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Learning Guide Unit 7
Overview
Unit 7: Understanding Learner Characteristics
Topics:
Learner characteristics in the classroom
The role of prior experiences in instruction
Student background and learning styles
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:
Examine important student characteristics that influence classroom learning
Investigate the role of activating prior student knowledge for successful instruction
Assess the value of inclusive learning strategies that align with diverse student populations
Tasks:
Read through the Learning Guide and Reading Assignment
Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum
Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum
Complete and submit the Written Assignment
Complete and submit the Portfolio Activity
Learning Guide Unit 7
Introduction
Designing an effective educational experience considers a great number of factors
Learning Guide Unit 7
Overview
Unit 7: Understanding Learner Characteristics
Topics:
Learner characteristics in the classroom
The role of prior experiences in instruction
Student background and learning styles
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:
Examine important student characteristics that influence classroom learning
Investigate the role of activating prior student knowledge for successful instruction
Assess the value of inclusive learning strategies that align with diverse student populations
Tasks:
Read through the Learning Guide and Reading Assignment
Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum
Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum
Complete and submit the Written Assignment
Complete and submit the Portfolio Activity
Learning Guide Unit 7
Introduction
Designing an effective educational experience considers a great number of factors
Writing
Share With
Learning Guide Unit 7
Overview
Unit 7: Understanding Learner Characteristics
Topics:
- Learner characteristics in the classroom
- The role of prior experiences in instruction
- Student background and learning styles
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:
- Examine important student characteristics that influence classroom learning
- Investigate the role of activating prior student knowledge for successful instruction
- Assess the value of inclusive learning strategies that align with diverse student populations
Tasks:
- Read through the Learning Guide and Reading Assignment
- Complete the Discussion Assignment by posting in the Discussion Forum
- Respond to three of your fellow classmates’ posts in the Discussion Forum
- Complete and submit the Written Assignment
- Complete and submit the Portfolio Activity
- Learning Guide Unit 7
- Introduction
-
- Designing an effective educational experience considers a great number of factors. Teachers must carefully craft a pedagogical approach that incorporates important student considerations which promote student success. Unit 7 elaborates on some earlier themes about student background and how those prior experiences might influence teaching and learning approaches. This unit asks you to consider instructional design elements which tend to emphasize delivery of content rather than the curriculum content.
- Examining the characteristics of students better informs teachers about who comprises their classrooms. When teachers give careful consideration to student needs and salient demographics, teachers can create lessons that respect student diversity and design classrooms that feel safe and welcoming. You will see some echoes of earlier units. The major readings included here will draw from your current understanding of structural barriers, the importance of activating background knowledge, student connections with family and teachers, student learning approaches, and the need to cultivate an awareness of student diversity.
Reading Assignment
1. Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: An educational perspective (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
- Read from Ch 10: pp 465-474 & pp 477-487. This portion of the text addresses major influences on student characteristics such as parental involvement, SES, student-teacher relationships, and electronic media. In addition, the reading will address learning styles and the importance of field dependence-independence.
2. Strangman, N., Hall, T., & Meyer, A. (2004). Background knowledge instruction and the implications for UDL implementation. Retrieved from http://aem.cast.org/about/publications/2004/ncac-background-knowledge-udl.html
- Read pp 1-35. “This document examines the research on instructional approaches to support students’ use of background knowledge and explores points of intersection with Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a curriculum design approach intended to lower the barriers that traditionally limit access to information and learning for many students…By aligning the implementation of background knowledge instruction with UDL, teachers can make a greater impact on student literacy, improving the learning experience for every student in the classroom” (p. 1).
3. Ruggs, E. & Hebl, M. (2012). Literature overview: Diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness for classroom and outreach education. Retrieved from http://teach.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/ARP_DiversityInclusionCulturalAwareness_Overview.pdf
- Read pp 1-16. Classrooms are becoming more diverse and yet, some barriers continue to stigmatize and disadvantage a host of students. The document examines how teachers can achieve greater diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness in the class with a specific focus on gender and race. The article also offers an overview of research-based strategies to incorporate inclusive learning activities into curricular design.
