Celbrating learning

UFA celebrating learning v2 08/03/2005 02:58 pm Page 1

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C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

For further information please contact:

The University of the First AgeMillennium PointCurzon StreetDigbethBirminghamB4 7XG

Telephone: 0121 202 2345Fax: 0121 202 2384E-mail: [email protected]: www.ufa.org.uk

Registered Charity no: 1061308The UFA is part of the AoY group of programmes

LOGOS OF UFA AND KEY PARTNERS BCC, ESME FAIRBURN, DfES

Celebrating learningThe UFA’s contribution to the learning debate


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03Celebrating learning02 Celebrating learning

In 1996 the UFA began a journey withthe aim of ‘transforming learning.’On our journey we have been workingin partnership with LEAs, young people,teachers, parents and carers, communityworkers and a variety of professionals,schools and community organisations.We are privileged to be witnesses to themany celebrations that quite rightlyrecognise the achievements of a hugenumber of learners. We have been touchedby the energy unleashed and inspiredto learn more. Young people and theirlearning are at the heart of what we do.The UFA is proud of its record of turningrhetoric into practice. We offer thiscontribution with some humility and with agreat deal of optimism that a future throughcelebrating learning will generate quality ofopportunity, fairness, aspiration, peace andhope to new generations of learners.

Stephen RogersDirector of the UFA

To truly celebrate learning we need to understandit better, to look again with fresh eyes.

This booklet is written as a contribution to the learningagenda, to describe the outlines of our insights fromwhat has been an exciting voyage of discovery and offeringsome models that those we work with may find useful inorder to design practical learning environments.


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In 1996 the UFA began a journey withthe aim of ‘transforming learning.’On our journey we have been workingin partnership with LEAs, young people,teachers, parents and carers, communityworkers and a variety of professionals,schools and community organisations.We are privileged to be witnesses to themany celebrations that quite rightlyrecognise the achievements of a hugenumber of learners. We have been touchedby the energy unleashed and inspiredto learn more. Young people and theirlearning are at the heart of what we do.The UFA is proud of its record of turningrhetoric into practice. We offer thiscontribution with some humility and with agreat deal of optimism that a future throughcelebrating learning will generate quality ofopportunity, fairness, aspiration, peace andhope to new generations of learners.

Stephen RogersDirector of the UFA

To truly celebrate learning we need to understandit better, to look again with fresh eyes.

This booklet is written as a contribution to the learningagenda, to describe the outlines of our insights fromwhat has been an exciting voyage of discovery and offeringsome models that those we work with may find useful inorder to design practical learning environments.


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The context of the present andthe challenges of the future

Questions

What do we teach?

What do we need to learn?

Are there ‘toolkits’ that can helplearners navigate the complexityand wealth of information?

How do we assist learnersto make sense of the worldand understand themselves?

How do we ensure that learners can makeauthentic choices for themselves?

Are schools and the National curriculumfitting with the way adolescents develop?

We know enough to realise that such unpredictability calls for new ways of knowing anddifferent ways of living in the world.

We think we can identify some trends that have great consequences for both how weunderstand learning and for how we organise learning.

‘Doing’ learning in the same way as we’ve always done it is no longer an option.

Think about the pace of change. We know for example that there is more information controltechnology in some of our cars than took man to the moon. It has been calculated that in alittle over a year the sum of all human knowledge will have doubled. It has been said thatas adults some of our young people will have jobs in the future that do not yet exist.

It is as though the world has become smaller to the extent that no corner of the planetcan escape the rapid reach of human technology. With globalisation come distortionsof power and wealth, new questions and challenges to traditional orders and as individualswe are increasingly bombarded by competing claims for our attention.

Paradoxically the globalising tendency can leave us as isolated and lonely and as ignorantof local conditions as ever before. Self-doubt, risk and self-identity are personal questionsthat are more than ever interconnected to the globalising influences of modern institutions.2

In societies where traditional institutions such as faith centres, work and family areundergoing radical transformations and where individuals have never had so manyoptions for lifestyle advice and choice, then it is not surprising that the search for personalmeaning has been raised to such heights in the learning debate.

For each of us anxiety and mistrust about the world can lead to new levels of uncertaintyabout our identity. Choice about what style to adopt, about who we might be, also growswith it the dangers of self-love, of an overarching concern with who we are at the expenseof others around us. So as well as anxiety this era has a tendency toward a growingnarcissism. We also know that the period of adolescence is becoming longer in oursociety. We know at adolescence there are some dramatic changes in brain structures.Schooling does not always work in harmony with all these trends. In the light of all thesearguments it is not surprising to read that mental health issues are a real concern inyoung people.

So we need to design a range of learning scenarios that help young people navigate thecomplexities of this world. Through celebrating learning we believe that there are newopportunities to affirm and create positive identities for young people that contributeto the well being of both individual and community.

Personalisation as part of the futureThe Government’s drive for personalisation is at heart of the debate as to how the needsof individuals can be serviced by systems and structures rather than the other way around.

We could see this debate very much as a rhetorical device of its time. How are needsdefined and choices met? Whose needs are we talking about? Will the market lead tomore exclusion and marginalisation, with greater inequalities of access and opportunity?Do learners need protection from these forces?

However can we see the debate as an opportunity?The personalisation debate is a manifestation of how contemporary social, politicaland personal issues intertwine. We could argue that if personalisation as a force of post-traditional orders creates pluralistic and often confusing lifestyles, the idea could alsoact as a crucible in which individuals can meet in new ways to learn alongside andfrom each other.

