However, much more attention and focus has been paid in recent years, as to the ways that young people can improve their learning through group work activities, rather than completing individual tasks.  Group work can often accommodate all the different styles of learning, so is therefore beneficial to all types of learner.

It is recognised that individuals play different roles within group work activities and that they can contribute to tasks in different ways.  This can be influenced by both their personalities and by the type of learner that they are.  Typical roles that people take in group work tasks are as follows:

Creative Thinkers

This person will typically generate ideas, ask questions, explore lots of possibilities, try out alternatives and adapt and react to changes in circumstances as necessary.

Independent Enquirers

This person will usually be able to identify problems to solve and answers to questions, explore ideas from different perspectives and consider the consequences, use reasoned arguments and evidence to support points of view and analyse and evaluate information.

Effective Participants

This learner will be bale to present their ideas to the group for discussion, keep a balanced view, negotiate with others and find a way to move forward whilst identifying potential improvements and be able to persuade others to participate.

Team Workers

This learner will collaborate with others and give useful feedback, reach agreement with others and work towards a common goal, adapt behaviour to suit different roles and circumstances and be considerate to others and be able to take responsibility within a group. 

Reflective Learners

This person will identify opportunities and recognise achievements, they will be able to reflect on their mistakes and then move forward to new goals,.  They will also be able to evaluate their progress and experience, invite feedback and react appropriately to the outcomes of their review.

Self Managers

These learners can respond positively to change, set their own goals, time manage the tasks that they have to complete and organise their resources, deal effectively with pressure, use their initiative and anticipate risks and manage them accordingly.

Understanding the rudiments of the Understanding by Design or UbD framework asks two things from you. First is that you view classroom teaching in a bigger picture. Second is that you view curriculum development using a smaller lens. These two, as I see it, address two of UbD’s primary features.

Classroom and the Big Picture

Often, teachers see classroom teaching as one-day-at-a-time, one-lesson-plan-at-a-time. While the topics have been determined by the curriculum, the small details are determined by factors like time, budget and space. Instructional materials, teaching methods and assessment are decided by the lesson plan. Although UbD is not a guide for small curricular units like the lesson plan, it also asks teachers to choose every part of the lesson with the curriculum in mind. How does one activity fit into the bigger picture that is the curriculum?

The backward design makes sure that every classroom teaching detail falls in place in the greater scheme which is the curriculum. This means that before finalization and execution, clear goals have been set alongside the choices of activities and assessment.

Curriculum and a Keyhole

On the other hand, UbD serves as a keyhole with which to view the curriculum. The lens seems small, but with its focus comes a larger scope. A good curriculum is not that which includes everything in a textbook. Instead, it is a curriculum that has focus on Big Ideas. And while the Big Ideas are few, they actually cover greater ground. When you peek into the Big Idea, you also see the surrounding ideas. Wiggins and McTighe give this example for English in their UbD workshop: reading between the lines. This is a Big Idea because it covers a lot of content, such as figures of speech, rhetoric, discourse analysis and so on.

The Big Ideas are important in UbD because they represent what is overlooked in curriculum—and in classroom—design. The Big Ideas lie at the heart of a subject, field or discipline. These are not tidbits of information that are more or less established as fact. They are actually core ideas and concepts that are debated on and discussed at large.

UbD in the Details

Understanding by Design may seem daunting at first, but once you realize what potentials it has in making understanding and learning more long-lasting—and therefore effective—applying the framework to classroom setting will be easier. The key is simply by putting your lesson plans in the greater perspective of the curriculum’s Big Ideas.

Here are some ways you can start designing your classes for understanding.

Be the keeper of the Big Idea. The Big Ideas are the main goals and objectives not just of the curriculum but of all lessons set forth. In order to keep lessons anchored on the Big Ideas, some of the content from textbooks or previous curriculum will have to be sacrificed. Every choice you make for classroom teaching should bring out the Big Idea into focus.

Be understood, not just heard. UbD puts a premier on understanding over knowledge. For Wiggins and McTighe, textbook-based instruction focuses too much on quantity of facts and knowledge taught—sacrificing understanding and learning in the process. Quality in teaching means that the Big Idea of the curriculum and the essential questions are addressed and discussed. These will be useful and remembered by students far into their adult lives.

