The role of the teacher and learner

Learning Models

Models can be used by any teacher depending on context. Example: Pedagogical Vs Andragogical Models. Pedagogical approach teacher dominated learning situation Students rather passive. Andragogical approach emphasis on what the learner is doing - how adults learn.

There has been a change from the Traditional role to the Modern role in the present context. The learning increases when the teacher builds on the previous experience of the student. However, individual’s learning differs and each individual learns at his or her own pace .

Identifying the slow learners and individual attention of the teacher may be required. Thus, effective learning is to a great extent based on experiences .

Direct experiences are student centered and participation in problem solving. While in indirect experience, the contents are carefully designed and organized by teacher

If students treated as individuals - find out

more about them (inside – outsideclassroom), the greater likelihood to

relatetheir learning to Their needs and improvelearning potential.

Kindness, Empathy and sincerity always reap rich dividends with adult learner.

Role of the Teacher:

Generally ,the role of teacher can be categorized into: Traditional Role - Teacher Centered Modern Role - Facilitator (Student

Centered)

Traditional Teacher Modern Teacher

Traditionally the role of the teacher has been as a purveyor of information:

the teacher was the fount of all knowledge.

a picture of students sitting in rows in front of the teacher who is talking and passing information to students

The modern teacher is a facilitator:

a person who assists students to learn for themselves.

Instead of having students sitting in rows, they are likely to be in groups, all doing something different

the students either listen passively or, if the teacher is lucky, take their own notes.

some doing practical tasks, some

writing, some not even in the

room .

Researchers have identified that learning is generally more effective if it is based on experiences; either direct experiences or experiences that have been read about. Of the two types of experiences, the former is more likely to be effective than the latter. Thus concepts that are able to be practiced or seen are more likely to be learning .

We need, at this stage, to consider how we as teachers might best provide the experiences so as to make the learning as easy and quick as possible .

We might consider two possibleapproaches to the design of a teaching program.

(I )A program where the content is carefully derived from an analysis of the student’s personal, social and/or vocational needs and which is implemented by you in such a controlled and organized manner that the student is almost certain to learn, and is aware when the learning has taken place. By this method motivation is generated by immediate success and the avoidance of failure.

(II )The other approach starts from the experience of the student, experience that has taken place as part of life or which has been organized as part of the program.

It then depends upon the student identifying and accepting a need to learn. Suchas approach has been described as ‘problem solving’, ‘student-centered learning,’

‘participative learning’, and so on.

Basic Teaching Model:

Objectives are intended learning outcomes written down before the process of instruction. There are two

kinds of objectives.

Objectives

General Objectives - Statement of instructional intent - student ability in general terms.

Specific objective statement of instructional intent- student ability in terms of specific & observable.

Experience, Reflection, Learning Model to Optimize Learning

The suggestion was that the learning process should be considered in three phases; first, the student’s experience needs to be followed by, secondly, some organized reflection.

This reflection ensures that the student learns from the experience and also helps, thirdly, to identify any need for some specific learning before further experience is acquired.

Experience

Existing or provided as part of the learning program

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Three main learning domains

Writers tend to separate learning into three

main groups or domains. These are thepsychomotor, cognitive and affective domains .

Psychomotor domain.

Those skills, which are concerned with physical dexterity, for example changing a wheel and giving an injection, fall into the psychomotor domain.

Both of the tasks do need knowledge but, predominantly they are physical skills, which need practice.

Cognitive domain

Knowledge and knowing the 'how' and the 'why', the thinking skills, fall into thecognitive domain. Examples include

'stating the names of the major bones in the body', 'explaining why we have tides'. Both of these require thought processes to be accomplished.

Affective domain.

This is concerned with attitudes. Examples in this domain include 'the need to eat a healthy, balanced diet', 'the need for equality of opportunity for all', and 'politeness'. These deal with feelingsand emotions and are different from the examples in the other domains.

Learning in these three domains often needs different teaching and learning approaches. They are often considered in isolation but in practice learning may occur simultaneously in all three.

Objectives

Entry behavior

Instructional Technique

s

Edge (1993) describes the teacher as the most powerful person in the classroom. There exist various ways for the teacher to use that power. The most important things that must be taken into consideration are:

Organisation - learners need to feel supported and their activities must have clear purpose.

Security - learners will be more able to participate in the lesson if they feel safe.

Motivation - it increases their need to be involved in classwork. Learners are motivated when they experience success, when they see the relevance of classwork or simply by working on interesting tasks.

Instruction - learners need to know how to do new things.

Modelling - learners need to be shown how to do it.

Guidance - this represents a helping hand to discover new things.

Information - except basic information learners need sources of extra information.

Feedback - learners need teacher´s response about how close they are getting to their targets.

Encouragement - learners need teacher´s support, especially if they fail in some task.

Evaluation - learners want to be informed how well or badly they have performed, they need to know where they stand.

The role of the learner

To begin with, a learner must seriously take into consideration that learning is a great commitment. Most of the times, it requires hard work in order for it to be a successful procedure.

Adult Expectations (Learning Needs):Learners have needs and expectations. Learners expect to be taught. Learners expect to have to work hard. Learners expectation is that the work is

related to the vocation. Learners’ expectation is that they

expect to be treated as adults.

Each of these four expectations althoughstated In general terms needs to beinterpreted as Individual needs. Learnersmay vary in age, sex, background, etc.

Learner´s roles and competences

There is a close relationship between learner´s and teacher´s roles. Their roles can be completely different in one task, in another task they can merge and complement. Sometimes the teacher and learner can also interchange the roles. The nature of roles mostly depends on specific target of the task.

Kreis (2004) clarifies these roles of the learners: Listener - learner listens for details in

order to understand the problem and increase his knowledge.

Writer - learner analyses and integrates information through writing.

Researcher - uses a systematic process of gathering information to analyse and interpret given issue.

Team member - works on projects as part of a team and support group learning.

Case study worker - analyses case studies to identify and understand the underlying rules.

Apprentice - develops knowledge and skills by working in it under the direction of the teacher.

Context explorer - learner gains knowledge of how others view a problem by exploring the context they bring to the process (emotions, attitudes, behaviour etc.).

Speaker - orally presents own opinions, acquired knowledge etc.

Builder - learner constructs the knowledge products (essay, portfolio etc.).

The roles of teachers and learners can be complementary. If the learners gain a different role, the teacher will have to adopt a different role too. For example, if the role of the learner is rather active, teacher´s activity will reduce.Edge (1993) emphasises the importance of thinking about learners and teachers as whole people because their individuality can be a source of learning.

Prepared by :T. Maha M. Arafat

References

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/NLI0

547C.pdf

Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2150166