M. David Merrill (merrill@cc.usu.edu)
Fri, 26 Feb 1999 19:12:53 -0700
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 19:12:53 -0700 From: "M. David Merrill" <merrill@cc.usu.edu> Subject: Re: IFETS-DISCUSS Digest - 24 Feb 1999 to 25 Feb 1999
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I don't disagree with Marcel. I was not arguing that all learners should
be self directed once-and-for-all. In fact his argument supports my
argument that learners need direction and that that direction must include
strategies appropriate to the goal of their learning. It is probably true
that they need to revert back to direct instruction in new areas and that
self direction results after familiarity with a given domain. I would
argue for general instructional strategies that do cut across domains, but
when encountering a new domain the student must receive consistent guidance
in that domain.
Dave Merrill
At 02:47 PM 2/26/99 -0600, you wrote:
>I have been observing the discussion with great curiosity. Perhaps I have
>an observation to make that might be useful for this topic.
>
>David Merrill wrote:
>
>>Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 12:35:49 -0700
>>From: "M. David Merrill" <merrill@cc.usu.edu>
>>Subject: Re: "Learning Strategies Then and Now: Same or Different?"
>>
>>List address to send message to everyone: ifets-discuss@LISTSERV.READADP.COM
>>Details of current discussion: http://zeus.gmd.de/ifets/discuss.html
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>>
>>A very late after the discussion is over.
>>Peter Arashiro's distinction between who is responsible here? the student
>>or the instruction? inspires me to make the following comment which is at
>>the heart of my argument.
>>
>>1. The great goal of education is self-directed learners. I assume that
>>we all want the learner to ultimately be in charge of their learning.
>>However, there is ample evidence that many learners don't know how to
>>learn. If they did we could dispense with this very expensive enterprise
>>called education and training. However, since they don't then the
>>collective wisdom of many generations is that some sort of formal education
>>is required to help them.
>
>I believe that there is a fundamental error in this argument. The
>assumption seems to be - and it is prevalent - that once learners become
>self-directed they will not need assistance with another learning task.
>Once our learners can be trained to learn, they will never need another
>teacher. I do not believe this. My take on the self-directed learning
>(SDL) reserach is that SDL is quite task specific. A person can be
>self-directed in one area and not in another. The neglected factor here is
>familiarity with area to be learned, and the resulting confidence that it
>brings.
>
>This mistaking a generalized SDL readiness is akin to the once proud notion
>that problem solving was a trait that could easily transfer to many domains
>and situations. We have found that this is not quite true.
>Problem-solving too seems to be domain or area specific.
>
>The overlooked phenomenon here is that as learners progress with a task
>they move from wanting and needing dependence to requiring only occasional
>coaching to independent practice where 'help' is an irritation (see
>Vygotsky's zone of proximal development). Many competent adult learners
>will gladly submit to a lecture or teaching/learning situation when first
>confronted with a new area or learning task. They may quickkly catch on
>and become more independent, but initially they demand and need some
>direction.
>
>One more thing, whatever the teaching methods might be, however
>well-prepared students might be to learn, no matter their previous
>performance, most students are keyed to the exam. They will not be
>self-directed if it is not going to help them pass or get high marks on the
>exam. They have limited time and important goals to achieve and if SDL
>does not lead to the goals, motivation will drop; the 'system' may have
>conspired to make self-directed learning unattractive.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Marcel D'Eon
>
>Marcel F. D'Eon, MEd, PhD
>Educational Support and Development
>College of Medicine
>University of Saskatchewan
>Room A204, Health Sciences Building
>107 Wiggins Road
>Saskatoon, SK
>S7N 5E5
>(306) 966-2756 (w)
>(306) 966-2601 (fax)
>deonm@duke.usask.ca
>
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M. David Merrill, Professor
Utah State University, E-229
Department of Instructional Technology
2830 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-2830
Phone: 435 797-2698
Fax: 435 752-5827
email: merrill@cc.usu.edu
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