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The module: LEARNING TO LEARN COMPETENCE

Responsible partners for this module: Vytautas Magnus University (LT).

Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy (LV)

2016

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1.1. Information about authors of module: photo, short CV focused on the experience of authors related to the topics of module, contacts;

Information about authors of module:

1. Genutė Gedvilienė, Professor.dr.,

Contact Information: e-mail: g.gedviliene@smf.vdu.lt,

Faculty of Social Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Jonavos str. 66 – 313 Kaunas

LT- 44191 Lithuania mob. + 370 861138100 fax.: +37037327823

2. Iveta Kaposta, Contact information: Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy (LV)

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The goal of this module is to facilitate development of learning to learn skills by independent and group learning.

1. LEARNING TO LEARN COMPETENCE MODULE

What is learning to learn competence ? Learning to learn is the ability to pursue and persist in learning, to organise one’s own learning,

including through effective management of time and information, both individually and in groups. This

competence includes awareness of one’s learning process and needs, identifying available opportunities, and

the ability to overcome obstacles in order to learn successfully. This competence means gaining, processing

and assimilating new knowledge and skills as well as seeking and making use of guidance. Learning to learn

engages learners to build on prior learning and life experiences in order to use and apply knowledge and

skills in a variety of contexts: at home, at work, in education and training. Motivation and confidence are

crucial to an individual’s competence (European Communities, 2007, p. 8). Hofmann (2008, p. 173)

describes the term learning to learn as the most important and vital for people trying to deal with the world

that is changing rapidly. He sees this competence as a method-in-action and claims that people have to

engage the method itself. On the other hand, Candy (1990; in Hofmann, 2008, p. 175) describes learning to

learn as a competence that allows people to become more effective, flexible and self-organized learners in a

variety of contexts. Learning to learn can be seen in basic skills such as literacy, numeracy and ICT skills that

are necessary for further learning. An individual should therefore be able to gain, access, profess and

assimilate new knowledge and new skills.

Individuals should also be able to: - learn autonomously, - be self-disciplined, - work collaboratively, - share

what they have learnt, - organise their own learning, - evaluate their own work, - seek advice, information

and support when appropriate (European Communities, p. 8).

"Learning to learn engages learners to build on prior learning and life experience to use and apply

knowledge and abilities in in various situations - at home, at work, in education and training" (Key

competencies for lifelong learning, European Reference Framework, 2007).

What is motivation?

Motivation is what drives us to do certain things. We do things for a motive. For example, I

am hungry, so the need for food motivates me to eat. Or I am tired and the need for rest motivates me to go

to sleep. Or I am moving to a new town and need a place to stay, so this motivates me to find a home. Also,

in this new place I need to meet people, to make new friends, so I have a motivation to engage in social

activities. Having all these, I feel the need to achieve something, to respect myself and to be respected for

what I am doing, so I become motivated to try to succeed in my career and family life. And many people say

that life wouldn't be complete if we wouldn't pursue our own dreams, by developing our talents, creativity,

moral development, by trying to become better human beings - this motivates people to find various ways for

developing their personality.

What is motivation to learn?

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Motivation to learn is basically what drives us to learn. Motivation to learn can come from

ourselves and then we call it intrinsic motivation, or it can come from the outside and then we call it extrinsic

motivation. Intrinsic motivation represents our own goals, values, interests, beliefs, while extrinsic

motivation includes the goals, values and interests of others, who influence us. Studies have found that

people when we are intrinsically motivated we put in more effort, are more persistent, try different ways to

succeed and learn more deeply than when we are extrinsically motivated. But just because intrinsic

motivation is proven to be more efficient, doesn't mean that extrinsic motivation is bad. Sometimes we learn

things being extrinsically motivated and we do it

just fine. Any kind of motivation is better than no motivation.

The motivation to learn depends on many factors: the value attached to learning in our social environment,

the characteristics of the educational system, personal factors like self esteem, self

efficacy, personal theories on intelligence, etc. What is most important is that we can control our motivation,

we can increase it and make it work for us.

2. CONTENTS OF COMPETENCE: SKILLS

Contents of competence: skills. For each competence there should be proposed 5-6 skills.

2.1. Skill 2.2.Short description of the contents and application of skill / tasks for learning

2.3.Methods of skill development

1.To identify the personal learning style

• Personal; • Communicational; • Organizational; • Social; • Economic.

