Chinese Philosophy

In the 5th-century BC, the philosopher Lao-Tse (also Lao-tzu) wrote "If you tell me, I will listen. If you show me, I will see. But if you let me experience, I will learn." And so began one of the first active learning philosophies. Other Chinese philosophers, such as Kung Fu-tse (Latinized as Confucius) and Han Fei-Tzu, followed Lao-Tse by using a method that closely resembles what we now call the case method or case study. A member of the study group would present a paradox, which would be in the form of a parable. They would then discuss it and explore possible resolutions. (Clark, 2008)

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James Paul Gee's 36 principls of learning from What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy

In his book, What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy , James Paul Gee identifies 36 principles of learning: Active, Critical Learning principle All aspects of the learning environment (including the ways in which the semiotic domain is designed and presented) are set up to encourage active and critical, not passive, learning. Design Principle Learning about and coming to appreciate design and design principles is core to the learning experience. Semiotic Principle Learning about and coming to appreciate interrelations within and across multiple sign systems (images, words, actions, symbols, artifacts, etc) as a complex system is core to the learning experience. Semiotic Domains Principle Learning involves mastering, at some level, semiotic domains, and being able to participate, at some level, in the affinity group or groups connected to them. Metalevel Thinking about Semiotic Domains Principle Learning involves active and cr...

Trait vs state

"A useful distinction in the discussion of student characteristics is trait versus state. Traits are student characteristics that are relatively constant over time...whereas states are student characteristics that tend to vary during individual learning experiences, such as level of content-specific knowledge." (Reigeluth, 1983, p. 32) Reigeluth also states that "many strategy components have been shown to help students with all kinds of traits to learn" [p. 32]. My position is that we do not know a priori which aspects of our instructional strategies, learning environment, motivator, etc... will generalize across many or all students. However, with a localized learning theory we can learn over time which do and which do not. At the same time, we will likely find ways of grouping students that we never would have before imagined.

Gagné's Five Categories (or Domains) of Learning

From Aronson and Briggs (1938) p. 81-82 1) Intellectual skill Using concepts and rules to solve problems; responding to classes of stimuli as distinct from recalling specific examples 2) Motor skill Executing bodily movements smootly and in proper sequence 3) Verbal information Stating information 4) Cognitive strategy Originating novel solutions to problems; utilizing various means for controlling one's thinking/learning processes 5) Attitude Choosing to behave in a particular way "For Gagne, learning occurs when an individual acquires a particular capability to do something." "The capability that one acquires when learning verbal information (e.g., a spouse's birthday) is stating the information. On the other hand, the capability that one acquires in learning an attitude is choosing to act in one way or another...When a person has learned a concept, which is one type of intellectual skill , the person has the capability to correctly identify or classify any pr...

Principles of Learning

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