Five Key Concepts
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The Five Key Concepts should not be viewed as separate components but rather as convenient ‘lens filters’ which reveal and focus on an aspect of learning as a whole. Like the systems in the human body, they are interdependent. In different contexts, the emphasis may shift but they are all required to function together effectively in order to maintain good health. We would never dream or consider 'compartmentalising' the body systems ('I'm only going to use my heart and lungs today!'), yet learning is often compartmentalised and aspects neglected. Healthy, lifelong learning is the result of recognising the interdependence of the Five Key Concepts and developing and creating balance between them. Training in ‘Designing for Learning’ always attempts to model an ‘indivisibility of principles' - we use the tools and strategies which support the Five Key Concepts to deliver the training. |
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Designing for Community Learning
Learning is more effective when unmanageable stress is removed. By purposefully developing supportive collaborative learning communities, we create conditions which enable learners to take risks and make new connections. If learners feel that they are in a ‘safe’ and ‘fair’ environment, they are more willing to engage ‘fully’ with their learning. Community building 'games' give an opportunity to explore and develop skills and attitudes which underpin a successful collaborative culture by making them ‘visible’. Learners are encouraged to transfer their learning from games into curriculum-focused tasks.
Learners are encouraged to value diversity in values, beliefs, learning styles and preferences and assist each other in exploring potential in order to enhance the learning of the whole community.
Learners are more likely to take the risks needed to fully engage in reflection, innovation and problem-solving if they feel they are in a supportive, collaborative learning environment. A safe and fair environment needs to be purposefully built, nurtured and maintained by all learners. The well-being of individuals becomes the responsibility of all members of a community.
Learners are encouraged to value diversity in values, beliefs, learning styles and preferences and assist each other in exploring potential in order to enhance the learning of the whole community.
Learners are more likely to take the risks needed to fully engage in reflection, innovation and problem-solving if they feel they are in a supportive, collaborative learning environment. A safe and fair environment needs to be purposefully built, nurtured and maintained by all learners. The well-being of individuals becomes the responsibility of all members of a community.
Designing for Experiential Learning
We can learn about the world through remote secondary sources such as books and lectures. However, learning becomes deep and embedded when practitioners design engaging experiences, which require learners to directly apply or discover desired knowledge, skills and attitudes. Learning is more powerful and memorable when learners are engaged in active, immediate and authentic experiences from which they can make personal sense of their world.
Designing for Problem-Based Learning
Practitioners design experiences which require learners to find and solve a problem. These could be ‘scenarios’ or ‘real-life’ problems. They may range from ‘puzzles’ (with only one solution) to ‘open-ended’ problems (whose solutions are limited only by the creativity of the problem-solvers). Learners are encouraged to use a variety of process tools and strategies which enable them to collaborate and generate solutions effectively.
Learning becomes engaging when it involves finding and solving problems that are meaningful and relevant to the learner, thus motivating them to explore, innovate and be enterprising.
Learning becomes engaging when it involves finding and solving problems that are meaningful and relevant to the learner, thus motivating them to explore, innovate and be enterprising.
Designing for Reflective Learning
People do not learn from experience, they learn from reflecting upon an experience. Practitioners encourage the use of a variety of tools and strategies which develop purposeful reflection upon experiences. Learners identify their strengths and areas for improvement both in their problem-solving processes and also their final products/solutions. Learners are also encouraged to make wider connections and transfer their learning beyond the task at hand.
Purposeful reflection is vital in order to make connections to prior knowledge and understanding, transfer and apply learning to new situations and explore creative solutions. It is engaging the learner with their learning. Reflection takes time and must be specifically planned for when designing high quality learning opportunities. This is how we design for and implement progression and improvement.
Purposeful reflection is vital in order to make connections to prior knowledge and understanding, transfer and apply learning to new situations and explore creative solutions. It is engaging the learner with their learning. Reflection takes time and must be specifically planned for when designing high quality learning opportunities. This is how we design for and implement progression and improvement.
Designing for Quality Learning
We cannot and should not get away from standards. Practitioners design problem-based experiences which contain quality success criteria with reference to both the process of problem-solving and the solution/final product. During reflection, learners consider the criteria and identify areas where they have met or surpassed the required standards and areas which require improvement. Learners are engaged in developing strategies for growth and encouraged to take ownership of their learning.
High quality learning is standards-focused and provides opportunities for learners to utilise higher order thinking skills, in an environment which encourages appropriate challenge and risk-taking. Negotiated and agreed success criteria are essential for the effective acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes, which are necessary for high quality learning. Formative assessment strategies are embedded throughout quality learning experiences. Developing an 'internal sense of quality' increases motivation and self-direction.
Single Steps Learning specialises in designing high quality linked learning experiences.
