All development activity
involves the learning of some process or product. This may include anything
from learning about basic family planning practices, to learning how to
manufacture and market local produce. In order to achieve their full impact,
development programs and activities require careful attention to what needs to
be taught and how to optimize its learning.
Learning that is most
effective is a process that is situated within the context and the culture of
the learning community. This is called meaningful learning.
The Role of Context,
Culture and Community in Meaningful Learning
Learning design that
focuses on the transmission of information has been found to be ineffective in
the long run. Contemporary views on learning see it as an active and recursive
process. This perspective is driven by greater recognition of the pivotal role
of the ‘learning context’ in knowledge construction and understanding.
This is
the constructivist perspective on learning. It is grounded in the belief that
learning and cognition are most potent when situated within a meaningful
context, and within the culture and the community within which learners live.
The constructivist view
of learning is one in which there is a process of developing understanding
through problem-solving and critical reflection. As an active process, learning
is most effective and efficient when learners are engaged in learning by doing.
This approach also
highlights the importance of the learning group in the learning process. It
argues that learning, and the development of understanding, is a social process
which comes about as a result of learners acting upon authentic problem
situations in groups, through dialogue, discussion, and debate.
Instructional designs
that embody the constructivist perspective of learning make use of scenarios,
problems, incidents, stories and cases that are realistic or authentic (i.e.,
that reflect real life situations). These activities ‘situate’ and ‘anchor’ all
learning experiences, and in this constructivist approach, assessment of
learning outcomes is closely tied to the learning context.
Evidence of this view of
learning is reflected in the widespread use of scenario and problem-based
learning in the study of medicine and the health sciences, case-based reasoning
in the study of law, business and economics, and the use of role-play in the
study of social sciences. Within these contexts, learners are put into
situations where they are required to think for themselves by reflecting on
their actions, drawing conclusions, and defending their decisions and actions.
Fundamental Principles and Practices of Meaningful
Learning
Following this
perspective on meaningful learning, there is growing consensus among
educational practitioners that learning is most effective when:
§ Learners are engaged in learning by doing;
§ Learners are engaged in problem-solving tasks and activities;
§ Learners are engaged in critical reflection during and after their activities;
§ Learning is situated within the context of real-world or authentic problems;
§ Learning is engaged in support and promote cognitive learning;
§ Assessment of learning outcomes is closely aligned with the learning context and the learning activities.
