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W3: A2 On two metaphors for learning-reading Sfard

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Here are some comments on the following questions:

Please read the Sfard extract.

The extract amounts to approximately 2,500 words and should take around one and a half hours to read. As you read, you may find it useful to keep notes in your blog or in a personal file about:

1. How Sfard defines the acquisition and participation metaphors

AM (acquisition metaphor) according to Sfard is learning envisioned as a never-ending self-regulating process of emergence in a continuing interaction with peers, teachers and texts. PM (participation metaphor) according to Sfard is learning a subject as a process of becoming a member of a certain community.

2. How she distinguishes between them

In AM the human mind is considered to be as a container to be filled wioth certain materials and the learner as becoming an owner of these materials.  Once the knowledge is acquired, like any other commodity, it can now be applied, transfered to a different context and shared with others.  By investigating learning on focusing on the development of concepts and on acquisition of knowledge then the learning process can be conceptualised in terms of AC.

In PM learning is seen as a legitimate peripheral participation or as an apprenticeship in thinking.  The noun "practice", prominently features the terms "discourse" and "communication" suggests that the learner should be viewed as a person interested in particiaption in certain kinds of activities rather than in accummulating private possessions.  The learner should have the ability to communicate in the language of this community and act according to its particular norms.

3. The significance of Table 1 and the difference between questions of what learning is versus how learning happens.

Table 1 is a schematic comparison between the two metaphors that distinguishes between AM and PM according to their goals of learning, the learning itself, the student perspective and the teacher's on the knowledge/concept of each metaphor and finally what does knowing means in each metaphor.

  • Learning is acquisition of something (AM) whereas learning in PM is becoming a participant in a community.
  • How learning is happening?

In AM is through individual enrichment in order to have or possess a certain experience/learning.

In PM learning is happening through a community building and the learner is taking part in various activites as to share the feeling of belonging, participating and communicating with each other.

When you’ve read through the extract, use the AM and PM metaphors to reflect on the way you use (or have used in the past) technologies for learning in a formal context in comparison with an informal one. Select two contrasting examples from these learning experiences and simply note down what you learned and how you learned it.

  • Informal Context

One technology that I have used to learn at home is my own laptop.  Before buying a laptop I had some computer lessons for ECDL that is the European Computer Driving Licence with which we were practicing at school in secondary education.  We were having an instructor and we had our own pc and we had to follow his instructions. After that, the instructor was giving us past paper exams in order to make practice and conquer knowledge more in a way of keep practicing and then gaining something more than the lecture provided to us (AM).  At home, when I bought the new laptop, I knew almost all the basics and I could work on my own to experiment and acquire new learning.  You can say that I belonged in a community with group work while I was at school, but after that I am on my own.

  • Formal Context

While studying at the University I had an awkward experience of learning.  I was studying Physics and their learning goal was not teaching in the traditional way, but teaching like in the participation metaphor.  We were sitting in groups of 5-6 people and we had our own exercise books and we had to carry out our own experiments and come to a conclusion.  When we reached to a conclusion we had to call for the instructor to check the way we have come to that specific results and through a dialogue process we would then come to a result if we were right or wrong on our experiments.  It was a very difficult process for me and I was really sad that in the end I realised that from the 100 things I knew only the 50 of them.  We were splitting the works and experiments, the writing, the discussion with the instructor and finally, what was the purpose of this kind of learning? I have acquired only the half percentage from the whole learning that I had to get on with.  I was achieving lower marks on this course in comparison with other that I was making the work alone or at least with another person.

Now look at the words you used in your responses. Notice whether you’ve talked about:

  • knowing more
  • gaining something
  • being able to do something
  • participating in new activities or a new group
  • having new ideas or new possibilities for yourself – feeling differently about something.

Doubtless you used several of these phrasings, so your learning might have been quite varied or rich in significance.

1. Do all these instances refer to learning in terms of either acquisition or participation or a combination of both?

A combination of both.

2. Did you find instances that do not seem to fit exactly with either acquisition or participation?

No I did not find such instances.

3. Is your learning process more oriented to you as an individual or to you within a social context?

I would rather see myself in an individualistic process of learning but this is not always the case.  I can learn in a social context too but it depends on the course, on the discussion, the people taking part in the discussion and whether I am a passive ear or an active participant in the discussion.

Permalink 1 comment (latest comment by Jonathan Vernon, Friday, 25 Feb 2011, 14:50)
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