Different Methodologies of Learning and Their Relationship with the Process of Conceptualisation of Learning - Assignment Example

?Article Critic The paper written by Hodkinson and Macleod focuses on different methodologies of learning and their relationship with the process of conceptualisation of learning. The paper defines learning in various ways, and defines and explains various methodologies that are being used and that can possibly be used to make the learning process easier and more popular. The authors have focused on several case studies and researches containing different aspects of learning processes and associated methodologies. Here a critical analysis of this paper concerning to different aspects is discussed. Task A: The authors have found that the aspects considered for the learning procedures of examining the practices differ among researchers. These practices are related to different situations under which learning takes place. They have two common practices: one is the cultural and historical activity systems, which is consisted with the work of Engestrom (2001), and the other is the communities of practices, which is consisted with the works of Lave and Wenger (1991) and Wenger (1998). Their study has supported the rational property of learning. But it has also noted that this rationality is variable in nature. The authors have not seen learning as a separate process; rather, it is interconnected with other concepts and processes. And learning is just the integrating part of the entire social processes of the world. This was the same view pointed out by Lave and Wenger. The basic reason for this finding was pointed out by the authors as the fact that people’s participating practices or activities are the main focus of such accounts. In this context they have argued that learning is embodied. It is viewed that being engaged in practices and learning people always get more benefits, compared to any cognitive activity. Their study is about people physically doing things and emotionally reacting to things. In this context, the major focus has been on the concept, called informal learning. This concept is also related to the observation of the property of most participatory studies to be placed outside educational institutions (Hodkinson and Macleod, 2007). Their study has found that it is foremost important to implement participatory learning approaches in colleges, although it cannot be claimed as the second best, compared to the style and pattern of everyday learning. The authors have argued that it is possible to implement both the approaches of learning at the same time and at the same place. In this way they have suggested to overcome the problems of integrating people into theories of learning, that focus on the situations under which learning is taking place (Hodkinson and Macleod, 2007, pp.173-174) But their main focus was on the methodological problems. In this regard, their study has shown that the benefits acquired from the participatory learning generally marginalise the individual learning. The paper also pointed out the similarity between the two types of conceptualisation of learning: one is the research approach based, non-case studies, also called the ethnographic approach, and the other is the participatory approach. Some of the implications of this similarity have also been discussed in the paper (Hodkinson and Macleod, 2007, p.174). They have argued that the individual researches have the advantage of revealing the facts related to both formal and informal learning, whereas it is very difficult to understand both the approaches in case of the participatory learning procedure. This is the most important strength of the research based approaches. Another important fact regarding this approach relates to the observation that ethnographies give less reliable conclusions compared to the learning processes, as ethnographies concentrate only on short time frames, whereas learning approaches focused on long time spans covering the entire life’s experiences (Hodkinson and Macleod, 2007, pp.174-175). According to authors, constructivist literature explains learning as a cognitive structure. In this context, life history can be seen as a better concept of gathering knowledge compared to the learning processes, as practical, physical and emotional aspects are often ignored in those processes. They have also argued that learning as embodied construction and learning as taking place via participation in cultural learning are both agreeable with each other. This argument needs further research for its validity checking (Hodkinson and Macleod, 2007, p.175). There are various strong points that are mentioned by the authors in the paper. With several sample studies and several interviews of students and teachers, the researchers have found relatively better results. Various aspects that are considered in the study also covered the wide range of activities that are consistent with the appropriate findings. The study has focused on case studies and, according to Flybjerg (2001), this is the best way of studying relational complexity. The argument of the paper that the participatory learning should be applied in colleges is a good point of view, especially in regard to recent developments of applications of theoretical studies. This concept helps to study in various diversified ways. Again, learning through internet has been mentioned as a good process. This is really a good alternative process