This article will go into what products and formats support learning. The information is meant for producers of learning experiences, as well as students looking to evaluate and improve their learning.
The foundation of learning is the learning cycle, and the products made to support learning follow this cycle, including consumption, creation, and reflection.
Consumption
- Books
- Articles
- Lectures
- Diagrams
- Demonstrations
- Tutorial
Information and demonstration form the foundation of this step of learning. We gain information primarily through books, articles, and lectures. Ideally, these mediums are easily digestible, highlighting key points, and include pictures and diagrams for clarity and interest. Books are usually simply a series of long articles, and lectures are done with audio and slides.
Demonstrations actually show the performance of a task or an in-depth look at something in a more valid context. Tutorials include detailed instructions, but a demonstration can be as simple as seeing someone perform a task that you also want to do.
Creation
- Assignments
- Workbooks
- Homework
- Practice
- Activities
- Tests
Creation involves being inventive and original: to think and then produce things. It isn’t limited to art: anytime we engage in critical thinking and problem-solving or overcome challenges, we are being creative. Creation involves performing a task in a valid environment. What this looks like depends on what you are doing: piano practice, gardening, drawing, writing, giving a speech, etc. A valid environment simply means to perform the task in conditions similar to where you will do the task after you learn.
Sometimes this step is considered secondary to knowing information, but it should be the primary focus of our learning experiences. Just knowing something isn’t as valid as having the experience of doing things and applying our knowledge. Creation tasks make up the most important part of our learning.
Reflection
- Critique, Advice, Feedback
- Communities, Discussion
- Sharing
- Self-reflection
- Note-taking
- Q&A’s
- Coaching
- Quizzes
Reflection allows us to know how we did and to make improvements. Reflection occurs in two ways: self-reflection and social learning. Self-reflection is generally more internal but can be encouraged by encouraging reflection in some assignments.
Social learning involves the opportunity to discuss the work we do with others. In its most simple form, we get answers to our questions. But more ideally, we get good advice, critique, or feedback, This can occur from our peers, or ideally from experts who can clearly see where we can improve. There is also value to sharing our own work, and seeing the work of others: it allows further reflection and inspiration.
Job Aides
- Checklists
- Reminders
- Summaries
- Rubrics
Job aides are succinct reminders of what needs to be done. They don’t provide the full information needed for tasks, rather they work to make it easier to do a task after you have some foundational knowledge. Providing job aides makes the performance of a task more successful. The simplest form is a checklist. They can also include rubrics that provide a checklist and rating for the work to do. Quick summaries allow for referral to the material during a task, and reminders ensure the timely completion and key points to not forget.
Environments
| In-Person | Online | Self-Guided |
|---|---|---|
| Classroom | Synchronous | |
| In the field | Asynchronous |
Learning typically takes place in formal learning experiences or in self-guided learning. A formal learning experience is traditionally in-person learning like lectures in a classroom. Learning can also occur in more contextual environments or “in the field”. For example, if you are learning about gardening, learning would take place in a garden.
Distance learning, or online learning, can occur at a set time, synchronous or at flexible times, asynchronous. There is also self-guided learning that occurs outside of a formal class. These experiences can be varied, like reading a book, discussing with others, or just trying something out.
No single learning environment is better than another: it depends on what you learn and your own personal preferences. What is important is the opportunity to engage in all three parts of learning: consumption, creation, and reflection. To determine the proper learning environment, look at how you can get those experiences.
If I’m learning philosophy and like to engage in deep thinking, an asynchronous online environment could be a perfect situation. If I want to learn gardening and have little experience, a learning environment in the field (or garden) would be ideal. Often we have limitations that make the ideal environment hard to obtain: we might not have the time to go to an in-person class or can’t find an ideal opportunity for the subject we want to learn. Any environment can work, as long as we commit to engaging in the consumption, creation, and reflection we need to learn.
