REFLECTION

During this module, I learned about different ways that students learn. We studied

Ausubel’s Theory of Meaningful Learning and I felt empowered by his research because we

need to be aware of the way of teaching. Agra (2017) asserts that “ Meaningful Learning

requires three requirements: Previous knowledge, potentially meaningful material and

the learner must show willingness to learn.” Previous knowledge entails the reference of

previous knowledge through questions and answers in order to start a course or when

the teacher is going to monitor the understanding of the topics during the course. The

questions from the teacher update the students understanding of the last class contents

and then the learner is ready in order to assimilate new concepts. We have to have

evidence if the student demands that the teacher explain the most important concepts of

the developed topic. Most of the time, in our classes we do not show graphic organizers

in order to teach a topic. The questions and answers strategy is used to incorporate new

contents when the class is well organized for the teacher, turning the class into an active

process, especially when the student does have a previous reading of the material. But,

what is Meaningful Learning? Agra (2017) states that “Meaningful Learning relates

to the meaning that the student attributes to a particular knowledge and gives it

importance according to the usefulness for his /her daily life”. When people make

contact with the external world and mental representations are formed of the objects

they notice.

Learning in a common way is incorporated in information from authors such as

Paulo Freire, who calls it “Banking Education” it shows like to hollow out coins in the

piggy box.

Remembering knowledge is integrated within the larger task of constructing new

knowledge or solving new problems. Mayer, (2002) states that it is important that the
new knowledge would be meaningful for the student so it has to connect (not associate)

with previous student’s knowledge (cognitive structure). The meaning that the student

assign to the new knowledge depends on what she or he knows.

Ausubel strongly critiques the tradition; linking the previous with the new

knowledge. Rote Learning is of little use since it is a mechanical repetition of elements

and the student can not structure his / her knowledge in order make everything or a

reality. For Ausubel, Learning is synonymous with Understanding. When the student

achieves understanding, it will be remembered and learned.

In order to understand the educational work, it is necessary to take into account:

the teacher and the way of teaching, the structure of the knowledge that forms part of

the curriculum, and the social environment in which the educational process is

developed.

In the decade of the 50’s education was based in practice and repetition. Rote

Learning was the main activity and it was a routine repetition of the information. The

repetition activities should have a certain degree of innovation for the subject. On the

opposite, they produce tiredness and ineffective learning. Ausubel does not establish a

distinction between Meaningful Learning and Rote Learning as a dichotomy. His

attitude was that Learning is a “continuum”, both types of learning can occur in the

same task of learning.

To sum up, learning is meaningful if the new knowledge is linked to the

knowledge of the student. Who does the meaningful learning character depend on? It

depends on the student, not the teacher. But the teacher will be the responsible for using

the diverse ways that the student finds meaning in what she or he learns. In the

academic world there has to be relevance in the teaching and learning strategies,
oriented towards the construction of comprehensible learning process for the students

by their own experiences. The question is: Will our researched strategies facilitate

meaningful learning? The teacher has to prepare questions and answers, discussions,

role plays, etc. The teacher should share her or his experiences because many of these

activities are innovative because there are not spaces for achieving these goals.

REFERENCES

Agra, G. Formiga, S., Oliveira, P. Fernandes, M. & Nóbrega, M.,(2017). Analysis of the

concept of Meaninful Learning in light of the Ausubel’s Theory. Retrieved from:

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-

71672019000100248&lng=pt&nrm=iso

Mayer, R. (2002) Rote Versus Meaningful Learning. Theory into Practice, Journal of

The Ohio State University. Retrieved from

http://web.mit.edu/jrankin/www/teach_transfer/rote_v_meaning.pdf