STOCKHOLM - fashion week ss13, day 1, 08/27/12

TONI & GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe x FACEHUNTER photo-a-day challenge

Instagram and/or tweet a cool pic @hair_wardrobe with #hairmeetwardrobe in the next 14 days and win a Hair Meet Wardrobe styling session and photo shoot in the TONI&GUY Style Hub at London Fashion Week (including a trip to London and one night s hotel accommodation for the winner + one friend). This prize will only be available to one winner (plus a friend) in the UK.

Leather and Leopard

After a 6 years of endless wear, many 'where-did-you-get-that's and numerous near-misses in terms of losing it, my beloved Topshop leather jacket has finally succumbed to threadbare elbows and a slightly greenish tinge and subsequently forced me to, very guiltily, to reinvest in a shiny new biker courtesy of Whistles. 
London was unrelentingly hot yesterday but it was just about cool enough to throw on my new purchase for a few shots (and then hastily removing it to head down into the sweltering tube).
Worn here with vintage Levis cut-offs, LNA T-shirt, Bertie leopard pony skin boots, Topshop belt and Celine bag. 
The quilted leather biker jacket is called the Marlon quilted and is by Whistles.
Photos by James Wright

Turtle and the Hare

After a few days in Stockholm (AKA my new favourite city) for fashion week, I'm starting to look ahead to Winter's shorter days, longer nights, and it being cool enough to pull on my current knitwear of choice.Turtlenecks, polonecks, rollnecks-whatever you choose to call them, I plan on spending a lot of time in one as soon as the temperature starts to drop. The thought is almost making me look forward to the onset of Autumn.... 

wer-sind-die-kuenstler?de

Ein kurzer Einwurf meinerseits in die nicht enden wollende Debatte zum Stand des Urheberrechtes in der digitalen Gesellschaft. Bei der FAZ >>


wer-sind-die-kuenstler?de

Die Autorin und der Autor, die sich mit einem Glas samtigen Syrah zur Schrifterstellung niederlassen, berühren mit Gedanken in den Fingerspitzen die Tasten ihres Schreibgeröe4tes, streichen Gefühle über das Touchpad zwischen die Zeilen, blasen Rauch auf den Monitor und lecken den Schweiödf vom Bildschirmrand, wenn der letzte Satz des Abends sich schwarz von weiödfen Pixeln abhebt. In diesen Momenten, wenn die Worte von der Stirn in ein digitales Dokument flieödfen und vor den Augen in Zeichen aufflackern, denkt der Schreibende nur dann an das Urheberrecht, wenn er kurz zuvor wieder einmal eine Aufforderung für die Unterzeichnung eines offenen Briefes im E-Mail-Postfach hatte, oder eine Kollegin erzürnt in einer Wochenzeitung über die Rechte an ihren Ausführungen schrieb und klang, als höe4tte man dem literarischen Kind in ihr all seinen geistigen Beisitz grob aus der Hand geschlagen wie eine erdbeersüödfe Zuckerstange, die es nie wieder zwischen die Zöe4hne bekommen soll. Der eine Autor gibt dieser E-Mail nach, sie flackert so schrill im Postfach. Der andere löscht sie.

Es ist mitnichten die lukrative Verheiödfung des Urheberrechtes, die Textschaffende an ihre Schreibmaschinenen fesselt. Zum Künstler wird ein Kreativer nicht durch ein juristisches Regelwerk, sondern durch die Kunst selbst. Es steht auödfer Frage, dass Urheberschaft und der kommerzielle Umgang mit Werken rechtlich abgesichert sein müssen. Doch es überrascht, wie sehr in der aktuellen Debatte so viele Diskursteilnehmende die Bezeichnung im Klammergriff haben, als könne mit ihr ihnen zugleich ihr Talent, ihre Ideen und ihr Selbstverstöe4ndnis entgleiten. Als stünde eine Modernisierung des Urheberrechtes am Abgrund der freien Kunst und warte darauf sie zu zerfleischen und bloödf einen abgenagten Knochen zurückzulassen. Dabei beiödft die Diskussion um das Urheberrecht die Künstler nicht, sie gibt ihnen genau das, was sie am Leben erhöe4lt: eine Herausforderung. Unsicherheit. Fragezeichen.

weiterlesen ...

Mutterliebe

von Philipp Schiemann: Gedichte.

Ich war auf einem Kindergeburtstag
es liefen eine Menge toller Kinder herum
und auch einige gestörte

Die meisten Mütter schienen
ein dünnes Nervenkonstüm zu haben
man konnte ihnen ansehen
dass die Kinder ihnen mehr abforderten
als sie erwartet hatten
oder zu zuzugeben bereit waren

und in den Augen der meisten
blitzte neben zwangslöe4ufiger Geduld
und einem Ausdruck von Erschöpfung
das starke Verlangen

jenseits von schrillem Geschrei
und weichen Kinderliedern

hemmungslosen Sex zu haben

anders als vorher
die Zeit zu nutzen
und all die Kompromisse
und anderen Tröe4ume
die für die Erfüllung des einen weichen mussten
mit einem saftigen innigen Fick

abzustreifen

An diesem Nachmittag
war ich der einzige Vater
allein unter Frauen
und ich muödf sagen

