A New Paradigm for Undergraduate Education
| The Instruction Paradigm—Mission and Purposes |
The Learning Paradigm—Mission and Purposes |
- Provide/deliver instruction
- Transfer knowledge from faculty to students
- Offer courses and programs
- Improve the quality of instruction
- Achieve access for diverse students
|
- Produce learning
- Elicit student discovery and construction of knowledge
- Create powerful learning environments
- Improve the quality of learning
- Achieve success for diverse students
|
The Instruction Paradigm—
Teaching/Learning Structures |
The Learning Paradigm—
Teaching/Learning Structures |
- Atomistic; parts prior to whole
- Time held constant, learning varies
- 50 minute lecture, 3-unit course
- Classes start/end at same time
- One teacher, one classroom
- Independent disciplines, departments
- Covering material
- End-of-course assessment
- Grading within classes by instructors
- Private assessment
- Degree equals accumulated credit hours
|
- Holistic; whole prior to parts
- Learning held constant, time varies
- Learning environments
- Environment ready when student is
- Whatever learning experience works
- Cross discipline/department collaboration
- Specific learning results
- Pre/during/post assessments
- External evaluations of learning
- Public assessment
- Degree equals demonstrated knowledge and skills
|
| The Instruction Paradigm—Learning Theory |
The Learning Paradigm—Learning Theory |
- Knowledge exists “out there”
- Knowledge comes in “chunks” and “bits” delivered
by instructors
- Learning is cumulative and linear
- Fits the storehouse of knowledge metaphor
- Learning is teacher centered and controlled
- “Live” teacher, “live” students required
- The classroom and learning are competitive and individualistic
- Talent and ability are rare
|
- Knowledge exists in each person’s mind and is shaped by individual
experiences
- Knowledge is constructed, created, and “gotten”
- Learning is a nesting and interacting of frameworks
- Fits learning how to ride a bicycle metaphor
- Learning is student centered and controlled
- “Active” learner is required, but not “live”
teacher
- Learning environments and learning are cooperative, collaborative,
and supportive
- Talent and ability are abundant
|
| The Instruction Paradigm—Nature of Roles |
The Learning Paradigm— Nature of Roles |
- Faculty are primarily lecturers
- Faculty and students act independently and in isolation
- Teachers classify and sort students
- Staff serve/support faculty and the process of instruction
- Any expert can teach
- Line governance; independent actors
|
- Faculty are primarily designers of learning methods and environments
- Faculty and students work in teams with each other and other staff
- Teachers develop every student’s competencies and talents
- All staff are educators who produce student learning and success
- Empowering learning is challenging and complex
- Shared governance; teamwork
|
(Excerpts from Teaching to Learning—A New
Paradigm for Undergraduate Education
by Robert B. Barr & John Tagg. Change, November/December 1995, pp. 13-25.)