Be a detective. Assessment is so crucial in UbD. It goes before the design of classroom instruction in the backward design template. This is because assessment will serve as your evidence that the goals set have been achieved. Three things are needed to make your evidence credible. One, assessment must involve a performance task that will show understanding. Two, assessment must include other tasks (quizzes, homework, objective exams) as supporting evidence. Three, a rubric must be in place for every performance or complex task. You can use UbD’s six facets of learning as guide.

Be authentic. UbD puts emphasis on understanding and not simply knowledge recall. The best way to put understanding to the test is through authentic assessment. Assessment for understanding involves practical and real-world situations that demand application and analysis. There is always a context and the answers or solutions cannot easily be reached through simple recall. Authenticity also demands being genuine and honest in scoring and feedback-giving.

Be blatant. That’s right, be straightforward to your students. In UbD, there is no place for hidden agendas. Students must know what the goals and objectives are of each lesson, for these will guide their classroom experience. Knowing the purpose of the lessons will give them capacity for insight into every topic you present. It will also help them tie together facts, data, understandings and ideas in one greater picture: the Big Idea.

Be enduring. As a teacher, you want to have essential and enduring influence. So make sure to teach enduring understandings and to ask essential questions. An enduring understanding is insight about the Big Idea, and it is your task to make students uncover and realize this insight through the lesson. Enduring understandings need to be stated explicitly. Wiggins and McTighe give this as example: History is the story told by the winners. While dates and places will escape your students’ brains, such an enduring understanding will change their viewpoint or make a mark.

Be essential. If you rely solely on textbook or knowledge, you won’t be essential because students can easily access information through books and the Internet. Thus, you have to ask questions whose answers cannot easily be pinpointed. Essential questions ask not for facts but for understandings of a topic. While the specifics of a subject such as names, labels and numbers change, the essential questions will not be invalidated. An example of an essential question from the UbD authors: Does a good read differ from a great book?

Be engaging and effective. A well-drafted curriculum through UbD and a corresponding lesson plan guided by such a curriculum are well and good. But the success of these still rely heavily on the choices a teacher makes in the classroom. Even the most notable of Big Ideas and essential questions will be overshadowed by a poorly matched lesson and activity. While fun is definitely a factor in keeping a class engaged, classroom choices must be the best choices for a lesson to be effective.  The WHERETO questions will guide you in matching goals with activities.

Be flexible. While the UbD uses the backward design, this does not mean that the stages should be determined in that order. The misconception is that the template provided by the authors is to be filled out in order. On the contrary, the authors encourage research, discussion and exchange that will bring out elements and ideas for each of the three stages. This flexibility means choices in the three stages will not be limited. What is important is that all the elements of the three stages in the template make a cohesive and unified unit.  

Our current educational system is described through Freire’s (2009) banking concept as it attempts to control thinking and action, which leads women and men to adjust to the world, and inhibits their creative power. Even though Canadian educational system’s curriculum is based by province or territory, the entire system assumes how people learn and demand their learning methods without any alternatives. As suggested by School District 73 (2009), “By law, Canadian children are required to attend school from the age of 6 or 7 until they turn 16” (para.2). By requiring all students of Canada to receive a specific window on education demonstrates power and control and threatens students “conscientização” which refers to learning to perceive social, political and economic contradiction and to take action against the oppressive elements of reality (Freire, 2009). Practice of domination not only denies people the freedom of choice but also forms a detachment to the world as the banking system of education is a requirement within our country.

Personally, my past educational experience within British Columbia relates to Freire’s (2009) banking concept as it has shaped the ways I perceive knowledge. I was only in secondary school 5 years ago and this idea of school being a banking system of education, where students are containers waiting to be filed by information, is alive and well. I remember sitting in my Social Studies class questioning why we were learning about Medieval Times as apposed to the arrival of Champlain in 1603 or the Missionaries that shaped our current understanding and the start of colonization and oppression within our indigenous people. As suggested by Freire (2009), “we have a system which achieves neither true knowledge nor true culture” (pg.80). What this leaning concept did was allow me to enter the world without a critical understanding of why I’m here. The banking concept also serves to the interest of the oppressors, who neither care to have the world revealed nor to see it transformed (Freire, 2009). I also struggled through education as it did not fit with my visual learning style and, as a result, I did not understand some major concepts of what critical thinking is at a very young age. As researched by Freire (2009), “knowledge emerges only through intervention and re-intervention” (pg.72). Which states, if my teachers spend more time allowing me to understand basic concepts of thinking critically, I would have understood the process of linking concepts at a younger age instead of barely passing high school.

