Theories Of Personal Learning

Observer 2’s report – Rengasamy Darseni

Description of personal lens (personal theory of learning)

I believe every theory offers a perception of learning, illustrating specific dimension. Each dimension is relevant to various stages of learning. Thus, my personal theory of learning takes an eclectic approach, with emphasis on elements that I feel relevant to my practice. I consider the following definition of Alexander et.al. (2009) conveys my view of learning closely:

Learning is a multidimensional process that results in a relatively enduring change in a person or persons, and consequently how that person or persons will perceive the world and reciprocally respond to its affordances physically, psychologically, and socially. (p. 186)

To

It suggests conceptual knowledge is similar to using tools which needs the understanding of the context where it is being used. The notion encourages that learning should be presented through realistic situations where problems are complex in nature like practitioners have in their field. As such, it allows learners to develop their understanding in an authentic setting, through social interaction with appropriate scaffolding. Thus, the significant element of situated cognition is providing authentic problem-based tasks, which is often collaborative in

Brown et.al. (1989) defines ‘learning is a process of enculturation’ (p. 33) where end results are secondary. Another salient element that aligns with the theory is the significance of interactions. As mentioned above, situated cognition employs some form of social interaction like collaborative learning. It also encourages the cognitive apprentice approach where reflective practices of learner (learner-self interaction) and the interaction between the learner and the facilitator are crucial, similar to my personal lens. The function of context is another aspect of my personal lens aligns with the established theory where contextual learning is the key. Using authentic contextual experiences that are decided by learners drive the learning experiences in my kind of classroom. Finally, with regards to the role of facilitators, both views support that educators should provide guidance from reliance to gradually move to independent