Jesus Christus
ihr braucht euch nicht zu verstecken

Eure Liebe ist straight
scharf wie ein Messer

privatkopie

Ich schenke dir eine Privatkopie meiner Liebe. Wenn sie dir ans Herz wöe4chst, gibst du sie hoffentlich weiter. Oder du schreibst darüber. Der Kuss, denn ich eben in deine Brust gebissen habe, fühlte sich ein biödfchen an wie der Klick auf den illegalen Download. Ich will dich sofort und ohne Erlaubnis. Ich will dich ein biödfchen heimlich, und schnell und entschlüsselt. Du bist sauber in dem Verzeichnis meiner Liebhaber abgelegt. Eine Datei ohne Ablaufdatum. Das Internet und ich vergessen nichts. Im Halbschlaf spüre ich deinen Atem in meinem Haar und weiödf wie du schmeckst. Es ist so, dass dort, wo ich mich sortiere, zu viel Liebe ist. Der Rosengarten romantischer Liebe war sauber abgesteckt: in Form einer Diskette. Die Dornen hatten versprochen nicht darüber hinaus zu wachsen. Das Netz hingegen, mit dem ich aufwuchs, ist ein Dickicht, das an weite Felder grenzt. Wir haben die Pfade einander verraten und an den Kreuzungen gesehen, dass Gefühle ein Virus sind. Je mehr wir miteinander geteilt haben, desto mehr Küsse und Bisse fielen vor unsere Füödfe und haben sich in dem wohligen Chaos zwei/drei/vier neue Besitzer gesucht. Ich kann diese moderne Sharing-Kultur ernst zu nehmen und nicht Halt bei dem Ordner machen, in den ich Lieder lege. Die Liebe liegt in meiner Brusttasche. Sie ist immer zur Stelle, wenn ich sie auf euch hetzen will.

Sag öbbJaöab zur 24-Stunden-Kita

Ein neuer Text im FAZ-Blog über Arbeitskultur und Leben.

>> Sag ja zur 24-Stunden-Kita!

"Den fehlenden Zweifel daran, dass man auf eine Art und Weise arbeiten muss um Lebenstauglichkeit zu beweisen, dabei aber in Wahrheit kein Leben mehr übrig bleibt, sondern nur noch ein müdes Existieren, bringt die Autorin Laurie Penny auf den Punkt: "Im zeitgenössischen Pseudo-Feminismus dreht sich alles um die Kraft des öbbJaöab." Ein "Ja", das sich kritiklos in den Rachen der Leistungsgesellschaft wirft. Ja, wir wollen die 60-Stunden-Woche und Wochenendarbeit noch dazu. Ja, wir wollen die ersten E-Mails unter der Dusche beantworten, die Haare praktisch kurz und beige Hosenanzüge tragen. Ja, wir wollen unsere Eizellen einfrieren und ein Kind mit 45. Ja, wir wollen eine Kita, die bis 24 Uhr geöffnet hat und eine Fernbeziehung, die uns Freiraum gibt. Ja, wir wollen ein Jahr lang Betreuungsgeld, solange es die Hartz-IV-Empföe4ngerin nicht bekommt. Ja, denn damit bezahlen wir die polnische Putzfrau, die auf dem Küchenboden kniend so reizend melancholisch schaut. Ja, auch die Rente mit 72 finden wir klasse, denn mit einem Burnout im Studentenalter ist es hoch wahrscheinlich, dass wir diesen Zeitpunkt gar nicht mehr erleben."


Den kompletten Artikel findet ihr nach dem Klick >>

Baddeley (1934) complexity of working memory

Working memory is the door through which all learning must enter, so it is important to know what it is and its limitations. Baddeley looked specifically at encoding . to unpack what he called working memory to replace the previous, simpler short-term memory model. This is important as a working knowledge of working memory can lead to better teaching and learning. By designing material which is optimised for getting through working memory to long-term memory, significant improvements are theoretically possible.Working memoryWorking memory, he showed, had three components: 1. Executive decision making2. Verbal rehearsal loop3. Visuospatial sketch padEpisodic buffer

The original 1968 model had three components but he refined the model in 2000 with the addition of an Episodic buffer . So the three slave systems are: 1) The phonological loop which takes auditory information as sound or from written language which is rehearsed through our inner voice ; 2) The visuospatial sketch pad copes with visual information such as space, shape, colour, location and movement, and 3)The episodic buffer adds the dimension of time and integrates experiences.E-learningThere are often questions in e-learning about the presentation of audio and text. Should audio accompany text or be heard on its own. Clark & Meyer recommend not confusing working memory by playing both at the same time. This seems to cause problems with attention through interferences or switching. So research into memory and the way we cope with different media can help with media mix choices. Cognitive overload, an almost constant problem in learning, especially long lectures and experiences where the learner has no control over the pace of presentation, is another issue illuminated by research into working memory.ConclusionThe phonological loop has resulted in much fruitful research around vocabulary and language acquisition. By exposing the complexity and components of working memory, a huge amount of subsequent research was possible. An interesting line of inquiry os whether working memory can be trained to improve and result in significant improvements in learning.BibliographyBaddeley, A. D., & Baddeley, A. D. (2007). Working memory, thought, and action. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Baddeley, A.D. (1990) Human Memory: Theory and Practice. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Baddeley, A.D., Hitch, G.J.L (1974). Working Memory, In G.A. Bower (Ed.),Baddeley, A.D., Thompson, N., and Buchanan, M., 1975. Word Length and the Structure of Memory, in Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour, I, 575-589.

