Designing Transformative Learning Experience Phase II
Learning Module
- Creator(s):
The institution is promoting a major shift from didactic to transformative pedagogy. The driving force behind this shift is the need for higher proficiency level in target language (TL) for the future military linguists. The rationale is that we cannot continue to do the same thing and expect better results. Especially since majority of our students are millennial and post millennial learners. Millennials expect more variety in the classroom and most likely perform better when instructors connect their lessons to real life. Therefore, the organization has introduced and is promoting the use of several teaching methods through series of rigorous training.
This is a blended workshop refresher course for experienced instructors. Previously, instructors learned about various instructional theories through an online self-paced course titled, Designing Transformative Learning Experience Phase I. Participants are language instructors teaching military personnel who are learning language in a rigorous program. In phase II, they will actively engage with the learning material and each other through this online module and in-person sessions for duration of 8 weeks.
In this experiential workshop, participants will be empowered to transfer theories into practice. At the end of the 8 weeks, they are expected to design and implement a lesson plan according to the principles of scenario-based while integrating either task-based or project-based learning. Participants will receive an email with a brief syllabus outlining the duration of the course, due dates of assignments, live in-person session dates, and links and resources for accessing the online module.
By the end of this model, participants will be able to:
Please complete the following survey and bring it to the in-person session.
The purpose of this survey is to help you begin thinking about what you learned during phase I.
Facilitator Tips:
During the in-person session, form small groups and ask participants to:
Learning Objectives:
“Learning occurs in a context, situation or social framework in scenario based instruction. Such learning requires the actors (both teachers and learners) go beyond the classroom and typical classroom instructions” (Kindley, 2002)
Watch the following video:
Comment 1: How would you define SBL? What are some of its key elements? How will using SBL benefit your students and/or your own teaching practice? Write your answers in the comments section. Include at least two media that complements your comments (video/image/links/etc.). Also, comment to at least two of your peers’ comments.
Citation:
Kindley, R. W. (2002). Scenario-based e-learning: A step beyond traditional e-learning. Learning Circuits. Retrieved from: http://www.learning circuits.org
Background Information:
SBL stems from the situated learning theory (Errington, 2011). Situated learning argues that the mind devoid of social context is unable to explain the learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991).
The following video is a brief description and explanation of the situated learning:
“A situated learning experience has four major premises guiding the development of classroom activities (Anderson, Reder, and Simon 1996; Wilson 1993):
1. Learning is grounded in the actions of everyday situations
2. Knowledge is acquired situationally and transfers only to similar situations
3. Learning is the result of social process encompassing ways of thinking, perceiving, problem solving, and interacting in addition to declarative and procedural knowledge
4. Learning is not separated from the world of action but exists in robust, complex, social environments made up of actors, actions, and situations” (Stein, 1998).
Similarly, SBL uses scenarios as a simulation and embeds “true-to-life” challenging tasks that learners might encounter in real-world (Errington, 2011). Scenario is a story, a set of circumstances, or a situation where learners engage in various tasks or projects. A scenario can invite students to solve a problem, demonstrate skills, explore an issue or concern, and/or to speculate on alternative outcomes (Errington, 2005). When learning objectives are set in a situation or a scenario that is relevant to learner’s future profession, it makes learning more purposeful. Having a possible real-world situation promotes engagement and elicits serious commitment from students resulting in taking ownership of their own learning.
Facilitator Tips:
Citation:
Errington, E. P. (2011). Mission Possible: Using Near-World Scenarios to Prepare Graduates for the Professions. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 23, 84-91. Retrieved September 23, 2018, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ938581.
Errington, E. (2005) Creating Learning Scenarios: A planning guide for adult educators. Palmerston North, New Zealand: Cool Books
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991) Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Stein, D. (1998). Situated learning in adult education. http://www.ericdigests.org/1998-3/adult-education.html
Objectives:
• Examine sample scenarios and analyze their elements.
• Create a scenario relevant to the target language syllabus.
Scenario is a story, a set of circumstances, or a situation where learners engage in various tasks or projects. Think of scenario as an umbrella that covers other learning/teaching concepts such as task-based learning, project based learning, content-based learning, etc. Whichever concept you choose for your lesson design, it must contain a scenario placing students in a real-world situation.