Can school improvement meet the challenge?“The last decade of the twentieth century was the decade of school improvement. Vast amountsof energy were expended in improving the outcomes of schooling – and they were generallysuccessful. By a range of criteria, schools were much better at schooling. However, this successcriterion is that of a previous generation- the success of schools may not be entirely appropriatefor a world in which entirely new points of departure will be required to in order to significantlyimprove the capacity of all segments of society...” 3

There is an increasing questioning of whether schools can sustain their improvementsand whether a focus upon social factors may now be more significant as a means forraising achievement.4

In this paper we do not intend to cover these arguments or to go into whether schoolscan meet these challenges.

However there is an argument to suggest that we are ‘over schooled and under-educated.’5

So learning in different ways, with different people and at different times to school isalso going to be a necessary feature of future life.

If the opportunities presented by extended schools and personalised learning are to berealised then it is important for the debate about learning to be robust, practical andenergising. We would like to make a contribution through this document and the practicalwork and research that the UFA encourages in celebrating learning.

Can we predict the future?

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” – Warner Brothers, 1927

“I think there’s a world market for maybe five computers.” – Thomas Watson, IBM Chairman, 1943

“We don’t like their sound and guitar music is on the way out.” – Decca Record Company about the Beatles, 1962

“640K ought to be enough for anybody.” – Bill Gates, Microsoft, 1981

“The calculus of prediction is beyond our grasp.”1 So why think about the future?

Questions

Is personalisation a real issue that cangenuinely transform learning opportunities?

Can genuine choice be obtainable for alllearners, or will those with wealth, access andthe ‘right background’ be the beneficiaries?

“It may therefore be an appropriate time tofocus on the social environment of the learnerrather than increasing the emphasis on thetechnology of teaching.”

“If academic standards are to be raised in asustainable way, and broader educationalaspirations achieved, then educationistswill have to see their role in terms of creatingsocial capital rather than just improvingclassroom practice.”

– John West-Burnham and George Otero

Footnotes:1 Alisdair MacIntyre2 Anthony Giddens3/4 John West-Burnham5 John Abbott


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The context of the present andthe challenges of the future

Questions

What do we teach?

What do we need to learn?

Are there ‘toolkits’ that can helplearners navigate the complexityand wealth of information?

How do we assist learnersto make sense of the worldand understand themselves?

How do we ensure that learners can makeauthentic choices for themselves?

Are schools and the National curriculumfitting with the way adolescents develop?

We know enough to realise that such unpredictability calls for new ways of knowing anddifferent ways of living in the world.

We think we can identify some trends that have great consequences for both how weunderstand learning and for how we organise learning.

‘Doing’ learning in the same way as we’ve always done it is no longer an option.

Think about the pace of change. We know for example that there is more information controltechnology in some of our cars than took man to the moon. It has been calculated that in alittle over a year the sum of all human knowledge will have doubled. It has been said thatas adults some of our young people will have jobs in the future that do not yet exist.

It is as though the world has become smaller to the extent that no corner of the planetcan escape the rapid reach of human technology. With globalisation come distortionsof power and wealth, new questions and challenges to traditional orders and as individualswe are increasingly bombarded by competing claims for our attention.

Paradoxically the globalising tendency can leave us as isolated and lonely and as ignorantof local conditions as ever before. Self-doubt, risk and self-identity are personal questionsthat are more than ever interconnected to the globalising influences of modern institutions.2

In societies where traditional institutions such as faith centres, work and family areundergoing radical transformations and where individuals have never had so manyoptions for lifestyle advice and choice, then it is not surprising that the search for personalmeaning has been raised to such heights in the learning debate.

For each of us anxiety and mistrust about the world can lead to new levels of uncertaintyabout our identity. Choice about what style to adopt, about who we might be, also growswith it the dangers of self-love, of an overarching concern with who we are at the expenseof others around us. So as well as anxiety this era has a tendency toward a growingnarcissism. We also know that the period of adolescence is becoming longer in oursociety. We know at adolescence there are some dramatic changes in brain structures.Schooling does not always work in harmony with all these trends. In the light of all thesearguments it is not surprising to read that mental health issues are a real concern inyoung people.

So we need to design a range of learning scenarios that help young people navigate thecomplexities of this world. Through celebrating learning we believe that there are newopportunities to affirm and create positive identities for young people that contributeto the well being of both individual and community.

Personalisation as part of the futureThe Government’s drive for personalisation is at heart of the debate as to how the needsof individuals can be serviced by systems and structures rather than the other way around.

We could see this debate very much as a rhetorical device of its time. How are needsdefined and choices met? Whose needs are we talking about? Will the market lead tomore exclusion and marginalisation, with greater inequalities of access and opportunity?Do learners need protection from these forces?

However can we see the debate as an opportunity?The personalisation debate is a manifestation of how contemporary social, politicaland personal issues intertwine. We could argue that if personalisation as a force of post-traditional orders creates pluralistic and often confusing lifestyles, the idea could alsoact as a crucible in which individuals can meet in new ways to learn alongside andfrom each other.

Can school improvement meet the challenge?“The last decade of the twentieth century was the decade of school improvement. Vast amountsof energy were expended in improving the outcomes of schooling – and they were generallysuccessful. By a range of criteria, schools were much better at schooling. However, this successcriterion is that of a previous generation- the success of schools may not be entirely appropriatefor a world in which entirely new points of departure will be required to in order to significantlyimprove the capacity of all segments of society...” 3

There is an increasing questioning of whether schools can sustain their improvementsand whether a focus upon social factors may now be more significant as a means forraising achievement.4

In this paper we do not intend to cover these arguments or to go into whether schoolscan meet these challenges.

