Learning

Xiangyun Du and Lars Peter Jensen

xiangyun@plan.aau.dk

Agenda•Different perceptions on learning and knowledge•General learning experiences in PBL, AAU•Individual learning styles•Discussions on developing learning strategies

Aims•To achieve more understanding of learning from different perspectives•To bring about self-awareness of learning•To share experiences and develop more learning strategies

Waves of Knowledge

Management

Knowledge come from books

Waves of Knowledge Management

Technology Domination

Knowledge as information Put information into databaseLimitation in accessibility - outdated database

Waves of knowledge management

•Knowledge as practice•Knowledge is contextualized •People are creating and managing knowledge instead of only receiving• Technology is used to support learning

Learning is how brain works

Learning as internalization

Rogoff 1995

Learning as participation in activities

Rogoff 1995

Experiential learning - Kolb’s learning cycle

Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experiences - David Kolb 1984

ActiveExperiment

Abstractconceptualisation

Reflective Observation

Concrete ExperienceGrasping via

APPREHENSION

Grasping via COMPREHENSION

Accommodative knowledge

Divergent knowledge

Convergent knowledge

Assimilativeknowledge

Transformation

Via EXTENSION

Transformation

Via INTENSION

Original figure in Wenger 2004Original figure in Wenger 2004

Life Long Learning

Learning engineering

tobecome

an engineer

To live is to learn – Chinese saying

What is ’learning’?Yes, it’s actually true

– you can get a degree by repeating

everything the teacher says.

Learning Environment- traditional

teachers and textbooks as main learning

resources

Teaching = Learning ?

Active learning

• students learn (i.e. remember) • (a survey report from Felder):

– 10% of what they read– 26% of what they hear– 30% of what they see– 50% of what they see and hear– 70% of what they say– 90% of what they say and do

passive

active

Student-centred learning

Self-directed learning: six focuses –Zimmerman

& Lebeau 2000) • Defining what should be learned • Identifying ones’ own learning needs• Developing learning objectives• Identifying a learning plan to achieve those

objects• implementing the learning plan• Self-evaluating the effectiveness of the learning

Multiple Learning resources in PBL, AAU

Theme – a problem to solve at the beginning of each semester

Lectures

Supervision

Other teachers

Experts

Experiments

Literature

Family

Internet

Problem solving in

Group-organized project work

other groups

FriendsMore other resources

companies

Project report and oral exam at the end of semester

General Learning Experiences

‘It is really motivating and exciting. It fits my way of learning. I learn better when I find out the way myself. This way of learning is much better than only attending lectures, because I have to know why I need learn this. When I know the objective clearly, I learn much better.’ - student

General Learning Experiences

‘Working in groups we get mental support from each other, it is also a responsibility so that we won’t drop out easily.’ – student group

‘We talked about many things from the beginning so that we knew what each other was good at, and what we could learn from each other and what we could like to learn through doing the project. We want to make it possible that we can learn from each other and everybody can learn what they want to learn.’

– student group

General Learning Experiences ‘We can learn the professional knowledge no

matter by doing groups work or individually, however, the social skills in the group work will improve the learning process. It will be more fruitful and inspiring with better social activities.’ – student group

‘This make the boring life interesting, especially when the exam time approach and all we do everyday is to sit in the room around 15 hours a day, being stressed and exhausted.’ –

student

Ideal Learning environment from the perspective of students – group work

Ideal group size: 3-4 people Most important things that make group

work function• Positive attitude• Constructive communication • Cooperation • Compromise • New perspectives

Learning environment from the

perspective of students -lectures Expectation to lecturers Technical knowledge The art of teaching (more important) to make the ‘killer courses’ interesting rather than to kill the

interesting courses • Engagement – pay attention to students • Providing interesting, understandable informative

presentation with clear overviews and well-organized structures (providing slides by emails)

• Providing clear learning goals • Providing examples to link abstract theories and real life

• Personality – humorous, motivating, provocative

Learning environment from the perspective of students –

supervision Functions of supervisionFor beginners of each project / the study

program: more direct inputs regarding how to the project work started and relevant technical knowledge

For students in later part of the project / education: structural comments, emergency support

Learning environment from the perspective of students –supervision

Expectation to supervisors clear information about what can be expected Technical knowledge The art of teaching (more important) Engagement, willingness to help Accessibility Mental support, especially in case of problems Instruction of methods (how to learn) regarding how to

solve the project and do the project rather than facts answers

Constructive communication – with clear knowledge about the expectation from both sides

Diversity Issues

Different learning experiences among different groups:

• different study programs • different semesters• different backgrounds (gymnasium,

hometown, family, etc.) • different learning styles • different genders • different cultures

What are Learning Styles?

Individuals’ different ways of taking in and processing information

- Richard Felder

How do you do reading?

Some people…sometimes…

Factors Influencing Learning Styles

Before entering the University• Native ability (IQ)• Background (past experiences)

At the University• Learning environment e.g. match between learning style and

teaching style

Purpose of Testing Learning Style

• To know about yourself - ‘in which way a student is smart’ rather than ‘whether this student is smart or not’

• To help learners to develop learning strategies and improve their learning by balancing it.

