SOCIAL LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION Higher Education Quality

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SOCIAL LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) May 29,

SOCIAL LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) May 29, 2008 Research Overview Sam Catherine Johnston Samcatherinejohnston@gmail. com

Social Learning In a psychological view of learning, learning is assumed to be a

Social Learning In a psychological view of learning, learning is assumed to be a result of an individual performing actions and experiencing their effects (Bandura, 1977). By contrast, a social theory of learning assumes that the continuous reciprocal interaction between internal and environmental variables determines how much new knowledge an individual learns (Bandura, 1977). Social learning is about relationships and the knowledge each individual brings to those relationships.

Why should HEQCO investigate social learning? Social interactions are important for accomplishing challenging learning

Why should HEQCO investigate social learning? Social interactions are important for accomplishing challenging learning tasks (Bandura, 1977, Vygotsky, 1978, Scaife and Bruner, 1975). Observation of and assistance from others at times precedes, and always interacts, with human cognitive development (Vygotsky, 1978).

We learn vicariously, collaboratively, through mentoring, and models, especially when learning is high stakes

We learn vicariously, collaboratively, through mentoring, and models, especially when learning is high stakes (Bandura, 1977). Example: If we didn’t learn that lions are dangerous vicariously, we wouldn’t exist as a species! We’d all have been eaten by lions!

Could it be we’ve returned to learning socially because we have high stakes things

Could it be we’ve returned to learning socially because we have high stakes things to learn? Humans have always created new processes, tools and technologies to foster social learning when learning is high stakes.

Evidence of social learning taking root Change in the nature of work Change in

Evidence of social learning taking root Change in the nature of work Change in the nature of knowledge Change in the nature of learners

Change in Nature of work Ontario’s labour force increasingly focused on knowledge creation and

Change in Nature of work Ontario’s labour force increasingly focused on knowledge creation and dissemination, a collaborative process that requires work across professions, cultures, generations. Old training models in universities and colleges in Ontario relying on a psychological view of learning that supports fields such as manufacturing where you have set and distinct roles. Yet manufacturing is being handed over to lower income countries. There is evidence that universities may be training professionals using a psychological theory of learning. Recent studies in professions such as medicine suggest there is overspecialization (Groopman, 2007, Sullivan, 2005) negatively impacting patient care.

Change in nature of knowledge “classical perspective, “knowledge” consists of accurate interrelationships among facts,

Change in nature of knowledge “classical perspective, “knowledge” consists of accurate interrelationships among facts, based on unbiased research that produces compelling evidence about systemic causes… … In contrast, the Web 2. 0 definition of “knowledge” is collective agreement about a description that may combine facts with other dimensions of human experience, such as opinions, values, and spiritual beliefs. ” (Dede, 2008, p. 2) Higher education institutions that rely on professors to transfer a set body of knowledge to students are in an outdated paradigm.

Change in nature of learners Students need to meet our need for collaboratively learning

Change in nature of learners Students need to meet our need for collaboratively learning and distributed cognition. Secondary school students learn socially, in part because of their use of social/collaborative technologies (Jones, 2004). OECD and Partnership for 21 st Century Skills have begun to measure social learning in K-12 systems (reference). Nontraditional students (Horn, 1996) entering the higher education system, often from the labour force, may also be socially oriented learners (Johnston, 2007).

summary 21 st century will be dominated by collaboration because social capital is essential

summary 21 st century will be dominated by collaboration because social capital is essential for human capital development. Information is shared amongst people and stored by computers - - - eliminates need to all know the same things. Multi-faceted problems require dialogue across professions, cross-culturally, across generations (e. g. , global mental health, environmental pollution, safety and defense). Multiculturalism necessitates understanding different norms and values to get anything done.

UNIVERSITIES IN OLD PARADIGM Second half of the 20 th century was dominated by

UNIVERSITIES IN OLD PARADIGM Second half of the 20 th century was dominated by competitive meritocracy where human capital is at odds with social capital. Universities molded to this. - Bell curves - Rankings - Merit scholarships - Norm referenced tests Universities train students to analyze, but do less to build practical skills and professional judgment. (Sullivan, 2005 p. 195)

WHAT is being researched? National Survey of Student Engagement Active and collaborative learning is

WHAT is being researched? National Survey of Student Engagement Active and collaborative learning is one of five benchmark areas One of the seven questions on active or collaborative learning is a measure of peer learning: “I tutored or taught another student outside of class. ” A caveat attached to this question on the survey states: “the tutoring can be either paid or voluntary. ” Better measure of how students generate income in higher education.