However there is an argument to suggest that we are ‘over schooled and under-educated.’5

So learning in different ways, with different people and at different times to school isalso going to be a necessary feature of future life.

If the opportunities presented by extended schools and personalised learning are to berealised then it is important for the debate about learning to be robust, practical andenergising. We would like to make a contribution through this document and the practicalwork and research that the UFA encourages in celebrating learning.

Can we predict the future?

“Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?” – Warner Brothers, 1927

“I think there’s a world market for maybe five computers.” – Thomas Watson, IBM Chairman, 1943

“We don’t like their sound and guitar music is on the way out.” – Decca Record Company about the Beatles, 1962

“640K ought to be enough for anybody.” – Bill Gates, Microsoft, 1981

“The calculus of prediction is beyond our grasp.”1 So why think about the future?

Questions

Is personalisation a real issue that cangenuinely transform learning opportunities?

Can genuine choice be obtainable for alllearners, or will those with wealth, access andthe ‘right background’ be the beneficiaries?

“It may therefore be an appropriate time tofocus on the social environment of the learnerrather than increasing the emphasis on thetechnology of teaching.”

“If academic standards are to be raised in asustainable way, and broader educationalaspirations achieved, then educationistswill have to see their role in terms of creatingsocial capital rather than just improvingclassroom practice.”

– John West-Burnham and George Otero

Footnotes:1 Alisdair MacIntyre2 Anthony Giddens3/4 John West-Burnham5 John Abbott


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Researching learning:The possibility of study support

The UFA began the learning journey in the study support arena and fully supports the drive for greater choice, quality and innovation within study support activities. We also use the term extended learning opportunities to build bridges and links between learning in the home, learning in school time, learning out of school hours and learning in the community. The UFA believes that extending learning opportunities beyond school

into different places, with different people, at different times, contributes significantly to extending and enriching the lives of young people.

Study support has had a demonstrable impact upon standards of attainment, wider achievement and motivation (DfES Research Report 273, 2001) and upon everyday school practice and teaching strategy (DfES RR 529, 2004). The UFA made and continues to make, a major contribution to this research and the impacts measured, bringing innovative practice and ideas that generatepractical activity.

For the UFA, extended learning opportunities have provided the experimental, ‘research’spaces and times where different learning practices can be tested and risks taken.This is one reason why the ‘university’ metaphor is important. Looking at learning witha fresh perspective energises the many adults and young people we train (The Fellows)and encourages many learners. We would urge that schools use the opportunity providedby study support to push the boundaries of learning and awaken possibilities throughcreating partnerships with other agencies and individuals.

So what have we learnt about learning and what frameworks can we offer that othersmay then replicate and test for themselves?

We have drawn upon many ideas, someof them have ancient resonances, andsome have their heritage in the ideas ofpioneers from previous generations suchas John Dewey, Vygotsky, and latterlyJerome Bruner. As magpies we haveplundered both cognitive and emotionalpsychology, cognitive and neurosciences,social sciences and philosophy,evolutionary and biological sciences.However at the end of the day we filter theideas that are consistent with our valuesand that we can transform into practicesthat others can use and that result inlearning worthy of celebration.

We have learnt one fundamental and simplyobvious lesson. Deep learning flourisheswhere you build connecting relationships.Building trust and creating energy betweenpeople is fundamental to learning. Noamount of devices or gimmicks that maybe thought of as ‘innovative’ will necessarilyestablish such relationships for you.

We have learnt that deep learning createsenergy and that the excitement createdis displayed through celebrating learning.We know that learning is a mystery butthat some conditions nurture and somedo not.

Despite the constant quest there are nosimple routes to learning, no alchemy,no holy grail. We are embarked upon adifficult but exciting journey; the navigationof which begins with understanding learningand designing environments to encouragelearners, based upon these insights.

“Study support is learning activity outside normal lessons which young people take part

in voluntarily. Study support is, accordingly, an inclusive term, embracing many activities

– with many different names and guises. Its purpose is to improve young people’s

motivation, build their self-esteem and help them become effective learners.

Above all it aims to raise achievement.”

Extending Opportunity: A national framework for study support, DfES 1999

What have we learnt about learning?

What do you think aboutthese statements?

“Learning is a process of active engagementwith experience. It is what people do whenthey want to make sense of the world. It mayinvolve an increase in skills, knowledge orunderstanding, a deepening of values of thecapacity to reflect. Effective learning willlead to change, development and a desireto learn more.”– Campaign for Learning

“Learning... that reflective activity whichenables the learner to draw upon previousexperience to understand and evaluate thepresent, so as to shape future action andformulate new knowledge.”– John Abbott

“Real learning gets to the heart of what itmeans to be human. Through learning werecreate ourselves – through learning weperceive the world and our relationship to it.Through learning we extend our capacityto create, to be part of the generativeprocess of life.”– Peter Senge

“To be alive is to be learning. Learning is notsomething we do sometimes, in special placesor at certain periods of or lives. It is partof our nature. We are born learners.Indeed it is arguably our most distinctivehuman characteristic.”– Guy Claxton

“At Alite, we believe learning should provokewonderment, offer a sense of possibility,and promise hope.”– www.alite.co.uk

There are many definitions of learning. The UFA believes that no one definition will

suffice, they are simply starting points from which you will have to build the evidence

and reflect upon your own conclusions. We think it is important however to argue

for what you value about learning and to do so with some empirical grounding

and ethical responsibility.


