Pel_Theory_Assessment_Level_4

Negotiating with learners Every teaching programme or teaching/training cycle in theoretical terms begins with a minimum necessary amount of introductions. The teacher introduces the organisation, the programme and him or herself, and of course students get to introduce themselves to the teacher as swell as to each other. Gravells & Simpson (2010) recognise this stage as induction and in their own words they state: ‘the induction process encompasses a range of information and activities preparing your learners for the programme’ and in the continuation to this statement they also say ‘for example, information, advice, guidance and initial assessment’. Although I fully understand the meaning of their descriptions and statements I find the structure of the underlined sentence above somewhat inappropriate and misleading. I specifically refer to the use of words ‘for example’, as such sentence structure suggests vague and indefinite description of the main induction factors. In my personal experience and according to Wilson (2009) and other sources, induction is the process that is precisely about the information, advice, guidance and initial assessment. There may be various forms and strategies in the way induction is managed and administered but it is still a process that provides a fundamental platform for a correct establishment of a teaching/training cycle by providing information, advice, guidance and initial assessment. This initial contact between the teacher and the learners is very important for setting the good foundations for the entire learning process. This stage is also referred to as a diagnostic assessment, and it is about collecting information about learners such as their learning styles or level of their skills from different sources such as application forms, self-assessments, observation and interviews. There are many aspects of basic information that needs to be exchanged between the parties in order to set the course on the good way. There is always a considerable amount of the legal information that the organisation itself is required to pass on to teachers and learners, as well as the information and requirements set by the organisation internally. In the first stage of the induction organisation and the teacher covers two main areas: 1. Housekeeping and related procedures (health and safety, the layout of the building and rooms, toilets, legal requirements, and rights relevant to the subject and the organisation, etc.) 2. The subject and the programme In the same time there is the information that learners have to pass on to the teachers and the organisation as well, that being the information that is specific to them as individuals, and that could range from basic information via specific requests to a particular needs. Gravells & Simpson (2010) describe: ‘induction aims to develop your learner’s independent learning habits, provide knowledge, and signpost towards any relevant support and guidance that is available; for example, a learner may require additional support for a disability they have disclosed to you’. An important part of the early stage induction are also the icebreaker activities, as the teacher and the learners are getting to know each other and working on establishing a relaxed and motivating atmosphere in which the work can be done and learning achieved. Those first initial activities also lead to the first official moment in which the whole group becomes aware of itself, not just as a group of individuals but also as a class with the sense of involvement and ownership and with the teacher as their leader and the facilitator. That moment is reached when the ground rules have been negotiated and agreed upon with the learners. Setting up the ground rules has a multiple importance for the entire learning process. Not only that such act marks the official establishment of the class, it also enables a mature, respectful and academic communication, as well as showing the learners that the teacher is aware of them as individuals and that their input is recognised and welcomed. Eventually the induction leads into, perhaps the most important phase of the induction – initial assessment. Initial Assessment is the integral part of the learning process, and although it takes part at the very start of the programme with intent to determine learners’ needs, it produces the best results when performed as an on going process. It is the way of finding out the learners needs, negotiating learners’ individual goals and setting up the foundations for differentiation and inclusive learning. Wilson (2009) opens her chapter on the initial assessment with a simple definition: ‘initial assessment is a term given to that part of the learning process that hopes to combine the learner, the teacher and the curriculum’. Wilson (2009) also points out that in the teacher-curriculum-learner triangle the learner is the biggest variable. Following on from that observation, initial assessment is, therefore, not only helping us find out about learners basic information, personality and character but also about their potential, level of their skills, expectations, aspirations and their abilities. Wilson (2009) claims that the initial assessment can actually occur at any stage of the learners programme, and in a spider diagram she visually presents some of the factors that influence initial assessment. - Personal circumstances - Learning experiences - Aspirations - Health - Hobbies and interests - Learning difficulties - Personal and social skills - Learning styles - Vocationally specific skills - Prior learning and achievement - Functional skills According to Wilson (2009) , all the factors listed above are also recognised as, either ATTITUDES, ABILITIES or NEEDS Learning how the learners’ work on individual level and what makes them open up towards the learning process in a positive way, surely enables the teacher in making sure that the learners are on the right path to the right achievements. Another important insight that is provided by initial assessment is