Peter Haeusler on 'Student Perceptions of Learning'

I'm really excited about hearing Peter Haeusler talk about student perceptions of learning at our next Pedagogy and Practice meeting! This will enhance my questioning from my previous posting on expectations versus perceptions, I'm hoping!

Perceptions of learning versus expectations

I've had this question playing in my head for a little while: when we talk about designing for learning experience what does it really mean? We tend to look to the learner for guidance on things like

• learner characteristics (such as the general characteristics of the learner group or student cohort),
• professional applicability (subjects like nursing, business, ambulance services, etc),
• timeframe for the learning to occur (most often in the form of 12 week semesters), and
• learner styles and context (based again on learner group/s as well as individuals).

This is by no means an exhaustive list of factors relating to learning design, but hopefully it premises my next lot of thoughts here!

So, how do we know that the learner knows what they want? In other words how do we seek to differentiate between the learner's expectations leading up to a 'learning event' from what they perceive they have actually learned? You might say well, one occurs prior to learning and the other after the learning - no? I disagree. Firstly the two terms are different in their use for one. To expect something is to have a preconceived notion of something; to be expectant, anticipating something. To me this carries a value judgement to a degree. An individual can hold expectations about a film where they may have read rave reviews, only to be disappointed on viewing the film themselves -- their experience was almost 'tainted' by the overlaying of their expectations shall we say.

Perception then is what you perceive something to be... To me this acknowledges the moment, as in 'to be'. We cannot perceive something unless we are involved in it! It is about observing, gaining insight, developing an understanding of something. It is becoming aware. This is worlds apart from expectation, which is more about anticipation and probabilities - it is more a measurement or a forecast.

Now to get to my point (taking the long way round!)...if we are designing in line with the learner's perception of how they learn (as well as what they are learning) then we are theoretically closer to designing a lived and embodied experience. We thus decrease the gap between the design and the actual learning taking place. Well, this is a good thing isn't it?! If we design for the learner's expectations then surely we're perpetuating the myth that runs counter to learning how to learn?

Apcala now available!

The team from ELGG have opened up Apcala, a shared blogging environment.

You can register for free and you have many features to play with, a personal blog, links to friends blogs, group blogs, you can also make up your own templates! The user-side features are many - you have control of your 'space'!

I've just signed up - I hope to make some use of this to trial a group of student teachers to develop a reflective professional development 'space' both individually and collectively!

If anyone else is using this for educational purposes, particularly in developing an e-Portfolio 'environment', I'd be most interested to hear!

Action learning, action research and performance management

I've registered at PARnet, a 'knowledge gateway' for action researchers around the world. It's part of the Cornell Participatory Action Research Network (CPARN).

It would be great if the site had a blog and/or RSS! I think their guestbook is getting spammed majorly!

Anyway, I'm always on the lookout for others who are doing research and undertaking action learning practices in educational settings, if this rings bells for you! I'm planning out my thesis and looking at relevant and manageable approaches, including a balance between well researched methodologies and new ways of research too!

One project I'm currently a part of, Global Knowledge, Local Learning is aiming to bring forward some new ways of doing research especially when we focus on learning and teaching experience, cultural aspects of learning and teaching and international education and what it means for one's learning and life experience. A phenomenological approach coupled with action reserach and reflective practice (in many forms including drama, imagery and music for example), can prove to be highly effective in research where we seek to uncover cultural nuances, personal experience and perceptions of learning and teaching.

I've also just popped my memebership form to ALARPM in the post! I've been meaning to do it for such a while now (sheesh!). I'd love to get to their conference this year among the mountains of other stuff going on!

Connectivism Portal

So here I am, c r a w l i n g to the end of a Friday!

I have just signed up to George Siemens' Connectivism Portal!

Tagline: "This site has been created to foster discussion on how our thinking, learning, and organizational activities are impacted through technology and societal changes."

Can't wait to play around there and there's lots of good ideas floating around from George and his counterparts. Thanks George for creating such a space - it's a sign of things to come in learning!