Comment 2: Consider your syllabus, identify your topic and learning objectives, and create a scenario for a specific hour/s of instruction which you will be teaching 8 weeks from now. Post your scenario in comment section.
Also, read at least two of your peers’ scenario and provide constructive feedback. Use the following sentence starters as a model:
We will meet in a live in-person session for Q&A and clarification. Bring your modified scenario to the live session and prepare to discuss your scenario and the modification you made based on feedback you received from your peers.
Background Information:
In foreign language teaching and learning, Scenario-Based Learning is typically integrated with other approaches such as Task-Based Learning, also known as Task Based Instruction (TBI), Project-Based Learning (PBL), Content-based Learning, etc. This module mainly focuses on SBL, TBL, and PBL.
The institution has established certain criteria and/or key elements for scenario-based instruction that are as follow:
Facilitator Tips:
Objective:
Comment 3: How would you define TBL? What are some of its key elements? What are the benefits of TBL? Create a list of criteria/phases that are included in TBL. Write your answers in the comments section and include some media (video/image/links) that are relevant to your comments. Also, comment to at least two of your peers’ responses (share your opinion, ask questions, etc.).
Background Information:
The following is Rod Ellis video discussing the task-based language teaching:
Lesson Design
“The design of a task-based lesson involves consideration of the stages or components of a lesson that has a task as its principal component. Various designs have been proposed (e. g. Estaire and Zanon 1994; Lee 2000; Prabhu 1987; Skehan 1996; Willis 1996). However they all have in common three principal phases, which are shown in Figure 1. These phases reflect the chronology of a task-based lesson.” (Ellis, 2006)
Facilitator Tips:
Citation:
Ellis, R. (2006). The Methodology of Task-Based Teaching. The Asian EFL Journal, 8(3), 19-45. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
Objective:
“Project-based learning (PBL) is a model that organizes learning around projects. According to the definitions found in PBL handbooks for teachers, projects are complex tasks, based on challenging questions or problems, that involve students in design, problem-solving, decision making, or investigative activities; give students the opportunity to work relatively autonomously over extended periods of time; and culminate in realistic products or presentations (Jones, Rasmussen, & Moffitt, 1997; Thomas, Mergendoller, & Michaelson, 1999)” (Thomas, 2000).
Comment 4: How would you define PBL? What are some of its key elements? What are the benefits of PBL? Write your answers in the comments section. Also, comment to at least two of your peers’ comments.
Citations:
Thomas, J. W. (2000, March). A REVIEW OF RESEARCH ON PROJECT-BASED LEARNING [Inclusive Review of "Project-Based Learning" (PBL)]. Retrieved January 19, 2018, from https://documents.sd61.bc.ca/ANED/educationalResources/StudentSuccess/A_Review_of_Research_on_Project_Based_Learning.pdf
Background Information:
PBL shares many characteristic of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. Kilpatrick was one of the first educators who discussed the idea of project as an educational approach in his article, “The Project Method: The Use of the Purposeful Act in the Educative Process” (Kilpatrick, W. H. 1929). He emphasized that through purposeful action children develop cognition and learn to be better citizens gaining critical skills in order to adapt easily to inevitable changing social conditions.
Facilitator Tips:
Objective:
Review the PBL elements/Golden Standards of PBL in the following attachments, choose one of the attached sample project, and analyze it against the PBL elements.
Comment 5: does your chosen sample project meet the essential elements of PBL? If not, address the missing elements and suggest improvements. Write your answers in the comment section. Also, respond to at least two of your peers’ comments providing additional information or suggestions.
Background Information:
Graphs obtained from the following link: https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl/gold-standard-teaching-practices
Stoller’s model is centered around communicative and functional forms of language learning.
Stoller (2006) defines PBI as:
Facilitator Tips:
During the in-person session form small groups, and:
encourage the participants to include an activity, in their lesson plan design, where students provide feedback to each other.
