Theories

This section contains learning theories and links that may be useful to the project

Common features of Powerful Learning Environments: De Corte (2000), De Corte et al (2003)

• group discussions of content & process
• authentic tasks and realistic problems that have personal meaning and future use
• initiate and support active, constructive learning processes
• enhance students’ awareness of their cognitive processes

Deep approach to learning: Biggs, Entwistle, Ramsden, Tait & McCune, Marton (1976 – 2006)
Starts with an intention to form a personal understanding - plus a range of conceptually related learning processes:

• Active interest and personal engagement
• Thinking for yourself
• Relating ideas
• Gaining an overview
• Questioning and using evidence critically
• Seeking the main point / seeing the purpose or wider context of a task
• Drawing conclusions
• Monitoring understanding and regulating

The SLICE of LIFE Conference

• see the keynote presentation "Principles of E-learning: lessons from cognitive psychology" by Geoff Norman - he talks about Cognitive Overload and how text, image and sound can be less effective than sound and image, and how students presented with two views of wrist anatomy did better than students presented with a rotating 'model' (for example)