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Researching learning:The possibility of study support

The UFA began the learning journey in the study support arena and fully supports the drive for greater choice, quality and innovation within study support activities. We also use the term extended learning opportunities to build bridges and links between learning in the home, learning in school time, learning out of school hours and learning in the community. The UFA believes that extending learning opportunities beyond school

into different places, with different people, at different times, contributes significantly to extending and enriching the lives of young people.

Study support has had a demonstrable impact upon standards of attainment, wider achievement and motivation (DfES Research Report 273, 2001) and upon everyday school practice and teaching strategy (DfES RR 529, 2004). The UFA made and continues to make, a major contribution to this research and the impacts measured, bringing innovative practice and ideas that generatepractical activity.

For the UFA, extended learning opportunities have provided the experimental, ‘research’spaces and times where different learning practices can be tested and risks taken.This is one reason why the ‘university’ metaphor is important. Looking at learning witha fresh perspective energises the many adults and young people we train (The Fellows)and encourages many learners. We would urge that schools use the opportunity providedby study support to push the boundaries of learning and awaken possibilities throughcreating partnerships with other agencies and individuals.

So what have we learnt about learning and what frameworks can we offer that othersmay then replicate and test for themselves?

We have drawn upon many ideas, someof them have ancient resonances, andsome have their heritage in the ideas ofpioneers from previous generations suchas John Dewey, Vygotsky, and latterlyJerome Bruner. As magpies we haveplundered both cognitive and emotionalpsychology, cognitive and neurosciences,social sciences and philosophy,evolutionary and biological sciences.However at the end of the day we filter theideas that are consistent with our valuesand that we can transform into practicesthat others can use and that result inlearning worthy of celebration.

We have learnt one fundamental and simplyobvious lesson. Deep learning flourisheswhere you build connecting relationships.Building trust and creating energy betweenpeople is fundamental to learning. Noamount of devices or gimmicks that maybe thought of as ‘innovative’ will necessarilyestablish such relationships for you.

We have learnt that deep learning createsenergy and that the excitement createdis displayed through celebrating learning.We know that learning is a mystery butthat some conditions nurture and somedo not.

Despite the constant quest there are nosimple routes to learning, no alchemy,no holy grail. We are embarked upon adifficult but exciting journey; the navigationof which begins with understanding learningand designing environments to encouragelearners, based upon these insights.

“Study support is learning activity outside normal lessons which young people take part

in voluntarily. Study support is, accordingly, an inclusive term, embracing many activities

– with many different names and guises. Its purpose is to improve young people’s

motivation, build their self-esteem and help them become effective learners.

Above all it aims to raise achievement.”

Extending Opportunity: A national framework for study support, DfES 1999

What have we learnt about learning?

What do you think aboutthese statements?

“Learning is a process of active engagementwith experience. It is what people do whenthey want to make sense of the world. It mayinvolve an increase in skills, knowledge orunderstanding, a deepening of values of thecapacity to reflect. Effective learning willlead to change, development and a desireto learn more.”– Campaign for Learning

“Learning... that reflective activity whichenables the learner to draw upon previousexperience to understand and evaluate thepresent, so as to shape future action andformulate new knowledge.”– John Abbott

“Real learning gets to the heart of what itmeans to be human. Through learning werecreate ourselves – through learning weperceive the world and our relationship to it.Through learning we extend our capacityto create, to be part of the generativeprocess of life.”– Peter Senge

“To be alive is to be learning. Learning is notsomething we do sometimes, in special placesor at certain periods of or lives. It is partof our nature. We are born learners.Indeed it is arguably our most distinctivehuman characteristic.”– Guy Claxton

“At Alite, we believe learning should provokewonderment, offer a sense of possibility,and promise hope.”– www.alite.co.uk

There are many definitions of learning. The UFA believes that no one definition will

suffice, they are simply starting points from which you will have to build the evidence

and reflect upon your own conclusions. We think it is important however to argue

for what you value about learning and to do so with some empirical grounding

and ethical responsibility.


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Learning values

The UFA supports the Campaign for Learning and others in adopting theLearning to Learn agenda.

“Learning to Learn is a process of discovery about learning. It involves a set ofprinciples and skills which, if understood and used, help learners learn moreeffectively and so become learners for life. At its heart is the belief thatlearning is learnable.”

The UFA aims to design challenges that encourage the understandingof learning principles and skills so that they may be unpicked, analysed,internalised and used.

Learning to unlearnMost of our thoughts, goals, intentions and motivations in life are basedupon unconscious processes and deeply implicit mental constructs. Ourthinking processes are largely metaphorical rather than literal. This means thatwe are, in many ways, chained to our models of the world and the way we expressthem. There is a good argument to suggest that we need to learn to unlearn. DorothyHeathcote, the famous drama teacher, used the memorable phrase ‘stumbling uponauthenticity.’

The UFA’s Learning Values represent a model derived from reflecting upon ourexperiences with learning and form a map of qualities that we think are important:

• as processes that create conditions for deep learning of knowledge.

• as qualities that we would evaluate as the outcomes of learning processes.

• as aspirations for developing the principles and skills that should underpinthe design of learning environments.

For the UFA deep learning is about learners making many personal and unique

connections, retaining, recreating, and using knowledge on many levels. Learning is a

complex weave of biological inheritance and cultural mediation. Learning should

encourage hope, belief and wonderment and allow the learner to take control of their

own life-patterns. If learning is built upon relationships and affects the way we interact

with others the UFA argues that encouraging deep learning is an ethical process and

not merely a technical practice.

