Applied Learning Workshop @ NP

1. AL Pedagogies

What do we mean when it comes to applied learning?
- Experiential (First-Hand Experience --> Reflect --> Abstract --> Reapply to new contexts)
- Problem-based (Real-world Problems --> Resolution)
- Challenge-based (Global Issues and what we can do)
- WebQuests (Scenarios - Scaffolding; Information Literacy Development)
- Inquiry-based (Questions and Construction of Concepts)
- Service Learning (Application of Knowledge and Skills to Service; Needs of the community; Scope usually smaller; Development of Attitudes e.g. empathy - importance of assessment for completion of task and also reflection of learning and/or transformation)

Question: How do we "stack" these in a term, a semester, a year and then year by year?

Strategies used @ NP:

• cooperative learning
• games
• learning objects
• presentations (remote, virtual)
• lecturettes
• investigation and research
• role plays
• chats, discussions, debates
• peer teaching
• self-assessment

2. Applied Learning & Participant Roles

Students must be active and reflective participants. This could also be done if students know their roles in the learning process.

Essential Question: What are the learner roles and also the role of the teacher?

This must be made explicit to the students so that the approaches are carried out well.

If the tutor behaviour is about telling, passing on content, the student learning behaviour is possibly to passively listen, or receive content. If the tutor is to enable learning, then students are to actively connect and construct their own learning.

3. Learning Design

(refer to slides)

4. Applied Thinking

- Decision Making
- Problem Solving
- Futures Thinking
- Issues Resolution (challenge-based thinking)

5. Performance Tasks

Levels of application

• Inside a discipline focus area --> look for examples of application --> assessment is on relevance of examples
• Inside a discipline focus area --> life-like application --> assessment is on conceptual understanding within a discipline focus area
• From authentic application (integration of several focus areas) --> conceptual understanding --> assessment is multi-layered [core content/skills assessment; supporting content/skills assessment; product vs process skills; individual vs group; more than 2 tutors assessing the project(s)]
• From personal experience --> conceptual understanding --> assessment is on attributes and voice (WISP): Singlish-cised version of World Cafe - Kopi Tiam [media literacies]