• To work with our teaching style to match and maximize student learning

The learning styles test (1)

1. Circle "a" or "b" for every one of the 44 questions.

The learning styles test (2)

2. Fill out the scoring sheet with a ’1’ for each of your answers.

3. Add ’1’s in column ’a’ and column ’b’ in each of the 4 fields.

4. Calculate the numerical difference between a-score and b-score and add an ’a’ or a ’b’ depending upon which is the larger sum.

The learning styles test (3)

5. Transfer your 4 preferences to the preference sheet which you keep yourself.

6. Each group member transfers her/his 4 preferences to the group preference sheet, as well as to the group acetate.

7. The scoring sheet is handed in to the lecturer. Remember to write name, sex and nationality. The group acetate is also handed in to the lecturer.

Different learning styles 1 Active Learners• Retain and understand

information best by doing something active

• Like discussion or applying it or explaining it to others

• ‘let’s try it out and see how it works’

• Like group work

Reflective Learners• Think about it quietly

before talk• Let’s think it through

first • Prefer working alone

quietly

Everybody is sometimes active and sometimes reflective. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

It is hard for both learning types sitting through lectures without getting to do anything physical but taking notes, particularly hard for active learners.

Learning Strategies 1

Active learners • Try to compensate

discussion or problem-solving activities if they are lacking in classes

• Try to think about reflection on the activities and experiences

Reflective learners• Try to compensate time for

thinking if there is not enough time in the daily project work

• Stop periodically to review what you have read and to think of possible questions or applications

• To participate in the group discussion and speak out the opinions

What advantages and possible problems when active learners and reflective learners work in the same group?

Different learning styles 2 Sensing Learners • Tend to like facts• Like solving problems by

well-established methods and dislike complications and surprises

• Be patient with details and good at memorizing facts and doing hands-on work

• More practical and careful• don’t like courses that have

no apparent connection to the real world

Intuitive Learners• Prefer discovering possibilities

and relationships • Like innovation and dislike

repetition• Be better at grasping new

concepts and more comfortable with abstractions and mathematical formulations

• Work faster and more imaginative

• Don’t like courses that involve a lot of memorization and routine calculation

Everybody is sometimes sensing and sometimes intuitive. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

Learning Strategies 2

What advantages and possible problems when sensors and intuitive learners work in the same group?

Sensing learners• Ask instructor for specific

examples of concepts, connection to the real

world and procedures and apply them in practice

• Find specifics by brainstorming with friends

• Try new perspectives and methods with intention

Intuitive learners• Ask instructor for

interpretations or theories that link the facts

• Try to find the connections yourself

• Take time to read the entire question before you start answering and be sure to check our results carefully

• Try to explain and discuss the imagination and new ideas feedbacks

Different learning styles 3

Visual LearnersRemember best what

they see - ‘Show me’

• Pictures• Diagrams• Sketches• schematics• Flow charts• plots

Verbal learners Getting more out of

words - ‘Explain it to me’

• Spoken words• Written words

Everybody is both visual and verbal. Preferring one does not mean that you don’t learn in the other way. Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

Learning Strategies 3

Visual learners • Find diagrams, sketches,

photographs, flow charts, etc.

• Use concept maps by listing key points, enclosing them in boxes or circles, drawing lines with arrows for connections…

• Colour code notes with highlighter

Verbal learners• Write summaries or

outlines• Working in groups can be

effective: to gain understanding of material by hearing classmates’ explanations

• You might learn more when you explain things to others

What advantages and possible problems when visual learners and verbal learners work in the same group?

Different learning styles 4

Sequential Learners • Gain understanding in

linear steps • Follow logical stepwise

paths in finding solutions

• Feel comfortable explaining things

Global Learners • Learning in large jumps,

absorbing materials almost randomly without seeing connections, and suddenly ‘get it’. Need big picture to function

• Solve complex problems quickly or put things together in novel ways once they have grasped the big picture

• Feel difficult to explain

Which is your preference? Your preference for one category or the other may be strong, moderate, or mild.

Learning Strategies 4Sequential learners • If you happen to meet a

global teacher, ask him/her to fill in the skipped steps, or fill them in yourself by consulting references, or outline the lecture material for yourself in logical order

• Strengthen your global thinking skills by relating each new topic to things you already know to understand deeper.

Global learners• To get an overview by

skimming through the entire reading materials before the first section

• To relate the subject to something you already know to see the connections to find disciplines.

What advantages and possible problems when sensors and intuitive learners work in the same group?

Possible Misunderstandings of Learning Styles

• Dividing people into a set category

• It is not like blood types – instead, it is just measuring height or weight along some point in life

Summary

• All types of learners are needed in every profession

• All learning styles are needed to be addressed and satisfied in teaching

Where to go? How to deal with it?

Find a Balance!

Group Discussion and Presentation in Plenum

• Project group• Talk about your learning styles • Discuss learning strategies in PBL

environment - how to provide learning opportunities for

every type of learner in group work – how to make best of each other and make

the project work benefit from different ways of learning

• Make a presentation in plenum (about learning strategies) (representatives from each group)