Apr 19 2009
A framework for analysing learning
Having spent a considerable amount of time participating in my chosen e-community: The Paulo and Nita Freire International Project for Critical Pedagogy, I started to question what and how I was learning by being a member of this community. I found that any analysis of my learning experience needed an understanding or framework of learning with which to explore my experiences. This took me right back to questions such as “what is learning” and “how do we learn” and can this be easily applied to an e-learning community?
I knew from previous studies that I was drawn to the work of Kolb on experiential learning and constructionists theories of learning but felt as a person committed to social change I also needed to consider the work on transformative learning of Mezirow (1991). Having read about the social theories of learning and Bandura’s work I also felt drawn to these propositions and found them particularly relevant to learning through community. However, it took some research to find more contemporary work on the particular quality fo learning online and found the work on Siemens (2008) just what I was looking for to reflect the uniqueness of learning online.
So feeling that I was on my way to a very sound framework for conceptualising and analysing learning a friend recommended I read the work of Illeris (2002) on the Three Dimensions of Learning and I felt that Illeris summed up very nicely the complexity of learning which I was trying to arrive at with all the above mentioned theories (except perhaps Siemen’s work on connectivism).
So the framework which I am using to analyse my learning is based on Illeris’ (2002) propositions that there are three dimensions to learning: cognitive, emotional, and environmental, and I have been able to fit in constructivism, transformative learning, social learning, and connectivism into that framework using Illeris (2002) as a foundation. I feel that this model, although rather complex, is apt to describe the amazing and diverse process of learning, particularly online with the inclusion of the more recent work on connectivism.
As I interact and participate in the Freire Project I am questioning how it is that I am learning – through the particular online experience that allows such a broad sense of social networking; through the emotions that come with belonging and being affirmed or ignored; through agreement and feedback; through the connectivity inherent in the community; am I learning such that I can change my practice; and most of all I ask myself am I questioning and reflecting on my own assumptions and being open to challenging them?
Next of course are thoguth around learning design – what aspect of my community foster or hinder learning?
References:
Illeris, K. (2002), The Three Dimensions of Learning, Roskilde University Press, Denmark.
Siemes, G. (2008) New Structures and spaces of learning: The systemic impact of connective knowledge, connectivism and networked learning, available at http://www.connectivism.ca/ accessed on 17 April 2009.
Mezirow, J. (1991) Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning, Jossey-Bass, San Franscisco.
