Running head : THEORETICAL REFLECTION

Theoretical Reflection:
On the Learning Path

90250151
Danielle Couture

ETEC 533-65A
UBC

Dr. Milner-Bolotin
February 2nd, 2016

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Introduction:
Tell me and I forget, Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn
(Benjamin Franklin)

The tides are shifting; the ubiquitous presence and use of technology is changing
the world of education. As students are creating media, no longer simply consuming it
(Brennan & Resnick, 2013), technology is affecting their comprehension of the world
(Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2002). Educators are beginning to adopt the role of
facilitator and guide (Hardy, Lapointe, Lee, & Nichols, 2016; Koehler & Mishra, 2005);
truly involving students in the learning process. The desired outcome of the educational
system to produce functional member of society and life-long learners (Bransford et al.,
2002), has changed in appearance (Hardy et al., 2016; Hsueh, Ouellette, & Rasmussen,
2016) to coincide with 21st century needs (Hsueh et al., 2016), Ge et al, 2015). Yet a
question remains: how does one bridge the gap between the expectations of society and
the educational system.
Every September, new faces would file into my class already glazed over with
disdain for the fact memorization and testing often practiced in traditional science
classrooms. As the sole applied science teacher in my school, I had successfully diverged
from that path by embracing inquiry learning and project based-learning (PBL) (as
described by Hardy et al. (2016) and Khan and Walsh (2016)). I even unearthed class
sets of clickers confined to a dusty backroom. Our school had the technology and support
to meet what I now know to call the challenges of the 21st century, yet we were falling
behind. The reflection that ensued ultimately led me to ETEC 533-W65. The
presentations of my peers as an ensemble provide an excellent theoretical review
addressing issues that should be in the mind of every educator when designing learning

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environments for Prensky (2001) digital natives. The following theoretical reflection
focuses on aspects that are crucial for all 21st century educators.
The importance of research
I was aware of the driving force that was responsible for educational changes, yet I
had yet to consider its actions on my own practicum. As my department rarely took the
time to consider educational research, the changes in our department were implemented
without ever discussing the supporting research. Through the various presentation I
learned how educational research is necessary to help us discover, refine and determine
the benefits and limitations of our teaching practices (Couture, Ross, & Tamane, 2016;
Wieman, Adams, Loeblein, & Perkins, 2010).
More than the rhetoric of old, educational research is taking on a quantitative
approach (Khan & Walsh, 2016). By combining resources and tools with other science
domains, educational research is providing insight into the complexities of learning. For
example, neuroscience and MRIs allow researchers to compare the functioning of the
expert mind with the development of novice minds (Schunk, 2012), enabling us to see
the subtle differences between andragogy and pedagogy (Crowley, D'Souza, Kaur, &
Tseng, 2016) and eventually help the learners master skills and transfer knowledge.
Educational research can cause large philosophical shifts. For instance, the
limitations of passive learners and teacher-centered approaches once denounced by
educational research, have now been replaced by active learners (Crowley et al., 2016)
and student-centered learning environment. Educational research also guides the
implementation of tools and technology. For example, knowledge transfer relies on the

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creation of authentic situations and on the use of PBL (Quarrie, Ray, & Telford, 2016).
Yet research has shown the necessity for educators to emphasize not only relevancy but
variety as well; as the use of a single PBL can still limit transfer by over-contextualising
knowledge (Bransford et al., 2002). Educational research can also breathe new life in
forgotten ideas and technologies or at least sustain their implementation until they are
properly integrated. For example, educational research currently strongly supports
reinstating programming in schools (Brennan & Resnick, 2013) and the use of oncecontroversial digital-game-based learning (Van Eck, 2006).
Educational research is a field guide to understanding the complexities of learning
and teaching. The presentations of my peers have left me to question the complexities of
educational research; should it be reserved for experts? How must one approach
educational research to gain expertise? What tools are available to perform action
research on a small scale? Educational research is shaping the tools that are at our
disposal. However, educational research is context specific and should be critically
considered before applying.
The Elusive Quest for Truth
Knowledge is complex (Khan & Walsh, 2016) and as such the act of fostering
learning in others is equally complex. Schunk (2012) description of learning resulting
from practice or other forms of experience illustrates theses complexities. Knowledge
is not universal; learning is in a constant state of flux based on an individuals experience
and prior knowledge (Hardy et al., 2016). Learning is not confined to textbooks or

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within the walls of the school; learning occurs throughout our everyday lives and
experiences (Hsueh et al., 2016)
Yet knowing of these complexities does not grant one automatically expert teacher
status. It is one thing to realize that learning is complex it is quite another to be able to
navigate around this fact and foster learning in others. I believe that one must consider
the panoply of learning theories to properly foster effective learning environments. For
example, although behaviourism is often associated with the concepts of rewards and
punishment as seen in the presentation by Crowley et al. (2016), this theory should not be
completely dismissed nor merged with the more radicalized version of Behaviorism
(Bransford et al., 2002). Skinners operant conditioning theory relies on sound
pedagogical ideas such as cueing modeling and scaffolding (Schunk, 2012). Practice,
often associated with behaviourism, still plays on important role (Bransford et al., 2002)
in developing automaticity; a step necessary to both knowledge transfer (Quarrie et al.,
2016) and developing mastery and expertise (Beeley & Edwards, 2016).
As knowledge is fluid (Koehler & Mishra, 2005), so to becomes the concept of
expert. Characteristics separating novices from experts, such as the ability to transfer of
knowledge (Quarrie et al., 2016), the shift of extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation
(Crowley et al., 2016; Khan & Walsh, 2016) and the use of metacognition (Bransford et
al., 2002), exist on a fluid continuum. There is not a predefined checklist or path one can
follow to become an expert (Bransford et al., 2002).
Beeley and Edwards (2016) mentioned that lack of confidence in the subject matter
could be negative for the learners. Recalling my first department meeting where I was

