More innovation in learning

Glasser’s research conducted way back in the 80’s already conclusively illustrates that we as humans learn in the following ways: People tend to remember:

• 10% of what we read
• 20% of what we hear
• 30% of what we see
• 50% of what we see and hear
• 70% of what we discuss
• 80% of what we experience
• 95% of what we teach others.

The question faced by any academic institution is how we maximise the student’s opportunities to learn. This question is even more challenging for a distance learning institution like the Academy.

We have already created opportunities for students to see and read the study material, interact with other students and lecturers for workshops to discuss it, as well as work-based learning (WBL) which provides a practical doing, learning experience. What else can be done to enhance the student’s opportunities to learn? 

While it may be a rather basic element of learning, we have now also started to introduce audio of learning material. While audio has been around for some time it is unfortunately rather expensive to produce and we wanted to avoid the scenario of charging students to obtain audio. The Academy has decided to rol-lout to all students at no extra cost. They will be able to use this effectively while traveling to work by simply opt to listen to their lecture material rather than music. 

Looking at the spectrum of our offering to students, we felt that the top three ways in which humans learn, still offered further learning opportunities for our students.

Transformation of learning has long held that we need a shift from passive to active approaches to learning; that is the shift from teaching to facilitating, by way of student participation and understanding the holistic experience of learning. During a recent conference we encountered Prof. Mark Schofield of Edge Hill University in the UK who stated:

 “If students are to acquire the full range of skills required in a modern society and economy they need to be engaged with experiences that allow them to develop these, rehearse them and hone them. This is best achieved through authentic classroom tasks and active learning, by online interaction between people and with information, through work-related and work-based learning and via extracurricular activities.” Schofield, however placed particular emphasis on assessment which he calls “Assessment for learning (A4L)”. In essence he agitates for students to become part of assessment so as to enhance their learning.

The Academy saw an immediate opportunity in A4L, an approach which has already been pioneered abroad. It provides an ideal opportunity for accessing the top three ways we learn as people. Starting in the second semester of this year, the Academy’s students will therefore be directly involved in the marking of assessment – tests, assignments, etc. We believe this to be an excellent innovation as it will touch all three of the top ways in which we learn. Students will learn a great deal from participating in assessments and this will further enhance the great learning experience already offered by the Academy. 

For more information on the Academy and its programmes see www.a4fm.ac.za