Within my future social work practice I can use these new concepts to transform others to look at other ways of transmitting information and more effective ways of learning. I can do this by sharing this new information and teach others about Freire’s (2009) banking system as well as sharing my own experiences. In the past four years of my university education, teachers display a banking style of educating. However, teachers have also tried different ways to avoid integration and have transformed the learning process so teachers and students become beings for themselves. For example, I have learned from student’s experiences not only teachers. I have also learned different ways of engaging individual learning and most significantly a rediscover the importance of critical thinking. I will educate on the importance of praxis which is necessary for action and reflection upon the world in order to transform it more towards a “conscientização” way of thinking.

Clearly, Freire’s (2009) concept of the banking system is alive and denying students the true knowledge of how to perceive the world. Students and teachers need to become jointly responsible for a process in which all can grow from. No longer should authority or power and control be valid but a move towards cohesiveness where we all learn from one another as we have all had different experiences in life. Furthermore, having teachers and students become inclusive through the educational process will overcome authoritarianism, domination and false perceptions of reality.

References
Freire, P. (2009). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Continuum.
The Canadian Education System. (2009). International Educational System. School district 73- Kamloops / Thompson Region. Retrieved February 15, 2011, from http://www.sd73.bc.ca/international-education.php/page/canadian-education-system

There are so many educational options available and becoming informed of the educational methods is a good direction when deciding on your child’s best interest.  Montessori has been around for years and has a huge following.  More and more schools are popping up all over North America.   A lot of people ask the simple question as to what is Montessori education?  Well, it’s a holistic approach to education which focuses on strengthening all of the senses.  It is a well structured classroom system where children are placed together based on their developmental stage, so that they all benefit.  The most popular Montessori school consists of the primary class which has children 3-6 years of age all mixed together.   The class is set up so that the children are allowed freedom to move and yet learn within the structure of the classroom environment.   Children between the age of 0-6 years of age are considered to be in the ‘absorbent mind’ stage.  They soak everything up within their surrounding through all of the senses.   The term ’sponges’ is a good description.   Children need freedom within limits.  The opportunity to make decisions based on choices.   Sometimes people don’t grasp this concept until they are in adulthood, and unfortunately, some rare individuals never do.  In the real world, we might not like the choices that are available to us and the consequences.  However, we do have the ability to choose what we want to do with our lives or who we want to become.  Montessori education focuses on giving children choices and directing them along the path of progress.   There are studies and a sense of trust that we all have the innate desire to learn and progress forward at our own speed.   The classroom works on life skills, social skills, sensory, language, music, geography, culture, mathematics, practical life, sel etiquette, and self discipline.   In Montessori education learning takes place when there is interest involved.   This interest may be expressed in various ways depending on the individual child.  The role of the Directress/Teacher is to make careful non objective observations on a consistent basis.  The age mixture in one class has many benefits including the more experienced children gain the confidence and skills by giving lessons to the younger children.

Brief History of Montessori – Dr. Montessori

Montessori education varies among school to school.  There are different types of schools and anyone can use the name Montessori.  Dr. Montessori was the first female to become a physician in Italy in 1897.   She began to research and develop this pedagogy in 1907.  She opened the first Casa dei Bambini “House of Children”  However, Maria Montessori and her family did not patent the name ‘Montessori’.   Anyone can use this name and the true pedagogy is called Montessori Association Internationale.   There are training programs all over the world.  Some of the training programs take a lot from the authentic educational system and alter it to fit their beliefs and needs.

Montessori Areas of Learning

Montessori education is unique due it’s classroom materials.  It consists of practical life materials which can consist of simple activities, such as, cutting paper, folding, pouring water, locks and keys, or sewing on a button.   This group of materials focuses on hand and eye coordination and making practical life activities attractive and fun.  The sensorial materials are extremely unique to education.  They have a natural order of progression and can be used in various ways.   The pink tower, binomial cube, and geometric shapes excite exploration within the children.  The mathematical and language materials speak for themselves and involve movement and vary from the concrete to the more abstract.

