Fundamentals of Pedagogy - Essay Example

? Fundamentals of Pedagogy Assignment Fundamentals of Pedagogy Assignment Life is an unending chain of experience, and these experiences are either good or bad, but they help people to become more educated, as well as productive in life. Experience is a vital ingredient to succeed in any place. Experience gives people/students a better idea or thought of the objective behind learning as it enhances learning, as well as provides a guide to the person in future events (Mead, 2009). The most significant aim of education is for a student to learn. Another vital goal is to make the freshly acquired knowledge and information helpful and significant to the learner so that it might be retained and applied throughout the learner’s life. A significant factor concerned in meeting these objectives is motivation. If learners are not motivated in one way or another, then it is most expected that little or no learning will occur, or, if, by any chance, some learning occurs, then it is likely that it will not be retained for future use. Educational theories have great influence on educational structure. In order to capitalise on the success of individual and school-wide, classroom teaching programs, teachers and school administrators should consider students needs, as well as their hierarchical order (Mead, 2009). This should be a top priority in the creation of such programs so that learners can have the ability to reach their most prime level of potential. For instance, if a learner/student does not feel comfortable with the class-room environment, his/her classmates, feels hungry, then the student/learner will not be in a capacity to concentrate well on learning. The student will be preoccupied with these agitations. A number of learning theories (social learning, Behaviorism and Jean Piaget among others) can rectify this as they can help a student understand the best way they can learn in order to make education effective to them (Tough, 2003). Learning is one of the most significant actions in which humans partake. It is the central goal of the educational procedure, even though most of what individuals learn happens outside of school. Comprehending any theory needs a clear thought of what the theory is trying to clarify. When a certain word is applied, individuals normally think everyone has a similar understanding of what the word signifies. Sadly, this is not the case always. In trying to comprehend the numerous theories of learning and their effects to education, it is useful to understand that the phrase “learning” means diverse things to diverse people and is applied fairly differently in diverse theories (Tough, 2003). As theories of learning developed over the past half-century, descriptions of learning modified from transformations, which happen in the brain or actions of a person to changes in participation in enduring activities with other people to transform in an individual’s identity in a group (for instance, a change to being a leader from being a follower). Even though, a majority of definitions of learning entail a change in a person’s knowledge, capacity to carry out a skill, or take part in an event with other people, there are significant differences among the theories concerning the nature of this amend (Tough, 2003). This paper will apply two educational theories – social learning and behaviorism – to an educational experience that I have associated with and critically examine how well these two theories account for that experience. Social Learning Mary, a 37 year old Nigerian woman living with HIV/AIDs, was acknowledged by From the Ground Up – a group that is involved in building HIV/AIDs programs to help both those who are affected, as well as infected with the virus – for her outstanding service who elevate people from the illness. Her story mainly reflects the social learning theory (peer education), which I find extremely significant to associate with as HIV/AIDs is a disease that has affected many in our world today. Mary states that her personal experience was what provoked her to commence working in the field of HIV/AIDs and commence her career in peer counseling. She lost her, Ovie to HIV in the year 2000. He was only six months old. Ovie had been sick and was tested for the virus without Mary’s consent (From the Ground Up, n.d). However, the results of the test were disclosed to Mary’s boss who later fired her. The stigma level was extremely high at that time because of a lack of information. Mary says that she found herself in a situation many young individuals living with the virus found themselves in with very little or absolutely no support and no job or a place to live. There was also restricted access to antiretroviral therapy, as well as the drugs, back then in Nigeria (From the Ground Up, n.d). Also, there were many rumors that the ARVs did not work to a lot of people, and to those that it did work for, it left numerous side effects that it was advisable to stay without. Mary started by joining a support group of persons living with HIV/AIDs (AIDS Alliance in Nigeria) and then started to volunteer in the group in 2001. After taking part in a counseling workshop planned by Family Health International, in 2002, Mary became much more concerned about offering peer support and education. She offers peer counseling at a local maternity home and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, where she also received care, as well as treatment. Mary has been an active affiliate of the Treatment Access Movement in Nigeria since 2002, which offers peer counseling to pregnant women who attended the antenatal clinic. In 2003, with support from the CEDPA, Mary started a peer counseling groups for vulnerable children and women. As the supervisor of the project, she met with vulnerable women of diverse cultures. Some of these women were widowed and others assistance of