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told by the local science expert that air was not a fluid and not to worry I would
eventually get science, I would also like to add that over-confidence can also be just as
limiting (Clarke & Zagarell, 2012). Becoming an expert is not a question of crossing a
finish line; as the quest for knowledge is never ending, it is a life-long journey. Instead of
true knowledge, a multitude of world constructs exist (von Glasersfeld, 2008) all of
which are valid as they are based on personal experiences. I believe that this notion of
fluid knowledge must be considered in domains, such as math and science, where facts
and correct procedure dominate the textbooks and classrooms.
Conclusion
In my pre-service day, teaching philosophies seemed clear cut and effective
lessons were almost produced by checklist. However, through my experience, I have
learned that creating a truly effective learning environment is more a fluid balancing act
between the theories, tools and content (Couture et al., 2016). Whether it is the balancing
of learning domains (Crowley et al., 2016; Hardy et al., 2016) or the various components
of TPACK (Couture et al., 2016; Koehler & Mishra, 2005; Lin, Tsai, Chai, & Lee, 2013).
A combination of a qualified teacher, well-designed curriculum and appropriate
technology is key (Wieman et al., 2010).
It is important to be able to establish a learning environment that allows the
students to construct their own knowledge (Khan & Walsh, 2016) and receive feedback to
promote transfer (Bransford et al., 2002; Quarrie et al., 2016). To properly adjust to the
needs of the 21st century, all stakeholders (Couture et al., 2016) must be involved and
knowledgeable regarding available technology (Clarke & Zagarell, 2012). Professional

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development should cater to the needs of the teachers (Bransford et al., 2002; Hsueh et
al., 2016) and continue throughout the educators career (Bransford et al., 2002).
Being an effective teacher is more than becoming an expert (Beeley & Edwards,
2016), it involves considering the pedagogical and technological tools at your disposal,
filtering through each one and, finally, selecting those that are the most effective in your
situation. It is important to focus on the integration of these tools and not solely on their
use (Hardy et al., 2016; Yurdakul et al., 2012). It is time for educators to take a close
look at the educational research and teaching philosophies guiding their own practices, to
step away from showing and teaching students and to step towards involving the students
in their learning.

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Refereces:
Beeley, S., & Edwards, D. (Producer). (2016). ETEC533 Assignment 2.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG2m3Bvj7Y&feature=youtu.be
Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2002). How people learn:
Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Brennan, K., & Resnick, M. (2013). Imagining, creating, playing, sharing,
reflecting: How online community supports young people as designers
of interactive media Emerging technologies for the classroom (pp. 253268): Springer.
Clarke, G., & Zagarell, J. (2012). Technology in the Classroom: Teachers and
Technology: A Technological Divide. Childhood Education, 88(2), 136139. doi:10.1080/00094056.2012.662140
Couture, D., Ross, M., & Tamane, S. (Producer). (2016). Desgining Technologyenhanced Learning Environments Supporting Mathematics and Science
Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CmEajlYQBI
Crowley, K., D'Souza, C., Kaur, D., & Tseng, T. (Producer). (2016). ETEC 533
65A Assignment 2. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Jq7L9wNJNes
Hardy, L., Lapointe, R., Lee, V., & Nichols, L. (2016) Designing Impactful
Learning Environments.
Hsueh, J., Ouellette, J., & Rasmussen, M. (Producer). (2016). ETEC 533 On
teaching Teachers. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=JK1nxXEgsAQ&feature=youtu.be
Khan, R., & Walsh, S. (Producer). (2016). Scientific Study of Mathematics and
Science Teaching adn Learning. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRyjGRexV80&feature=youtu.be
Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2005). What happens when teachers design
educational technology? The development of technological
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Lin, T.-C., Tsai, C.-C., Chai, C. S., & Lee, M.-H. (2013). Identifying science
teachers perceptions of technological pedagogical and content
knowledge (TPACK). Journal of Science Education and Technology,
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Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants part 1. On the horizon,
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Quarrie, C., Ray, R., & Telford, R. (Producer). (2016). Theme 3: Knowledge
Transfer. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=7yPDmNmRmH0&feature=youtu.be
Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: An Educational PErspective. Sixth
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Van Eck, R. (2006). Digital game-based learning: It's not just the digital
natives who are restless. Educause Review, 41(2), 16.

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von Glasersfeld, E. (2008). Learning as a constructive activity. Paper
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Wieman, C. E., Adams, W. K., Loeblein, P., & Perkins, K. K. (2010). Teaching
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Yurdakul, I. K., Odabasi, H. F., Kilicer, K., Coklar, A. N., Birinci, G., & Kurt, A. A.
(2012). The development, validity and reliability of TPACK-deep: A
technological pedagogical content knowledge scale. Computers &
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