Tulving (1927 - ) Cue memory: episodic & semantic memories and, encoding

Endel Tulving, in 1972, made an important distinction in our long-term memory between episodicmemory (remembered experiences and events in time and space) and semantic memory (facts, ideas, concepts, rules independent of time and space). This was largely based on an analysis of internal memory states, and the experimental testing of memories, an anathema to pure behaviourists. It was also confirmed by brain damage studies. His 1983 paper Elements of Episodic Memory has become a classic in memory theory. Episodic and semantic memoryEpisodic memory is important for our sense of identity, in that it places us in time and helps define who we are. Episodic memory makes time travel possible, a skill that stood us in good stead when remembering past experiences, predicting future events and deciding what to do based on this recalled knowledge. This cognitive function must have played a significant role in our evolutionary past. Episodic memory is thought to have evolved out of semantic memory and relies, to a degree, on semantic memory. Semantic memories, stored categorically, are quicker to recall than episodic memories that are stored temporally.Elaboration through cuesEpisodic memories are encoded, Tulving has shown, through cues that overlap the memories themselves. These cues allow retrieval. The theory therefore explains memory failure, not so much in terms of memory decay, as failure in retrieval. Research on cues and retrieval have shown that context and physical environment do improve memory, encouraging the view that learning should take place in the context in which it is likely to be used. Semantic memories may be turned into episodic memories through loci and peg systems. For examples historical sequences placed along a known route.Encoding is perhaps the one area of memory theory that has the most direct impact on learning, as understanding encoding can led to both better teaching and better learning. Tulving showed the importance of cues and when learners make the effort to identify and note down cues they improve retention (an obvious example is mnemonics). We now know the difference between maintenance and elaborative encoding strategies. (Elaborative encoding leads to deeper processing and therefore better learning.) We also know that the organisation of learning is important in terms of relating new learning to previous knowledge, emotional and context.E-learningDoes the distinction have relevance for the use of technology in learning? Media mix is one area of interest where one tries to match the appropriate media to the most appropriate type of memory, as well as using useful cues. Video and the use of scenarios to illustrate behaviour may appeal to episodic memory and the contextual cues may be more appropriate for learned behaviour in specific real world contexts.ConclusionTulving s work distinguishing episodic from semantic memory is important for those who teach or learn. It is an important guide for pedagogy in terms of what medium one should use as well as appropriate cues for encoding and retrieval. He has given us the theoretical understanding that supports the use of tools that encourage the organisation of learning and content. Memory is not monolithic and Tulving showed us that the differences are instructive.BibliographyTulving, E. (1972). Episodic and semantic memory. In E. Tulving and W. Donaldson (Eds.), Organization of Memory (pp. 381-402). New York: Academic Press.Tulving, E. & Madigan, S. A. (1970). Memory and verbal learning. Annual Review of Psychology, 21, 437-484.Tulving, E. (1983). Elements of Episodic Memory. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Foer, J. (2011). Moonwalking with Einstein: The art and science of remembering everything. New York: Penguin Press.Tammet, D. (2009). Embracing the wide sky: A tour across the horizons of the mind. London: Hodder Paperbacks.

Kandel (1929 - ) Nobel Prize winning learning theorist

With a Nobel Prize (with Arvid Carlsson & Paul Greengard) for his work on learning and memory, Eric Kandel s is a towering figure in the science of learning. Yet he is barely known among learning professionals. His interest in memory came from an interest in psychoanalysis but also reflection on his own experiences as a child in Vienna and his escape from the Nazis in 1939. But it was solid science and laboratory work in the US, and the realisation that memory does not reside in neurons but in the reconfiguration of their connections that drove him forward.Learning is memoryLearning, for Kandel, is the ability to acquire new ideas from experience and retain them as memories (a simple fact often overlooked). His insight was to first recognise that the functional and biochemical features of nerves and synapses in snails, worms and flies are not substantially different from mammals and humans. His work on giant marine snails uncovered not only the physiological but molecular pathways in short-term memory but also storage in long-term memory through spaced practice.Initially, he focused on implicit (procedural) memories such as habituation, sensitisation and classical conditioning skills and habits, but then moved into explicit (declarative) facts and events, where he made further discoveries about the molecular mechanisms in memory. He then moved on to the identification of memory at the molecular level showing that long-terms memory used protein synthesis, namely chemical change in the process of memorisation, unlike short-term memory. Short term memory storage modifies existing proteins and alters existing synaptic connections. Long-term storage involves gene activation, the creation of new protein and new synaptic connections. Kandel therefore found the link between experience and biology. Learning could now be seen as experience captured as cellular change. Relevance to learningEven without Kandel's chemical and physiological confirmation, we have an abundance of psychological evidence showing that the distinction between short and long-term memory is clear. Why then is it so often ignored? If this seems a little too abstract consider how hooked education and training is on short-term memory experiences and assessment. We know how deficient short-term memory is because there is no fundamental chemical and physiological change, whereas long-term memory does involve chemical and physiological change. A simple change in focus away from short-term, once-only, event based teaching would radically alter almost everything in education and training. These discoveries also open up the possibility, not only of enhancing and curing disorders such as Alzheimer s disease, but understanding how learning actually works, leading to significant improvements in practice.E-learningNow that we have strong physiological, cellular and molecular evidence for the difference between short and long term memory, we can apply technology to enhancing learning through spaced practice. At a very basic level, recording all lectures for repeated access to the content by students is just one of many changes one could implement in education. Improving attention, feedback and reinforcement to improve the move from short to long term memory by avoiding cognitive overload, eith better elaboration and deeper processing is surely what technology promises to deliver.ConclusionKandel has identified some of the chemical pathways of memory and therefore learning, for both short and long-term memory. This is important as an understanding of the physiological mechanisms in memory may hold answers to questions of improving memory and learning.In practice, the very basic lessons from memory theory are ignored in education and training. Largely, we have sheep-dip courses, cognitive overload, poor encoding, too much emphasis on facts, little in the way of spaced practice and cramming leading to temporary success in summative assessment. The net result is little, long-term retention and application. We teach and train to forget.BibliographyKandel, E. R. (2006). In search of memory: The emergence of a new science of mind. New York: W.W. Norton & CoKandel, E. R. (2012). The age of insight: The quest to understand the unconscious in art, mind, and brain : from Vienna 1900 to the present. New York: Random House

