Teaching & Learning Incognito
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The traditional teaching method of teacher as sole information-giver to
passive students appears outdated. In a Berkeley (Angelo, 1991) study on
undergraduates in a large lecture hall setting, it was found that only 20
% of the students retained what the instructor discussed after the lecture.
They were too busy taking notes to internalize the information. Futhermore,
Project 2061 (1990, p. xvii ) charges that the present curricula... emphasize
the learning of answers more than the exploration of questions, memory at
the expense of critical thought, bits and pieces of information instead
of understanding in context, recitation over argument, reading in lieu of
doing. They fail to encourage students to work together, to share ideas
and information freely with each other, or to use modern instruments to
extend their intellectual capabilities."
One proposed solution for this problem is to prepare students to become good adaptive learners. That is, students should be able to apply what they learn in school to the various and unpredictable situations that they might encounter over the course of their worklives. Obviously, the traditional teacher-as-information-giver, textbook guided classroom has failed to bring about the desired outcome of producing thinking students. What could be the solution? What approach in the classroom could possibly bring about the afore-mentioned desired outcomes? |