Provide the following self-reflection form to participants to use with their students and inform them that this is not optional:
Citation:
Stoller, F. 2006. Establishing a theoretical foundation for project based learning in second and foreign language contexts. In Project based second and foreign language education: Past, present, and future, ed. G.H. Beckett and P.C. Miller, 19–40. Greenwich, CT: Information Age.
Objective:
“Activating schema is a concept that revolves around accessing the individual learner’s prior knowledge of the information being learned” (Activating Schema, 2014).
Comment 6: a) describe some of the strategies you have used in your classroom for activation of Schemata - this could be for reading, speaking, writing, or listening tasks. b) Consider the scenario you created for your chosen topic which you will implement in your classroom at the end of this course. How will you activate students’ schema? What activity would you use that fits your students proficiency level, background knowledge, and/or experience?
Also, respond to at least two of your peers’ comments.
Background Information:
Piaget's developmental process involves schemas as building blocks of knowledge, and adaptation process that ushers the transition from one stage to another. The adaptation process includes equilibrium, assimilation, and accommodation. The idea is that individuals are at equilibrium when they find balance between their internal cognitive structure (schema) and environment. In other words, they can assimilate the new knowledge and fit the information into existing cognitive structure (into their schema). This accommodation changes the schema or create new schema. However, there are times that the new information is at odds with the existing knowledge; hence, learner experiences disequilibrium. Because of this unpleasant encounter, the learner will try to resolve and restore the balance and force to accommodate and master the challenge.
Facilitor tips:
Durning the in-person session you might reiterate the following:
Possible Elements to consider when planning an activity for activating schema:
Objective:
Watch the following videos on various ILR proficiency levels (Since the videos have domain restriction, you can only access them through your work computer. the links are provided below). As you listen pay attention to topic of the conversation and the type of questions and probes asked by the tester:
Level 1: https://vimeo.com/7292331
Level 2: https://vimeo.com/7296877
Level 3: https://vimeo.com/13765766
Review the following condense version of the ILR language skill level description for reading and listening:
Reading Language Skill Level Description
Listening Language Skill Level Description
Comment 7: Choose your authentic reading and/or listening passage (news report, websites, advertisement, etc.) that you intent to use in your lesson design and upload it in the comment section. Assign an ILR level for your passage/s and provide a relational for your choice of level.
Also, respond to at least two of your peers comments. We will have furthur discussions during our next in-person session.
Background Information:
Visit the following website for the overview and the history of Interagency Language Roundtable:
http://www.govtilr.org/skills/IRL%20Scale%20History.htm
The following descriptions of proficiency levels 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 characterize spoken-language use. Each higher level implies control of the previous levels' functions and accuracy. The designation 0+, 1+, 2+, etc. will be assigned when proficiency substantially exceeds one skill level and does not fully meet the criteria for the next level. The "plus-level" descriptions, therefore, are subsidiary to the "base-level" descriptions.
A skill level is assigned to a person through an authorized language examination. Examiners assign a level on a variety of performance criteria exemplified in the descriptive statements. Therefore, the examples given here illustrate, but do not exhaustively describe, either the skills a person may possess or situations in which he/she may function effectively.
Facilitator Tips:
During the in-person session,
Objective:
You have already created your scenario according to week of instruction, topic, learning objectives of the week, and your students’ proficiency level. You have also chosen the level appropriate passages that students need to cover, and you have a few ideas as the type of activities you would use for activation of schema.
Your next step is to choose one of the learning concepts and design a lesson plan according to its essential elements. The following rubrics serve as a guide for your design. The same rubric will be used when you provide feedback to your peers during the in-person session.
In the in-person session, you will team up with one of your peers for peer observation, and use the same rubrics to provide feedback during post-observation.
Comment 8: This is your final comment for this module. Which concept (TBL/PBL) did you choose, and why? Also, search the internet and/or use your own creativity to find/adapt a lesson plan template that meets your lesson design’s needs. Upload the template in the comment section.
Remember to respond to at least two of your peers' comments.
Facilitator Tips:
During the in-person session, inform the participants that after classroom implementation of their design, they will:
Inform the participants that they will present their scenario, classroom activities, students' feedback, and most importantly what worked, what didn't work, and what they will do differently. Remind them to bring their complete package to the follow up session.