Types of Learning Experiences
| Learning Experience | Learning Activities | Environment |
|---|---|---|
| Class, webinar, lecture series | Lectures, Q&A | Classroom, online |
| Interactive Class | Lectures, Q&A, tutorials, asssignments, quizzes, tests | Classroom, online |
| Workshop | Lectures, Q&A, tutorials, assignments, quizzes, tests | In the field, online |
| Lessons | Practice, feedback, critique, coaching, workbooks | In the field, online |
| Apprenticeship, Internship | Demonstrations, practice, advice, sharing, coaching | In the field |
| Self-Guided | Books, articles, workbooks, practice, sharing, self-reflection | Online, in the field |
| Full Course | All possible | Classroom, online |
In the above table, I’ve listed the most common learning experiences. Most learning experiences rely heavily on consumption and offer little chance for creation and reflection. This can be fine if you can do additional learning activities on your own.
For example, the most basic experience is traditionally a lecture followed by a Q&A. If you did a webinar on drip irrigation, and then went out and immediately applied that knowledge by doing your own drip irrigation, the learning experience might be sufficient. You might also find that as you try to create your drip irrigation you have problems you can’t solve. Because the learning experience has ended, there is no opportunity for social learning. You then have to muddle through on your own, or you could reach out on a discussion forum or email to get answers to your problems.
Ideally, learning experiences have a variety of opportunities. To make a full robust course, a learning experience needs activities that facilitate not only consumption but also creation and reflection. Let’s see how that would work with a drip irrigation course. Instead of a large chunk of content, the content can be broken down into smaller steps that you create before moving on to the next step. This can be paired with access to a teacher or community to ask questions and share your progress for feedback during each step. In addition, the course can provide cheat sheets that help you recall what you are doing when you are actually out doing it. For common tricky situations, there might be a guided activity that helps you understand what to do. The whole experience results in more in-depth learning.
Creating and Evaluating a Course
If you are looking for a course or want to create one, the information discussed can help determine if the course will be a valuable learning experience. Here are some suggestions about ideal products that compose a course that will provide a variety of learning experiences:
Information
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| Articles or Textbook | Form the backbone of the material to be consumed, and contain the information needed to be learned. A series of articles combine to form a book. |
| Lectures | Information is provided differently, with a focus on audio and visual presentation. |
| Demonstrations | Information that needs to be dynamically shown to be understood properly. |
| Job Aides | Summarize the information to be learned |
Creation
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| Assignments | Provide a place to apply the knowledge gained. |
| Workbooks | Present assignments in a structured book form. |
| Job Aides | Provide a checklist for the application of material. |
Reflection
| Similar to an online community but in-person. | Description |
|---|---|
| Self-reflection | Provides guided encouragement for self-reflection, which can be included with the assignments and workbook. |
| Online community | Provide opportunities for advice, work sharing, and to ask questions online. |
| In-person Community | Similar to online community but in-person. |
Three-Book Course
Here’s an example of a course design for someone who likes books. It starts with a textbook that provides the information. (Alternate forms are articles or lectures.) Supporting the textbook are video demonstrations. A workbook provides a range of assignments and opportunities for self-reflection. The textbook and workbook are summarized in the handbook, a collection of job aides. The whole course is supported by an online or in-person community, and since we are focusing on books, this would be a book group.
Advice
An effective course needs three components: information, assignments, and community. Many learning experiences offer only some of these opportunities. If you are in a situation where a learning experience has gaps in the learning activities, actively seek out options to fill those gaps. One of the most common gaps is a lack of community. You can augment learning by seeking communities through like-minded friends, online groups, or mentors.
For course creators, it’s important to realize that learning is more dynamic than simply presenting information. Provide a range of activities, assignments, and opportunities for a community to make learning effective. A community should ideally be founded in the active presence of the teacher, providing answers to questions, timely feedback, advice, and opportunities for reflection.
The products and formats for learning are diverse. For effective learning, they must also be varied and include opportunities for consumption, creation, and reflection.
Responsive Gardens 