1. Feedback for Activity 1
Phil Marston
p.marston@abdn.ac.uk

2. Feedback for Activity 1
“Provide a written rationale which sets
out what you understand effective
learning to be, and how you think
your teaching supports this.”
www.abdn.ac.uk

3. Feedback for Activity 1
This was a formative exercise, so no one provided
the wrong answer.
As a formative exercise this was an opportunity for
you to reflect on what effective learning is and your
role in that.
It was also an opportunity for us to reflect on what
we have conveyed.
There were a range of responses to the exercise
and we thought it would be useful to provide
feedback to the group as a whole.
www.abdn.ac.uk

4. Feedback for Activity 1
Our rationale and expectations.
The purpose of Activity 1 was two fold:
1st to help you consolidate your understanding of
the subject matter - education as its own discipline.
2nd to begin to prepare you for the summative
exercise (Post-session Activity 4), in which you will
be required to demonstrate how your own practice
aligns with the professional standards framework.
www.abdn.ac.uk

5. Feedback for Activity 1
In light of our rationale and of the submissions we
also realise that perhaps we need to be clearer in
the wording of our question.
“With reference to the literature and the programme
so far, provide a written rationale which sets out
what you understand effective learning to be, and
how you think your teaching supports this.”
www.abdn.ac.uk

6. Review for Activity 1
What is Effective Learning?
Some of you found a useful quote:
Learning is an activity “which enables the
learner to draw upon previous
experience to understand and evaluate
the present, so as to shape future action
and formulate new knowledge.”
Abbott, J. (1994) Learning makes sense: re-creating education for a changing
future. Letchworth: Education 2000
www.abdn.ac.uk

7. Review for Activity 1
What is Effective Learning?
Learning is an activity “which enables the learner to
draw upon previous experience to understand and
evaluate the present, so as to shape future action
and formulate new knowledge.”
What strikes you as the key features contained in
this quote?
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8. Review for Activity 1
What is Effective Learning?
What strikes you as the key features contained in
this quote?
• the learner (their actions)
• prior experience/knowledge (the past)
• the present (knowledge/understanding)
• the future (new knowledge/understanding)
Where do you fit in this picture?
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9. Review for Activity 1
What is Effective Learning?
Some of you mentioned
Blooms Taxonomy
Do you think this would be
a useful measure of the
effectiveness of learning?
Anderson, LW & Krathwohl DR (eds.) (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and
Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York: Longman
www.abdn.ac.uk

10. Review for Activity 1
Something to watch out for:
This is a necessarily short course and we have
picked out literature that we believe provides a brief
but sound grounding in the vast discipline that is
education.
Neither Abbott or Anderson & Krathwohl were on
the reading list ...
It is good that many of you went beyond the
recommended reading, but ...
Be wary of (critically appraise) what you come
across in wider reading (e.g. neuroeducation).
www.abdn.ac.uk

11. Review for Activity 1
Neuroeducation - Howard-Jones offers a word of caution
Howard-Jones, P. (2010) Introducing Neuroeducational Research. Oxon:UK. Routledge
www.abdn.ac.uk

12. Review for Activity 1
If in doubt ... leave it out
www.abdn.ac.uk

13. Review for Activity 1
Other key points to reflect on:
• Almost everyone mentioned the importance of
motivation, feedback, knowledge construction
• Some of you mentioned deep, surface and
strategic learning
• recognition of diversity and difference (social,
cultural, developmental)
• students taking personal responsibility vs you
taking responsibility?
• not one size of learning - not one size of teaching
www.abdn.ac.uk

14. Review for Activity 1
Wikipedia often has an account of the basics of theories, with
accounts of where they are disputed and where to go to read
at greater depth.
James Atherton’s website
http://www.learningandteaching.info/teaching/what_works.htm
www.abdn.ac.uk

15. Any questions?
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Go Anywhere.
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