All Worthwhile Learning Occurs in Educational Institutions - Essay Example

All worthwhile learning occurs in educational s. Discuss’ Introduction The art of learning is akin to the art of knowing about an entire world, its varied cultures, nation and people apart from the details like geography, history and science that make these who and what they are. According to Lave, “Learning became one focus of our work, even where unintended, partly because of our concern with everyday activity as social and historical process and with the improvisational, future–creating character of mundane practice; partly, also, because those of us whose research has touched on educational questions have come to insist on denaturalising the social processes that unfold within educational institutions by turning them into analytic objects.” (Lave, 1996, p.6). This is where Lave sets the problem of context by building on the basic premise that not all learning needs to be worthwhile. Translated, in this paper, I have has used the premise to show the effects of positive learning in individual so as to come up with a composite model for worthwhile learning within a person’s experiences rather than simply within the educational institutions. This knowledge base takes a person through a variety of life experiences to help him or her practice a profession, meet people and basically, make a life. This paper discusses the fact that the process of worthwhile learning is not limited merely to educational institutions. The paper has been constructed in terms of a discussion of the determinants as outcomes of worthwhile learning outside the educational institutions. From there, it goes into finer details as far as aspects of those determinants in cognitive development are concerned. These aspects have to do with general and other competencies. Before launching into a discussion of the same, I have separated informal and formal learning so as to better understand the basis on which the determinants of worthwhile learning have been taken. This further leads into the spheres in which these determinants function. Definition of ‘worthwhile learning’ What learning is ‘worthwhile learning’? This is decided by the cognitive development of a person in terms of his or her general competencies as demonstrated within and outside the educational institution. It could be argued that any learning that contributes to the overall shaping of a person’s cognitive development for positive interactions within their various spheres of operation are the determinants of what learning is ‘worthwhile learning’. Also, it is decided from his or her social position which affects the criteria of people of what is worthwhile due to the different needs and potentialities that exist in each social class. This fact raises some social issues about the inequality between people to gain access to privileged education (e.g. the notion of ‘elite’ universities) that will not be analysed in this essay. So, the definition of worthwhile learning is a subjective view as according to Johnson: “One person’s useful knowledge was another’s useless ignorance” (see Johnson, 1988, p.23). But how do experiences structure any kind of learning? Usually, it has been believed that the education system begins at home, for example involving the learning of specific sets of values. To begin with, the role of experience and learning from the same in one’s life is one that fulfils the need to belong (Byram and Morgan, 1994). This sense of belonging rises from one’s immediate environment where there is focus on the values that one is born into and more characteristics like culture, region, and terrain. It should, of course, be acknowledged that not all learning in the home will necessarily be helpful as sometimes children can learn behaviours from parents that are not acceptable in wider society like to be racist or sexist. Experience offers people first-hand knowledge of a variety of symbols like judgement calls, decision making process and others, that one comes to associate with a place. This is not always possible when done in theory as it is done in various educational institutions (Durkheim, 2006). Practice is a much needed feature of the learning process so as to complement and contribute to the body of theory that one is formally introduced to within the educational institution. This in turn generates a more enriching quality to one’s experiences so that worthwhile learning may take place. Formal and Informal Means of Learning It would be useful to consider the word “formal”. This word has been used above in the context of generating the difference between theory and practice as it may be seen from a variety of perspectives. Initially, a person’s formal education begins at school, continues at college and higher institutions and usually is recognised in a qualification or a certificate. Yet, there is a strong activity of “informal education” in a person’s life (Byram and Morgan, 1994; OECD, 2007). Informal education begins in a person’s life from the time he or she is born and continues throughout lifespan. Also, it is related to everyday life via work, family and leisure activities, and usually does not lead to certification (OECD, 2007). Formal education through an educational institution sharpens the brain and prepares it to recognise those symbols that will bring a person towards actual worthwhile learning through external experiences. No theory is complete without practice. In fact, any theory that has