Preparation for Learning

CED 521 Psychology of Religious Learning

Timothy W. Brock

Preparation for Learning

The material in these class notes was derived from Part 3 of the textbook, How We Learn: A Christian Teacher’s Guide to Educational Psychology, by Issler and Habermas. Additional information will be provided by the professor from the sources noted in the material.

Sensitivity to Student Motivation

In Chapter 6 of the text, the authors addressed a number of issues associated with the general idea of what it means for students to be ready to learn. The information in this chapter focused on the student’s willingness to learn (while information in the next three chapters addressed the students’ abilities—physical, cognitive, and personality—at work in the learning process).

Based on the work of Wlodkowski, the authors develop a six-factor process associated with student learning. This process is described in the table below. We will briefly review this process during the class session.

Major Motivation Factor

Purposes

Attitudes (Beginning Activities)

·         To create a positive attitude toward the instructor

·         To build a positive attitude toward the subject matter and the learning situation.

·         To develop a positive learner self-concept for learning.

·         To establish learner expectancy for success.

Needs (Beginning Activities)

·         To ensure that instruction is responsive to learner needs.

·         To relate instruction to important physiological needs.

·         To satisfy and respect safety needs within the content and process of instructional situation.

·         To satisfy and respect belongingness needs within the content and process of instructional situation.

·         To satisfy and respect esteem needs within the content and process of instructional situation.

·         To satisfy and respect self-actualization needs within the content and process of instructional situation.

Stimulation (During Activities)

·         To maintain learner attention.

·         To build learner interest.

·         To develop learner involvement.

Affect (During Activities)

·         To encourage and integrate learner emotions within the learning process.

·         To maintain an optimal emotional climate within the learning group.

·

Competence (Ending Activities)

·         To increase learner awareness of progress, mastery, achievement, and responsibility in learning in a manner that enhances the learner’s confidence, self-determination, and intrinsic motivation.

Reinforcement (Ending Activities)

·         To provide extrinsic reinforcers for learning activities that because of their structure or nature could not induce learner participation or achievement without positive reinforcement.

·         To help learners to be aware of the positive changes their learning behavior has produced.

·         To affirm and to continue learner motivation for significant units of learning.

Application: Learning Styles

At the end of Chapter 6, the authors briefly addressed the use of information related to learning styles as one means to enhance student motivation. The following material serves to supplement that discussion.

Definitions

From the book, Christian Education: Foundations for the Future (page 334), learning styles researcher Rita Dunn stated: “a learning style is the way people concentrate when they have something difficult to learn. People use their learning styles to trigger their concentration and capture their learning strengths.” Citing the same source, research Bernice McCarthy (author of The 4MAT System) offered the following definition: “a learning style is the way a student perceives things best and the way he or she processes or uses what has been presented.”

Various Approaches to Learning Styles: Sensory-Based

In the book Basics of Christian Education (pages 83-84), Dr. Tye described the learning styles approach of Wayne James and Michael Galbraith. Their work relied heavily on the ways that people use the five senses to perceive information from the world (i.e. a sensory-based approach). Their approach is summarized below:

· Visual Learners…people who prefer their visual sense, who tend to learn through observation of images, pictures, charts, graphs, and symbols.

· Print Learners…people who prefer their visual sense, who tend to learn through looking at words.

· Aural Learners…people who learn best by listening.

· Interactive Learners…people who learn best by talking things out with other people.

· Haptic Learners…people who perceive the world through the sense of touch, “hands on” learners.

· Olfactory Learners…people who learn best through smell and taste.

· Kinesthetic Learners…people who learn best through movement (doodling, dancing, and athletics, having some body part in constant motion).

Reflection Question

Based on your understanding of this material, with which of these types of sensory-based learning styles do you most readily identify?

Various Approaches to Learning Styles: Key Elements

On pages 335-339 of the Foundations book, the author described the 21 Elements of Learning Model designed by Rita Dunn and Kenneth Dunn. The twenty-one elements included:

· Sound. Basically, some people study and learn better with background noises (to help them focus) and some folks require absolute silence in order to think and process.

· Light. The amount and type of lighting can affect learning.

· Temperature. Overly warm or overly cool environments can directly affect learning.

· Design. Some people need a desk and a chair. Some need a comfortable easy chair. Others spread out on a couch or the floor in order to study. The design of the room can directly impact learning.

· Motivation. A highly motivated student needs need to be coached in their learning processes. Unmotivated students need to be directed (hands on) in their learning processes.

· Persistence. A highly persistent student cannot be stopped in their learning processes; they keep going until they have reached a state of internal satisfaction. Students with low persistence live in the moment, dislike being organized, and actively test the rules of the learning process.

· Responsibility. Responsible student are compliant; they do what they are told. Nonresponsible students must understand the relevance of the learning activity. “Why is this important?” is a favorite question.

