An Understanding of the IDEAS Concept - Essay Example

? Creating Authentic Learning: Evaluating leadership and viability of pedagogical changes in reference to the IDEAS framework BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL INFOHERE DATE HERE Creating Authentic Learning: Evaluating leadership and viability of pedagogical changes in reference to the IDEAS framework Introduction The IDEAS framework, an acronym for initiating, discovering, envisioning, actioning and sustaining, is a holistic and cyclical learning process designed to improve relationships with key actors in education. The IDEAS framework provides guidance for improving pedagogical approaches to learning, which is, by design, a holistic teaching system focusing on teacher, student, and tangible instruction materials to create a more well-rounded educational delivery system and better comprehension outcomes. What makes IDEAS unique is that it recognizes the complexity of key relationships between educator and administrative sources in a no-blame environment, where the school’s vision and administration are taken from parallel roles to more congruent roles in facilitating better education for students. The IDEAS framework builds a network of support teams and facilitators around a central goal of more productive educational outputs and comprehension, recognizing strategy, the need for cohesive collaborations, and building an effective educational infrastructure, which are all influenced by support from trainers and educational materials from the University of Southern Queensland (USQ, 2011). Having an understanding of the IDEAS concept, it is necessary to recognize its potential strengths and weaknesses as it would apply to developing an authentic learning curriculum. Authentic learning is closely ascribed to experiential learning, which is a hands-on, tactical learning process that facilitates interactivity to improve learning and comprehension. The IDEAS framework maintains more strengths than weaknesses, and research evidence suggests it would be best promoted using transformational and transactional leadership styles to facilitate more effective usage in building an authentic learning curriculum. What is Authentic Learning? Authentic learning is experiential in nature, providing more emphasis on hands-on learning and interactivity between instructor and student, as well as student and learning materials and technologies. Authentic learning allows students to have more self-management and ownership of their learning through the experiential elements of instruction, where teachers are to act as coaches or comprehension facilitators in a student-centered learning classroom. One of the fundamental aspects of authentic learning that segregates it from traditional learning methodology is the ability to incorporate real-world social contexts drawn from student experience into a hands-on curriculum (Stein, et al. 2004). Authentic learning provides “real world relevance” to students, as students are given practical problem-solving activities and are asked to consider a variety of abstract concepts, with an application to social scenarios common in professional or personal practice (Reeves, et al. 2002). Authentic learning moves beyond the standards of classical education that focus on problem-solving through algorithms (e.g. the 3 Rs of education), allowing for multiple interpretations of delivered curriculum content to arrive at understanding of the concept and its practical application to real-world environments (Brown, et al. 1988). Authentic learning recognizes that not all situations related to comprehension and learning can be solved in just a matter of hours, thus a variety of complex activities are developed allowing the student to investigate potential solutions using their intellectual resources over an elongated period of time (Brown, et al., 1988). Thus, one of the most significant advantages of authentic learning is that course content is not limited to structured periods of moderate discussion of key concepts, it extends the learning process so that more emphasis can be placed on abstractions to fuel higher order understanding of the course and its curriculum. Tools to facilitate authentic learning, the hands-on process, include a merging of technologies (e.g. Internet, CD-ROM learning facilitation and examination, and even audio and visual tools). Some facilitators utilize what are referred to as online communities, which are learning cultures of students and teachers who, through online interactivity, are able to deconstruct the past and observe real-life phenomenon to gain a more in-depth understanding of education and the world around them (Brown, 1999). Learning then becomes a blend of concrete learning, along with social abstractions, cognitive development, and relationship development with in-class coaches and other communities of practice in learning. The experiential dimensions of authentic learning allow the student to acquire knowledge through effective instructor transfer and apply the knowledge and skills learned in a relevant and real-time setting (Brookfield 1990). Authentic learning provides a “direct encounter” with the course content or concept rather than being promoted to merely think about the encounter as is usually provided by traditionalist curriculum (Borzak 1981). The ability to apply direct and interactive participation in what is being taught enhances kinesthetic learning, auditory and visual learning when blended effectively by a competent and well-rounded instructor. One common activity occurring in-class that provide more interactivity and abstraction is role playing, allowing the student to examine emotions, best practices, or social justice concepts in a variety of teacher-generated professional and social scenarios. Learning, in this sense, maintains symbolic connotations that become more relevant and understandable to the student with a new method of being able to process complex or abstract situations. Poorman (2002) identifies that role playing enhances student comprehension and has been known to raise student attentiveness by creating an interesting and thought-provoking curriculum. IDEAS Practical Application for Authentic Learning Having an understanding of the nature of the authentic learning curriculum, the tangible ability for IDEAS to be applied to an authentic learning curriculum depends on the strengths and weaknesses of the model in relation to the real-world Australian educational system. Firstly, the IDEAS framework strongly emphasizes a more decentralized educational facility in which administration is actively involved in curriculum development and teacher support. In Australian schools, it is common for higher power distance to be present between educator and administrative groups, thus IDEAS conceptualization serves to work to break down these power barriers. Hales (1993) recognizes that certain resources needed to provide authentic learning (or even traditional learning) stem from power sources, which in this case is school administration. Power