The Benefits for Children 

Montessori is a method of schooling that focuses on personal development rather than exams.  It produces more mature, creative and socially adept children, scientists have found.   Having gone through the traditional school system, and being trained as an Internationally trained Montessori Directress I have experienced the difference in methods.   If you have a couple hours, you can find an authentic Montessori school (AMI) and schedule an observation.   You will be asked to sit quietly and become a fly on the wall.  Previous to my training this is where, during my observation, I feel in love with the Montessori method.    The children were busy working away at their activities independently. There was a natural hum of interaction in the room.   The noise level did not get out of control.  Most of all, the classroom Directress was not necessarily teaching, but quietly observing the children and gracefully moving around the warm and inviting teaching environment, giving gentle guidance to all of the children.    Research online is another option worthwhile because there are many benefits to Montessori Education.   I suggest you explore the educational methods out there to determine if they fit with your goals for educating your child.  There is a lot to be learned from Montessori reading materials in regards to human development, undertanding our children and ourselves.

Asking questions is essential not only to check learner progress, but to motivate learners to pay attention. The fact that they may be called on to participate motivates learners to pay attention and they in turn become more actively involved in learning.

Socrates taught us that through powerful questioning techniques, the learner will be able to answer his own questions. Using the Socratic method of teaching shows us the power of active learning. Not only does the learner ask the question, but through debate, intrigue and discussion the learner discovers the answer for himself. He is just not told the answer. This creates pride and motivation in the learner to learner more. It also develops critical thinking skills. With these critical thinking skills the learner will develop in a way that he will research his questions himself, motivated only by his desire to find truth.

The problem with the Socratic Method is that it requires time and it is not well suited for large classes. For instance if an educator starts the questioning technique with one learner and helps him or her discover the answer, many of the learners will feel left out of the discussion.

Below are some questioning techniques that I employ in the classroom:

There are two main types of questions that an Instructor / Teacher / Facilitator can choose from the tool box to help students learn:

Closed-Ended: (also called factual recall questions)

• Requires basic recall of information.
• Might be a one word answer.
• For instance “What year was the Pearl Harbor bombed?” The learner has only one correct answer: 1941.

Open- Ended:

• Cannot be answered with yes or no.
• Asks learners to elaborate or to consider options.
• May require the learner to reflect or draw a conclusion.
• Good type of question to get conversation started and increase class participation.
• For instance “What was the immediate American reaction to the bombing of Pearl Harbor?” The learner has many responses that could be correct: Doolittle’s raid, increased American pride and anger, increased armed forces enlistments, etc.

From these two basic types, Educators / Facilitator / Instructors can expand their questioning techniques to include:

Polling / Canvassing Questions:

• Yes / No (closed-ended) questions.
• Forces participation.
• Gives students a sense of belonging.

For instance: “How many students have family members that enlisted after Pearl Harbor?” This is a good polling question that will give students a “what’s in it for me” feeling. Students will realize that Pearl Harbor is important not just for the country, but because my Grandfather was there.

Funneling / Probing Questions:

Allows for a deeper understanding of the learning objectives. Also called “drilling down” into the student’s knowledge level.

Funneling Questions use a technique I learned in the military. You start with a basic overview questions such as: “Why was Pearl Harbor was very important to America?” Answer; “increased American Enlistment”. Question: “What did the increased American Enlistment mean to the American Homeland?” Answer: Larger Female Workforce. Question: “What did this larger female workforce mean to America?” Answer: “The woman’s liberation movement.”

Funneling questions allow the learner to build on his answers from previous questions. They can really give the educator insight into the learner’s knowledge. However, learners can also build incorrect response due to previous incorrect responses.

HOW to Ask Questions

Asking a well-planned question in the right way can significantly increase the involvement of your learners, and can thus lead to better comprehension.

A technique I teach my instructors is the APPLE technique. It is a proven method in many learning situations, wither it be instructor led, computer based training, or blended learning. Educators / Instructors/ Facilitators need to utilize this technique when asking questions.

Ask the Question (say it just the way you wrote it down when you planned it)

Pause – let all learners think about the question (yes, this can seem like the longest 3-5 seconds of your day!)

Pick a learner to answer the question (not always the first hand raised)

Listen to the answer (and provide some “effect” word(s) to acknowledge the student’s contribution)

Expound upon / explain the learner’s answer (or provide a correct answer instead) and generate a dialogue between students and Instructor.