about students learning styles. The method of learning styles has been introduced by Honey and Mumford (1992), and it has been successfully used ever since to identify which category of the learning style learners might fall into: activist, reflector, theorist, or pragmatist. In order to aid further understanding and practical implementation of learning styles, in 1997 FEDA (Further Education Development Agency) and NCET (National Council for Educational Technology) have released a further publication ‘Learning styles: into the future’ by Bill Lockitt. This publication focuses its research on applying the learning style onto ‘experimental learning’ model introduced by Kolb in 1984. Kolb’s model identifies four key factors of a learning process: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation. In my current teaching practice my initial assessment and especially the process of establishing the learning styles of my students have been greatly improved by my research of this unit and the discovery of the vark test at www.vark-learn.com. This test is often the part of the induction. Initial assessment can be formal and informal. This will be influenced by the way the initial assessment is conducted and the choice of the method. There are several methods, or tools, as Wilson (2009) prefers, that are used in initial assessments: - Written methods: application forms, references, self-assessment, questionnaires, free writing, screening test, tutorial records, aptitude tests - Electronic methods: Psychometric tests, diagnostic screens, learning style questionnaires. - Spoken tools: interviews, informal discussion, professional discussion - Visual tools: observation, skill tests Another fundamental stage of initial assessment that enables teacher to gain the most from it is the evaluation of initial assessment. According to Gravells & Simpson (2010) a teacher might ask several different questions in order to evaluate the initial assessment: - What information or data comes out of the initial assessment' - Does it impact on the programme or ILP' - Is the information transmitted to others' - What does the IA lead to' - Is it collecting the right information' - What does the data tell you' - Who needs the information' - Does it diagnose existing skills (e.g. basic skills)' - Does it find out about preferred learning style' - Does it analyse the person against the skills they require to study, learn, work or progress to higher education' The final vital point of negotiating with learners is planning and negotiating learning goals. A learning goal is what learners want to achieve by attending the course presented by the teacher. Wilson (2009) refers to goals as building blocks of progression she states ‘ they aim to move someone (in this case a learner) forward’. Goals are set to be achieved over different time periods, therefore they can be; - Long term - Mid term - Short term Regardless of which goals are being set and pursued they should be designed in accordance with the set of criteria that is popularly named by the SMARTER acronym. Those criteria are: Specific Measurable Achievable Agreed Realistic Relevant Time-bounded Exciting Enjoyable Ethical Reviewed Recorded It is also very important that all the learning goals and targets are recorded and therefore the learners are encouraged to take the ownership of the learning process. Gravells & Simpson (2010) advise: ‘to help promote them to become independent learners you will need to negotiate and agree their goals and targets, and assess their progress along the way’. Inclusive learning Gravells & Simpson (2010) open their chapter on this subject in, to my standards, probably the most rounded and complete description of inclusive learning, they state: ‘Inclusive learning is about recognising that each of your learners is different from other learners in many ways, and should not be excluded from any activities within your sessions for any legitimate reason. You should plan your teaching and learning sessions to enable all of your learners to take part, and at the end of the programme achieve their learning goals’. In addition to their definition Gravells & Simpson (2010) are quoting Tomlinson M who in his Inclusive learning, the report of the Learning Difficulties in 1996 states: ‘The aim is not for students to simply take part in further education but to be actively included and fully engaged in their learning. At the heart of our thinking lies the idea of match or fit between how the learners learns the best, what they need and want to learn and what is required from the FE sector, the college and teachers for successful learning to take place’. In the educational context we could surely say that inclusive learning is a tailor made approach to every individual learner that is based on full inclusion of all particulars and characteristics of each personae into a fully comprehensive concept that enables learners to reach their full potential with their individual requirements. It certainly would not be too stern a statement to say that it has taken our societies a fairly long journey to achieve this level of humanity and consideration. To be able to be inclusive without discrimination of any kind, to be able to accept each other and every individual just the way we are. This progress and betterment process, however, is not over, in fact, it has just begun and to be able to provide the inclusion in its full effect we must work with diversity and equality in the equation, appropriately backed up with the legal system. Gravells & Simpson (2010) explain; ‘by combating discrimination, valuing diversity and promoting equality, you should be able to create a positive and equal learning environment’. Equality promotes the right of learners to have equal access to the learning process of their choice, as well as to freely attend and participate in them regardless of their abilities or circumstances. This right is legally supported by the equal opportunity act. Diversity is about recognising and respecting the differences in learners, regardless of their