RSA 4: Transformative Learning: Four Activities that Set the Stage

http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/transformative-learning-four-activities-that-set-the-stage/

While learning about the subject matter that is presented in a course is obviously a primary goal of online learning, having the opportunity to reflect on that learning can be an even more powerful experience.  This type of learning, referred to as “transformative learning,” results in “the student’s ability to stay focused on a position or idea or to achieve a shift in paradigm, thereby adopting a new view of the same idea” (Palloff & Pratt, 2007, p. 190).  Through transformative learning, one’s mind becomes open to new ideas and perspectives by means of constructivist reflection and interpretation, which is arguably the ultimate goal in all of education.  Palloff and Pratt (2007) suggest that this type of inquiry is encouraged more in and better suited to the online classroom than the traditional classroom.

Although the online learning environment is ideal for transformative learning, the process is not automatic.  In fact, the online instructor must comfortable with facilitating the transformative learning process in order for it to occur at all (Palloff & Pratt, 2007).  Henderson (2012) succinctly notes the four major precursors to transformative learning and suggests the online environments that can be best used to facilitate such learning.  Her recommendations, such as using role-plays to induce personal critical reflection, recognize not only the importance of transformative learning, but also how online learning can be used to induce greater gains than the traditional classroom (Henderson, 2012).

Henderson’s article is an ideal supplement to Palloff and Pratt’s explanation of transformative learning and its place in the online classroom.  Henderson provides the reader with the necessary steps to truly encourage transformative learning while offering concrete ideas as to how to facilitate such learning in the online classroom.  These ideas help the reader to understand the real value that online learning has when compared to the traditional classroom, which is a topic in which Palloff and Pratt’s discussion could be more explicit.  One can certainly imagine an instructor who is new to online teaching using Henderson’s suggestions as a source of ideas and inspiration while trying to create a classroom environment conducive to transformative learning.

References

Henderson, J.  (2012).  Transformative learning: Four activities that set the stage.  Retrieved

from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/transformative-learning-four-activities-that-set-the-stage/

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K.  (2007).  Building online learning communities: Effective strategies

for the virtual classroom (2nd ed.).  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

RSA 3: Interrogating Students’ Perceptions of their Online Learning Experiences

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One of the most important aspects of teaching, learning, and sharing online is building a community.  Palloff and Pratt (2007) emphasize this by noting that “the learning community in an online course allows for mutual exploration of ideas, a safe place to reflect on and develop those ideas, and a collaborative, supportive approach to academic work” (p. 26).  The formation of a learning community represents a critical foundation on which can be built a powerful online learning experience.  It addresses the “human needs” of everyone involved in an online experience (Palloff & Pratt, 2007).

As the formation of a strong community is necessary for successful online learning (Palloff & Pratt, 2007), the question of how to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses that learning community is a valid one.  In his research, Phelan (2012) adapted Brookfield’s (2009) “critical incident questionnaire” (CIQ) to assess the development of learning communities among adult learners participating in online courses.  Phelan (2012) found that not only did using the CIQ weekly allow the facilitator to improve the effectiveness of the course, but that the frequent, critical communication helped to “foster students’ sense of belonging to a learning community in the online space” (p. 34).

While communication between student and teacher in the online classroom is frequent, it is often content-focused.  Phelan’s (2012) experience suggests that allowing students to interact on a regular basis with the instructor regarding their experiences in the online classroom “may facilitate students’ capacity to conceptualize and value learning as an interactive activity” (p. 41).  This addresses one of the fundamental concerns of online learning, that in the absence of a strong learning community, learners may experience feelings of isolation and disconnectedness.  Improving student-teacher communication may help to eliminate those negative feelings, which in turn strengthens the online learning community and improves the likelihood of classroom success.