One important “by-product” of using andragogical techniques is that we are building adult learners. Not only are our learners achieving the course objectives, they are learning where to find information, research techniques, how to communicate it, and how to apply it and retain it. This is a critical tool in the future success of our “customer.”

The old adage “give a man a fish and he”ll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a life time’ applies to applying andragogical principles. Many learners that have developed their adult learning techniques easily develop into life long learners that can develop their own objectives, conduct their own research, and develop their critical thinking skills. Therefore, they become self-educators.

In a world in which each person should be free to construct their own reality, children should be provided with the opportunity to develop their own understanding about religion and faith. To achieve this, religious studies should be taught in schools as part of a program of wider social and cultural studies that present information rationally and without bias. The idea that any particular religion is the “right” one or constitutes the “truth” is at the heart of many of today’s conflicts.

In democratic countries such as Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom it is the role of the public education systems to provide curriculum that are also democratic with regards to courses offered and the information presented within those courses. In a democratic society where all religions are tolerated, children should be provided with the tools to critically evaluate religion and culture and to make their own informed decisions based on accurate and comparative knowledge developed through appropriate pedagogical tools.

This argument revolves not around whether the bible should be taught in public schools but rather how it should be taught. If parents would prefer their children to be educated in the bible to exclusion of all other religious works and sources then specifically Christian school are available. However, in public schools it is the duty of the education system to uphold and promote the social norms of the country in which they exist. With this in mind, in democratic counties, at least, it is the responsibility of public schools to represent, without bias, the religious as well as cultural diversity that is present within that country and to facilitate the learning of children to allow them to make their own informed decisions and to control their own future.

Reading should be done for pleasure. Enjoying reading will make them better readers as adults and more aware of the world around them. Cultivating a love of reading in students is essential. Letting students explore their reading tastes would encourage students to read some more (Sullivan, 2005).

Writing is a means of expressing one’s view. Reading is studying other’s viewpoints. Teaching students to write would help them communicate clearly, clarify thinking, present their views. Teaching students how to brainstorm, express their feelings and develop awareness are essential in writing. Students should also be exposed to a variety of writing genres such as formal, informal, essays, poems and others (Sullivan, 2005).

Organization and structure are the most important aspects of writing. But the focus should be on expression of ideas not just the format.

Grammar and Revision are tools important to writing. Even if these rules can sometimes be restrictive but learning them enables the student to write more effectively. Grammar rules can be flexible. Since the use of language influences how others view us, it is important that students learn it well. Keeping grammar journals could be a way to attain a better understanding of the process (Sullivan, 2005).

Every written piece goes to a process of drafts, editing, review and revisions. This should also be learned in the classroom. Written pieces should be edited for content and mechanices.

If sex education was comprehensive, adolescents would be taught more about details with performing sex other than just abstinence if sex education was not comprehensive. David Satcher states the view that it should be comprehensive and argues the fact that, “Most European nations not only embrace comprehensive sexuality education but also integrate it into government-sponsored programs” (2006, p.3). These programs that a lot of European nations do show that the U.S. has a greater teen pregnancy rates than they do. If only taught abstinence alone, the ones that do have sex could screw up 100% of the time and all of them would be pregnant.

Instead of teaching abstinence and being comprehensive, adults should educate adolescents very well about sex and everything that goes with whether good or bad. Like most kids at that age they are going to do what you tell them not to do. So adults should teach them starting with the puberty era all the way through STD’s and pregnancy. There are problems like contraceptives that adolescents may not know are available or how to use them. They need to know what to do if something does happen like a condom breaking or coming off as well.

All of these categories and examples could happen every time if adolescents are only taught abstinence. Educate them with the best of knowledge that you or others that you know have and talk to them. If you can not talk to them or have the information about sex, have someone else help you out so your child is prepared before hand.

Here is one of the problems though for teaching comprehensive sex education, COMMUNICATION. Parents need to talk to their kid(s) about sex or something bad may happen. Burgess, et. al., talk about communication and how it is important in help reducing STD’s and/or pregnancies (2005). Parents feel uncomfortable when having to talk about sex just like they do when talking about drugs. Drugs may be an easier topic, but either way parents do not want their children having sex without at least knowing the risks.

Parents or other adults need to break through this mental barrier and realize that if they or someone else does not talk to their kids or others about sex and its consequences, then there may be a worse time in your and your kid’s life when they come up and say they are pregnant. Now you will have to talk to them about a worse topic that may include that they ruined their life and all of it was caused by not communicating with them. This would be the parents own fault and the adolescent taught his self instead of getting all of the right information before hand.

