Dear Learners,
Firstly, apologies for missing out on sharing the newsletter last Sunday. I was in fact celebrating an end of a learning experience, some 2 years later. (I had my convocation. I graduated from ISDM amidst the first year of the pandemic.)
Now let’s get straight to the topic at hand - Significant learning.
By now, the earlier readers would know, that one of my favourite taxonomies to work with is Bloom’s. So much so, I made a case about using it to transition from information to knowledge.
But Human Brain is complex, and so is the learning process. It is also endlessly fascinating. It is an impossible task to frame the learning process in one word or even using one taxonomy. And Bloom’s is not perfect.
Here are the reasons why:
Cognitive Focussed: One of the biggest critique against Bloom’s is its complete reliance on the cognitive. In the process, it does not even consider other factors such as the social nature of learning or the emotional temperament of the learner.
Linear: The other big critique of Bloom’s is the linearity. It progresses from one cognitive skill to the other. It presumes that it is impossible to be on a higher level without clearing a lower level. As per Bloom’s, only when you remember and understand something can you apply it however there are possibilities, where you may jump directly to application - for example when I learnt to play the ukulele there were things that I did not know or remember, I often forgot the name of the chords but I could still play.
Individualistic: The third big critique of Bloom’s is the focus on the individual learner. It ignores the more human and social aspect of learning. Our brain is a social organ and we need to be able to connect to learn.
So if Bloom’s is imperfect - what do we do? Enter Fink’s Taxonomy.
Dr. L Dee Fink saw a gap in the Bloom’s taxonomy especially in the higher education space and formulated a taxonomy for significant learning.
In his own words,
“…individuals and organisations involved in higher education are expressing a need for important kinds of learning that do not emerge easily from the Bloom taxonomy, for example: learning how to learn, leadership and interpersonal skills, ethics, communication skills, character, tolerance, the ability to adapt to change, etc. My interpretation of these statements is that they are expressing a need for new kinds of learning, kinds that go well beyond the cognitive domain of Bloom's taxonomy and even beyond cognitive learning itself.”
Source: https://www.wcu.edu/WebFiles/PDFs/facultycenter_SignificantLearning.pdf
Dr. Fink, then took upon him to create a new taxonomy that bridges this gap and describe ways in which learning can be significant. It has 6 elements. (Sidebar: I love the way it is visualised, like a blooming flower because what is learning if not a possibility to bloom, to grow, to expand!)
Image Source: https://www.buffalo.edu/catt/develop/design/learning-outcomes/finks.html
Elements of Fink’s Taxonomy
Foundational Knowledge: understanding and remembering information and ideas
Application: skills, critical thinking, creative thinking, practical thinking, learning to do something- play a piano etc
Integration: connecting information, ideas, perspectives, people, or realms of life
Human Dimension: learning about oneself and others
Caring: developing new feelings, interests, and values
Learning How to Learn: becoming a better student, inquiring about a subject, becoming a self-directed learner
Can you see a common thread among these different elements?
There is one i.e. change.
As per Fink, the process of learning is synonymous to change. No change = No learning. Beautiful isn’t it?
He makes a case that each of these elements are inter-related and synergistic and a learning experience where all these 6 are present, is the one where the most significant learning happens.
How to take it back in your lives as learners
At the end of a learning experience, think- What did you gain in each of the element?
Learner Tip: Embed it in your Self Reflection system.
What did you gain in your ability to learn?
What did you gain in foundational knowledge?
What did you gain in understanding of yourself and others?
What did you learn as a skill? Can you do something new now? Or something old but better?
Were you able to connect it with other ideas, perspectives, experiences?
What changed in terms of what you value?
And then ask yourself- have you changed? In any aspect? If yes, learning did occur.
Fascinated and want to know more?
Check out the video and the resources on Fink’s Taxonomy.
Resources for Finks Taxonomy
https://www.buffalo.edu/catt/develop/design/learning-outcomes/finks.html
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/using-finks-taxonomy-in-course
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Keep Learning!
Adios,
Avni