Mager endash Mr learning objectives. In this course you willö85..yawn, yawn!

Robert Mager published the second edition of his book Preparing Instructional Objectives in 1975 (first edition1962). It was an attempt to bring some rigour to the often woolly world of education and training by making learning professionals start with clear goals. It essentially says, start with the end point and work backwards. Additionally, his Criterion Referenced Instruction (CRI), an extension of Gagne s method of instruction, is a method for the design and delivery of training. His aim was to produce a more rigorous and precise approach to the design of learning experiences based on competences and assessment that relate to defined learning or performance objectives.Learning objectivesLearning objectives should be designed to determine the outcomes of learning. A good learning objective has to have three primary components of an objective:1. Conditions. An objective always states the important conditions (if any) under which the performance is to occur. This could include tools, assistance or assumptions.2. Performance. An objective always says what a learner is specifically expected to be able to do and may also describe the product or the result of the doing. 3. Criterion. Wherever possible, an objective describes the criterion of acceptable performance by describing how well the learner must perform in order to be considered acceptable.Mager held that an important part of writing good objectives was to use doing words . These are words which describe a performance (e.g., identify, select, recall) acts which can be observed and measured. Words to avoid are fuzzy terms that describe abstract states of being (e.g. know, learn, appreciate, be aware) which are difficult to observe or measure. Mager's model is still used as a guide to good objective writing. Criterion Referenced InstructionHis Criterion Referenced Instruction (CRI) framework is a set of methods for the design and delivery of training programs. It relies on a detailed task analysis, the identification of performance objectives, then assessment against those objectives and a modular course structure that represents the performance objectives.Criterion Referenced Instruction (CRI) was based on five principles:1. Competences - Instructional objectives derived from job performance should reflect the competencies (knowledge and skills) that need to be learned.2. Scope - Learners study and practice only those skills not yet mastered to the level required by the objectives.3. Practice - Learners must practice each skill and get feedback about the quality of their performance.4. Reinforcement - Learners need repeated practice in key skills that are to be used often or are difficult to learn.5. Autonomy - Learners have some freedom to choose the order in which to complete modules and progress self-paced based on their mastery of the objectives.The advantage of this approach is that is prevents the teacher, trainer or lecturer from falling into the trap of delivering just abstract knowledge, regurgitated in written answers and essays. It pushes learners into in mastery of defined knowledge and the practice of real skills. Note that these skills may be academic e.g. analyses, critical thinking, communication and so on.CriticismPerformance objectives can be tricky to define and miss some of the subtler aspects of the learning experience. It can lead to an over-emphasis on objectives and assessments that turn many learning events into dull and demotivating experiences for learners. The approach may also miss key issues around motivation, engagement and attention. For example, many learning experiences, be they classes, lectures, manuals or e-learning courses are plagued by dull learning objectives presented as the first event, (At the end of this course you willö85.) thereby dulling down the experience and failing to initially engage and increase attention.E-learningCRI promoted the idea of self-paced learning using a variety of media. It heavily influenced the objective-led, modular, self-paced, assessed design model that has become common in e-learning. Some have argued that it has led to the dominance of the ADDIE model. Opponents of this model prefer a more complex, iterative or rapid development models. However, for learning talks where the outcomes are clear, the model still has some worth.ConclusionOn the positive side, Mager, like Gagne, introduced rigour into the process of instructional design. In his case, these were; learning objectives, competences and assessments. It brought discipline to training and design by pushing professionals to match learning to performance. However, behaviourism still underpinned the approach. Learners were, in effect, seen as subject to be conditioned to meet behavioural objectives and behaviourism tends to encourage behaviour at the expense of other important cognitive functions such as motivation, attention, context and so on.BibliographyMager, R. (1962). Preparing Instructional Objectives Palo Alto, Calif.: Fearon PublishersMager, R. (1975). Preparing Instructional Objectives (2nd Edition). Belmont, CA: Lake Publishing Co. Mager, R. & Pipe, P. (1984). Analyzing Performance Problems, or You Really Oughta Wanna (2nd Edition). Belmont, CA: Lake Publishing Co. Mager, R. (1988). Making Instruction Work. Belmont, CA: Lake Publishing Co. 