Video lecture

Literature analysis

Circle the Sage (Kagan)

2. To learn and act independently

• Information transfer; • Self - management; • Joint activity; • Support; • Assessment-expertise.

Case study Thematic discussions/assessing group discussions Video lecture Literature analysis Three-minute review Reflection

3. To learn and act in group

• Problem identification; • Observation and analysis; • Abstract reconceptualisation; • Active experimentation.

Video lecture

Literature analysis

Team Pair Solo (Kagan)

Thematic discussion/assessing group discussion

Video record analysis Reflection

4. To identify and solve the problems of learning

• Undertanding of basics; • Professional action;

Video lecture Literature analysis

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• Disciplinary understanding; • Interdisciplinary understanding; • Critical discourse.

Thematic discussion/assessing group discussion Partners (Kagan) Video record analysis Reflection

5.To reflect on own learning and activity

• Curiosity; • Academic performance; • Future aspirations; • Life satisfaction; • Creativity.

Case study/modelling

Video lecture

Literature analysis

Thematic discussion/assessing group discussion.

2.1. LEARNING MATERIALS This chapter provides theoretical information for development of learning-to –learn competence.

1. Multiple Intelligences theory

Howard Gardner has developed a model of intelligence which has become a central part of any accelerated

learning experience. Gardner, of Harvard University, has been working on his Multiple Intelligences model

for over twenty years. A genuine polymath, Gardner has drawn his evidence from neurobiology and fields

such as anthropology, psychology and history. He has published extensive studies on genius and has

gathered evidence for his thesis from around the world.

Gardner’s seven intelligences are groupings of abilities or skills and absolute quantities. He describe the

intelligences as:

1. Linguistic;

2. Mathematical and logical;

3. Visual and spatial;

4. Musical;

5. Interpersonal;

6. Intrapersonal;

7. Kinesthetic.

Linguistic. It is likely that a person with a well developed linguistic intelligence will:

- Learn through listening, writing, reading and discussing;

- Be responsive to the potential of the written and spoken word to persuade, amuse, convey

informatikon, construct meaning and entertain;

- Imitate or mimic the linguistic idiosynerasles of others

- Be enthused about developing their own application and understading of language;

- Be a better than average communicator in written and spoken modes and be an attentive listener;

- Have a predominantly auditory representational system.

Mathematical and logical. A learner who has a well developed mathematical and logical intelligence will:

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- Deminstrate an ability to understand and manipu;ate abstract symbols to repesent concrete objects

and concepts;

- Be familiar at an early stage with the concepts of time, space, quantity, number and cause and

effect;

- Be good at solving logical puzles and working out segvence;

- Discern the pattern in relationships;

- Be capable of mathe matical thinking: e.g. formulate arguments based on hard data, gather

evidence, estimate, build models and make hypotheses

- Seek tto find harmony and orderi n his or her environment.

Visual and Spatial. A learner with visual and spatial intelligence will:

- Be able to visualize easily and imagine scenes readily;

- be good at manoeuvring when this involves manipulating self or body through space;

- Be able to construct, built or conceive three;

- dimensional objects or imagine their unfolded construction;

- - know the effect that the movement of gears or pulleys have on other things around them;

- learn through seeing and observing and be able to memory – map;

- have a talent for interpreting and constructing graphs, maps or other visual media.

Musical. A learner with musical intelligence will show some ability to:

- discern pattern in sound and enjoy experimenting with them;

- show sensitivity to mood changes in sounds and be able to pick out individual instruments;

- be susceptible to changes in their own state as a result of listening to music;

- enjoy improvising and playing with sounds of different sorts;

- show an interest anssd some facility for playing a musical instrument

- have a sense of ryhthm and be able to respond tu music by dance or drama or composing.

Interpersonal. The interpersonal intelligence expresses itself through an ability to:

- see issues from diverse perspectives;

- form build and maintain a variety of social relationships with others;

- know and understand the thoughts, feelings, attitudes and behaviours of others;

- work in teams and contribute to their positive dynamic;

- communicate effectively verbally and non- verbally;

- listen, acknowledge and respond to the views of thers;

- influence others.