been propounded without practice is a failure towards imbibing competency of any kind within any individual. This is further justified by Lankshear et al (2002:16), “In efforts to help inform educational theory and practice they (philosophers) have dealt extensively with concepts like knowledge, teaching, learning, thinking, understanding, belief, justification, theory, the disciplines, rationality and the like.” This is the context within which worthwhile learning has tended to have been measured. It also provides a basis on which the informal means of learning may be measures and justified so as to create the necessary basis upon which worthwhile learning can be analysed. Educational institutions create the scope for the application of facts and ideas within which an individual may measure and react to real life eventualities in the most effective manner (Chapman and Aspin, 2001). According to Chapman and Aspin (2001:406), this has been described in the integrated model for lifelong learning as the revitalisation of schools “through the development of: a clearly articulated strategy for change built around a unifying concept a re-conceptualisation of the place and function of schools in the community a preparedness to re-culture the school a readiness to invest in people.” Among all the features, these are the most important which stand out in the context of worthwhile learning and the basic factors that generate an environment for the same. These features are important for a variety of reasons. To begin with, they provide the basis upon which a person cultivates the culture of worthwhile learning within and outside an educational institution. Further, these have been applied within and outside the educational institutions to learn what outcomes can best be termed as worthwhile learning. In this context, there is a need for schools to metamorphosise in context of such needs. This needs to be done with an eye on promoting models that will help students educate themselves through the basic sphere of experience. What is lacking in schools today is the scope that should be given to students to invest time and patience in observing the evironment around them rather than trying to make sense of that very environment through words written in textbooks. There needs to be a departure from this style through a concerted effort towards promoting the scope for creating a connection between the words in textbooks and the environment around a child. This is what will create a value system within which worthwhile learning can be measured and created. This is true of any level of education – whether primary, secondary or even professional. At every level of education, worthwhile learning comes in phases where it is learned through the basic teaching at the educational institutions. These facts are then correlated with the environment within which an individual thrives and grows through an on going process of learning. According to the above argument by Chapman and Aspin regarding “the thought of development”, in knowing and learning a certain skill, there is a certain amount of satisfaction that helps contribute to someone’s sense of identity. The design of an educational system should depend on the practical experiences outside it that make it worthwhile to teach and finally learn a particular thing. This brings into play the actual level of aptitude of the individual and shows what he or she is best suited for in life. (Chapman and Aspin, 2001) This “thought of development” also has certain mental implications as it shows the person’s basic aptitudes, besides bringing him or her face to face with the challenges of implementing the learning that takes place through life’s experiences. In this capacity, it may be said that the thought of development has a definite bearing on the “development of thought”. This makes a person draw from experiences of the past, learn from present experiences and contribute to future experiences, which will shape his or her overall life experiences. Moreover, this provides a certain amount of creative and communicative competency to a person and a sense of confidence with which he or she carries out interpretations of situations and symbols when interacting with people. These interactions are the basis of life’s experiences and give a person the chance to learn about him or her as well as others (Ferdinand de Saussure, 2000). That way, they learn important lessons when it comes to conducting oneself in various spheres of life – whether professional, personal or social. These are three basic spheres within which a person operates. Let us look at these closely in order to understand where worthwhile learning really originates. The Professional Sphere The professional sphere is where a person practices his or her profession or basic occupation in life. This sphere may include someone’s superiors, subordinates, colleagues, business partners, employees, and even external parties like buyers, suppliers, creditors, bankers, share holders and many more. The professional sphere adheres to the environment within which a particular profession is conducted in cooperation with various other people and services. This may include medicine, law, engineering, management, information technology and many others including subsidiary fields (Aspin and Chapman, 2001). A profession includes a body of knowledge, the application of which is essential in order to arrange situations that appear in real life scenarios. Therefore, someone