WHAT is being researched? National Survey of Student Engagement A second example relates to

WHAT is being researched? National Survey of Student Engagement A second example relates to the two questions used to measure group work: “worked with other students inside of class” and “worked with other students outside of class” (NSSE Annual Report, 2006, p. 40). These questions provide information on how courses are structured, rather than students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation(s) to work collaboratively or not.

Proposed research strategy for studying social learning How could you initiate change to a

Proposed research strategy for studying social learning How could you initiate change to a more social, rather than psychological approach to teaching and learning, and then monitor and evaluate it adequately? Don’t want to just study problems in existing higher education system if the paradigm for the system is changing.

A) Design based research “Design-based research is explained by Collins, Joseph and Bielaczyc (2004,

A) Design based research “Design-based research is explained by Collins, Joseph and Bielaczyc (2004, cited in Dede 2005, p. 5) as follows: “design experiments bring together two critical pieces in order to guide us to better educational refinement: a design focus and assessment of critical design elements. ” Design programs/courses using pedagogy built from a social theory of how learning occurs. – Supporting Individual Differences course at HGSE: An application of Universal Design for Learning. – Global Mental Health Program - Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma: A Community of Practice

B) Study persistence in higher education populations with typically low persistence rates Studying what

B) Study persistence in higher education populations with typically low persistence rates Studying what works for populations that are inclined not to succeed in traditional higher education programs. This would involve testing a hypothesis that low persisters in traditional higher education are more inclined to a social, rather than psychological approach to learning (Johnston, 2007). When these students persist through to graduation, they may be using social learning processes (Tinto, 1997) –Nontraditional students (Horn, 1996) –New students coming into the system from secondary education – Web 2. 0 kids –Students with disabilities

C) Studying teachers/program that are shifting the paradigm HEQCO mentions in quality chapter of

C) Studying teachers/program that are shifting the paradigm HEQCO mentions in quality chapter of research report that almost every university in Ontario has a center of teaching and learning as well as internal and external awards of teacher excellence. Study best practices employed by these teachers. It would be possible to combine strategies A, B, and C to develop a richer picture of what pedagogies and subsequent learning outcomes look like when they are informed by a social perspective of how learning occurs.

Benefits to heqco Indicators could be developed based on studying programs informed by a

Benefits to heqco Indicators could be developed based on studying programs informed by a social theory of learning. Social learning strategies for success of typically low-persisting populations could become indicators. Findings could be used to develop indicators of social learning for existing monitoring and evaluation instruments such as NSSE. New survey instruments from design-based research could be validated and shared across programs and institutions.

Benefits to heqco Would be beneficial to HEQCO in terms of helping to enrich

Benefits to heqco Would be beneficial to HEQCO in terms of helping to enrich the development of the learning quality framework. New measures could help assess whether retention and social learning strategies are related. Vincent Tinto has started to do work on measures of social engagement in the classroom, yet has not systematically applied his measures to universities.

Communities of practice “In essence, communities of practice are groups of people who share

Communities of practice “In essence, communities of practice are groups of people who share similar goals and interests. In pursuit of these goals and interests, they employ common practices, work with the same tools and express themselves in a common language. Through such common activity, they come to hold similar beliefs and value systems. ” http: //www. co-i-l. com/coil/knowledge-garden/cop/definitions. shtml

How I have investigated cops Global Mental Health Program is designed to be a

How I have investigated cops Global Mental Health Program is designed to be a Community of Practice. I developed a retention model for nontraditional students using the 4 ways of learning in a community of practice and linking each of these to one of Tinto’s 4 primary factors that influence persistence at the institution/individual interaction level.

How I have studied UDL in My Work Member of the teaching staff for

How I have studied UDL in My Work Member of the teaching staff for the core course on Universal Design for Learning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Research assistant at the Center for Applied Special Technology developing the Universal Design for Learning Guidelines.