Gagne (1916 - 2002) Universal recipe for learning (9 steps)

Robert M Gagne is best known for his nine steps for instructional design. Hetook an interest in the information processing view of learning and memory in The Conditions of Learning (1965), which outlined his learning theory. An article Learning Hierarchies in 1968 was followed by Domains of Learning in 1972. In these texts he developed his five categories of learning and a universal method for instruction defined in his nine instructional steps.Five categories of learningGagne s theory has five categories of learning:1. Intellectual Skills: Demonstrated by classifying things and problem solving2. Cognitive strategies: Demonstrated by their use and appropriate application3. Verbal information: Demonstrated by stating the information accurately4. Motor skills: Demonstrated by physical performance5. Attitudes: Demonstrated by preferring optionsThis was an attempt to move beyond and widen Bloom s tripartite distinction: Cognitive (knowledge) Psychomotor (skills) and Affective (attitude), with a taxonomy that focuses on real world activities, rather than abstractions.Nine instructional stepsBut he is better known for his single method of instruction that can be applied to all five of his categories of learning. This instructional process was to be the recipe for good instructional design. You were expected to move through them, step by step.1. Gaining attention: Get the learner into an expectant state2. Stating the objective: Get the learner to understand what they will be able to do as a result of the instruction3. Stimulating recall of prior learning: Get the learner to appreciate that they posses existing relevant knowledge4. Presenting the stimulus: Expose the learner to the content5. Providing learning guidance: Get the learner to understand the content6. Eliciting performance: Get the learner to demonstrate what they have learned7. Providing feedback: Inform the learner about their performance8. Assessing performance: Reinforce the learning9. Enhancing retention and transfer to other contexts: Get the learner to indulge in varied practice and to generalise the new capabilityCriticism  Gaining attention is often reduced to clichöe9d ice breakers or overlong animation in e-learning and rarely a truly engaging interactive event. In Stating the objective the learner is often presented with a dull list of objectives (At the end of this course you willö85). This works against the attention and arousal, necessary for learning. There is a strong argument for emotional engagement at the start of a learning experience and not a dull list of objectives. Stimulating recall of prior learning is fine but not if the content is truly new to the learner who has no real past experience to draw on and Presenting the stimulus betrays behaviourist tendencies. However, Providing learning guidance , Eliciting performance , Providing feedback and Assessing performance are all sound strategies, as is Enhancing retention and transfer to other contexts . In practice, much of this is reduced to exposition.Learning and instructional designers often use Gagne s nine steps and there is much to commend if it is seen as a checklist. However, it can be argued that his instructional ladder leads to predictable and over-structured learning experiences, a straightjacket that strips away any sense of build and wonder. It is also inappropriate for all learning strategies, as he claimed. Scenario-based learning, many types of simulation, games pedagogies and sophisticated adaptive learning are just a few techniques that do not fit readily into this step-by-step recipe.E-learningGagne has influenced much of what has appeared as self-paced e-learning over the last 30 years. This has served designers well for simple self-paced e-learning, but the step-by-step approach is now seen as inappropriate for alternative informal learning, especially informal learning and more advanced pedagogies. Some see this approach as producing formulaic, often uninspiring and over-long courses.ConclusionGagne was one an early learning theorists who provided some simple and practical advice on instructional design, which in some way accounts for his success. Although his instructional model is not applicable to all types of learning, and can be seen as a restriction, he brought a certain method to design which produced lots of solid learning experiences and content. BibliographyGagne, R. M. (1965). The Conditions of Learning, New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.Gagnöe9, R. M. (1970). Basic studies of learning hierarchies in school subjects. Berkeley,Calif: University of California.Gagnöe9, R. M., Richey, R., ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology., International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction., & United States. (2000).The legacy of Robert M. Gagnöe9. Syracuse, N.Y: ERIC Clearinghouse on Information & Technology, Syracuse University

Kolb - Experience & learning: a 4 stage cycle, also learning styles (doomed to succeed!)

