Making learning meaningful

Relevance is a crucial factor in all kinds of learning. Students learn best when they feel that what they are studying is worth learning because it is meaningful and relevant to their lives. At the same time students must see the usefulness and potential application of this knowledge to their everyday lives. Effective teachers connect and make learning personally meaningful and relevant.

Apart from this, the content of the curriculum should be within the parameters of Islam. Students should also be exposed to local content as well as regional and international content which would be of relevance to them in their further education and career opportunities, thus making them part of the global village.

Using technology and media

Using technology and media is main key competency in the national curriculum framework. This key competency enhances the ability to use a variety of technologies as a tool for learning and communication. As technology is a powerful platform to capture and disseminate information across the world, students need to master the information literacy skills they need in order to become sensitive consumers and creative producers of information. Therefore, young people need opportunities to use and manage information effectively and question the authenticity, accuracy and reliability of information. They also need to be aware of the roles of the media in informing, influencing and entertaining society and also differentiate between reality and the world portrayed by the media.

Students who are confident users of technology employ digital technologies and communication tools successfully to search for, manage, evaluate and use information effectively and safely. They recognise which information is needed at any given time and for which purpose, how and where to locate it, evaluate the reliability and relevance of information and use it productively. Students connect, create, and share information and experiences locally and globally using technology. It enables them to master content and extend their investigations, to become more self directed, and to assume greater control over their own learning. Additionally, students adapt to the changing nature of technologies and media and use technology safely and responsibly.

Fostering reflective practice

Reflective learning is central to understanding the experiential learning process. Reflection can lead to greater self-awareness, which in turn is a first step to positive change. Taking time to reflect can help students identify approaches that have worked well, and in that way reinforce good practice and reflect on why some approaches did not work . Such metacognitive strategies can enable students to transfer learning to other disciplines and domains.

As a result, they gain confidence and become more independent as learners. Independence leads to ownership as students realize that they can pursue their own intellectual needs and discover a world of information at their fingertips. Teachers should model metacognitive and self-explanation strategies on various tasks to help students build an integrated understanding of the process of reflection.

Common Ways of Scaffolding

There are very common ways that teachers scaffold. Many believe that the most two common ways of scaffolding that are seen in classroom teaching is modeling and coaching.

Modeling a task

Explicit teacher modeling provides students with a clear, multi-sensory model of a skill or concept. In effective modeling, first, teacher both describes and models the skill or concept then teacher clearly describes features of the concept or steps in performing skill. After that, teacher breaks concept or skill into learnable parts. Finally, teacher engages students in learning through demonstrating enthusiasm, through maintaining a lively pace, through periodically questioning students, and through checking for student understanding. An example of modeling.An expert designer thinking aloud during the design of a product, thereby pointing out critical aspects and important decisions during design. Afterwards students try to imitate this behaviour.

Providing coaching

Coaching can be defined as a continuous process of providing students with feedback to enhance, maintain or improve their performance. In the coaching process the teacher observes performance, shares knowledge and expertise, and provides encouragement to assist students in reaching continuously higher levels of performance. This method or strategy enables students to develop their thinking and actions in response to differing situations. This approach encourages learning, growth and teamwork. According to research there are three effective ways of coaching: retraining when students learn new responsibilities, guiding when students have the necessary skills and prompting when students know what to do. Example.Students design a product, an expert designer monitors their progress, solves problems together with the students, motivates students, and points them towards different directions.

Effective Scaffolding

Scaffolding is useful within what Vygotsky called the ZPD. When students are ready to proceed onto the next level but can only do so through guidance from an adultand with the presence of enough challenge so that the task is motivating but not overwhelming.

There are many ways teachers are involved the process of scaffolding. Some are done with clear planning but others are done without teacher’s knowledge. Some very effective ways of scaffolding has become part of everyday teaching. Instructional scaffolding is most effective when it contributes to the learning environment. In an effective learning environment, scaffolding is gradually added, then modified, and finally removed according to the needs of the learner. Eventually, instructional scaffolding will fade away. For example. A primary math teacher is introducing the addition of two digit numbers. She first solicits the students’ interest by using a “hook” such as an interesting story or situation. Then she reduces the number of steps for initial success by modeling, verbally talking through the steps as she works and allowing the students to work with her on the sample problems. An overhead projector is a great tool for this activity because the teacher is able to face the class while she works the problems. She can then pick up non-verbal cues from the class as she works. The students' interest is held by asking them to supply two digit numbers for addition, playing "Stump the Teacher". She takes this opportunity for further modeling of the skills and verbally presenting the process as she works through these problems.

 

The students are then allowed to work several problems independently as the teacher watches and provides assistance where needed. The success rate is increased by providing these incremental opportunities for success. Some students may require manipulatives to solve the problems and some may require further “talking through” the procedures. These strategies may be applied individually or in small groups.

More challenging problems can then be added to the lesson. Further explicit modeling and verbalization will be required. Some students will be able to work independently while some will require more assistance and scaffolding. She will begin to fade the scaffolding as soon as she is sure that the students can effectively function alone. 

According to Department of education of America, an effective way to teach complex cognitive processes is through providing scaffolds for students based on their specific needs and adjusting scaffolds to accommodate them in their unique progression toward learning goals

Importance of scaffolding.