finds that most middle level and higher level vacancies require a certain amount of years spent in “experience” apart from actual academic qualifications (Aspin and Chapman, 2001). This demonstrates the fact that actual learning takes place within the operational sphere of one’s profession. The experts agree that experience along with educational qualifications is preferred over educational qualifications without substantial experience. Although this may not substitute theoretical learning, people with less experience are generally relegated to lower positions in their professions. This can be seen in the words of Aspin and Chapman when they say “the more holistic, seamless and integrated approach to lifelong learning constitutes a significant departure from traditional models of educational provision.” (Aspin and Chapman, 2001; Pp 407). These words demonstrate that worthwhile learning comes from a movement towards merging what is within the educational institutions with what is outside of them in order to creare the cognitive base upon which learning for a more worthwhile goal might take place. These goals are often born within the professional sphere. Goal integration with one’s learning capacity comes from a departure from traditional models of learning which will help a person recognise the scope to learn and gain from outside rather than within. This is a key factor in experience. Therefore, irrespective of the list of degrees people may have, they usually have to start at the bottom of the professional ladder as far as experience is concerned (see Aspin and Chapman, 2001; Hager, 2001). Professional experience helps a person translate theory into practice through the act of learning something new with each new scenario in the work place. Thus, these experiences serve the purpose of reference points in the future from which a professional can draw in order to mould theoretical learning in accordance with the situation at hand. Experiences, therefore, shape the perception and actual use of theories that are taught within educational institutions. This opens the professional’s mind to a whole new world of practice based theory which in simpler terms translates to worthwhile learning beyond the educational institutions. The Social Sphere The social sphere is one of the many levels at which learning takes place. Learning is an on going process that is garnered through interactions between people, cultures and regions at various levels. The social sphere is one where there is an exchange of ideas and recognition of personal values as well as flaws and plus points (Byram and Morgan, 1994). In this regard, it is necessary to shift focus to the process of worthwhile learning in the social sphere and acquiring communicative competencies. In the social sphere, this process is important in every individual’s life as the knowledge comes only after learning. The very process of learning is a journey throughout which an individual is brought face to face with experiences. These experiences form his or her general perspective on things. In this way, there is a certain level of competence which in turn, springs from the areas and experiences that a person finds comfortable to deal with. Learning within the social sphere is a crucial part of describing how theory shapes a person’s experiences (Aspin and Chapman, 2001; Pp 406 – 408) These theories as discussed above in terms of experiences appear in a person’s competence to communicate with others through ideas, notions and influencing factors regarding his or her culture. Here, it is imperative to point out that learning in the social sphere is a matter of imparting and exchanging worthwhile ideas, and notions so as to contribute to and enrich an individual’s basic sense of identity and personality. . Through these three basic functions, an individual creates communicative competency which furthers the cause of worthwhile learning. Experiences in the social sphere teach a person how to exchange ideas and this can lead to a powerful knowledge base that can also be built up outside the educational system. In this sphere as well as in the professional sphere a person learns how to communicate and influence people. This is an important part of learning as it imbibes a person with the attitude to take on challenges. (Durkheim 2006; Pp 76 – 87) Learning worthwhile things in the social sphere can take place on the basis of the communicative approach – i.e., through reading, listening and repeating exercises that will improve the relationship between teacher and student and thus will help to correct any deviations. A vital element of this approach or model is communicative competency which is the goal that a learner strives to achieve when trying to imbibe, consciously or subconsciously, certain qualities into his or her basic personality through factors like awareness or even simple observation. This in turn causes the growth of a wide knowledge base upon which social skills are acquired and practices are led to perfection in terms of communicative competency. The Personal Sphere Whereas in the social sphere, it is easier to learn in a more collective way, in the personal sphere depends on private observations and interpretations for learning. This is where the theory regarding “thought of development” comes in. The personal sphere is where someone exercises his or her right over a certain domain. Yet, gaining this right is not an easy task. It is important for a person to learn about