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In case you forgot my definition from last time, Education 3.0 is the confluence of three crucial education elements: Neuroscience, Cognitive (Learning) Psychology, and Education Technology. We tried to showcase this concept in the short-film entitled, “School of Thought” that we released last July. To me, Education 3.0 (which is also a book I’m currently writing), is a way to navigate the “C’s” of education. Creativity, Critical thinking, Competency, Care, Cognition, Content, Classes, Calculation, Communication, Compelling Questions, Challenge, Computer literacy, Context, Culture, and much more are all top-of-mind issues for academia. And so, in this second blog post, let me speak to the history and current research that makes up one pillar of Education 3.0: Learning Psychology.
Teachers Matter
If anyone has watched the excellent TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson regarding Education’s “Death Valley” one of the (many) things he speaks to is the impressiveness of Finland’s (K-12) education system. For you college professors out there, stick with me — I’ll bring this back around. On the surface, simply looking at the different processes and methods shows obvious disparities. These students, who compete globally with regard to just about every measure imaginable, have a very different paradigm they work under. Students start school between ages 7-9, they go to school only 4 hours per day, they get 15 minutes of exercise for every hour of school, they have very minimal homework, and on and on. Yet they excel in measures of memory, critical thinking, problem solving, aptitude, creativity, entrepreneurialism, etc. The big question is obvious — how is any of this possible? I would argue that one of the biggest, fundamental issues at work here is the profession of teaching. And this applies at all levels, K-20.
They Matter in Finland…
See, in Finland, educators are the “rock stars” of the work force. As one of the highest paid professions in the country, educators need at least a Master’s degree to teach (at any level). Teachers are highly trusted, not only receive, but GIVE professional development quite regularly, and provide specialized education for students with needs of remediation, acceleration, disability, giftedness, etc.
…And They Should Matter in the United States
Compare that with the culture of teachers and professors in North America. While teaching is a “middle class” job, starting salaries are near the bottom of that continuum (and if you’re talking about adjunct faculty positions, some articles in the past year have called it “slave labor!”). K-12 teaching only requires a B.A. today (with even a few opportunities for people who are currently working toward a degree). At the collegiate level, a Master’s is typically considered the minimum for a professor, but at some Technical and Community Colleges, a B.A. can work. As well, to say that teachers are “trusted” is a fairly debatable topic, in K-20. Academics are under attack from industry, media, political organizations, and even from within. (Many feel that such heavy reliance on standardized tests is as much about teacher accountability as student achievement…) And when it comes to professional development, most instructors would say, “What professional development?” Anecdotally, it seems much of the monies spent on “professional development” are around policy implementation or organizational shifts, not improving skills or updating capabilities. And that is a problem if we are to reach Education 3.0.
We’re Ignoring What Counts.
Educational theory, cognitive psychology, flipped learning, service learning, and other innovations represent years of study, theory, and thought about “better ways” to teach and learn. Yet, if you talk to most academics, these conceptual / philosophical / researched pieces of the profession are often ignored for a variety of reasons.
For some, it’s simply not a filter. Everyone knows that the vast majority of Higher Education instructors have never had a course on Teaching and Learning or Education Theory. And most K-12 teachers had only one or two of these courses. The assumptions that a person can teach solely because they are an expert, solely because they have a “heart” for students, or that 1-2 semesters can possibly cover what should be a lifelong pursuit of framing is near-sighted at best! I sit on several boards and steering committees for Teacher Education programs. During a recent call, the topic of education methods came up. When I asked the dean how often his students experience “Flipped Learning” so as to teach it, there was a long pause. Then he said, “I’m embarrassed to say never.”)
For some, it’s simply pragmatic. I talk to academics every week who explain that they simply don’t have time. They don’t have time to do the stuff they need inside their classes, let alone outside. When educators are spending time preparing for class, teaching, grading, providing committee support, researching, publishing, dealing with student “non-class” issues, dealing with parent meetings, strategizing with the Department Chair, etc., research about effective teaching and learning practices becomes a low priority.
Finally, for some I wonder if they even know where to start looking. A world-renowned professor at an Ivy League school — the kind of guy who is always the smartest in the room, regardless of the room… — said something during a meeting that shocked me. He had just produced a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) and was reflecting on the experience. I’m paraphrasing as I didn’t have a recording device, but basically he said, “Did you know that lecture is not the best way to teach students? Apparently a lot of research shows it is actually even harmful. But, we had to go with it since it’s all I’ve ever done and we didn’t have time to figure anything else out for the MOOC.” This professor of 35+ years had no idea that researchers and theorists have found other, better ways to present information than lecturing.
What You Preach: Learn about Learning!
So, where do we start? How do we filter? How can we interject bite-sized learning about learning into our lives, despite our busy schedules? I’ve already included several great keywords in this piece, but search for Education Theory, Cognitive Psychology, Learning Design, etc. Next, get multiple points of view. No single definition or report on a theory captures it all. Some of these concepts are highly complex and require deconstruction over time. Third, as you come across pieces you like, don’t just read (and forget) them. Store, study, and reflect on them. (I personally like Zite, Evernote, Ted, and Pinterest — the apps — for this.)
Finally, start to use them. It’s almost impossible to find a theory out there that doesn’t have some kind of example, illustration, or (better yet) research wrapped around it. Start to implement changes and strategies, one at a time, to look for gains.
So, to get you started, here are some learning theories, education theorists, and/oror important academic concepts that I like. This is not to say they are 100% correct, nor is the list exhaustive. But they are all worth looking into. These theories and assertions are worth having an informed opinion about. So you hate Vygotsky and Social Learning? Why? You think Bloom is the only way to go? As opposed to which other options that you’ve explored? This is our profession. Let’s know the underpinning and be able to have a healthy debate about it all. Let’s push toward Education 3.0.
Jeff’s “Starter” List:
- Lev Vygotsky, The Zone of Proximal Development, Social Learning Theory
- Jack Mezirow, Transformative Learning Theory
- Understanding by Design, Differentiation, Wiggins, McTighe, and Tomlinson
- Andragogy vs Pedagogy, Malcolm Knowles
- Multiple Intelligences, Howard Gardner
- Problem Based Learning, Challenge Based Learning, Flipped Classrooms, Maker Movement
- Motivation, Dan Pink
- Gamification, Karl Kapp, Jane McGonigal
- Creativity, Sir Ken Robinson
- 21st Century Skills, Standardized Testing, Yong Zhao, Cathy N Davidson, Dan Meyer, Clark Aldrich
- Bloom’s Taxonomy — all 3 domains
Good luck and good teaching.
Dr. Jeff Borden, VP of Instruction and Academic Strategy and Lead of the Center for Online Learning at Pearson, is also a consultant, speaker, professor, researcher, comedian, and trainer.
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