resources refer to audio/visual tools, Internet technologies, scientific experimentation equipment or even generic in-class supplies used in traditional classrooms. In order for the IDEAS Framework to be successful, with its emphasis on relationship support between educator and power sources, educators need more unrestricted access to economic and social capital to facilitate more effective authentic learning processes (Bourdieu, 1990). Power resources are considered as being tools and technologies that one party maintains and the other lacks (Busher and Harris 2003). In difficult economic climates or where the school is maintaining more emphasis on budgeting issues, the ability to procure such resources requires a proverbial meeting of the minds from all stakeholders involved in producing authentic learning classroom content. In the Australian school system, it is generally common for dualist relationships to guide in-school policy formation (e.g. dominance-resistance or powerful-powerless). These dualisms are generally antagonistic in nature (Davies 1996), with less emphasis on distributive justice as often budgets assert that resources should be distributed most effectively across the entire school system (Harris 2003). The notion of resource procurement and more cooperative distribution of resources between dualist relationship actors is one fundamental weakness of the IDEAS framework that does not necessarily take into consideration the political or budgetary systems in Australian school environments. In some schools, highly centralized tiers of authority are not easily broken down quickly as they often are built on long-standing values and principles related to organizational culture. Therefore, for the IDEAS framework to be able to satisfy the most important mandates for establishing an authentic learning environment, cultural negotiations and more decentralized function with educators taking a shared decision-making role must be established. Southworth (2005) recognizes the routine centrality of school leadership in Australia where multiple social variables will impact the type of leadership most paramount to building inter-connectivity between administration and educators. Dorfman, et al. (2004) asserts that acknowledgement of differing cultures is the most beneficial method of being able to homogenize learning and to remove the one-sided view of resource distribution and curriculum development. According to Dorfman, et al. (2004, p.683), “convergence of differing cultural values will by no means be guaranteed or assured” due to the fact that some centralized cultures will continuously strive to preserve their most desired cultural heritage. Removing power distance from those in administrative positions that believe in the sanctity and control of dominance will not, due to inherent beliefs and attitudes, always be cooperative in delegating authority to Australian educators. This is a significant drawback in the IDEAS model, as it is ideological and not necessarily relevant to the complex and dynamic power structures that exist in some Australian schools. Outside of the issues of dualism in educational relationships, the IDEAS Framework also maintains a weakness in practical application to the classroom. The IDEAS model demands a feedback system, applicable in the concepts of actioning and sustaining. Because the model shows a cyclical relationship with learning and development on a continuous curve, some method of feedback from multi-sources must be developed to evaluate effectiveness and ensure comprehension through these innovative, experiential curriculum tactics. Javidan (2004) identifies that some cultures, such as the United States, are very open to feedback about their educational performance when it stems from superiors in the educational organization. However, other cultures, such as in Australia, would find routine feedback and observation of their in-class performance to be ascribing evaluation to a comment on the person rather than their actual job performance (Javidan 2004). The complexities of teacher self-concept and performance management with relation to their task significance are important concepts for ensuring teacher motivation and dedication to the school and the student. Thus, feedback systems would need to be developed with teacher attitudes and inherent personality in mind, along with the professional Australian work culture as it relates to task significance and concepts of self-efficacy, in order for the IDEAS model to be relevant and practical with an emphasis on continuous feedback systems. Despite these weaknesses of the model or somewhat narrow view of the social contexts of creating authentic learning, the IDEAS Framework does maintain strengths that would assist in facilitating an authentic learning curriculum. Consider, first, the research opinion of one educational professional: “In very basic terms, challenge uses mechanisms designed to extend people beyond their existing levels of thought and expertise through exposing them to new, difficult, or ill-defined situations. It aims to induce cognitive conflict through exposing a gap between what people know and what else is possible” (Hoppe 2004, p.341). One of the main conceptions in the IDEAS framework is to create innovation in pedagogical understandings, challenging the instructor to be more abstract and challenging toward the student to build authentic learning. Experiential education involves creating interactive and non-traditional learning processes that are linked not only to content of the course, but also to the social and professional contexts that exist in the real-world. Through these challenges, the teacher is inspired to develop their own leadership characteristics and also improve their own cognition which makes them more effective coaches and learning facilitators. Through the challenge of developing new experiential learning, the teacher herself comes to understand their own emotional intelligence and a better self-concept, opening themselves to an awareness of the self and willingness to extend learning into their own educational practice. Teachers who focus routinely on improving their skills, who become action-oriented, and accept total responsibility for student learning and comprehension are those who establish a better self-concept (Lambert 2003). Thus, the IDEAS model creates the strategic desirability for self-challenge in the pursuit of creating innovation and creates a competent leader rather than manager of education that can provide more effective social learning and remain dedicated to the task by building task significance in the role and promoting educator learning in a variety of contexts. The IDEAS model, by design, promotes better teacher development and thus has strategic implications for reducing turnover, improving teacher motivation, and providing more leadership-induced student outcomes. The authentic learning curriculum mandates that the instructor become a coach to students in order to provide more effective outcomes and comprehension. Robinson (2006) describes