David Kolb is best known for his work on experiential learning. Heavily influenced by Dewey, and Piaget, he preferred an experiential model for learning, as opposed to purely cognitive models. We obviously learn much from experience, either formally in terms of structured exposure in training or in work and life itself through informal learning. Kolb and others since have tried to examine how we learn experientially and how this can be used to guide instructional strategies.Four stage learning cycleKolb (with Roger Fry) created his famous four stage learning cycle.
He claims that we can enter the cycle at any point and that learning is really a process of looping round and round, seeing improvement on each loop. We may, for example, be able to do something but not express it in abstract terms. In the end, however, learning is formed through real experience, where one s ideas are put to the test. Feedback then shapes the learning so that performance improves.Learning stylesIn Experiential LearningKolb presents a learning styles theory:Convergerslike to take abstract ideas and reason then apply them to solve problemsDivergersuse concrete experience and reflective observation to come up with imaginative solutionsAssimilatorstake abstract ideas and reason and combine it with reflective observationAccommodatorsuse concrete experience and active experimentation and like to get on with doing thingsThis schema gave rise to a learning styles assessment that could be used to determine the most appropriate form of learning for that individual. CritiqueModels such as Kolb s four stage, experiential, cycle model can be over-simplistic. They rarely match the reality of the learning process and one can argue that stages can be skipped or performed in parallel. Subsequent tests of the model by Jarvis (1987, 1995) have indeed shown that things are more complex. The model is less of a cycle and more of a causal web. Others have argued that it pays too little attention to theory, information tasks, memorisation and reflection. Research into skills acquisition and the use of simulators has taken us well beyond the Kolb model into far more sophisticated analyses of learning and practice through experience.On learning styles, it is hard to believe that people fall into these categories or that learning styles do, as many learning styles theorists claim, usually fall neatly into four categories. One negative influence on learning theory, although Kolb cannot be held responsible, is that the model had a direct influence on Honey and Mumford s learning styles theory leading to a simplistic, four-category description of types of learning and learners. Neither Kolb nor Honey & Mumford s learning styles theory were in any real sense, empirically researched. In fact recent research as doubted their usefulness and thrown doubt on their very existence.ConclusionKolb is a refreshing alternative to the overemphasis on academic, knowledge-based learning and the idea of cyclical learning informed by experience is sound, as is the importance of formative experiences themselves in learning. However we must be careful in reducing experiential learning or learning by doing to such a simple schema. Although this model is a useful guide, in practice, the design of experiential learning is more complex.BibliographyKolb, D. A. (1984) Experiential Learning, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.: Prentice Hall. Kolb, D. A. (1976) The Learning Style Inventory: Technical Manual, Boston, Ma.: McBer.Kolb, D. A. (with J. Osland and I. Rubin) (1995a) Organizational Behavior: An Experiential Approach to Human Behavior in Organizations 6e, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.Kolb. D. A. and Fry, R. (1975) 'Toward an applied theory of experiential learning;, in C. Cooper (ed.) Theories of Group Process, London: John Wiley.Jarvis, P. (1987) Adult Learning in the Social Context, London: Croom Helm. 220 pages. Jarvis P. (1995) Adult and Continuing Education. Theory and practice 2e, London: Routledge.

Bloom (1913-1999) one e-learning paper you must read plus his taxonomy of learning

Bloom and e-learningOne famous paper by Benjamin Bloom, The 2 Sigma Problem, compared the lecture, formative feedback lecture and one-to-one tuition. Taking the straight lecture as the mean, he found an 84% increase in mastery above the mean for a formative approach to teaching and an astonishing 98% increase in mastery for one-to-one tuition. Google s Peter Norvig famously said that if you only have to read one paper to support e-learning, this is it. In other words, the increase in efficacy for one-to-one because of the increase in on-task learning is immense. This paper deserves to be read by anyone looking at improving the efficacy of learning as it shows hugely significant improvements by simply altering the way teachers interact with learners. E-learning, in the widest sense of the word promises what Bloom called one-to-one learning , whether it s through self-paced structured learning, scenario-based learning, simulations or informal learning.Bloom s taxonomyHowever, Bloom is far better known for his hugely influential classification of learning behaviours and provided concrete measures for identifying different levels of learning. His taxonomy includes three overlapping domains;