There is a lot more to teaching adolescents about sex other than just telling them to not do it, abstinence. Even telling them that, they are likely to go have sex without the necessary knowledge. Instead of just telling adolescents not to have sex, inform them about everything that there is and what could happen whether good or bad. The main thing with sex education is that it needs to be comprehensive and adults that have the appropriate knowledge to teach should before something bad could happen.

The overarching aims of education underlie the construction of the curriculum. Education, in the broader sense, aims to develop the individual, to enlarge an individual’s knowledge, experience and imaginative understanding, and thus his awareness of moral values and capacity for enjoyment (Waddock, 1995: 45) and also to enable an individual to take his place in society. The school education on the other hand, has the aim to provide opportunities for all students to learn and achieve, to promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and to prepare students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.

Consider the school of the late 20th century. It has not changed a whole lot in the last fifty years or so (Lave & Wenger 1991; Matthews, 1991 and Waddock, 1995). Isolated from the rest of the world except for one or two school-business partnerships. Working at the edges of the school, these partnerships attempt to provide students with some insight into the working world or give some marginal discretionary resources for the principal to use. The resources are used on one of a multitude of unrelated programs that the school has set up to cope with the problems that society has dumped on the school.

The school itself has created barriers that shelter and isolate it from the work of the world that goes on around it. The technological innovations that are pervasive in the business world have yet to penetrate the classrooms except for a single computer in each classroom that the teacher barely knows how to use. Few business people, even the partners, ever come to school; those who do are shocked by the conditions they find and by the discipline problems with which teachers must contend. Still they are comforted by the fact that school feels pretty much like it did when they went to school. With these regard, this paper will evaluate the intended learning outcomes of the course that are to be achieved and how students will be supported in their learning taking into account their varying ability levels and differing professional needs.

Discussions

Pedagogy as the science, craft and art of teaching offers excellence found on personal and social competence in accordance with the nature and dignity of the human person, regardless of personal and social circumstances (Houle, 1964:152). It is doing the good things, acts that well-fit for the standards of human conduct. It is doing right things for the right reason. Excellence of pedagogy as teaching, and pedagogy of excellences, as learning reiterates that teachers are “role model” but to be a teacher is more than to play a role; it is to strive to be integrally good unto himself and to be integrally a good example unto others, as any other person ought to do.

Learning is very vital to individual development. It needs special consideration to different variables to make the learning experience become successful. Issues pertaining to individual differences should be considered. Intellectual capacity, expertise and knowledge pertaining to the profession of the learners must be given an attention. As a lecturer on the post graduate Nursing programme at a local university, I need to be careful not only to my approach in teaching but also to the overall learning outcome of my teaching process. Actually, the importance of education takes form in the notion that learning is essential in order to obtain an entry-level qualification for paid work, and learning whilst in a job; while the importance of non-formal education can be stressed by the social common senses that it teaches to students. Nickerson and Zodhiates (1988:1) appears to support this notion, who said that the three major purposes of education are that it prepares a person for work, for citizenship and it enables him to achieve intellectual growth and independence.

Accordingly the importance of education in cultivating basic aptitudes such as literacy and certain procedural skills, uncovering the content of various knowledge domains, inculcating certain values, perspectives, attitudes, and beliefs as well as developing the ability to independently learn and think effectively are emphasised,. Although of course, this does not imply that all of these needs are often done effectively or are even proffered the attention they deserve.

Available literature has also highlighted the importance of education in relation to economic outcomes and social mobility, most of which are within the context of developing countries’ conditions. In a literature review conducted by Buchmann and Hannum (2001:77-102), they found out that there are a number of researches advanced on the topic of education and social mobility in developing countries that focused on the association between background of the family, education levels and occupational attainment (e.g., Hansen & Hailer, 1973; Farrell & Schiefelbein, 1985; Strudwick & Foster, 1991).

The love for learning is so great that it should be associated with a way of life. Education helps people to be more objective in their approach to life’s problems, more analytical in trying to understand them and more aware of the consequences that can arise when handling them. Education can help lead a fuller and richer life and to be more conscious of the economic and social environment. As a lecturer of a post graduate Nursing programme at a local university, the learning style of each student needs well evaluation.

