|
Over-Simplification? Apology?
Here are
brief introductions to some of the best known
"pedagogies" - of educational theories, models
and strategies.
This document is offered only as a useful starting
place or review. Some of
these introductions and the scheme used for
categorizing them may be over-simplified.
The following
excerpts from two definitions suggest how broadly
the term "pedagogy" is interpreted and
used:
"...principles and methods of instruction,
...profession of a teacher, ...activities of
educating or instructing; activities that impart
knowledge or skill..."
"...science or theory of educating...correct use of
teaching strategies"
(Definition excerpts from Wordnet and Wikipedia -
see below)
The list of
resources and references provided at the end of the
Full Google Document may
also be too simple and incomplete.
However, I hope
that this document is useful and that you'll let me
know - preferably by suggesting better alternatives
- if you find anything confusing or misleading.
Steven W. Gilbert
9/6/2007.
Top of this page
|
Pedagogy Categories -
Unannotated
I. Society and
Education
Views of society and views of education
shape each other.
II. Human
Nature, Culture, and Education
Views of human nature and culture
can/should influence decisions about teaching and learning.
III.
Classification and Organization of Information for Teaching
and Learning
Structure of information and activities
can/should influence teaching and learning for large numbers
of teachers and learners.
IV. Cognitive
Sciences and Education
Findings (and theories) from some sciences
and educational research can/should be applied to teaching
and learning.
V.
"Classroom" Practices for Improving Teaching and Learning
"Classroom" teaching can/should be
improved via specific techniques, activities, resources -
without much theory.
VI.
Meta-Learning and Meta-Teaching?
Improve education by focusing directly on
improving students' ability to learn.
Top of this page |
Pedagogies - Categories and Examples,
Annotated
Introduction
No one has proven that any one of
these theories or models is superior to most others
for most purposes in most situations, but visible
conflicts among proponents of different - apparently
competing - "pedagogies" are rare. Open
disagreements are most likely avoided because the
most enthusiastic advocates act on their pedagogical
beliefs only within limited, non-overlapping sectors
of education. For example, those most involved with
improving large enrollment courses in public
research-oriented universities rarely need to argue
with those most involved in re-designing the upper
level courses required for undergraduates majoring
in the humanities at a small private liberal arts
college.
However, many can benefit from learning more about
some of the following pedagogies. First, you might
find some encouragement and useful suggestions from
those that best match your own views about teaching
and learning, about human nature, about the needs
and goals of your students, and about the kinds of
resources available to you and your colleagues.
Second, as your own interests broaden with advances
in your academic career, and the mission, policies,
and structure of your own institution change in
response to changing conditions, you may find some
of these pedagogies can help you understand,
evaluate, and influence the changes.
Top of this page
I. Society and Education
How views of society and education shape each other
How can/should
beliefs about society influence decisions about
education?
How can/should
beliefs about education influence political
decisions?
- John
Dewey: Democratic society needs well-educated
citizens who can think critically and solve
problems. Memorization is not enough.
- Paolo
Freire, et al., Critical Pedagogy: "...go
beneath surface of any action, event, object,
process, organization, experience,
text, subject matter, policy, mass media, or
discourse." Change the power relationships
among teachers and learners.
II. Human Nature,
Culture, and Education
Views of
human nature can/should influence decisions about
teaching and learning
How can/should
beliefs about human nature (and human development
and cultural differences) influence decisions about
teaching and learning? About the physical,
cultural, inter-personal environment in which
teaching and learning are intended to occur?
-
William G. Perry's "Scheme" of "Ethical and
Intellectual Development" - Every student (and
teacher) may be at different developmental
"positions" with respect to different subjects,
ideas...
-
Authentic Teaching: Spirituality, Humanity,
Existentialism: Parker Palmer, Art Chickering,
et al.
-
Constructivism: "1. Knowledge is actively
constructed by the learner, not passively
received from the environment. and 2. Coming to
know is a process of adaptation based on and
constantly modified by a learner's experience of
the world." - Excerpts from "Constructivism and
Teaching...," Barbara Jaworski, available as of
7/9/2007 at:
http://www.grout.demon.co.uk/Barbara/chreods.htm
III. Classification and Organization of Information
for Teaching and Learning
How to structure teaching and learning - for large
numbers of teachers, learners
How can/should
information be organized and how can/should learning
be sequenced for large numbers of students?
- Bloom's
Taxonomy: A hierarchical
classification of different objectives and
skills that educators set for students (learning
objectives) in three "Domains": Affective,
Psychomotor, and Cognitive.
-
Instructional Design & Learning Objects
- Assessment
IV. Cognitive Sciences and Education
How to use findings (and theories) from some
sciences and educational research
How
can/should scientific findings be applied to
teaching and learning?
-
Educational Psychology, Cognitive Science,
Learning Sciences [e.g., Bransford]
- Multiple Intelligences:
"human beings
have ... different kinds of intelligence that
reflect different ways of interacting with the
world. Each person has a unique combination, or
profile." - Howard Gardner
- Findings
from educational research - Ehrmann
V. Practices for Improving Teaching and Learning
How to improve "classroom" teaching via specific
techniques, activities, resources
[without much theory]
How/can should
specific techniques, activities, and resources be
used within undergraduate courses? To what extent
independently of subject matter? Independently of
individual characteristics of teachers or students?
- "Seven
Principles for Good Practice in Higher
Education": Teachers can learn specific
instructional principles and related techniques
to guide the incremental improvement of their
own teaching and their students' learning.
[See also Cooperative and Collaborative
Learning; Team-Learning/Teaching/Work: Barbara
Millis, et al.]
- Classroom
Assessment Techniques (CATs): Teachers elicit
feedback from students 'during a class meeting
that can be used by the teacher to improve
teaching and learning
-
Low-Threshold Applications/Activities (LTAs):
Enable faculty members to begin using some new
ways of improving teaching and learning with low
anxiety, quick and easy initial mastery, and
high expectations of success.
- "3 Ways to
Reach 3 Quarters": Offer the information in
three different ways to get some information
through to at least 75% of a group
- Faculty
Development: Training can and should be
provided for faculty members about "pedagogy" by
professionals who are not necessarily expert in
the same academic field as those being trained.
[POD, NISOD are organizations that serve
academic professionals who have primary
responsibilities for "faculty development" of
this kind.]
VI. Meta-Learning
and Meta-Teaching?
Improve education
by focusing directly on improving students' ability
to learn
How can/should students acquire better skills,
techniques, attitudes that enable them to learn
better in many different situations?
- Can
individual students learn skills to improve
their own learning?
- Who is
responsible for helping students improve their
own learning skills? Acquire learning skills?
- Who is
prepared for, capable of, helping students
improve their own learning skills?
Top of this
page
DISCUSSION
QUESTIONS
- Is "Meta-Learning and Meta-Teaching" a
legitimate, useful category of "pedagogy"?
- What does any of the above have to do with
growing recognition of the need for "lifelong
learning"?
- What does any of the above have to do with
the longstanding recognition that one of the
best ways to learn something is to teach it to
someone else?
Top of this page |