the personal value and judgement systems that surround him or her in the form of family and friends so as to handle them appropriately in terms of various situations. The competence that an individual demonstrates in terms of dealing with situations and people, and exercising his or her right over a particular domain constitutes the worthwhile learning process in the personal sphere (Aspin and Chapman, 2001). The personal and the social sphere have some differences owing to the fact that the decision making that takes place at the personal level affect the social and professional sphere in a variety of ways. The social and professional spheres are more composite spheres made up of interactions, while the personal sphere is a more observation based sphere where one on one interactions between long term relationships cater to learning. The personal sphere derives its sense of communication at two levels: Verbal Communication Non Verbal Communication (Illich, 1973). Verbal communication is that level where people use sounds and words to get across to each other. This again has two levels of functions. The first level is where both people who are involved know each other well and for a long time. In this case, verbal communication is effortless and actually minimal. Here, it is imperative to mention another scenario. When two people who know each other well are interacting with a group of people or within a crowd, they tend to use more verbal communication when speaking of one another. Yet, there is less verbal and more of non verbal communication in the same scenario when the two people in question are communicating each other within a group. This helps the other person in the relationship; see the person in question in light of various ideas, characteristics and other such kind of factors that are prevalent in group communications. This leads to various kinds of judgements on the basis of such worthwhile learning through shared experiences. (Durkheim 2006; Pp 76 – 87) The second level of verbal communication takes place in instances where people are just getting to know each other in terms of forming new friendships or entering into new relationships. Here, the communication is more or less verbal as there is a lot of talking to do for the two people, or the group of people to get to know one another. This is in the early stages of any relationship where someone needs to hear it from a credible source, namely from someone who he or she trusts, before forming an opinion and going forward with the new relationship. It gives an individual an insight into his or her own preferences in terms of beliefs, values and characteristics desired in friends or spouses (Illich, 1973). The power of learning through personal experiences and being able to communicate with someone at that level through those experiences plays a large role in the cognitive development of a person as well as his or her relationships. Through the medium of the personal sphere a person learns how to get to know someone better and to bring him or her into the personal realm of non verbal communication. This is an important aspect of worthwhile learning that takes place outside an educational system as it helps a person tackle various situations in the professional and the social sphere as well (Burke, 2002). This in turn, helps the person develop in terms of trusting the teacher and sharing with the family. The ways and means of teaching or learning something worthwhile within the personal sphere can be formal or informal depending on the person’s stage in life. This has a strong bearing on what a person makes of a certain scenario and applied the same to his or her professional and social sphere as and when the need arises. Consequently, it helps him or her strengthen personal beliefs when proven right and gives an insight into how change can be caused when proven wrong (Burke, 2002). Elements of Worthwhile Learning outside the Educational Institutions: Byram and Morgan (1994) have argued that the outcomes of worthwhile learning outside an educational institution or system are as follows: Experience Identity Exposure Aptitude Knowledge and Skills Communication Patterns Cultural Affiliation (Byram and Morgan, 1994). The parameters with which someone judges life scenarios gives rise to value judgments as far as the application of various theories that have been learnt within the educational institutions, is concerned (Ferdinand de Saussure, 2000). These parameters that will be analyzed are the following: The general competencies for worthwhile learning in the case of various individuals consist in particular of their knowledge, skills and existential competence as well as their ability to learn. These factors operate at various levels according to the ability to grasp and apply theories into real life situations. This in turn, creates a relevant context for literacy which proceeds from the communities where the flow of the same happens at various stages of learning. The learning thus becomes worthwhile, once the theory has been successfully applied to experience, or when a new theory has been learnt or formulated through a negative experience (Crook, 2002). These competencies help a person listen and understand what is happening around him or her. Based on what the person hears, there is a certain sense of judgment regarding certain feelings and sentiments shaping up in the mind. These judgments go on to shape a person’s relationships and experiences from the same