Mastery, Learning Objectives and Blended Learning

At my school this year we have unofficially adopted the motto: "Not all students will learn in the same way or on the same day".  I think this is true and with the recent focus on student success and credit accumulation I think that institutionally we have come to understand this.  However, we have not made any significant changes to support this.  Students still have to be in class for a specified number of days and they still have to learn a specified number of learning objectives.

This means that a student who has difficulties still has to grasp the concepts within a prescribe period of time, even though we are insisting that not everyone learns at the same rate.  The flip side to that coin is that a strong student must still move along at the same pace as the other students who may need more time to grasp the same concepts.  So while we recognize that students learn at different rates, we have made no significant changes to support this.

If we were to make the necessary changes to support this what would they be?  I think that part of it has to be the notion of mastery.  The curriculum is currently divided into strands with both overall and specific learning expectations.  This organization lends itself to the notion of mastery.  To have learned something you need to show more than simply remembering the facts, you need to show that you understand or have 'mastered' the information.  The students need to absorb the information, and then apply levels of higher order thinking.  The next step is to demonstrate their 'mastery'.

So, what does this process look like in a classroom?  We need to remember that we are talking about a digitized classroom with universal access to mobile devices.  I think that learning objectives need to be listed and made evident and clear to the students.  As teachers we need to find ways of getting some of the info (key concepts) to the students.  This can be achieved through video tutorials, podcasts, notes, Keynote or Powerpoint presentations, teacher created websites, Prezis, etc...  

We also need to have students find their own information.  Let's remember that we are trying to get the students to think critically, not only about the information we provide them, but about the mass of information available on the internet.  Our main function as educators should shift from being the 'sage on the stage' to being a guide towards understanding.  As such we need to lead the students towards understanding.  Part of this can be accomplished through Differentiated Instruction.  When given choices students often respond with interest.

The accumulation of credits will proceed at different rates for different students.  Classes will become much more 'fluid' in their makeup.  Students will move from one group to the next as they demonstrate the appropriate levels of mastery.  Much like swimming lessons, once you have demonstrated that you 'know' the required learning objectives you move on to the next, higher level.  

We are already starting to see a similar model in Blended Learning.  This is a class that combines students being in the classroom with students who are online.  This model is starting to be used more widely in my board in order to deal with declining enrolment.  It allows for students to take credits that may not be offered at their school because of low numbers.  It also allows the 'host' school, for the credit, to run the course despite low numbers.  Within the model I am proposing students would be placed according to their 'mastery level' and work with students of a similar level.  This model is not age dependant.  You could potentially have a student in grade 9 working on their grade 11 math by the end of the year, while still completing their grade 9 french.

In my next post I'll explore the role of the teacher and the student.

21st century education: What might it look like?

I feel like things are on the cusp.  We are approaching a critical mass.  Something has to give.

These are some of the thoughts and gut feelings I get when thinking about where I see education in five or ten years.  Attendance is an issue.  Submission of work is an issue.  Student engagement is an issue.  I don't think anyone will argue that our students are changing, or that life outside our schools are changing.  However, not many can deny that we as educators are not changing.

Walk into any class and ask yourself how different it is from 15-20 years ago?  My guess is that it is not very different.  Sure there might be a few more computers in the classroom, most students have their cell phone or iPod touch, there might be SmartBoard or projector, but the structure of the environment is much the same.  The teacher leads the learning, the student assimilate that knowledge and spit out some work that demonstrates they 'know' the 'stuff'.

This educational structure has been in place for a few centuries, since the establishment of public education.  It is a structure that has served our society well.  It can't be denied that such a structure is an immense factor in the high literacy rate, the industrial development and the wealth of our society.  But we must understand what need that educational system served.

With the development of our industrial society, we needed literate individuals who could follow a process and be part of an assembly line.  It was important to know specific, and limited information by heart.  A worker needed to know what was coming down the assembly line and what was needed at the next stop along that line.  Our education system developed to produce people who fit into that model.

We no longer live in an industrial age.  There can be no denying that industry and manufacturing are still a vital part of our economy and our lives, but much of that manufacturing is being automated or being sent to other countries.  Our economy is becoming one that depends on information.  Our society reflects this.  We live with a constant stream of information bombarding us, the new jobs of our economy will be ones that make sense or manipulate or manage all of that information.  Mobile technology is also changing the 'when' and 'where' of those jobs.  Why does something need to be done between the hours of 9am and 5pm anymore?  If we have constant access to information no matter where we are, then hours of operation become more flexible.

If this is the world we live in, then we need to prepare our students for that world.  We need to rethink our model of education.  We need to change.  So what will this change look like?  I don't know, but I can hazard a few guesses.

When working with information the most important skill is to think critically.  Working with information requires higher order thinking.  You need those skills to analyze, synthesize and evaluate the information you are working with.  So those are the skills that our students need to develop.  I have noticed a shift in focus towards this over the past few years.  However, we need more, it needs to be a core element of every class.  We need to move beyond simply asking students to regurgitate information, they need to understand it and make judgements on it.  The internet and the digitization of most of our information has made the need to mentally retain information less important.  In the past it was beneficial to remember as much as you could, it was faster than looking it up in books.  The innumerable databases and Google has made the search for information much faster.  At work if you need some information you can look it up quickly.  Efficiency and effectiveness in the work place are no longer dependant on the retention of information.  Instead it lies in the ability to sift through information and make sound judgements and decisions.

Collaboration is another crucial skill that will be required.  This is perhaps where new technologies will have the largest impact on the shape of our classes.  If students are to collaborate, they get together.  New mobile devices and social media allow them to collaborate without physically meeting.  In a sense it alters the meaning of time and space in an educational setting.  Students can work at their convenience.  While deadlines should not be lessened or not stressed, some students may choose to work in the evenings, or on the long bus ride home.

Students arrive at school and have a good understanding of using social media.  Our task would be to harness that basic understanding and refine it.  Just as they need to be taught how to think, they need to be taught how to work effectively in a group.

My next post will look at the idea of mastery and learning objectives.