their husbands’ family relatives. These women feared losing sense of their lives due to discrimination or stigma. A lot of them were afraid of disclosing their HIV/AIDs status to their husbands due to fear of being thrown out of their homes, and; therefore, would apply the mother-to-child prevention service. Because of this, their children became affected with HIV and eventually died (From the Ground Up, n.d). Mary argues that her experiences have aided significantly to her development and growth as a peer health counselor and educator, HIV/AIDs advocate and social supporter. She worked for organisations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres from 2004 to 2007 and now world with Columbia University for AIDS Care and Treatment Center as the chief adherence adviser in her home country. As the chief adherence manager, with the technical and financial support from her institution, she has developed and executed adherence counseling, as well as peer education for many institutions sites in Nigeria (From the Ground Up, n.d). She continues to offer comprehensive counseling, adherence, mentoring, technical assistance and supervision to the health groups, which oversee her work; incorporated in this are her continuous mentoring and periodic training of site adherence administrators, who report to her regularly. Her other key tasks comprise of the initiation and overseeing of support groups for children and mothers, as well as the provision of mental support to mothers living with HIV/AIDs through her peer counseling groups. Her job involves indentifying and managing hurdles to the provision of adherence counseling in the systems, which operate at sites and executing a framework that deals with the many problems in order for advisers to solve them on their own. Mary has received Workplace AIDS Best Practice Award for advocating for stigma reduction for HIV/AIDs patients in the workplace. Through Mary’s mighty works, organisations, now, throughout Nigeria, have come to offer peer education understanding the importance of social learning when it comes to dealing with this matter of HIV/AIDs. A majority of organisations in Nigeria have now implemented tough regulations on HIV/AIDs discrimination (From the Ground Up, n.d). I consider learning not only to be a factor that occur in class, but also outside the school setting, and that is why I chose to give Mary’s story. This is one of the exceptional cases where peer educational (social learning) occurs that the world can relate with. Mary stated that her interaction with many HIV/AIDs patients is what showed her state of affairs of the matter and how it affected at-risk groups in Nigeria such as women and children. And, after realising this state of affairs, is when she endeavoured to make life better for people living with HIV/AIDs. Mary’s endeavour incorporates all the elements of peer education such as learning from your peers, your peer’s experience, supportive learning and cultural learning. Mary, through her endeavours, did not only educate herself, but also people who are infected and affected with HIV/AIDs, children, organisations and many people at large who read her story and started such endeavours. It was necessary that these other parties saw what others were going through in order for them to put these harsh regulations on people who mistreats those who are infected with HIV/AIDs. This is the importance of experience that was highlighted in the beginning of this paper. If it was not for Mary’s experience, then none of this would have been created. If it were not for the patients whom Mary’s counseled in their peer counseling meetings, then not many organisations would have seen the significance of the matter. Therefore, social learning is what transpired for the many positive events to take place. Behaviourism Learning Behaviourism learning asserts that be learners form connections or associations between a response and a stimulus (Roger, n.d). The theory also asserts that learning occurs due to changes in behaviours. As stimulus-response cycles are underlined, people are habituated respond. Finally, the theory also affirms that human behaviour and learning is controlled by experience. Theorists believe that observable behaviours or actions are cause learning with regards to this theory. Throughout people’s professional careers, people have tried to practice what they preach in reference to the manner they work with learners. This has concerned the integration of self-directed principles of learning into training, teaching and volunteer work in numerous ways. Two of my primary premises are it is vital to empower learners to take individual responsibility and accountability of their own learning, particularly adults, and instructional actions should be rooted in students’ perceived needs. I acknowledge that there numerous levels of perceived needs varying from felt wants or needs where the highest personal control might be possible to approve or externally mandated needs where little personal control is often possible. Nevertheless, it is my contention that even in circumstances where prescribed learning and education is the final objective, the learning process will be improved if a learner can distinguish equivalent instruction as meeting personal needs or they could, at least, take charge for some aspects their learning. During my experience in medic training, I learnt that people’s actions and beliefs mostly go against our educator’s. It is my observation that a lot of people face challenges in accepting a number of the humanistic, theoretical underpinnings vitals for self-directed learning success. They might even acknowledge various humanistic thoughts, but feel obliged to employ a more directed instructional loom due to traditional or organisational expectations concerning the learning and teaching process. In spite of who is concerned of the theoretical framework