within the professional, personal and social sphere as explained above (Ferdinand de Saussure, 2000). These shapes in the form of feelings and sentiments are used as benchmarks that are subsequently used to show what a person has an aptitude for. In this sense, the general competency level is the most basic form in which worthwhile learning structures a person’s experiences and development, and comes from the same too (Freire, 1972). Knowledge could be defined as knowledge that follows experience to take the form of empirical knowledge. As far as the level of reception on a student’s part goes, someone needs to search deeper and ask questions regarding his or her multilevel background knowledge, perspectives, and various skills or skill sets. This is where the role of worthwhile learning in the sphere of actual experiences comes into play. The various spheres in which an individual operates bring in a variety of reactions to what is being taught in terms of reception. This accommodates the aim of effective management of decisions and production within teams, with strong communication approach orientations. This sets the stage for an appeal created by a certain teaching in context of the values and experiences that one has been exposed to in the professional, personal and social sphere ( Crook, 2002). Through shared experiences in these spheres, the teacher identifies those factors that influence how a student receives or understands a certain teaching. This creates scope for correction and building a model where through shared experiences from outside the educational institution, the student and teacher can help each other. This also gives an impetus to other students to help each other learn and thus forges new relationships where they may indulge in worthwhile learning through shared experiences . Considering the fact that knowledge comes from shared experiences, factors like shared values and beliefs held by social groups in other countries and regions, are essential to intercultural communication where students are made to interact on the basis of topics like native place, so as to promote a certain comfort level in taking to a certain teaching, whether skills or languages, naturally (Fuhrer, 1996). While the learning methodology may be culture-specific to a certain extent, they relate to various universal parameters and constants from more neutral experiences that shape the impetus to relate and learn thereafter. Owing to the fact that knowledge is conditioned by the nature, in context of richness and structure which helps in picking up another skill or language, social competency is a result of a good working relationship between knowledge and communicative competence (Ferdinand de Saussure, 2000). The existence of knowledge is important to any field of study. By acquiring knowledge, a person starts to respond to certain sounds, words and finally an entire skill set or subject. This in turn, helps him or her form an opinion about certain things. These things define a person’s experiences in general. The knowledge at this level may be very culture specific but it has strong implications in the sense that there is a certain benchmark by which he or she measures future interactions and experiences that take place outside this knowledge base or cultural base in order to acquire worthwhile learning through application of the teaching outside the educational institutions ( Crook, 2002). Skills and know-how relates to the ability to carry out procedures than on knowledge, through various forms of existential competence which facilitate knowledge recall even at a relaxed level. This largely depends on repetition and experience for the acquisition of certain facts. This is a method for creating intrinsic motivation in the affective filter hypothesis where recall of information depends on the processing of the same. Therefore, it has been believed that cognitive development is a matter of this synthesis that helps a person create worthwhile learning experiences through the teachings that take place within an educational institution. This is in turn, dominated by the motivation, which has to come through communication. In this regard, the learning of a new subject is facilitated especially where the use of shared experiences for a communicative approach is concerned. This is owing to the fact that the hypothesis facilitates the exercise of drawing parallels with certain aspects of the teachings for learning through the exposure of the learner to some amount of illustrative material in the learning process (Fuhrer, 1996). Through the existence of various subjects, a person learns certain basic skills and first hand knowledge about how certain things works. This in turn, helps build confidence within the person when he or she is in a circumstance where these skills are needed. The medium of worthwhile learning through external experiences is a strong one, especially for the listener, who grows to know and implement certain skills. Along with the subject and its basic theories, these skills and application of the same become second nature (Freire, 1972). Existential competence could be defined as the summation of a variety of individual characteristics, personality traits and attitudes. These characteristics, creates a willingness to engage with other people in social interaction in order to attain a certain level of self identity. This type of competence goes beyond personality characteristics to include culture related