Learning Approach Models & Authentic Assessment
Teaching becomes more effective when students get more hands-on opportunities — both in their learning and in evaluation.
Learning Approach Models
Experiential learning, problem-based learning, and gamification are three learning approach models that can be used in place of or in addition to lecture- or presentation-style teaching to increase engagement and effectiveness of learning. All three models offer learners more hands-on experience and opportunity for self-direction in their education, which is an important part of learning according to cognitivism, connectivism, and andragogy learning theories.
The learning scenario below will serve as an example of experiential learning, a model created by American educational theorist David Kolb. Kolb’s model consists of a cycle of four stages:
1. Concrete Experience — a new experience or situation is encountered, or a reinterpretation of existing experience
2. Reflective Observation of the New Experience — of particular importance are any inconsistencies between experience and understanding
3. Abstract Conceptualization reflection gives rise to a new idea, or a modification of an existing abstract concept (the person has learned from their experience)
4. Active Experimentation — the learner applies their idea(s) to the world around them to see what happens (McLeod, 2017).
More traditional teaching style usually has learners first listen to a lecture or read from a textbook, and then apply what they just learned to an activity. Experiential learning flips this around and may have learners try an activity first, then reflect on and learn from that experience. This sequence can be more engaging to learners because they become active problem-solvers rather than passive receivers of information.
Theory in Action: Practical Application Example
The experiential learning model could be used in my mindfulness and meditation curriculum to increase engagement and enable learners to make connections to their own life and goals for learning mindfulness. To apply this model, I will design lessons following Kolb’s four-stage cycle:
- Concrete Experience: Instead of beginning the lesson by explaining the science and psychology behind a particular meditation and then having learners practice it, I will flip this and begin by leading learners through the meditation, saving the information portion until after stage 3.
- Reflective Observation: Learners will take a few minutes to reflect on the meditation they just practiced. How did they feel before, during, and after? What questions do they have about it?
- Abstract Conceptualization: Learners will share their reflections with the class and discuss together what they think the specific goal(s) of the meditation might be and come up with some situations where the meditation might be most useful/effective (i.e. is the meditation calming and good for a bedtime routine or for reducing anxiety, is it grounding and empowering and maybe helpful before a presentation or a difficult conversation, etc?) Coming up with specific uses for the meditations helps situate them as immediately useful and relevant solutions to problems the learners face, which makes the lessons more engaging according to andragogy learning theory. After learners finish brainstorming I would then offer more scientific/psychological background to affirm the learners ideas or suggest other possible answers.
- Active Experimentation: In the time leading up to the next lesson, I will ask learners to practice the meditation a few times on their own to determine for themselves what the best application is for them, or how this practice fits in their “mindfulness toolkit”. I would encourage learners to try the practice at least twice: once as a reaction to or preparation for a specific event and once not tied to any occurrence. I would also ask that they repeat the stages of experiential learning, and reflect and conceptualize after each time they practice.
Authentic Assessment
An authentic assessment is able to assess how a student can apply or demonstrate their learning in the “real world” better than a typical test can. Grant Higgins, president of the Authentic Education consulting firm, likens authentic assessment to a performance assessment in the workplace, as opposed to a “pencil-and-paper… school-based assessment” (Edutopia, 2002).
According to Higgins, some of the criteria that determines if an assessment is authentic is that it “is realistic, requires judgement and innovation, [and] asks the student to ‘do’ the subject” (Indiana University, 2020). Based on that criteria, I would design an authentic assessment for my mindfulness curriculum as follows.
Theory in Action: Practical Application Example
An authentic assessment I would use for my mindfulness curriculum would be for the students to prepare and lead the class in a guided meditation that they design. They can base their meditations on ones that they learn in class or in their own research, but they must make at least one change or addition if not designing it from scratch. They will need to offer some examples of how to best apply this meditation (is it best practiced daily, as needed, or in preparation for or in reaction to a specific event or trigger?) and they will need to explain the science or psychology behind why their meditation is effective in the situation(s) they describe. Learners will be graded on how accurate the scientific/psychological background is, how thoughtful and applicable the contextual situations are, and how smooth (logical and comfortable flow) the meditation is to practice. I will provide a grading rubric ahead of time so learners know the criteria they should design their meditations against.
Additionally, I will ask the learners to submit feedback on each others’ meditations because this will give me another opportunity to see how they apply what they have learned by noting why their peers’ mediations are effective and/or what could be improved. They will identify themselves on the feedback they submit to me so I can assess them, but I will share feedback with the presenter anonymously along with my praise and/or suggestions.
This assessment is related to and works with the experiential learning modeled lesson described above because the learners should utilize the model in their preparation of the meditation they plan to present to the class. As they develop their meditation, they should practice it on their own and reflect on it, etc, and repeat the process until they are satisfied with their meditation. The peer feedback process should also follow the same experiential learning model.
References
Edutopia. (2002, January 21). Grant Wiggins: Defining Assessment.
Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/grant-wiggins-assessmentIndiana University. (2020). Authentic Assessment. Indiana University
Bloomington Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning.
https://citl.indiana.edu/teaching-resources/assessing-student-
learning/authentic-assessment/McLeod, S. A. (2017). Kolb’s Learning Styles and Experiential
Learning Cycle. Simply Psychology.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html
