Understanding_Inclusive_Learning_and_Teaching_in_Lifelong_Learning

Darren Jakobsen PTLLS   Level 4   Unit 009       Understanding inclusive learning and teaching in lifelong learning Task A Research Report It is important to create the right learning environment for your subject area in order for learning to take place and for your students to get the best from your session. For example if your subject area is construction skills then a kitchen would not be a suitable venue. The layout of your room/venue is equally as important for learning to take place.  If you are delivering a practical part of a lesson and are demonstrating a task/activity it is important that all your students can see what you’re doing or this could hinder learning. Here are some examples of styles of room layout. Classroom Style Advantages​ • Presentations • Videos • Tests/exams Disadvantages • Group work • Interaction with teacher and other students • Practical activities • Difficult for teachers to move around the space Cabaret style Advantages • Group work • Interaction with teacher and each other • Practical activities • Teachers can move around and interact with students Disadvantages • Tests and exams Boardroom style Disadvantages • Space to accommodate this style • Some students will have their backs to the teacher • Poor view of visual presentations • Practical activities • Demonstrations We use various room layouts depending on what activity we a teaching. It is important that the environment you are teaching in is a friendly and welcoming place and that the teacher is friendly and approachable and shows an interest in each individual. Giving the right impression to students is as important as the room layout. The teacher should be ready to greet the students and have all materials and activities ready beforehand. At the start of our lessons we allow 15 minutes social time where students can interact with the teacher and other students in an informal way thus allowing us to observe for issues and additional needs. It is important for the teacher to be dressed appropriately for their area of work. For example I have to wear (PPE) and it wouldn’t be appropriate if I was wearing shorts and sandals. Another aspect of an inclusive learning environment is the way in which you deliver your teaching and in what method you use to achieve learning. We are all different and learn in different ways. There have been many studies carried out with different theories on the style in which we learn. I have listed some of these and their key features. Fleming (2005) said that we can be grouped into one of four learning styles. • Visual – seeing, looking and watching. • Aural – Listening and talking • Read/Write – Reading and Writing • Kinaesthetic  - Doing, hands on Other studies suggest that it is not as simple as that and that some learners are a mixture of these styles. Honey and Munford (1992) Suggest that learners are a mixture of styles and devised their own group of styles of learning. • Activist – Like lots of activities and new challenges • Pragmatist – Like to apply what they have learnt to practical situations • Theorist – Like to read a lot and need time to take in information • Reflector - Think about what they have learnt, put it into practice and then think about it some more. When planning our lessons we try to incorporate all of these styles into the lesson.  For example; • Diagram on interactive whiteboard (Visual) • Hand-outs and diagrams (Read/Write) • Practical and verbal demonstrations (Aural & Kinaesthetic) • Question and answers  (Aural) • Examples of previous students work on display (Kinaesthetic) • Practical tasks/assignments There are lots of theories regarding how people learn. These theories will have been based on ideas, thoughts and experience. Ann Gravells (p.34) (2012) preparing to teach in lifelong learning sector. Sensory Theory Laird (1985) Said when the five senses are stimulated. Sight, Sound, Touch, Taste and smell.  This would be useful as our learning involves using all or most the senses; • Touch – Feeling materials – various wood types – tool use • Smell – surface Finishes – various wood types • Sight – Read information – instructions – diagrams • Sound – tool noises – noises in relation to H&S This theory might not be best suited for someone whose senses are impaired. Humanist Theory Rogers (1983) Teacher to act as facilitator for learning to take place and to encourage students to explore ideas and views. This theory involves the learner changing their own idea of themselves.  This theory has its constraints as we are guided by external awarding bodies’ syllabus to deliver in a certain way. For example you can only cut a piece of timber or bang in a nail in a certain way. Experiential Theory Kolb (1984) proposed a four stage learning cycle, students reflect on experience and as a result change their behaviour. • Concrete experience – Doing stage • Observation and Reflection – Thinking about what you have done • Abstract Conceptualisation – How you will do it differently • Active Experimentation – Redoing stage based upon reflection Useful in some areas of our teaching and learning as it will allow students to practice their tool skills reflect on what they have done and retry. With tool skills practice makes perfect. There are other theories to approaches to teaching and learning like the Behaviourist theory. Skinner (1974) believes that behaviour will be repeated with positive feedback and not repeated with negative reinforcement. Our students respond to positive feedback but are not good at receiving negative responses through previous experiences in their learning. We try to incorporate all or some of the different aspects of approaches depending on the needs of the group or the lesson we are delivering. As part of the induction process we establish a set of ground rules with the learners involving them in the process explaining that some rules are mandatory and some are negotiable giving examples. Once the ground rules are agreed they are typed up and copies are displayed around the workshop and a copy is put into the student’s folder. Ground rules remain on display for the duration of the course. By allowing students to agree rules they feel included and are much more likely to police them. It is important for the learners to receive feedback in order for them to know they are progressing and that what they are doing is correct. There are different types of feedback; Formal – In written form Informal – Verbally We use both methods during our lessons verbally as we are observing students perform tasks and on a one to one basis, and at the end of each assignment we give descriptive written feedback to assess if aims have been met. This is also a requirement of the awarding body and is used for quality assurance and is part of the audit trail. We provide opportunities within our lessons for students to practice their Literacy, Numeracy and ICT skills. All of our lessons have the core skills embedded within them and practiced often. • Numeracy – Measuring, calculating and estimating • Literacy – Writing, read and listening • ICT – researching, communicating, corresponding and formatting                       BIBLIOGRAPHY Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector - fifth edition –Ann Websites; • www.learningtheories,com • www.infed.com • www.ifl.ac.uk • www.infed.org • www.edutopia.org