Intrapersonal. Those with a developed intrapersonal intelligence will:

- be aware of their thoughts, feelings and emotions and seek explanations for them;

- attempt to find solutions to philosophical questios;

- have an assurate Picture of themselves;

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- be ecosistent in living to and applying a seto f personal values and beliets;

- value personal growth and development;

- be self – motivated;

- enjoy quiet reflection time;

- utilise journals and diaries.

Kinesthetic. A developed kinesthetic intelligence is exhibited by:

- exploring through touch, movement, manipulation and physical experience;

- learning by doing;

- enjoyment of field trips, model building, role play, video production, collections;

- co-ordination, sense of timing and balance, dexterity, grace;

- concern over improvement in physical performance rehearses movement;

- demonstrating creativity through physical movement and expression;

- often restless.

Video. Howard Gardner of The Multiple Intelligence Theory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2QtSbP4FRg Video. What is multiple intelligence theory? Howard Gardner and the Theory of Multiple Intelligicence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEFpaY3GI-I Video. Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Historical Overview). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wkFGXqJxas Video. Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iaDS4v1WLg

2. Learn and act independently Being independent is a vital skill for people who want to take more control of their lives and feel

like they don't need others to accomplish their goals. Being more independent will give you the freedom to do what you want without caring what others think and it will also lead you to find some original solutions to your problems. Plus, studies show that the more independent a person is, the happier he/she feels! This is because we feel a sense of relief and joy when we can take our lives into our own hands.

What is independent learning? Independent learning is when an individual is able to think, act and pursue their own studies autonomously, without the same levels of support you receive from a teacher at school.

In other words, you need to be able to do your own research instead of expecting a teacher to give you all the background material you might need. To become a good independent learner you need to be:

§ Motivated § Resilient, to overcome challenges An excellent time manager. Top tips for independent learning.https://www.brightknowledge.org/knowledge-bank/study-support/homework-and-study-skills/top-tips-for-independent-learning

Thinking Independently

Accept yourself. You cannot build a strong, independent you if you can't live with yourself. Accept your body, your personality, your opinions, your choices, your preferences, and your life story. Do

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not say things against yourself. Everyone can be strong enough. Everyone has put up with something, proving their strength. Put behind you your mistakes and learn from them. Make an effort to be a better you and most importantly love yourself.

This is an important part of being independent because accepting who you are will keep you from trying to

act like someone else. Believe in yourself. If you don't believe in yourself then who else will ? We are all different

and have something unique to say. No one can speak the words on your lips and not everyone is going to agree with what you say which is why it's important for you to stand by who you are because at the end of the day you are all you got and if you believe in yourself that's really all that matters. Believing in yourself will make you trust your own decisions -- even if they completely go against someone else's -- or even society's -- expectations.

f you don't have faith in yourself, you will always second guess yourself and turn to others for help every

time you have to make a decision. Step away from that. Accept the world. Independent people are not vain, nor do they believe the entire human race

is cruel. Independent people are those who see the world, with its good and its bad, and consciously choose to be strong for themselves and others. You are not independent because you do not trust anyone. You are not independent because you think highly of yourself. Follow this guideline: Learn to accept the world, and decide to be strong.

Accepting the world and all of its complications will also help you see that there are an infinite number of

ways to live out there -- nobody is forcing you to conform to one of them. Be emotionally independent. Chances are, you depend on many people for emotional support.

It may be your parents, a boy or girl friend, or good close friends. Although it is possible to continue to depend on these people for the rest of your life, it is in your best interest to realize that everyone in your life that you depend on will one day no longer be around. Some will move away, some will stop talking to you, and they all will eventually die. The only person that will always be with you is you. If you depend on yourself for support, you will never be let down.

It's okay to get attached to a few key people in your life, but you cannot let these people determine your level

of happiness. That's up to you. Be self-motivated. Other people do not have and will never have the same vested interest in

your success. Motivation and success is a function of habit. You must break your bad habit of procrastination, and replace it with one of good planning. The most successful people in the world aren't always the brightest, or the best looking, but no matter what other talents or gifts they have been blessed with, they have underpinning their self esteem a series of victories over tasks both large and small. This is how you learn anything in school, gain confidence dating, and everything else in life.

If you want to achieve a career goal, it should be to please yourself, not to please your family. If you want to

get amazing grades, then the same thing is true.