Our learning model

In creating conditons for deep learning we value the following qualities:

The map we show opposite is onedesigned to help learners experiencethose unique personal momentsof connection where they see, hear,or feel a new sense of meaning.

We value the qualities of: As a learner

Openness and generosity I bring my experiences to trying out and exploring new ideas;

I tend to be open to asking questions and can work to build a community of learnersthat is generous in the sharing of ideas.

Intrinsic enjoyment I am enthusiastic, requesting and wanting more opportunities and I am motivatedby the learning itself;

I can find ‘flow’ in learning activities.

Application I move forward my knowledge, skills, attitudes and actively try to overcome difficulties;

I frequently review and rehearse my learning;

I can transfer and use my learning in different contexts.

Disturbance, challenge, provocation I can shift out of my comfort zones;

I accept challenges given by others and can both challenge myself and other people;

I respond well to positive provocations to my thinking.

Thinking ethically I take responsibility for my own learning and for engaging others in learning;

I believe in the potential of all to achieve success through dialogue and co-operation.

Positive dispositions I have the confidence to keep going, try a range of strategies and ideas, use setbacksto move forward and will tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty;

I develop curiosity and enterprise.

Complexity and subtlety I reflect in many different ways, applying fast and slow thinking strategies;

I realise that learning can be a ‘messy process’ and can embrace the complexity oflearning through positive thinking and emotional dispositions.

Being engaged I trust others in the learning process;

I take a sense of satisfaction through understanding others;

I draw upon a diverse range of cultures, stories, ideas, knowledge, skills and viewpoints.

LEARNINGVALUES

CREATING LEARNING TEAMS

CREATING MODELLING VALUES

CRE

ATIN

GLEARNING ENVIRONM

ENTS

TH

ATM

ORE CLOSELY MATCH OUR

BIOLO

GYK

EY

PED

AGOGICAL PRINC

IPL ES


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Learning values

The UFA supports the Campaign for Learning and others in adopting theLearning to Learn agenda.

“Learning to Learn is a process of discovery about learning. It involves a set ofprinciples and skills which, if understood and used, help learners learn moreeffectively and so become learners for life. At its heart is the belief thatlearning is learnable.”

The UFA aims to design challenges that encourage the understandingof learning principles and skills so that they may be unpicked, analysed,internalised and used.

Learning to unlearnMost of our thoughts, goals, intentions and motivations in life are basedupon unconscious processes and deeply implicit mental constructs. Ourthinking processes are largely metaphorical rather than literal. This means thatwe are, in many ways, chained to our models of the world and the way we expressthem. There is a good argument to suggest that we need to learn to unlearn. DorothyHeathcote, the famous drama teacher, used the memorable phrase ‘stumbling uponauthenticity.’

The UFA’s Learning Values represent a model derived from reflecting upon ourexperiences with learning and form a map of qualities that we think are important:

• as processes that create conditions for deep learning of knowledge.

• as qualities that we would evaluate as the outcomes of learning processes.

• as aspirations for developing the principles and skills that should underpinthe design of learning environments.

For the UFA deep learning is about learners making many personal and unique

connections, retaining, recreating, and using knowledge on many levels. Learning is a

complex weave of biological inheritance and cultural mediation. Learning should

encourage hope, belief and wonderment and allow the learner to take control of their

own life-patterns. If learning is built upon relationships and affects the way we interact

with others the UFA argues that encouraging deep learning is an ethical process and

not merely a technical practice.

Our learning model

In creating conditons for deep learning we value the following qualities:

The map we show opposite is onedesigned to help learners experiencethose unique personal momentsof connection where they see, hear,or feel a new sense of meaning.

We value the qualities of: As a learner

Openness and generosity I bring my experiences to trying out and exploring new ideas;

I tend to be open to asking questions and can work to build a community of learnersthat is generous in the sharing of ideas.

Intrinsic enjoyment I am enthusiastic, requesting and wanting more opportunities and I am motivatedby the learning itself;

I can find ‘flow’ in learning activities.

Application I move forward my knowledge, skills, attitudes and actively try to overcome difficulties;

I frequently review and rehearse my learning;

I can transfer and use my learning in different contexts.

Disturbance, challenge, provocation I can shift out of my comfort zones;

I accept challenges given by others and can both challenge myself and other people;

I respond well to positive provocations to my thinking.

Thinking ethically I take responsibility for my own learning and for engaging others in learning;

I believe in the potential of all to achieve success through dialogue and co-operation.

Positive dispositions I have the confidence to keep going, try a range of strategies and ideas, use setbacksto move forward and will tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty;

I develop curiosity and enterprise.

Complexity and subtlety I reflect in many different ways, applying fast and slow thinking strategies;

I realise that learning can be a ‘messy process’ and can embrace the complexity oflearning through positive thinking and emotional dispositions.

Being engaged I trust others in the learning process;

I take a sense of satisfaction through understanding others;

I draw upon a diverse range of cultures, stories, ideas, knowledge, skills and viewpoints.

LEARNINGVALUES

CREATING LEARNING TEAMS

CREATING MODELLING VALUES

CRE

ATIN

GLEARNING ENVIRONM

ENTS

TH

ATM

ORE CLOSELY MATCH OUR

BIOLO

GYK

EY

PED

AGOGICAL PRINC

IPL ES


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The conditions for deep learning

1 Belief in the potential of all to succeedThe UFA designs learning situations to nurture, encourageand challenge learners to adopt patterns of self-efficacy ratherthan patterns of helplessness and to encourage learnersto set goals that value learning above validating self-imageand performance.

• To motivate and empower learners through appreciating thatintelligence and ability are multi-faceted, are not fixed, can bedeveloped and that differences between people can be positive.

