Through this week’s study, I feel that there is a common step in a range of approaches to establishing goals.
For example, I think the constructive alignment model is a way in which the professor guides students to integrate classroom activities, and students construct meaning through various activities. The purpose of learning is not to memorize rigid knowledge, but to apply what we have learned to practice. Before the class begins, the professor informs the students of the objectives of the lesson, the form of assessment, and the activities that the students will be required to participate in, and then focuses on the themes of each unit. I have seen this pattern in this section of EDCI 337 and my EDCI 339, where the professor would give us a detailed outline at the beginning of the semester, which would have details of their weekly assignments and topics. However, in some of my economics courses, some professors would only tell us the grading criteria in advance, and the specific topics and assignments would be learned as the class progressed.
And for the backwards design model, it’s also about first identifying expected learning goals to make sure students know what all they need to do for the semester, second creating assessments to measure student learning, and then finally planning activities and lessons around the goals and assessments that will contribute to student success. In backwards design, the level of student understanding is pursued. Under a model where assessment is preferred over curriculum design, a close connection between instructional activities and learning outcomes can better facilitate students to achieve understanding and apply their knowledge to accomplish their initial goals.
No matter when and what you do, having a clear and unambiguous goal is the key to success.
In Merrill’s First Principle of Teaching, I identify with Problem/task-focused, Activation, and Integration.
Problem/task-focused is that learning can be facilitated when learners show that they are competent at the task or can solve the problem when the course or learning is completed. Learning can be facilitated when learners are engaged at the problem or task level, rather than simply at the operational action level. Learning can be facilitated when learners solve a series of problems that are clearly further along than others. This was particularly evident to me in my major economics course, where most of the economics professors would give us basic, or extended, problems. Whenever I applied what I had learned or prepped to answer these questions, I became more and more interested in learning and eager for new knowledge.
In Activation, when relevant learning experiences are recalled under guidance and activated, it can facilitate learning. When I was working on a problem, whenever I saw some topics that were familiar but I couldn’t recall, I felt tired, but once the memory was activated, it became very motivating.
For the integration principle, when learners are encouraged to integrate new knowledge into their lives or work, it promotes learning. This is something I also know well. In another of my EDCI courses, the professor asked us to create a Mini course, and I chose a piece of knowledge from economics to make the Mini course. It was an opportunity for me to open up my learning skills and delve into that knowledge, and I felt very good about it.
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