that is being applied by various colleges and universities across the world (Hodkinson and Macleod, 2007, pp.176-177). A few weaknesses are also present in their arguments. The main weakness is that individual processes of learning do not help the person to gather varying ideas and opinions, which are possible under the ethnographic methods. Again, this limitation in the new ideas makes the person more concerned about the form of problem that he will be facing in the future related to this issue under consideration and their all possible solutions. And the main problem associated with the participatory learning is that there are various solutions or concepts that evolve within the time of discussion. These cannot be applied at the same time. Hence, ambiguity occurs regarding which of the solutions is to be applied first. This makes the problem of choice of solution. Sometimes individual preferences are ignored in participatory methods, which create larger problems for an individual. The security issue is also there with the community learning processes. For example, in case of the internet studies, collecting and studying the materials from different unauthorized websites or journals creates incomplete and improper knowledge. This is in particular very harmful for the society. These are verified from the recent incidents at schools and colleges (Hodkinson and Macleod, 2007, pp. 176-180). Another important element of learning and teaching is the uses of learning tools. The meaning of tools goes beyond the physical meaning and includes the psychological meaning as well. In broad sense it can be said that the tools help us to engage in certain activities in certain specified ways. To understand the proper meaning of tools we need to judge the proper and appropriate usages of different tools. This understanding regarding the meaning and uses of tools will help us to use those tools in proper ways. So there is a two way relationship between the understanding of tolls and their various uses (Studyguide, n.d., p. 1). There are some processes which are associated with the learning by common-sense processes. This involves those processes which are learnt by the people or the students through their common-senses. For instance, the case of distinguishing between the boys and girls or between wage labour and non-wage labour are understood by the students by observing the common-sense activities and social activities. In this context the purpose of effective education has been set as the process to train the rational, non-emotional mind and to help the mind and body to become enable of thinking proper human reasoning (Studyguide, n.d., p. 2). Task B: The concept of paradigm differences relates to make a choice among different methods which are to be applied in the research. In the context of the paper this relates to the fact that there are various methods which can be applied to the learning processes and one needs to choose one particular process from them (Hoshmand, 1994, pp.81-83). According to the authors, both participatory and individual learning processes have some advantages and disadvantages. There are several strengths and weaknesses. Hence, it is very difficult to choose between them. In case of the comparison of studying ethnographies and life histories, the concept of paradigm differences has widely been used. There are various aspects of studying life histories that give proper conceptualisations of learning and knowledge, which are not present in the case of ethnographies. Again, the time dimensional differences are also visible for these two approaches. These are the differences in paradigms. Again, paradigm differences are also mentioned in the case of making a choice in the presence of differences with which people want to learn and the ways they learn them. According to the authors, people make their own decisions regarding what to learn and how to learn. And this choice is made depending largely on real life experiences. In this context, the process of studying life experiences is satisfying. Hence, there occurs a paradigm shift from the cognitive approach of learning to the study of life histories. In regard to making a choice between ethnographies and life histories, both the authors have argued that these two are complementary and can or should be applied together. This has been another example of the use of paradigm differences. And the solution to the choice problem has been mentioned by the property of complementarity (Hodkinson and Macleod, 2007, pp.179-180). In this regard it is worth mentioning that the evolution of processes of learning has caused many researches to be criticised. For instance, researches conducted in the early 1980s, were criticised on the ground that those researches were inconclusive and inadequate to provide suggestions “about how teachers should proceed in the classroom”. Some critics provided explanations for this failure. They have argued that it is not possible to observe actual human behavior applying scientific methods. Some other groups of critics have argued that those researchers did not include the interpretations of teachers and students. They have ignored all those unobservable factors, such as occurrence of a phenomenon in the same way in different places at different times. They have also ignored all those behavioral aspects of human life, classrooms etc. which are very likely to affect learning processes. According to another group of critics, the failure