· Structure. Externally structured students need to know exactly what must be done. Internally structured people want to do things their own way.

· Perceptual. In this element, students are aware of their sensory-based learning styles and seek to be taught based on these styles.

· Intake. Do you like to eat while you learn?

· Time. Most people have a particular time of the day during which they learn best.

· Mobility. Some people need the permission and opportunity to get up and move around during a learning experience. Other can sit quietly for long periods of time.

· Global/Analytical. Do you like to start with the “big picture” and then fit all the pieces into place (global), or do you like to begin with the pieces and construct the “big picture”?

· Hemisphericity. Are you a right-brained learner (global), a left-brained learner (analytical), or a whole-brained learner?

· Impulsive/Reflective. Impulsive students have to talk through or act through a learning experience. Reflective learners prefer to think things through first, then talk about or act on them.

Reflection Question

Based on your understanding of this material, which 3 or 4 of these learning elements are most critical in your learning processes?

The Learning Styles Inventory (LSI)

Developed in the 1970’s and initially used in the field of education, David Kolb constructed the Learning Styles Inventory (LSI). The inventory is based on the assumption that each person possesses a particular learning style, or a set of distinctive behaviors that serve as indicators of how a person learns from and adapts to the environment.

A learning style is a characterization of the individualized ways that people perceive, gather, and process information, solve problems, relate to others, and participate in learning activities.

The theory behind the inventory is as follows. According to Kolb, persons perceive information and collect data from the environment through one of two processes: Concrete Experience or Abstract Conceptualization.

Perceiving Information

Concrete Experience

(Feeling—a function of the Heart)

Abstract Conceptualization

(Thinking—a function of the Head)

Once information has been gathered from the environment, it must be processed. This processing of information can take place in one of two ways: Active Experimentation or Reflective Observation.

Processing Information

Active Experimentation

(Doing—A Function of the Hands)

Reflective Observation

(Watching—a function of the eyes)

The perceiving functions and the processing functions are integrated into a “learning cycle” which in turn describes four different learning styles (The Kolb learning styles are in BOLD and Dr. Brock’s corresponding styles are in parentheses beside them):

· The Diverger (or Experiencer)—a person who gathers information through Concrete Experience (Feeling and Heart) and processes that information through Reflective Observation (Watching and Eyes).

· The Assimilator (or Exegete)—a person who gathers information through Abstract Conceptualization (Thinking and Head) and processes that information through Reflective Observation (Watching and Eyes).

· The Converger (or Reflector)—a person who gathers information through Abstract Conceptualization (Thinking and Head) and processes that information through Active Experimentation (Doing and Hands).

· The Accomodator (or Applier)—a person who gathers information through Concrete Experience (Feeling and Heart) and processes that information through Active Experimentation (Doing and Hands).

Reflection Question

Based on your understanding of this material, which of these learning styles is your preferred style?

Physical Abilities in Christian Learning

In Chapter 7, the authors discussed the role of physical abilities (or capacities) in the processes associated with Christian learning. In the application section of the chapter, the authors briefly speculated on ministry with persons who have some type of limited physical capacities. Prior to class, brainstorm specific ideas that might be used to ministry with persons with the following physical limitations:

· Communications—Speech Disorders

· Communications—delayed language acquisition

· Physical Health—orthopedic handicaps associated with limited use of limbs, cerebral palsy, etc.

· Physical Health—asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, etc.

· Sensory—visual impairment

· Sensory—hearing impairment

· Mental Disorders—persons with mental retardation

· Mental Disorders—persons with diagnosed mental conditions…

Be prepared to share your ideas with the other members of the class.

Cognitive Abilities in Christian Learning

In Chapter 8, the authors described and discussed the implications of various approaches cognitive and moral development. Much of the material included in this chapter was highlighted in the textbook, Nurture That Is Christian (the text covered in the first section of the class and associated with Assignment 1 in this course), so we will go into detail on this material during this class session.

On pages 148-152, the authors discussed the topic, “Children and Conversion.” During the next class session, please be prepared to address the following questions/assignments:

· Briefly summarize the material included in this section of the reading.

· What is your reaction to this material? With which points do you agree? Disagree?

· Explain your responses.

Mapping Our Personality and Christian Learning

In Chapter 6, the authors described how various approaches to personality theory might be used to enrich our understanding of how persons can be motivated for Christian learning.

For the purposes of our class discussion, please focus on the following three theories:

· Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (needs to be met along the journey)…

· Erickson’s Psychosocial Stages (crises along the journey)…

· Havighurst’s Developmental Tasks (tasks along the journey)…

During the next class session, please be prepared to address the following questions/assignments:

· Be able to briefly summarize the material associated with these three approaches.

· Specifically, how does this approach inform your understanding of how we can motivate students in Christian learning?