2 The use of successful intelligence(after Robert Sternberg)

“Successfully intelligent people balance analytical, creative andpractical thinking. Successfully intelligent people learn what kindof thinking is expected of them in different situations and thenbring to those situations the appropriate intellectual skills.”

The UFA designs learning situations:

• in which there is a practical context with meaningfuloutcomes requiring practical solutions.

• where analytical and problem-solving skills are requiredto solve the challenge.

• where creative thinking and the application of positivedispositions is required to answer the challenge.

Organising for encouraging ‘successful’ intelligence requiresthe need to debrief the learning and encourage the transferof skills and knowledge to other settings.

3 The psychology of flow(after Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)Intentions, goals, feelings and motivations focus psychologicalenergy, when these elements are in harmony we become totallyabsorbed in a task, we come to a state of flow, an optimal statefor learning. In flow, high cognitive challenge is matched by theappropriate skill levels. “The flow experience acts as a magnetfor learning – that is for developing new levels of challengesand skills.”


• that provide emotional alertness and energy, high challenge,clear goals, skills appropriate to the challenge and feedback.

Creating flow takes energy; we are often unwilling to put inthe energy. When designing learning challenges we need toinvest time to create positive learning environments that buildtowards flow.

4 Foundational qualities for human developmentRobert Starratt (2004) argues that the “three qualities of a fullyhuman person are autonomy, connectedness and transcendence.These are the foundational qualities for a moral life; it would beimpossible to be moral without developing these qualities” (p137).Personalised learning for us is learning that encourages thesequalities to be practised together in order to fully realise whateverit means to be a moral learner.

Being autonomous means taking responsibility for oneself,being ones own person. Choices made by an autonomousindividual are not made from blind obedience or fear, but froma commitment of the individual. They carry a ‘personalsignature.’ However developing autonomy cannot happen inisolation but occurs through relationships with others in allmanner of social, cultural and historical contexts. It requiresconnectedness.

Connectedness means that we accept the responsibility that comes with a network of social relationships. Beyond this,connectedness means being connected to knowledge traditionsand asking ourselves how we constructively renew the bestaspects of those traditions. It means being connected to ourcultural environment and to the natural world. We thereforehave many obligations in our relationships, both to natureand to other humans. To fulfil those responsibilities requiresa recognition of transcendence.

Transcendence, Starratt argues, is the quality that “leads us toturn our life toward someone or toward something greater thanor beyond ourselves”(p138). It could be in the pursuit of an ideal,in the pursuit of excellence, or within spirituality. Howevermodest, humans have an heroic impulse that needs validation,either through individual struggle, or identification with theheroic within our cultures and societies.

To be autonomous, to be a personalised learner means livingand learning through all three dimensions realising that wewill never fully perfect or possess any of these.

In creating the conditions fordeep learning we look at creatinglearning environments that moreclosely match our biology.

Creating good learning environmentsrequires that we:

• Attend to health and physiologicalcomfort.

• Understand and apply findings fromneuroscience where appropriate andtreat all such science as provisional untiltested out in educational practice.

• Use our understanding of memorysystems, attention, arousal and motivation.

• Use multi-sensory stimulation andthe peripheral environment toencourage learners.

• Create environments of trust and carewhere risk can be safely negotiatedand challenge supported.

In creating the conditions fordeep learning we look atmodelling our values.

Deep learning is a complex mix of theprocess and the content. To create deeplearning, the qualities that we require asoutcomes – our Learning Values – alsohave to be part of the process of learning.We have to model values in practice, ‘walkthe talk.’ This is the difference between avirtuous practice and a technical one.The UFA argues that technical expertisealone will be insufficient to nurture deeplearning.

Some ‘virtues’ we aim to model:

• The qualities of critique and curiosity.

• The quality of professional courage.

• The quality of care.

• The quality of fairness.

• The quality of humility.

In creating the conditions fordeep learning we look at creatingLearning Teams.

Learning Teams are the first stage towardscommunities of responsibility that takecare to support all participants. Theypractice and model learning values for eachother, learn from and alongside each other.They are communities that give life to theterm ‘distributed intelligence’ as they bringtogether a variety of experiences, talents,interests, cultures and artefacts in orderto enrich, extend and enable learning.

The UFA begins with organising andtraining Learning Teams. UFA LearningTeams will often feature:

1 Trained Peer Tutors to act as coachesand role models.

2 A wide range of adults other thanteachers to extend experienceand expertise.

3 Teachers who bring skills and expertiseand are prepared to be part of an open-ended process where they are not thefinal authority.

4 The skills and techniques of dialogueas opposed to debate.

5 An understanding of how teamsfunction and the varied roles takenby participants.

6 A collective agreement to fulfil the setchallenge whilst respecting the stylesand wishes of team members.

7 A commitment to model UFA principlesand practice.

In creating the conditions for deep learning we use certain pedagogical principles

to design learning environments:


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The conditions for deep learning

1 Belief in the potential of all to succeedThe UFA designs learning situations to nurture, encourageand challenge learners to adopt patterns of self-efficacy ratherthan patterns of helplessness and to encourage learnersto set goals that value learning above validating self-imageand performance.

• To motivate and empower learners through appreciating thatintelligence and ability are multi-faceted, are not fixed, can bedeveloped and that differences between people can be positive.

2 The use of successful intelligence(after Robert Sternberg)

“Successfully intelligent people balance analytical, creative andpractical thinking. Successfully intelligent people learn what kindof thinking is expected of them in different situations and thenbring to those situations the appropriate intellectual skills.”