scaffolding which provides students higher-order support for task completion where students are allowed to manage their own learning pace, but receive support in facilitation when it is required or requested. Scaffolding and self-management of student learning maintains one advantage: it will provide the instructor with the ability to focus on the traditional aspects of curriculum (algorithmic learning in classical style) whilst students dictate the pace of their learning. The tangible and government-mandated curriculum content that must be delivered cannot be dismissed in the schools in favor of socially-based and professionally-based role playing and other experiential activities, despite their relevance in real-world practice. The IDEAS model suggests actioning, which is relevant to student self-management. By having a more standoffish role in authentic learning, the student is therefore challenged to explore solutions themselves. It is practical for time management for the instructor and also to induce abstract reasoning and problem-solving in students which is required for genuine authentic learning to be successful. Grieves (2010, p.8) strongly emphasizes that change is considered a negotiated order, where “creativity, critical theory and volition” stem from conflict and not through consensus. The IDEAS Framework proposes actioning, which is an alignment of the new inspirational vision for education with tangible school activities and educational delivery. Once the aforementioned barriers between central authority figures in the organization have become decentralized for relationship development, the process of group discussion to determine action based on vision concept ensues. The IDEAS model demands change negotiation occurring between multiple actors in the school district, thus inspiring conflict. With the acknowledgement that more innovation and volition (i.e. decision and desire) is created through conflict in such negotiations, it is likely that the Australian centralized hierarchy of education will inspire such conflict which will ultimately lead to more inspirational, innovative and creative course content by individuals with diverse attitudes, conceptions and principles throughout the entire educational network. Consensus would be most logically attained in countries like the United States in decentralized education, however the IDEAS Framework is most viable in actioning and producing effective negotiated outputs for Australia where dualism is common practice. Thus, again by design, the IDEAS theory will provide a larger basket of potential experiential learning concepts and resource distribution strategies in the Australian environment and thus effective negotiated outputs are the likely result in a system where conflict is not only likely, but highly probable. The Most Viable Leadership Promotion for Authentic Learning Thus far, rather than focusing on tangible learning materials related to student delivery which are likely to differ from one educational organization to another, the realistic barriers and opportunities for using IDEAS modeling were discussed. In order to facilitate an IDEAS conceptualization with tangible authentic learning imperatives, an appropriate leadership model should be adopted to promote this more innovative and creative learning process. Because vision, inspiration, charismatic relationship development, and decentralized organizational function are required, the transformational leadership style is most relevant for establishing authentic learning curriculum. This model has authoritarian figures, in this case educational administration, inspiring creativity (Bass, et al. 2003), and where communication must be facilitated routinely while imparting vision and mission to gain support and break down the barriers that lead to change resistance (Fairholm 2009). The enthusiasm and level of personal engagement that teachers bring into the classroom is a critical factor for effective educational outcomes (MacTavish & Kolb 2005). Transformational leadership demands that leadership in the organization establish support mechanisms and provide much more transparency and visibility in the educational process, providing motivational support and inspiring performance with a human resources focus. Teachers need to be developed for leadership roles, such as coaching, and not just facilitators of curriculum content with emphasis on tangible skills and aptitudes. The IDEAS model, in order to gain a cyclical focus on desired outcomes, cannot be evaluated or improved without teacher development that must come from external sources; in this case administrative leadership. Teachers can also be motivated through an incentives-based leadership style referred to as transactional leadership. This form of leadership establishes rewards based on contingent performance. Desforges and Ling (1998) describe the difficulties of a phenomenon known as constraint theory, where a learner will consciously shut out information they find irrelevant, affecting their social responses based on the congruency of a concept to their own personality style or value systems. When negotiating effective, potential authentic learning strategies or resource distribution, if the outcome of these negotiations does not meet with teacher expectations or fulfill their own perceptions of the viability of the strategy, they will likely tune out this information and thus negatively impact knowledge transfer of the concept to others in the negotiation or practice cycle. In essence, they will become disengaged from listening further. Transactional leadership can create an incentive and motivation to adhere to negotiated outcomes that might not necessarily be 100 percent congruent to instructor beliefs about the viability of the outcome with promise of rewards for fulfilling strategic outcomes in comprehension and student performance. It was mentioned previously that the dynamics of personality and teacher attitudes play a role in establishing an IDEAS model-based methodology in authentic learning. By promoting the teacher through rewards-based goal attainment, it could reduce issues associated with constraint theory and provide more willingness to adapt to negotiated outcomes. Conclusion It has been identified that the IDEAS model, by conception and overall circular design of feedback and continuous learning, has many different strengths and very imperative weaknesses that should be considered before planning and implementing an authentic learning curriculum. Organizational culture, social dynamics within teachers and facilitators, and distributive justice in resource procurement are inherent weaknesses in the real-world environment under IDEAS. Coaching and leadership development within the instructor, the opportunity for better self-concept development and self-recognition in the teacher, and conflict through negotiation were recognized as positive aspects of IDEAS for the experiential, authentic learning curriculum development processes. 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