it is often noted that none of these
environments is exclusive of the others) is learner centered. In this
environment it is important to recognize where the student is coming from. This
is not strictly cultural, but also involves previous learned knowledge from
past grades, and any other factors outside of the classroom which contribute to
his/her experiences. This idea has been proven to be significant with experiments
asking students to relate home experiences to their current work, and it
thereby improving test performance on reading. While focusing on the
environment may be essential, it is very difficult to determine what is stored
as experiences. To narrow that down, knowledge – centered environments (the
second concept) focuses on the knowledge that you have previously learned that
is specific to what you are going to learn. This methodology allows the learner
to engage in assimilation and connect his preconceived thoughts with what he
desires to learn. The presented analogy of learning the landscape reminds me a
lot about the general field of Computer Science. I would argue that given the
existing technology, CS is becoming a lot more about learning how to access
sources and install different libraries than the theoretical knowledge behind
CS concepts. So, how can you measure this? This leads us to the well known
problem of standardized tests in the United States which I will refrain from
covering extensively. In short, we should not teach to memorization and
assessment of exams, but rather to the learning and understanding of the
concepts that are being taught.
The concept of feedback and its
implications on education are, to say the least, complex to understand.
Researchers have indicative scientific evidence that demonstrates that feedback
does in fact positively influence learning (Nicol
& Macfarlane-Dick, 2006) . However, this
knowledge in education is applied much less than one would think. On a personal
level, I feel that my education has taught me that throughout the years
feedback will be important, but that as you go from Middle to High school to
college, this feedback will diminish as you become more independent. However, approximately
17 years ago researchers Robert Barr and John Tagg published an article on the
future of undergraduate education, and the movement from instruction to
learning (Barr & Tagg, 1995) . This comes to me as
a shock because many of the courses at Georgia Tech strikingly resemble
instruction, and not learning. The main idea that comes to mind with Georgia
Tech’s education for better or worse seems to be survival. Students may joke
about it, but can subtle details in our own learning environment truly impact
the learning, or lack thereof, of others? The idea of failing students and
subsequently curving classes simply highlights some of the flaws in feedback
that many professors infamously do. This suggests that the general teaching
scheme which all Georgia Tech professors use should be more uniform and
tailored to learning, to enhance the quality of education in the institution.
Maybe then will we go from instruction, to learning? I hope so.
Works Cited
Barr, R. B., & Tagg, J. (1995). A new paradigm
for undergraduate education. Change, 27(6), 13-25.
Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2006,
April). Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: a model and seven
principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2),
199-218.
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