Reading seminar: Learning Is a Journey, not a Destination
Harris P., Walling D.R. (2017) Learning Is a Journey, not a Destination. In: Lai FQ., Lehman J. (eds) Learning and Knowledge Analytics in Open Education. Springer, Cham
The authors of Chapter Learning Is a Journey, not a Destinationis trying to get us to the land of reflection basic questions of education. What is teaching? The linear process from point A to point B? How teachers self-understanding influence learning design? They also discuss choice or compulsion in the learning process, conformity and “normality”.
The chapter is not coming with some deep–new–wow! thoughts, but in a nice and little bit different way tell aloud some ideas about education.
Personal theories of learning
The authors are thinking about theories of learning. What does it mean to have theories of learning? Of course, it is important to know theories, think about them, but it is hard to use them strictly. In the end, the most important is internalized, personal theory of learning, they say. It means there is huge importance of teacher self-understanding and reflection, understanding own ingrained theory and be aware of it.
In edTech point of view, I found again amazing potential of teachers e-portfolio in two points. First as a tool of reflection. Own artefacts and writings about teaching can help show this hidden theory, patterns, assumptions. The second point is to share this picture with students. The relationship a communication between teacher and student could be more mutual. (Especially if we want our students to create e-portfolio’s and showing their thought world.)
Think in linear terms is a misconception
I truly fell in love with this schema of a learning process ;-). The authors try to warn of using design frameworks and models step by step in a linear way (especially instructional design tend to this). Teaching and learning is a live process, ongoing in situations of people who are different.
Balance choice and compulsion
Last weeks were first for new tutors of our online Kurz práce s informacemi. Many of those tutors are very nice, motivated, student-oriented. I believe they deeply want to make the course perfect, open, democratic, and friendly for students. But… after first homeworks they found, that not every student is able to participate in this kind of relationship and environment :). What is great in the chapter is the nicely formulated advice that we should not be focused on “happy-happy-happy” learning process. It is necessary to search for balance between choice and compulsion and make learning positive, fulfilling, and engaging.