abilities, circumstances or any other individual characteristics. Gravlls & Simpson (2010) suggest; ‘if you ever feel unsure as to whether you or other learners and colleagues are valuing equality and diversity, just ask yourself Is this fair' Or, How would I feel in this situation' Or Would I want to be treated in this way' If your answer is a negative one then make sure you do something about it’. Wilson (2009) concludes: ‘Inclusion, therefore, is about creating interesting, varied and inspiring learning opportunities for all learners; ensuring all learners contribute and are never disadvantaged by methods, language or resources’. Consequently there is an overwhelming need for a careful planning of inclusive learning. When working on planning and designing of learning, the teacher is expected to consider the outcomes of the initial assessment as learners’ needs as well as the needs of the organisation. Two main and most common formats of planning are the scheme of work and lesson plans. Petty (2009) puts it simply: ‘the scheme of work is a plan which organises course content and the learning of important skills’. Although these forms of planning will most of the time exist before any information about learners is gathered in the initial assessments, they are designed so that they can be adapted to accommodate the needs of the learners and the organisation. Just as the initial assessment is more of an on going process, so are the scheme of work and lesson plans ever developing and evolving. The scheme of work is a rough outline of the learning programme and a working document, which could contain: • information about the programme itself such as dates, times, length, venue, level of qualification offered • aims and objectives (learning outcomes) • assessment • activities and resources Grtavells & Simpson (2010) advice when the scheme of work is designed a WWWWWH (who, what, when, where, why and how) method should be followed. On the other hand, session plans contain much more detail and are deriving directly out of the scheme of work, addressing each individual lesson. Session plans identify the content, teacher and student activities, resources, outcomes and assessment methods. According to Gravells & Simpson (2010) the session plan should include: • aims and objectives/learning outcomes; • the context of the session; for example, references to the syllabus/programme being delivered; • identification of functional skills to be embedded during teaching; • resources required; • teaching and learning approaches with allocated timings (be prepared to be flexible); • assessment methods; • a self-evaluation. They also add: ‘the teaching and learning approaches should be matched against your learners’ preferred learning styles, and you should identify how much time you will allocate to each’. It is then vital for the scheme of work and lesson plans to be adapted to the individual needs of the learners. Catering to the individual needs of each learner is the way to exercise a differentiation in full effect. The study that has made the most significant impact on the development of inclusive learning and the planning of it was the classification of learning introduced by Benjamin Bloom in 1956. Popularly known as Blooms Taxonomy, this classification has set firm foundations for modern teaching by claiming that all learning can be classified into three domains: • Cognitive (intellectual, knowledge, comprehension) • Affective (attitudes, beliefs and values) • Psychomotor (physical, practical) Each of the learning domains are then divided into subdomains, which are then recognised as the low order skills that produce shallow learning, or the high order skills that are enabling deep learning. A major part of catering to learners individual needs as inclusive learning is planning for learners with learning difficulties and disabilities. Dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD are some of the most common disabilities and learning difficulties that are often found in the same classroom nowadays. Unfortunately it is not as if those disabilities haven’t existed before, sadly they have, but it is more about the fact that our knowledge and achievements as modern society have aided us in our efforts to turn what once was widely seen as an exclusion into what we would equally widely like to see as a full inclusion. Finally, the inclusive learning also suggests and implements a full set of duties and responsibilities regarding safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. Administering this area of inclusion is not only a duty and responsibility but also a legal requirement. Throughout the years there have been many legislative documents that have sanctioned and regulated these issues. Current legislation has been reformed by introduction of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act in 2006, and in the same year the Department for Education and Skills has produced a guidance article ‘Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education’. In 2007 the aforementioned article was followed by another guidance article released by NIACE (The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) with focal point on adults in further education. Other relevant legislation includes the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and other act with equality and human right as subject. Integrating functional skills within the teaching programme Functional skills have always been in the focus of the modern living and the very necessity in order to follow and develop with the modern progress of our society. However, the latest research shows that the basic skills in the post-compulsory sector have become even poorer in the past 30 years, with the rate as bad as one in 5 adults being functionally illiterate. It is, therefore, very important that teachers fully incorporate the minimum core into their programme. Firstly, however, it is very important that the teachers own personal skills are at the necessary level. Teachers should be able to demonstrate and set the example with