• in which there is a practical context with meaningfuloutcomes requiring practical solutions.

• where analytical and problem-solving skills are requiredto solve the challenge.

• where creative thinking and the application of positivedispositions is required to answer the challenge.

Organising for encouraging ‘successful’ intelligence requiresthe need to debrief the learning and encourage the transferof skills and knowledge to other settings.

3 The psychology of flow(after Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)Intentions, goals, feelings and motivations focus psychologicalenergy, when these elements are in harmony we become totallyabsorbed in a task, we come to a state of flow, an optimal statefor learning. In flow, high cognitive challenge is matched by theappropriate skill levels. “The flow experience acts as a magnetfor learning – that is for developing new levels of challengesand skills.”


• that provide emotional alertness and energy, high challenge,clear goals, skills appropriate to the challenge and feedback.

Creating flow takes energy; we are often unwilling to put inthe energy. When designing learning challenges we need toinvest time to create positive learning environments that buildtowards flow.

4 Foundational qualities for human developmentRobert Starratt (2004) argues that the “three qualities of a fullyhuman person are autonomy, connectedness and transcendence.These are the foundational qualities for a moral life; it would beimpossible to be moral without developing these qualities” (p137).Personalised learning for us is learning that encourages thesequalities to be practised together in order to fully realise whateverit means to be a moral learner.

Being autonomous means taking responsibility for oneself,being ones own person. Choices made by an autonomousindividual are not made from blind obedience or fear, but froma commitment of the individual. They carry a ‘personalsignature.’ However developing autonomy cannot happen inisolation but occurs through relationships with others in allmanner of social, cultural and historical contexts. It requiresconnectedness.

Connectedness means that we accept the responsibility that comes with a network of social relationships. Beyond this,connectedness means being connected to knowledge traditionsand asking ourselves how we constructively renew the bestaspects of those traditions. It means being connected to ourcultural environment and to the natural world. We thereforehave many obligations in our relationships, both to natureand to other humans. To fulfil those responsibilities requiresa recognition of transcendence.

Transcendence, Starratt argues, is the quality that “leads us toturn our life toward someone or toward something greater thanor beyond ourselves”(p138). It could be in the pursuit of an ideal,in the pursuit of excellence, or within spirituality. Howevermodest, humans have an heroic impulse that needs validation,either through individual struggle, or identification with theheroic within our cultures and societies.

To be autonomous, to be a personalised learner means livingand learning through all three dimensions realising that wewill never fully perfect or possess any of these.

In creating the conditions fordeep learning we look at creatinglearning environments that moreclosely match our biology.

Creating good learning environmentsrequires that we:

• Attend to health and physiologicalcomfort.

• Understand and apply findings fromneuroscience where appropriate andtreat all such science as provisional untiltested out in educational practice.

• Use our understanding of memorysystems, attention, arousal and motivation.

• Use multi-sensory stimulation andthe peripheral environment toencourage learners.

• Create environments of trust and carewhere risk can be safely negotiatedand challenge supported.

In creating the conditions fordeep learning we look atmodelling our values.

Deep learning is a complex mix of theprocess and the content. To create deeplearning, the qualities that we require asoutcomes – our Learning Values – alsohave to be part of the process of learning.We have to model values in practice, ‘walkthe talk.’ This is the difference between avirtuous practice and a technical one.The UFA argues that technical expertisealone will be insufficient to nurture deeplearning.

Some ‘virtues’ we aim to model:

• The qualities of critique and curiosity.

• The quality of professional courage.

• The quality of care.

• The quality of fairness.

• The quality of humility.

In creating the conditions fordeep learning we look at creatingLearning Teams.

Learning Teams are the first stage towardscommunities of responsibility that takecare to support all participants. Theypractice and model learning values for eachother, learn from and alongside each other.They are communities that give life to theterm ‘distributed intelligence’ as they bringtogether a variety of experiences, talents,interests, cultures and artefacts in orderto enrich, extend and enable learning.

The UFA begins with organising andtraining Learning Teams. UFA LearningTeams will often feature:

1 Trained Peer Tutors to act as coachesand role models.

2 A wide range of adults other thanteachers to extend experienceand expertise.

3 Teachers who bring skills and expertiseand are prepared to be part of an open-ended process where they are not thefinal authority.

4 The skills and techniques of dialogueas opposed to debate.

5 An understanding of how teamsfunction and the varied roles takenby participants.

6 A collective agreement to fulfil the setchallenge whilst respecting the stylesand wishes of team members.

7 A commitment to model UFA principlesand practice.

In creating the conditions for deep learning we use certain pedagogical principles

to design learning environments:


Composite



A framework for personalised learningIn order to make the idea of foundational qualities practical, the UFA have organised

these principles into a framework of Me; Me and Others and Me and My Community.

The statements are headline examples of qualities against each heading.

In designing learning environments we would use these headings as a map for learners to create tools, suchas a Learning Passport, against which they can navigate their progress. Our argument is that for personalisationto become a rich concept we should work across all these dimensions; different organisations could producestatements specific to their needs. Below are some examples of statements that illustrate the UFA LearningValues. They could be linked for example to the Campaign for Learning’s 5Rs: Be Ready, Be Resourceful,Be Resilient, Learn to Remember, Always Reflect.

Me and OthersI accept challenge from others.

I understand some of the differencesbetween learners and can approach

others with hope and care.

I understand how to challenge othersin a supportive way to take risks and

to learn from mistakes.

I can practice a range of thinkingstrategies in group

and teamwork.

MeI am ready and curious tofind out about new things.