Brookfield, S. D.  (2009).  The classroom critical incident questionnaire.  Retrieved from

http://www.stephenbrookfield.com/Dr._Stephen_D._Brookfield/Critical_Incident_Questi

onnaire_files/CIQ.pdf

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K.  (2007).  Building online learning communities: Effective strategies

for the virtual classroom (2nd ed.).  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Phelan, L.  (2012).  Interrogating students’ perceptions of their online learning experiences with

Brookfield’s critical incident questionnaire.  Distance Education, 33(1). 31-44.

RSA 2: S.M.A.R.T. Goal Creator

http://www.rcoe.k12.ca.us/leadershipInstitute/smart_goal/index.php

The establishment of goals is one of the most important aspects of establishing a “results oriented” culture.  Results-oriented goals provide a PLC with the focus and direction that it needs to help all students succeed.  To ensure that goals are truly “community” goals, they must include team goals that are linked to school goals as well as school goals that are linked to district goals (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, & Many, 2010).  This requires that all members of the PLC have some say in the goals, but also that the goals are structured in a way that they can actually provide measureable and actionable results.  One of the best ways to do this is to utilize “SMART” goals, which DuFour et al. suggest are “essential to achieving results” (p. 172).

Unfortunately, developing SMART goals can be a confusing process for those who are new to the process.  Not only do poorly-conceived SMART goals provide little guidance for an organization, they also provide little in terms of useable “results.”  Luckily, teacher John Rose (n.d.) created the “S.M.A.R.T. Goal Creator,” an online application that can help educators better understand the components of SMART goals and how to piece those components together to produce results-oriented goals that can provide valuable information for a PLC.  While a simple application, it can quickly orient educators to the SMART goal process.

This resource would be especially useful for PLCs that are just starting out, or for beginning teachers who need to become familiar with SMART goals.  For well-established PLCs, this website could be used to produce district, school, and team goals that are uniformly formatted so that educators at all levels can quickly and easily interpret the PLC’s expectations and its measures of success.

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T.  (2010).  Learning by doing: A handbook for

professional learning communities at work (2nd ed.).  Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Rose, J. (n.d.).  S.M.A.R.T. goal creator.  Retrieved from

http://www.rcoe.k12.ca.us/leadershipInstitute/smart_goal/index.php

RSA 1: Evaluating School-Based Management: A Tool for Team Self-Review

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Collaboration in teams is obviously one of the most important aspects of a highly functioning PLC.  DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many (2010) discuss several ways that teams can be structured, as well as strategies to enhance the effectiveness of those teams by clarifying expectations, goals, operating norms, etc.  It is no secret that collaborating as a team on something that can be highly personal, such as teaching, can be a challenge, and that poorly-functioning teams can bring the PLC process to a screeching halt.

One aspect of working as a team that is not addressed by DuFour et al. is how to assess the functioning of the team itself, not just the goals and values that a team produces and shares.  Turnbull (2005) proposes a self-reflection checklist that can be used by team members “to evaluate the degree to which their values align with those of the school community as a whole and as a result increase the transparency of team decision-making and improve team accountability” (p. 74).  Her “values inquiry checklist” can be used as a tool for teams to evaluate their similarities and differences, allowing them to identify both areas of great importance to the team and areas of concern regarding team dynamics that must be addressed.   As a diagnostic tool, a checklist (modified for the specific mission of the group) can be administered on a regular basis to quantify how the team changes over time and to determine if the team is functioning efficiently and with purpose.

The use of a modified version of Turnbull’s checklist to evaluate the recommendations of DuFour et al. regarding team collaboration may help to diagnose problems and streamline the PLC process.  Such a checklist provides a “semi-quantitative” assessment approach that complements the team building processes and techniques advocated by DuFour et al.  It only seems appropriate that, in a PLC process guided by student data, there should also be some data that correspond to a team’s ability to collaborate.

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T.  (2010).  Learning by doing: A handbook for

professional learning communities at work (2nd ed.).  Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Turnbull, B.  (2005).  Evaluating school-based management: A tool for team self-review. 

International Journal of Leadership in Education, 8(1). 73-79.