interface, which can be sensitive in nature as far as inter cultural perceptions and relations are concerned ( Crook, 2002). The perceptions about personality are an important part of worthwhile learning outside the educational institution (Fuhrer, 1996). This aspect helps people relate with each other depending on the words that are associated with traits and people who had previously had these traits. This helps a student identify the basic elements of the subject or theory which he or she has been exposed through within the educational institution, through the shared knowledge of the culture attached with it. The words then become symbols that speak of past and present experiences. These symbols in turn, come to have a bearing on reactions to future experiences. This is a part and parcel of the existential competence that someone acquires through the worthwhile learning outside an educational institution. This helps people relate with the realities surrounding them as they implement the theories in real life scenarios (Fuhrer, 1996). Existential competence comes from variations in the scope a student identifies when learning a new knowledge base or subject – especially when he or she is ready to take the risk of cultural misunderstanding to gain further insight into communicative competency in real life experiences where he or she applies the newly learnt theories. (Furher, 1996) This relates to the affective filter hypothesis due to the fact that the learner has reached a stage where such variations are considered as learning curves in concepts like ‘learning styles’ or ‘learner profiles’. This also creates the scope to study and understand someone’s pedagogical factors that come into play when learning something new – whether in the classroom, or outside it (Freire, 1972). This level of cultural misunderstanding helps develop the range of experiences. Further, with the use of specific theories in practical situations, the learner is able to grasp the essence of these experiences. These are stored for future use. In this way, the existential competency becomes a matter of survival as the student tries out various situations at the risk of cultural misunderstanding when trying to interact with people. Thus, communicative competency in real life situations and experiences becomes a benchmark upon which he or she operates in an effort to find commonalities that might foster friendships, define one’s identity and learn something about the other person’s identity and finally, shape experiences (Fuhrer, 1996). Ability to learn: through a mobilization of existential competence as well as knowledge and skills, the ability to learn is conceived as a tool of creating awareness in terms of practical use of the theories in experiences outside the educational institutions so as to acquire worthwhile learning. This leads to a process of discovery which in turn sharpens the ability to learn drawn on various types of competence to accommodate another skill set, theory, language, culture or even a new field of study (Crook, 2002). This final point is probably the most important one. The fact that a person knows at least one theory well is enough to ensure that there are a lot of things that he or she has the aptitude to learn and practice in terms of worthwhile learning through real situations and experiences. This is a fundamental step that shapes someone’s preferences in life and shows to the person what he or she has an affinity for. The ability to learn something from someone’s environment through the application of a theory is the ability to affiliate with a skill set and implements the same in someone’s own experiences (Fuhrer, 1996). Conclusion In conclusion, the knowledge of various theories through formal education is important in shaping someone’s overall experiences in the sense that with security in a sense of identity, someone can go on to achieve a lot of things in life. This sense of achievement does not come in isolation. It is important for a person to interact with the people in his or her immediate environment – whether it is at work, home, school or play. This will lead to the sharing of knowledge and acquiring new knowledge. Through the power of applying theory to real life situations, and real experiences to theories taught within the educational institution, a person has a strong medium of expression. This broadens a person’s overall exposure and opens a lot of doors into the future (see Fuhrer, 1996). With the use of such worthwhile learning through someone’s experiences, it is possible for a person to craft a system in his or her life, with a certain discipline that helps him or her grow. This forms the story of someone’s overall development and contributes to someone’s sense of growth and achievement. The existence of such experiences through which a person has learned something also reduces barriers between people and helps them learn new things about each other every single day. Every experience teaches a person something. Therefore, it can be asserted that the structuring of someone’s experiences takes place on the basis of the basic premise that all worthwhile learning does not merely take place within an educational institution. References Aspin, D. and Chapman, J. (2001), Towards a Philosophy of Lifelong Learning, in: Aspin, D., Chapman, J., Hatton, M. and Sawano, Y. 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OECD (2007), Qualifications Systems: Bridges to Lifelong Learning, Paris: OECD. Read More