their own competence in functional skills. Gravells & Simpson (2010) are explaining: ‘Integrating literacy, language, numeracy and ICT into your sessions is part of your professional role as a teacher. If you are not competent in these skills yourself, you may be making errors but not realise this’. The process of integration starts with an attempt to establish the level of functional skills in the first place. This is initially done by screening, which simply sets the minimum requirement for the programme entry, and then as part of the initial assessment, by observation or interviewing the learners, but the teacher can also run a diagnostic by implementing various test that can project the levels of functional skills accurately. After the levels of functional skills are established, it is then a natural progress to imbed the adequate minimum core delivery programme into the scheme of work and a detailed delivery into the lesson plans. Communication In every day teaching practice, the very centre of the learning environment is the process of knowledge transfer. This is what it’s all about when it comes to teaching and learning. This entire world of knowledge achieved and then exchanged between humans, as information is just one of many forms of, probably the most basic and primal human characteristic – the communication. In more theoretical and applied meaning, communication has been analysed and firmly established as essential in relation to learning. Gravells & Simpson (2010) define: ‘communication is a means of passing on information from one person to another’; Wilson (2009) refers to it as ‘the art of passing messages’; while Petty (2009) advices: ‘…it is your interpersonal communication skills that your students really notice’ Communication has been analysed and theoretically established in few theories throughout the history, two of which have made the most significant impact, and still are the main support of the modern thinking on the teaching process. Shannon and Weaver model is the first communication theory that has had such influence. Presented in 1949, this model suggests that in order to exist communication needs: • An encoder • A message • A channel • A decoder • A receiver Shannon and Weaver also add into this model a nose hindrance. Although this model, for the first time, accurately maps the process of communication, it does not offer the analysis of the process of comprehension of the very information. The cognitive aspect of communication was addressed more thoroughly by Eric Berne in 1950’s as he developed his theories of Transactional Analysis. Inspired by the modern psychology thought, Berne focused more on the relationship between the parties exchanging information and their ‘alter ego states’. Berne suggests that every person is made up of three alter ego states: o Parent ego state – this is the voice of authority learned from our parents. This state would involve a body language that shows impatience and talking that utilises patronising expressions o Child Ego state- this is the state that shows our dependent side. This behaviour expresses immature and needy actions. o Adult ego state – in this state we are able to apply our mature and responsible attitude, we appear non-threatening and the language sounds reasonable and negotiating. According to Berne (1964), the effective communication only happens when the states are equal. There are many various skills of good communication, from the way we hold ourselves, the way we appear, speak, the level of our confidence, to the way we listen, sympathise or empathise. Wilson (2009) points out: ‘communication occurs in every teaching and learning interaction: - A presentation - Assignments - Questioning - Verbal exposition - Feedback’ Overall the communication as a part of learning process can be verbal, non-verbal or written. According to the research, more of the accurate information is passed by non-verbal communication. It is more of how we say it than what we say. In terms of verbal, non-verbal and written communication, Gravells & Simpson offer an extensive list of advice to teachers, on speaking, listening and giving feedback regarding verbal communication, via practical checklist of body language tips important for non-verbal communication as well as important instructions on written communication. As important as it is for teachers to act in accordance with all the advice on the efficient communication, it is just as important that teachers apply the same criteria while observing and interacting with their learners. The communication is a two way street, and it depends on the strength of the communicational bridge between the parties that are exchanging the information. According to Carl Rogers (1969), a successful interaction is possible when one can; - Empathise - Be genuine - Give unconditional positive regard Naturally as much as the learning environment can be perfectly designed, and everything is designed to direct the right kind of information in the perfect way, it still doesn’t mean that the learners would be learning and successfully receiving the information by default. There can and always will be certain barriers to learning, and the sources of these obstacles can be various. The sources of learning barriers, however, can be summarised in several generic types: • Disability • Emotional • Language • Technological • Ability Such barriers can be overcome by various different approaches, Firstly by negotiating learning and putting the learners first but then just as well by: - targeted learning - designing learning programme to fit individual learners needs - applying inclusive learning - structured tutorials - supported learning - developing inclusive lesson plans Most importantly and in attempt to unify all the approaches mentioned above - In order to produce a successful communication and overcome the learning barriers, teaching should fully embrace the Humanistic Approach that is based on two main assumptions: 1. All learners have the capacity to grow 2. The focus of learning should be on the individual needs