The concept of learning style has gained credibility as a construct that affects individual students’ learning preferences and respective successes and failures in schooling situations (Gremli, 1996: 24-27). Over the past few decades, the concept of learning style has gained credibility as a construct that affects not only individual students’ learning preferences, but also their respective successes and failures in schooling situations (Krahe, 1993; Lorge, 1947; Tuinjman, 1995). Because student success in developmental education programs relies heavily on learning performance in a variety of large-group, small-group, and individual learning situations, it behooves developmental education instructors and learning assistants to examine the relationships between student learning styles and these instructional contexts.

The term learning style is used to encompass four aspects of the person: cognitive style, i.e., preferred or habitual patterns of mental functioning; patterns of attitudes and interests that affect what an individual will pay most attention to in a learning situation; a tendency to seek situations compatible with one’s own learning patterns; and a tendency to use certain learning strategies and avoid others (Canfield, A. 1980 and Delahoussaye, M. 2002). Learning styles, particularly for adults, differ from nation to nation and from culture to culture. Learning styles are simply different approaches or ways of learning.

Learners of this type, as a group, tend to be diverse, and bring a wealth of life experiences to the learning situation. In general view, mature people prefer their learning to be problem-oriented, personalized and accepting of their need for self-direction and personal responsibility. Research indicates that as people mature they develop individual learning styles that reflect personal needs and goals. One conceptualization of learning styles (developed by Kolb, 1985:) suggests that some learning styles rely more on concrete experience, while others focus on experimentation or observation or abstract conceptualization. These differences in style have implications for how training activities and environments should be structured for adults (Delahoussaye, 2002: 34). For example, the prevalence of experiential learning styles among mature people suggests that formal classrooms ought not to be the only environments to be considered by organizations when designing training.

As previously stated, education plays a very important role in the learning process of every individual in the society. It is the foundation of understanding and knowledge, and serves as a basis for the success of each individual (Pedersen & Willians 2004:1). In our case, giving a lecture or teaching these students from different nursing expertise is quite difficult. There is a possibility that some of your student get bored on a certain topic while the others are having a hard time to understand your lecture. Aside from individual differences consideration, classroom management or management of learning environment should be considered.

Classroom management, in terms of a teacher’s leadership style and use of power, can influence the classroom climate and affect student learning and behavior. Since most of the students are considered mature students, an autocratic type of is not recommended in this learning situation, the classroom climate might result to negative in which the possibility of learning activities become passive, and students might learn less and the students behavior become against to your instructions. Conversely, if we try to impose a democratic type of learning, the classroom climate is might become positive where learning is active, and students learn more than they would under an autocratic teacher (Pedersen & Willians 2004:1).

Actually, teaching mature individual needs to have a careful assessment of appropriate strategies to be used in class. Teacher needs to consider motivation of students, planning, ways of giving instructions, and mode of environment in the class. Here are a number of teaching strategies to help students take more responsibility for their own learning and enhance the process of teaching for learning. Some of these strategies include lecture, active learning, critical thinking, discussion, cooperative learning, and writing (’Teaching Methods’ 2008:1).

Lecture

This method is effective when used with active learning and other teaching strategies. It has many advantages, particularly in large classrooms and can be effective in meeting instructional goals (’Teaching Methods’ 2008:1). Its effects to classroom behaviour are varied, depending on the response of students to the lecture of the instructor. For this strategy to become effective, the lecturer must make sure to use stimulating visual aids, with or without the use of advanced technology. As an effect, many students would become more interested in listening to the discussion and become more participative. Another way is to make the discussion more interactive.

Active Learning

It has been reported that it is defined as learning environments that allow students to talk, listen, read, write, and reflect as they approach course content through problem solving exercises, informal small groups, simulations, case studies, role playing, and other activities (’Teaching Methods’ 2008:1). As an effect, the students can be more involved with their lessons, for hands on activities are helpful in the retention of lessons in the memory. With the help of small group discussions, the students can also interact with their peers, which foster a good learning environment.

Critical Thinking

This skilful, responsible thinking facilitates good judgment because it relies upon criteria, is self-correcting, and is sensitive to context (’Teaching Methods’ 2008:1). When implemented, the students would develop their focusing skills, information gathering, referencing, organising, analysing, integrating and evaluation (’Teaching Methods’ 2008:1).

