How we learn INTRODUCTION TO CHILDREN S PALLIATIVE CARE TRAIN THE TRAINER

How we learn INTRODUCTION TO CHILDREN S PALLIATIVE CARE TRAIN THE TRAINER

Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn. Benjamin Franklin

What is learning? Learning has been described as a process of gradually extending 1. Knowledge 2. Practical ability 3. Experience The acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitude by study, experience or learning. (Jarvis 1993)

Adults learn best when they take an active role learning concerns problems they are interested in and encounter in everyday life learning is useful and practical they receive constructive feedback they are given encouragement and reinforcement they can utilise their knowledge, ability and skills in a variety of situations they feel free to say when and how they are having problems conflicts and frustrations are resolved treated with sincerity, justice and in a reasonable way

Bloom s Taxonomy Three learning domains: The idea of three domains of knowledge, attitude and skills are being used extensively in the design of learning programmes. ASK, helps as a way to remember the elements: 1. Knowledge (Data, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis) 2. Attitudes (responding, valuing, internalisation, behaviour) 3. Skills (Perception, action, mechanism, complex movement patterns) Through being aware of these three areas we can be reminded of the areas which we are trying to incorporate and address in teaching sessions.

K A S (ASK) Knowledge (Cognitive) Recall of data Comprehension: Understanding meaning Application: Use a concept in a new situation Analysis: Organises, compares, distinguishes between facts and inferences Synthesis: Patterns from diverse elements to create new meaning or structures Attitudes (Affective) Valuing Prioritising

K A S (ASK) Skills (Psychomotor /manual) Putting knowledge into action Learning through doing Practising and developing the necessary skills

Multiple Intelligences (Gardener) Linguistic Logical Mathematical Musical Bodily Kinaesthetic Spatial Visual Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalist Spiritual Moral

Learning styles Learning styles refer to a range of competing and contested theories that aim to account for differences in individuals learning. These theories propose that all people can be classified according to their style of learning, although the various theories present different views on how the styles should be defined and categorised. A common concept is that individuals differ in how they learn. A 2015 peer reviewed article concluded: Learning styles theories have not panned out, and it is our responsibility to ensure that students know that. Wikipedia

Learning styles develop from Personality factors Early childhood experiences Educational experiences: how did you learn how to learn?

VARK learning styles Fleming and Mills (1992) suggested four modalities that seemed to reflect the experiences of the students and teachers. Although there is some overlap between them, they are defined as follows: Visual Learners (V) Preference for maps, diagrams, flow charts, etc. Sensitive to design whitespace, patterns, shapes Aural Learners (A) Preference for information that is heard or spoken. Lectures, group discussions, radio, chatting on the phone, emails (informal) Rephrase concepts out loud and speak to themselves

VARK learning styles Reading and Writing Learners (R) Information displayed as words Teachers and students have strong preference for this mode Emphasizes text based input and output such as reading and writing PowerPoint, the Internet, lists, diaries, quotations, words, words, words.! Kinaesthetic Learners (K) Preference for experience and practice (simulated or real) Demonstrations, simulations, examples, videos of real things, case studies, etc.

VARK Learning styles Multimodality Life is multimodal and there are few instances when only one mode is used. The VARK questionnaire provides four scores and those who do not have one mode that stands out well above the others are known as multimodal. You can take the questionnaire here: http://vark learn.com/the vark questionnaire/

Experiential Learning Theory (Kolb) David Kolb s learning styles model was published in 1984. His theory is concerned mostly with cognitive processes and works on two levels: 1. A four stage cycle of learning 2. Four separate learning styles Learning involves the acquisition of abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations. New experiences form the impetus for the development of concepts.

The Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb) Active Experimentation (planning / trying out what has been learned) Concrete Experience (doing/ experiencing) Abstract Conceptualisation (concluding / learning) Reflective Observation (reviewing / reflecting)

Kolb s Learning Styles Kolb sets out four distinct learning styles, based on the learning cycle. These preferences are influenced by social environment, educational experiences and the basic cognitive structure of each individual. 1. Diverging 2. Assimilating 3. Converging 4. Accommodating Everyone needs the stimulus of all types of learning styles however, knowing how a person learns allows the use of emphasis that best fits that style.

Kolb s Learning Styles cont. Kolb believed the learning choice of style is the product of two pairs of variables, or two separate choices, presented as lines of axis, each with conflicting modes at either end. The east west axis is called the Processing Continuum (how we approach a task) and the north south axis called the Perception Continuum (our emotional response, or how we think or feel about it.) Kolb believed that we cannot perform both variables on a single axis at the same time. (e.g. think and feel or watch and do) McLeod, S. A. (2013). Kolb Learning Styles. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/learning kolb.html

Diverging (feeling and watching CE/RO) Looks at things from a different perspective. Sensitive and emotional Imaginative, interested in people and strong in the arts Prefers to watch rather than do. Tend to gather information and use imagination to problem solve. Best at viewing concrete situations at several different viewpoints. Perform better in situations that require ideas generation e.g. brainstorming Broad cultural interests and like to gather information. Prefer to work in groups, listen with an open mind and prefer to receive personal feedback.

Assimilating (watching and thinking AC/RO) Prefers a concise, logical approach. Ideas and concepts are more important than people. Require clear explanation rather than practical opportunity. Excel at understanding a wide range of information and organising it in a clear and logical format. Effective in information and science based careers. Prefers reading, lectures, exploring analytical models and having time to think things through.

Converging (doing and thinking AC/AE) Can solve problems and use their learning to find solutions to practical issues. Prefer technical tasks Are less concerned with people and interpersonal aspects. Find practical uses for ideas and theories. Like to experiment with new ideas, to simulate and to work with practical applications.

Accommodating (doing and feeling CE/AE) Is hands on Relies on intuition rather than logic Use other people s analysis Prefer to take a practical, experiential approach. Attracted to new challenges and experiences and to carrying out plans. This learning style is prevalent within the general population

Kolb s Learning Styles matrix Feeling (Concrete Experience CE) Thinking (Abstract Conceptualisation AC) Doing (Active Experimentation AE) Accommodating (CE/AE) Converging (AC/AE) Watching (Reflective Observation RO) Diverging (CE/RO) Assimilating (AC/RO)

Honey & Mumford ACTIVISTS Involve themselves fully in new experiences. Enthusiastic Enjoy the here and now Open minded and not sceptical Tackle problems by brainstorming. Easily bored implementation and consolidation and like to move on to new experiences. Gregarious and like to be the centre of attention.

Reflectors Stand back and observe experiences from different perspectives. Collect data and think about experiences before coming to conclusions. Observe other people in action and take a back seat in discussions. Think before they make their opinion known.

Theorists Integrate observations into complex and logical theories Logical, step by step problem solving Tend to be perfectionists Tend to be uncomfortable with subjective judgements and flippancy

Pragmatists Keen to try new ideas, theories and techniques to see if they work in practice Like to experiment Often return from courses brimming with new ideas they want to try out in practice Impatient with too much theory and long discussions Practical, down to earth people who like to solve problems Enjoy challenges

What is your learning style?