1. Cognitive (knowledge)
2. Psychomotor (skills)
3. Affective (attitude)

It was devised to assist teachers to classify educational goals and plan and evaluate learning experiences. Unfortunately, this is about as far as most people get. They rarely dig deeper into his further six levels in the cognitive, six different aspects of psychomotor skills and his less useful, three types of affective.Six levels of learningThis domain consisted of six levels, each with specific learning behaviours and descriptive verbs that could be used when writing instructional objectives.Cognitive learning1. Knowledgeöb7         Observation and recall of informationöb7         Knowledge of dates, events, placesöb7         Knowledge of major ideasöb7         Mastery of subject matteröb7         Verbs: list, define, tell, describe, identify, show, label, collect, examine, tabulate, , name, who, when, where, etc2. Comprehensionöb7         Understanding informationöb7         Grasp meaningöb7         Translate knowledge into new conceptöb7         Interpret facts, compare, contrastöb7         Order, group, infer causesöb7         Predict consequencesöb7         Verbs: summarise, interpret, contrast, predict, associate, distinguish, estimate, differentiate, discuss, extend, etc3. Applicationöb7         Use informationöb7         Use methods, concepts, theories in new situationsöb7         Solve problems using required skills or knowledgeöb7         Verbs: apply, demonstrate, calculate, complete, illustrate, show, solve, examine, modify, relate, change, classify, experiment, discover, etc4. Analysisöb7         Seeing patternsöb7         Organising of partsöb7         Recognition of hidden meaningsöb7         Identification of componentsöb7         Verbs: analyse, separate, order, explain, connect, classify, arrange, divide, compare, select, explain, infer, etc5. Synthesisöb7         Use old ideas to create new onesöb7         Generalise from given factsöb7         Relate knowledge from several areasöb7         Predict, raw conclusionsöb7         Verbs: combine, integrate, modify, rearrange, substitute, plan, create, design, invent, what if?, compose, formulate, prepare, generalise, rewrite, etc6. Evaluationöb7         Compare and discriminate between ideasöb7         Assess value of theories and presentationsöb7         Make choices based on reasoned argumentöb7         Verify value of evidenceöb7         Recognise subjectivityöb7         Verbs: assess, decide, rank, grade, test, measure, recommend, convince, select, judge, explain, discriminate, support, conclude, compare, summarise, etcPsychomotor LearningReflex:Objectives not usually set at this basic levelFundamental movementsApplicable mostly to young childrenDescriptive verbs: crawl, run, jump, change direction, etc.Perceptual abilities:Descriptive verbs: catch, write, balance, distinguish, manipulate, etc.Physical abilitiesDescriptive verbs: stop, increase, move quickly, change, react, etc.Skilled movements:Descriptive verbs: play, hit, swim, dive, use, etcNon-discursive communication:Descriptive verbs: express, create, mime, design, interpret, etc.Affective LearningAttitudes of awareness, interest, attention, concern, and responsibilityAbility to listen and respond in interactions with othersAbility to demonstrate those attitudinal characteristics, or values, which are appropriate to the situation and field of studyCriticismJust three years before behaviourism was to receive its fatal blow from Noam Chomsky, Bloom published his now famous taxonomy of learning. Few realise that this taxonomy is now 50 years old. There have been lots of taxonomies since then that slice and dice, many variations on existing categories. Indeed we've had dozens of taxonomies which sliced and diced in all sorts of ways. We've had Biggs, Wills, Bateson, Belbin and dozens more. We seem to got stuck in the Bloom  taxonomy. The problem with taxonomies is their attempt to pin down the complexity of cognition in a list of simple categories. In practice, learning doesn t fall into these neat divisions. It s a much more complex and messier set of cognitive processes, so attention has shifted to how learning meshes with memory and techniques that improve organisation, chunking, encoding, practice and recall.Another danger is that instructionalists, like Gagne, take these taxonomies and attempt to design learning that matches these categories, destroying much of the more useful approaches which an understanding of brain science brings; such as cognitive overload, working memory limitations, top-down processing and so on. Learning theory has moved on in terms of a more detailed understanding of memory, which has put everything on a more empirical and scientific basis.ConclusionWe have Bloom to thank for addressing the basic but important issue in education endash that group learning is not always better learning. He showed that formative feedback and one-to-one tuition are indeed powerful amplifiers of learning. Bloom was also the first to really establish a solid, working taxonomy of learning, had to have his theories extended, as people realised that the tripartite classification was too narrow. The cognitive, psychomotor and affective distinction is still widely used today, which is either a testimony to Bloom s vision, or a tendency for the training world to become stuck in old models. His taxonomy was at least a start, which ultimately led to a more professional approach to instructional practice.BibliographyBloom, B.S. (Ed.) (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals: Handbook I, cognitive domain. Longmans, Green.Bloom, B. (1984). The 2 Sigma Problem: The Search for Methods of Group Instruction as Effective as One-to-One Tutoring, Educational Researcher, 13:6(4-16).Guskey, T. R. (2005).Benjamin S. Bloom: Portraits of an educator. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Maslow (1908 - 1970) Hierarchy of needs. 5 or 7 levels? Useful or useless?

Abraham Maslow, the American psychologist, claimed that living beings prioritise needs. In his paper, A Theory of Human Motivation, published in 1943, he took a rather simplistic view of developmental psychology based on an examination of successful people. The hierarchical theory was fully realised in his 1954 book Motivation and personality where hestripped learning and training back to a hierarchy of basic human needs and desires, in an attempt to understand what motivates people to learn.
Hierarchy of needsHe created a hierarchy of needs, with five layers:

Deficit  or D-needsThe first four are all deficit or D-needs . If they are not present, you ll feel their absence and yearn for them. When each is satisfied you reach a state of homeostasis where the yearning stops. All of these are survival needs and mostly genetic. Self-actualisationThe last, self-actualisation, does not involve homeostasis, but once felt is always there. Maslow saw this as applying to a tiny number of people, whose basic four levels are satisfied leaving them free to look beyond their deficit needs. He used a qualitative technique called biographical analysis where he looked at high achievers and found that they enjoyed solitude, close relationships with a few rather than many, autonomy and resist social norms. Spontaneity, simplicity and respect for others were other characteristics.Changed from 5 to 7 levels of needsWhat is rarely known is that Maslow in 1970 changed his original model, developed in the 1950s, from 5 to 7 levels of needs. He added 'Know and Understand' and 'Aesthetic'. This upgraded model was largely ignored, as the earlier model had become so embedded in teacher and trainer training courses.CriticismAlthough hugely influential, his work was never tested experimentally and his biographical analysis was armchair research. The self-actualisation theory is now regarded as of no real relevance. Another problem is his slapdash use of evidence. Self-actualised people are selected by him then used as evidence for self-actualisation. As there is no control group, this is simply circular. An even weaker aspect of the theory is its strict hierarchy. It is not at all clear that the higher needs cannot be fulfilled until the lower needs are satisfied. There are many counter-examples and indeed, creativity can atrophy and die on the back of success. In short, subsequent research has shown that his hierarchy is crude, as needs are pursued non-hierarchically, often in parallel. His hierarchy is often hauled into teacher training programmes, without any real understanding of why and whether the theory is indeed correct beyond some simple truisms. Indeed, apart from being fossilised as a component in bad teacher-training and train the trainer courses it is hard to see how it has any real relevance to what teachers, trainers, lecturers or instructors actually do when they teach.ConclusionMaslow has been almost omnipresent in education and training. However, it is not clear that his theory has had any real effect in real education and training. This is an entry from Maslow's own journal in 1962, 'My motivation theory was published 20 years ago, & in all that time nobody repeated it, or tested it, or really analyzed it or criticized it. They just used it, swallowed it whole with only the most minor modifications'. He was right. It isn t a hierarchy, wasn t tested and as a theory of human nature it is simplistic and banal. It seems to live on, perhaps because of the colourful triangle that looks great as a PowerPoint slide!BibliographyMaslow, A. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York: Harper.Maslow, A. (1971). The farther reaches of human nature. New York: The Viking Press. Maslow, A., & Lowery, R. (Ed.). (1998). Toward a psychology of being (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley & Sons.Wahba, A; Bridgewell, L (1976). "Maslow reconsidered: A review of research on the need hierarchy theory". Organizational Behavior and Human Performance (15): 212endash 240.

Calvin (1509-1564) teachers as preachers, sin and the deficit model of schooling

Education as a religious imperativeCalvin, with Luther, was a hugely influential Protestant reformer who attacked the Catholic Church and worked towards a return to a more basic form of Christianity based on a personal relationship between God the creator and his subjects. It is also important to remember that his intellectual lineage from St Augustine, so predestination, sin and eternal damnation figured large in his theological beliefs. In education, this reformed approach gave new impetus to self-improvement and universal schooling, made possible by the massive rise of printed books. School as secular salvationWe must know only God and ourselves through scripture. Idolatry and ritual were to be shunned. We are fallen creatures, with the burden of original sin and have to find redemption through Christ. This fight against sin was to shape schooling and education in Northern Europe and North America for centuries, with its deficit model, matched by righteous schoolmasters who had to drill, beat and moralise leaners into improvement. Discipline, attention and punctuality were to become the virtues of the schoolroom. Illich thought that Calvinism had literally shaped schooling as we know it, with school as the new form of secular salvation.Universal educationHis second influence is on his emphasis one universal education from an early age. Education was part of the Protestant mission and compulsory schooling was to be encouraged for all and so he encouraged the building of schools and free schooling for all, especially the poor. Through reformers like John Knox, schools were formed in every parish and they were to shape the Prussian model under Friedrich Wilhelm I, then the Napoleonic model and much of modern institutional learning, even into North America.Calvin and printLiteracy was a virtue as it enabled the personal study of scripture direct from the printed word. Luther was another great influence on this policy. As an active promoter of the new publishing industry, he saw our personal relationship with God being truly mediated, not by the church and priests, but through personal reflection. Calvin s support for the printed word, mostly scripture, came at a time in Europe when the print revolution was exploding and as books were no longer scarce, reading became a major pedagogic force.Teaching as preachingPerhaps his most enduring, influence is on preaching, exposition and the repetition as pedagogic techniques. In other words, the traits of the preacher were to become that of the teacher. Regular singing of Psalms, repetition of the Lord s Prayer, moral assemblies each morning all made their way into schooling, reinforced in the Victorian era when schooling became compulsory and large numbers of children had to be looked after and schooled, as their parents were working in factories. We are still mired in this protestant pedagogy, if not its theological predilictions.CriticismIt has been argued that the Reformation, and Calvinism in particular, sees education as the rectification of weakness and not the building of strengths. What is produced and exposed is not success but failure, leading to fixed curricula, obsessive testing and a deficit model that interprets education in pathological terms. It can also be argued that many of the institutional behaviours and practices in schools regiment children in a way that as unnatural and unnecessarily restrictive. Morning assemblies, the teacher as transmitter of knowledge , rows of desks, bells on the hour, drill and practice, can be seen as strict Calvinist practices, where students are regarded as sinful beings that have to be saved from ignorance.ConclusionCalvin s influence on education through universal schooling has been immense, as is his influence on attitudes towards education as a deficit model, where the students are seen from the start as a flawed creatures. This led to methods of teaching that are only now being re-examined. In a sense Calvin has been a curse and a blessing, with his emphasis on the virtues of education combined with the vices of, for example, teachers as preachers.BibliographyCalvin, J. Institutes for the Christian ReligionTillich, Paul, (1968) History of Christian Thought, New York: Harper and RowReid, W. S. (1972) John Calvin: His Influence on the Western World, Michigan: ZondervanGraham, W. Fred (1971), The Constructive Revolutionary: John Calvin and His Socio-Economic Impact, Richmond, Virginia: John Knox PressHelm, Paul (2004),John Calvin's Ideas, Oxford