I understand my motivations, habits,comfort zones and how they can

be changed.

I am willing to take risks, learn frommistakes and reflect upon my

own learning.

I practice a range ofthinking strategies.

Me andMy Community

We understand the ideas of rights andresponsibilities and how to use skills and

knowledge for the benefit of others.

We understand how to actively listen to others.

We understand how to explore the issues ofliving together in diverse communities.

We can work as a community oflearners that can generate

new knowledge.

Personalised learning:contributing to the DfES debate

The DfES proposals How the UFA contributes

Assessment for learning In the UFA, learners learn to lead and take responsibility for their own learning anddevelop toolkits such as the Learning Passport to reflect upon and transfer learning.

Effective teaching and learning strategies The UFA develops learner self-understanding, goal setting and positive dispositions.The Summer School challenge framework develops learning environments to explorepedagogical principles. The UFA Learning Team approach develops new teaching strategies.

Curriculum entitlement and choice The UFA offers a range of learning packages that can provide different knowledge and skillsand help young people navigate the complexities of making life choices. Some coursessuch as Peer Tutoring, Coaching and Mentoring and Fellowship lead to nationallyrecognised accreditation.

School organisation The UFA helps schools organise challenging study support before and after school andduring holidays. The UFA organises a challenge framework to design creative learningenvironments and promotes Super Learning Days © where off-timetable activitiesdevelop learning to learn skills. The UFA brand can act as an umbrella and quality markfor a range of extended learning opportunities. Adults other than teachers and youngpeople themselves are enabled to lead and develop these opportunities.

Strong partnerships beyond the school The UFA offers a partnership beyond the classroom and brings a huge range of experiencein working with many different organisations. The UFA has also developed familylearning packages. The UFA brand acts as a link for learners between home, schooland community.


Composite



A framework for personalised learningIn order to make the idea of foundational qualities practical, the UFA have organised

these principles into a framework of Me; Me and Others and Me and My Community.

The statements are headline examples of qualities against each heading.

In designing learning environments we would use these headings as a map for learners to create tools, suchas a Learning Passport, against which they can navigate their progress. Our argument is that for personalisationto become a rich concept we should work across all these dimensions; different organisations could producestatements specific to their needs. Below are some examples of statements that illustrate the UFA LearningValues. They could be linked for example to the Campaign for Learning’s 5Rs: Be Ready, Be Resourceful,Be Resilient, Learn to Remember, Always Reflect.

Me and OthersI accept challenge from others.

I understand some of the differencesbetween learners and can approach

others with hope and care.

I understand how to challenge othersin a supportive way to take risks and

to learn from mistakes.

I can practice a range of thinkingstrategies in group

and teamwork.

MeI am ready and curious tofind out about new things.

I understand my motivations, habits,comfort zones and how they can

be changed.

I am willing to take risks, learn frommistakes and reflect upon my

own learning.

I practice a range ofthinking strategies.

Me andMy Community

We understand the ideas of rights andresponsibilities and how to use skills and

knowledge for the benefit of others.

We understand how to actively listen to others.

We understand how to explore the issues ofliving together in diverse communities.

We can work as a community oflearners that can generate

new knowledge.

Personalised learning:contributing to the DfES debate

The DfES proposals How the UFA contributes

Assessment for learning In the UFA, learners learn to lead and take responsibility for their own learning anddevelop toolkits such as the Learning Passport to reflect upon and transfer learning.

Effective teaching and learning strategies The UFA develops learner self-understanding, goal setting and positive dispositions.The Summer School challenge framework develops learning environments to explorepedagogical principles. The UFA Learning Team approach develops new teaching strategies.

Curriculum entitlement and choice The UFA offers a range of learning packages that can provide different knowledge and skillsand help young people navigate the complexities of making life choices. Some coursessuch as Peer Tutoring, Coaching and Mentoring and Fellowship lead to nationallyrecognised accreditation.

School organisation The UFA helps schools organise challenging study support before and after school andduring holidays. The UFA organises a challenge framework to design creative learningenvironments and promotes Super Learning Days © where off-timetable activitiesdevelop learning to learn skills. The UFA brand can act as an umbrella and quality markfor a range of extended learning opportunities. Adults other than teachers and youngpeople themselves are enabled to lead and develop these opportunities.

Strong partnerships beyond the school The UFA offers a partnership beyond the classroom and brings a huge range of experiencein working with many different organisations. The UFA has also developed familylearning packages. The UFA brand acts as a link for learners between home, schooland community.


Composite



“...And I have felt

A presence that disturbs me with the joy

Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime

Of something far more deeply interfused,

Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,

And the round ocean, and the living air,

And the blue sky, and the minds of man:

A motion that impels

All things all objects of all thought...”

William Wordsworth

From ‘Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, 13th July 1798.’


Composite



“...And I have felt

A presence that disturbs me with the joy

Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime

Of something far more deeply interfused,

Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,

And the round ocean, and the living air,

And the blue sky, and the minds of man:

A motion that impels

All things all objects of all thought...”

William Wordsworth

From ‘Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, 13th July 1798.’


Composite


For further information please contact:

The University of the First AgeMillennium PointCurzon StreetDigbethBirminghamB4 7XG

Telephone: 0121 202 2345Fax: 0121 202 2384E-mail: [email protected]: www.ufa.org.uk

Registered Charity no: 1061308The UFA is part of the AoY group of programmes

LOGOS OF UFA AND KEY PARTNERS BCC, ESME FAIRBURN, DfES

Celebrating learningThe UFA’s contribution to the learning debate

Documents

Celbrating learning