being used, the instructions for any college learner usually involves an assessment of learning needs, objectives and subsequent approach or delivery system for meeting the needs. It comprises of activities such as developing learning materials, determining techniques for incorporating learners, designing instructional actions, carrying out some evaluation attempts and facilitating learning actions. From the medic training, it seems that a lot of students, particularly adults, operate mainly from humanistic beliefs and significant attention is provided to make the best out of the value of previous experience. It is my observation that a number of the instructional designers seem to have a hard time accepting humanistic beliefs and rather endorse neobehaviorist and behaviorist paradigms and beliefs rooted mainly in logical positivism, even though cognitive psychology is significantly informing this field. A number of people might accept the humanistic thoughts, but work for firms, which need the endorsement of recruitment approaches that are mainly behaviourist in nature. They normally have well-developed technical skills in implementing instructional design replicas, but a majority of them might not have the sufficient grounds in learning. As theorists have noted before, adult’s conceptions in learning originate largely from foundations of humanism (Patterson, 1973). The grounds of the modern humanist theory can be traced to ideas of scholars such as Confucius, Aristotle and Progagoras. Humanism is mainly related to beliefs concerning autonomy, freedom and notions, through which human beings are able to make vital choices in the limitations imposed by personal history, genetics and environment (Patterson, 1973). Humanist principles stress a significance of specific human needs and the individual. Among the essential presumptions signifying humanism are: (a) human nature is intrinsically good; (b) people are free and independent; therefore, they are able to make significant choices; (c) human potential for development and growth is virtually limitless; (d) self-concept plays a vital and significant role in development and growth; (e) people have pushed for self-realisation; (f) truth is defined differently by different individuals; and finally, (g) humans have a duty to both themselves and others (Patterson, 1973). In behaviourism learning, principles of humanist thinking have serve as a basis for key developments in both education and psychology. Patterson (1973) has asserted that the aim of education is to create self-actualising people. According to Valett (1977), humanistic learning is a lasting process to develop people who will be capable of living happy, humane and significant lives. Precedence of humanistic learning should incorporate the expansion of sensitive abilities, the creation of affective needs, the fullest expression of artistic traits and the development of powers of self-direction, as well as control (Roger, n.d). Vital traits of a humanistic teacher are acceptance or respect, empathic understanding and authenticity or genuineness. However, humanism does not lack its critics. One of the most prominent criticisms, normally originating from fundamentalists on the sacred right, is that humanism goes against to basic beliefs of Christianity and other theological orientations. In essence, humanism does highlight the "here and now" and often is perceived as rejecting the existence of the divine; even if as Merriam and Elias (1980) argued that not all humanists see inappropriateness between asserting autonomy and presence of a God. Conclusion Humanistic, independent learning events are vital components of many university learning activities. Here are some key ideas for those holding on to humanist views about how to support a better understanding: Engage in discourse with those not comprehending or even discharging humanist perceptions through papers, articles, books or even co-authored writing. Model successful instruction, which is grounded in humanistic perceptions. Employ instructional design learners into adult education programs where humanistic perceptions are explained and employed in the instructional procedure. Promote adult education learners with a humanistic orientation to learn about cognitive or behaviourist models of instructional enhancement and to be capable of analyzing and adapting elements from such replicas into their own practices. Explore or determine numerous ways, which instructional design approaches and can theories better explain self-directed learning practices. Support all educators to explain their personal instructional idea, describe their beliefs in reference to a humanist to behaviourist field and determine how such thoughts explain their instructional efforts. References From the Ground Up n.d, Peer education in HIV/AIDS care and treatment programs, retrieved 9th November 2013 from http://ftguonline.org/ftgu-232/index.php/ftgu/article/view/2043/4082 Mead, M 2009, Peer education, Oxford University Press, New York. Merriam, S & Elias, J L 1980, Philosophical foundations of adult education, Krieger, Malabar, FL. Patterson, C H 1973, Humanistic education, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Roger Hiemstra n.d, From behaviorism to humanism: Incorporating self-direction in learning concepts into the instructional design process, retrieved 9th November 2013 from http://www-distance.syr.edu/sdlhuman.html Taras, M 2003, 'To feedback or not to feedback in student self-assessment.' Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education vol. 28, no. 5, pp. 549-565. Tough, A M 2003, The adult's learning projects, Learning Concepts, Austin, Texas. Tyler, R W 2007, Basic principles of curriculum and instruction, University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Valett, R E 1977, Humanistic education: Developing the total person, C.V. Mosby, St. Louis. Read More