Scaffolding is an instructional technique whereby the teacher models the desired learning strategy or task, then gradually shifts responsibility to the students. One should never undermine the role of instructional scaffolding in the learning process. Effective teaching, healthy learning environment and successful leaning all includes instructional scaffolding. Scaffolding is not a single activity or activities that happen in a single day. Scaffolding is a continuous process that is a part of all the “new” learning that happens in a learners’ life.

According to Vygotsky learning is mediated by teachers through scaffolding and tools in their environment.  Instructional scaffolding is a learning process designed to promote a deeper learning. Scaffolding is the support given during the learning process which is tailored to the needs of the student with the intention of helping the student achieve learning goals (Sawyer, 2006) 

Adults play a key role in the child’s learning. Anita woolfolk (2005) believed that cognitive development occurs through the child’s conversation and interactions with more capable members of the culture. This particular role is seen in the society by teachers and hence, teachers instructional scaffolding is vital in any of the learning process of the child.

There are a few buzz words in educational psychology that one has to know in an article focusing on scaffolding. Among the many words, Zone of proximal development (ZPD) is perhaps the most important one. “The zone of proximal development is the distance between what children can do by themselves and the next learning that they can be helped to achieve with competent assistance” (Raymond, 2000, p.176). Instructional scaffolding is required for a learner to overcome ZPD. Hence, scaffolding and ZPD are the two sides of the same coin. 

Many argues that scaffolding instruction as a teaching strategy originated from Lev Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory and his concept of ZPD.  The scaffolding teaching strategy provides individualized support based on the learner’s ZPD (Chang, Sung, & Chen, 2002).  In scaffolding instruction a more knowledgeable other provides scaffolds or supports to facilitate the learner’s development.

Connecting prior learning to new learning

When students come into a classroom, they enter with a wide range of experiences, ideas, knowledge and concepts that are already formed. The prior knowledge that students bring into classroom is one of the major factors influencing teaching and learning. It is therefore important that teachers are able to ascertain the level of prior knowledge and adjust their teaching accordingly.

When teachers link new information to the student's prior knowledge, they activate the student's interest and curiosity, and infuse instruction with a sense of purpose. Teachers who link classroom activities and instruction to prior knowledge build on their students' familiarity with a topic and enable them to connect the curriculum content to their own culture and experience.

According to cognitive learning theory, learning involves a change in one’s cognitive structure. This change occurs when new information or experiences are combined with existing knowledge stored in long term memory (LTM). In this sense, new knowledge is constructed by learners. Learning becomes meaningful when it is connected to what you already know. That is, when new information is connected to old knowledge. This is called meaningful learning. Knowledge without meaning is merely information. Effective teachers try to create learning experiences that result in this kind of learning. This is when information is presented out of any knowledge context or when it is not connect with anything already known. For example, if you were to memorize a list of facts in order to pass an exam but made no conscious effort to understand, connect, or apply these facts, you would have engaged in rote learning a pretty useless endeavor. It would be very hard to use or apply that information in the future.

ASSESSMENT

Assessment plays a crucial role in the teaching and learning process, providing opportunities for students to demonstrate evidence of what they know, understand and can do. When assessment, instruction and the intended curriculum are aligned, it provides optimum conditions for learning, thus maximizing students’ achievement.

Assessment results have important implications for teaching and learning and aims to provide multiple opportunities for students to practise and demonstrate their understanding of what is being learnt. Assessment in schools can be classified into diagnostic, formative and summative strands. Diagnostic assessments are used to provide educators with information about students’ prior knowledge, skills, attitudes, learning styles and motivation to assist them to develop an effective learning programme that suits the educational needs of the learners. Formative assessment or assessment for learning is a process where students are assessed as the teacher proceeds with a lesson or unit to provide ongoing feedback to the teacher and students. Informal observation, checklist, listening to students’ responses, class participation and self assessment are ways used to assess students formatively. Summative assessment or assessment of learning is usually done at a certain point of the academic year or from certain components to judge the appropriateness of what is being taught. Some of the methods used in summative assessments are portfolios, chapter tests, final exams, reports, term papers, projects and national exams.

Assessment provides data and communicates progress and achievements of students to all the concerned parties, and identifies the strengths and weaknesses of students in specific areas of learning. Additionally, the process of assessment should be based on the students’ age and stage of development.

As emphasis is placed on providing integrated learning experiences in the early years, the assessment methods used should vary to meet the different developmental stages.

CREATING A POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Positive learning environments support the developmental needs of students not only academically but also socially and personally. A positive learning environment is inclusive, respectful and caring of all its members.

Schools with a positive learning environment maximize the learning of every student and help young people to build a sense of community and become full participating citizens of society. These are schools where children feel comfortable with themselves, safe amongst their peers and are engaged and motivated to learn and they are happy to be in school. In positive learning environments teachers have high expectations that their students will achieve good results. They explain clearly the quality of work students are expected to produce and give them some choice of learning activities. Apart from this, positive learning environments offer a variety of learning activities to cater for the range of learner needs and students are given the opportunity to take responsibility of their own learning. As a result, they are more likely to benefit from the lessons, and thus more likely to be self‐motivated.

Additionally, these schools have standards for appropriate conduct which are developed collaboratively and apply to all persons and in all school‐related activities. In these environments, all the members of the community contribute to the environment within schools and they will be productive members of globalized world.