has occurred because those researches were aimed at “efficiency, rationality, and objectivity” that caused those researchers to “latent political commitments in research questions and designs”. As effects, these researches have produced only reports on ethnographic studies having no statistical analyses or correlation coefficients. Hence, learning processes became more complex and inconclusive. So, the need for new research emerges. More concerns were given to the actual and observable behaviors of teachers and students, rather than by relying on theories and techniques. Therefore, a massive paradigm shift has occurred in regard to conducting researches on learning processes. This paradigm shift also caused changes in the paradigm of learning processes (Gage, 2007, pp.151-164). In this context, in view of the methodological paradigms (which deal with different competing paradigms in educational research), ontological and epistemological theories (the first one deals with the question of existence or reality of different theories, and the second one relates theories with the questions related to knowledge), it can be said that, although life experiences suggest for engaging in “war(s)”, a rapid and gradual paradigm shift can change it to “coalition” at first, and then to “peace” (Hammersley, 2007). Many researchers, including Lave, have argued that learning theories have been dominated by the epistemological perspectives of learning. These researchers have viewed epistemological learning as movements into theoretical knowledge which can only be acquired in specialized institutions. Lave has argued that whatever we learn in our everyday life is not the knowledge, but to be knowledge it has to have high cultural value. This point clears the fact that the gathering epistemological knowledge, by understanding experiences of the world and nature, is one of the equally valid processes of deriving knowledge (Studyguide, n.d., pp. 5-6). In contrast the scientific theories and knowledges are gathered in relation to the process of knowing the causes and effects of natural activities and hence solving the natural problems with the help of scientific tools and techniques. This has been one of the most important learning paradigms. This paradigm has been the most dynamic and influential concept in modern times. In this regard positivism which is a research paradigm related with scientific theories has been introduced and has marked significant contributions in the learning processes in modern times (Studyguide, n.d., p. 7). Task C: Regarding to the context and concern of this critical analysis a good research question can be related to the study of judging, whether the process of participatory learning is good or bad for the society. This question is very much relevant in the sense that this process has been applied by several educationists all over the world and throughout the history. There are various good points in favor of the theory and its conceptualisation, which are mentioned in Task A as the strengths of the paper. Due to these virtues, this topic is very much relevant. With respect to the paradigm and the related issues under consideration, it can be said that the justification of this topic is related to historical processes of learning. Histories have suggested that the process of participatory learning is very much helpful in regard to spreading diversified knowledge across individuals, communities and nations. This process also helps to gather variety of knowledges at the same time of discussion. Educational institutions all over the world are widely using this process. In modern world this is sometimes referred to as “group discussions”. These gain more importance than the personal evaluations of knowledge do. The ability to talk and express views in front of others is getting more importance compared to having an individualistic evaluation. The paradigm differences are relevant in this context because there can be different methodologies with regard to the processes of applying participatory learning in educational institutions, such as including this into the syllabus, including this as option of study materials, organising debates and group discussions etc. These methodologies may have different consequences and implications which are to be studied. Hence, different paradigms as well as paradigm differences and shifts are needed to be included and discussed. In this context, one more important aspect would be how these methodologies will differ from those applied in the past. That is, evolutions of these methodologies are also needed to be discussed and duly examined (Hodkinson and Macleod, 2007, pp.173-189). Finally, the value of appreciation of these methodologies will also be evaluated. References: 1. Gage, N. 1989, The Paradigm Wars and Their Aftermaths: A ‘Historical’ Sketch of Research On Teaching Since 1989, Chapter 11, In Hammersley, M. Educational research and evidence-based practice, UK: Sage 2. Hammersley, M. 2007, Methodological Paradigms in Educational Research, TLRP, available at: http://www.bera.ac.uk/methodological-paradigms-in-educational-research/ (accessed December, 20, 2011) 3. Hodkinson, P. and Macleod, F. 2010, Contrasting concepts of learning and contrasting research methodologies: affinities and bias, British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 173–89 4. Hoshmand, L. T. 1994, Orientation to inquiry in a reflective professional psychology, New York: SUNY Read More