Optional Video
1. TEDx Talks (April 2015). Learning styles & the importance of critical self-reflection. Retrieved from (18:14)
- In this video, Marshik reviews research that debunks the deeply ingrained myth that teachers must customize instructional practices to the learning styles of individual students. Marshik reminds viewers that learning involves multiple areas of the brain and teachers can emphasize some areas more than others depending on the content.
- Discussion Assignment
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- In the discussion forum, you are expected to participate often and engage in deep levels of discourse. Please post your initial response as early in the unit as possible and continue to participate throughout the unit. You are required to post an initial response to the question/issue presented in the Forum and then respond to at least 3 of your classmates’ initial posts. You should also respond to anyone who has responded to you.
- The Schunk reading posits that “some of the key influences on development and learning are socioeconomic status, home environment, parental involvement, and electronic media” (p. 465). Certainly, each of these considerations plays a role in student learning. Which one do you consider to be of primary importance for teachers?
- In your initial response to the post, examine one of these key influences. How do you characterize this influence in the classroom? Include why you feel this consideration is primary for teachers. Draw from personal experiences (either from the point of view of a teacher or from the viewpoint of a student) to justify your case.
- As you reply to your peers, share your thoughts about the key influence identified in the post. Do you agree with their justification? Did you agree with your peer for different reasons or perhaps disagree with peers, but for similar justifications?
- Discussion Forums will be assessed using this rubric.
Written Assignment
Review Table 3: Instructional approaches for activating prior knowledge (p. 8) in the Strangman, Hall, and Meyer reading:
- Strangman, N., Hall, T., & Meyer, A. (2004). Background knowledge instruction and the implications for UDL implementation. Retrieved from http://aem.cast.org/about/publications/2004/ncac-background-knowledge-udl.html
The table identifies six evidence-based approaches teachers can consider using in order to better engage students in the classroom:
- Reflection and recording
- Interactive discussion
- Answering questions
- K-W-L
- CONTACT-2
- Interpretation of topic-related pictures
Select two of the six approaches and investigate how the approach is used in the classroom. In your paper:
- Illustrate how each approach is intended to be used in the classroom by creating an example to demonstrate the methodology. What does each approach look like in practice?
- Identify at least one limitation of each approach you selected. Why might employing these approaches be challenging for a teacher?
Submit a paper which is 3-4 pages in length, excluding the Title and References pages. Your paper should be double-spaced and cite at least 2 outside sources in APA format. Table 3 includes several references for each of the approaches. You can draw from these references or you can find other sources for the same approach. You are not limited to the references included in Table 3. Your paper should be well-written and free from grammar, spelling, and content errors. Be sure that you have properly cited (in APA format) all resources used.
Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a free website that provides excellent information and resources for understanding and using the APA format and style. The OWL website can be accessed here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01
This assignment will be peer-assessed using this rubric.
Portfolio Activity
Review Section IV. Recommendations for practitioners on page 9 of the Ruggs and Hebl reading, Literature overview: Diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness for classroom and outreach education.
Three strategies to increase diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness in classroom settings are summarized. Reflect on one of the strategies described in the reading.
If you are a teacher, where do you recognize an opportunity to include greater attention to any of the strategies across your curriculum? Is there are an area of diversity, inclusion, or cultural awareness you feel is neglected in any part of your teaching approach? In your reflection, consider why this omission might exist. Is it a function of time constraints, discomfort, or perhaps a lack of resources to improve the situation? How can the issue be helped or at least minimized?
If you are not a teacher (or new to teaching), think about your personal educational history. Do you remember a time when a teacher did not address or make an attempt to redress an issue of diversity, inclusion, or cultural awareness in the class? Drawing from the Ruggs and Hebl reading, how do you think the teacher should have improved the situation? What strategies do you know about today would have likely improved the educational experience you had?
This activity will be assessed by your instructor using the Portfolio Activity Rubric.