Discussion

It is good to create a non-threatening, interactive learning environment that allows for the free exchange of ideas (’Teaching Methods’ 2008:1). An important factor is raising stimulating questions, such as higher cognitive ones (Cotton 2001:1). They are defined as those which the student to mentally manoeuvre bits of information formerly learned to generate an answer or to maintain an answer with rationally logical proof (Cotton 2001:1). Asking cognitive types of questions stimulate the thinking abilities of the students, and make the discussion livelier. The students become exposed and open to new ideas from the instructor and their peers, and even gather information regarding the topic to be discussed. This does not only motivate the students to participate in class, but also fosters a creative and innovative learning experience.

Cooperative Learning

This is a systematic pedagogical strategy that encourages small groups of students to work together for the achievement of a common goal, stressing the importance of faculty and student involvement in the learning process (’Teaching Strategies’ 2008:1). Working together involves differences in many aspects. From these differences, the idea of differentiated instruction applies. Differentiated instruction is an approach to teaching and learning so that students have multiple options for taking in information and making sense of ideas (Hall 1999:1). With this strategy, the students can be more receptive to ideas, despite their differences with one another, such as their diversity in culture, race, religion, age and gender. Actually, this type of approach is applicable to our group of learners in which they can share their knowledge and experiences to everyone pertaining to their expertise. They can also conduct some sort of discussions of their own experiences in their field in order give other students some details regarding the complex world of nursing.

Writing

This strategy includes writing across the curriculum, critical thinking, technology and computers, note taking, and personal expression (’Teaching Strategies’ 2008:1). Through writing, the students can express themselves, express their ideas regarding certain topics and improve their vocabulary and grammar skills. With the use of this technique, the students and the instructor can be open to one another through paper, which is helpful for the institution itself in developing their writing capabilities. This would not only enhance the students, but also give them the chance to display their talents. The effect of writing to classroom behavior is varied, however, through writing, the instructor can assess the skill of his or her students and with this assessment, the lecturer can make necessary actions to contribute to their improvement.

Actually, these strategies (i.e. lecture, active learning, critical thinking, discussion, cooperative learning, and writing) can be put in a planed lecture for the students of a post graduate Nursing programme at a local university. Direct instruction requires a high degree of teacher direction and a focus on academic tasks. Teacher presentation, demonstration, drill and practice, posing of numerous factual questions, and immediate feedback and correction are all key elements. In a direct instruction lesson the teacher usually spends some time lecturing a well-defined body of knowledge and skills for the students to master (University of Saskatchewan, 2006; Pearson Education, Inc., 2005).

Evaluation

For evaluation, direct instruction alone cannot resolve issues in curriculum development. Teachers and lecturers needs to consider the so-called student-centered instruction, in which the students are not merely passive recipients of knowledge and information provided by the teacher to them. This type of instruction also considers the motivation approach among students. They are also capable of figuring out information and constructing their own pool of knowledge (Pearson Education, Inc., 2005:1). They are allowed to identify the paths they find most fruitful in constructing their knowledge based on what they know and what they need to know (Ridgeway, Titterington and McCann, 1999:1).

Student-centered approach to learning is deemed effective because of its ability to make students figure out what information they need to know and then learn from it. Pedersen & Williams (2004:1) claimed that the students have ownership of goals and activities. They are given freedom to choose their actions in order to meet their goals making the whole process meaningful and personal. This situation encourages depth of understanding and an intrinsic motivational orientation.

The classroom cannot function well without the teacher. The success of the activities in the classroom depends on the ability of the teacher as classroom manager. Teacher/lecturer takes care of the two aspects of classroom management, namely, care of routine factors and classroom activities. They are also responsible for effective teaching strategies.

Effective teaching strategies are the foundation of effective learning in a classroom environment. However, one teaching strategy is not enough to achieve great learning. In addition, differences in learning must also be taken into consideration to make sure that all of the students get the equal opportunity for obtaining knowledge. Aside from these, motivation, type of learning environment, and teacher-student relationship should also be considered. McKeachie (1996:1) emphasizes that a method appropriate for most students may be ineffective for other students who could learn more easily with a different approach. This makes methods of teaching, ways of representing information, and personality characteristics of teachers affecting learning and affect different learners differently (McKeachie 1996:1). Learning goes hand in hand with teaching, so strategies are important in the learning process.