Don't be motivated to lose weight, publish a book, or build a house just to impress others. Do it because you

want to drive yourself to succeed. Do it for yourself. Be your own hero. A role model can help inspire you and show you how to live your life. It's

not a bad thing to find someone you deeply admire who shares your values. However, at the end of the day, it's important to think of yourself as your own role model, as a person who is capable of doing and saying anything he or she wants. Aim to be yourself, and be the best you can be. If you can't look up to yourself, you can't be independent.

Avoid idolizing any friends or acquaintances in your social circle. This will only make you even more likely

to forget about doing your own thing. Accept that life is not fair. Our parents cared for us so much that they did everything in their

power to raise us in a fair and just environment. The real world does not function on that principle which is a big problem today. The rules in the world usually protect either the majority (which you may not be a part

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of) or people with money and power. You will be treated badly for all sorts of unfair things: your skin color, your intelligence, your height, your weight, how much money you have, your opinions, your gender, and just about everything else that makes you who you are. You have to be happy in spite of that.

Don't let the unfairness of the world keep you from doing what you want to do. Want to be a male nurse? A

female in the military? The first person in your family to graduate from college? Go for it instead of

convincing yourself that it's just not possible in the world you live in today. Stop caring about what other people think. This is the most important thing about being

independent. If you depend on others to tell you if your music is cool, or if your outfit is cute, you won't be very happy! As long as you like it - nothing else matters! Stop worrying about other people's judgments about your life, whether they are thinking about your clothes, your choice of career, or your choice of significant other. These are your decisions, and not anyone else's.

If you always have the nagging thought, "But what will other people think if..." in the back of your head,

then you'll always be holding yourself back from doing your own thing. Don't just think that you're the best; prove it to yourself! Your opinion matters the most in

your own motivation, but you know when you're pulling your own weight as to your accomplishments. It's far easier to just start dealing with your responsibilities knowing, with an incredibly strong faith in yourself that you can handle what comes up because you have before, than trying to accomplish goals because you're all warm and fuzzy inside. Warm and fuzzy accomplishes very little, but neither does beating yourself up.

Get your own information. Watch and read the news and make sure you get it from a variety of sources. Follow it as often as you can and always have a goal of getting both sides of every story before forming an opinion. You can talk to people of a variety of backgrounds to get more information on a relevant topic, too, but never let other people tell you what to think. Make a goal of reading as much as possible, whether you're reading literature or The New York Times. Being well-informed will keep you from being a follower and will lead to more independent thought.

You don't want to be a lemming and to believe something just because your 50 closest Facebook friends tell

you to. How to be Independent http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Independent Steve Pavlina. Can You Act Independently of Social Pressure? https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2014/09/can-you-act-independently-of-social-pressure/

3. Learn and act in group

Benefits of group work Good group work has great potential for the following reasons: • Students are encouraged to become active rather than passive learners by developing collaborative and co-operative skills, and lifelong learning skills. • It encourages the development of critical thinking skills. • It requires the establishment of an environment of support, trust and co-operative learning can be nurtured. • It promotes student learning and achievement. • Students have the opportunity to learn from and to teach each other. • Deep rather than surface approaches to learning are encouraged. • It facilitates greater transfer of previous knowledge and learning. • The focus is on student centred approach to teaching and learning, and assessment. • Students are involved in their own learning. • It enhances social skills and interactions. • Learning outcomes are improved. • Large numbers of students can be catered for and work on task simultaneously. • Interaction and co-operation on a micro scale is facilitated thus decreasing a sense of isolation felt by some. • Quiet students have an opportunity to speak and be heard in small groups thus overcoming the anonymity and passivity associated with large groups. • Teaching, learning and assessment options are increased.

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• Teaching effectiveness and efficiency increases, and as a result there is increased enjoyment of teaching by staff (and students). • Students get the chance to work on large projects (larger in scope or complexity than individual tasks). • Students from diverse backgrounds are provided with the opportunity to be heard, share experiences and skills, and to participate in unique ways (may provide a new perspective). • It can save time and requires a shared workload. • Alternative ideas and points of view can be generated. • It provides a structured learning experience that can prepare students for the realities and diversity of the workplace, working with people with different skills, cultures, approaches and from different places. • Students develop and practice skills in: decision making, problem solving, values clarification, communication, critical thinking, negotiation, conflict resolution, and teamwork. • The opportunity exists to nurture and develop Graduate Student Attributes. • It makes the Unit of Study challenging, interesting, motivating, engaging, and fun (for everyone)! https://sydney.edu.au/education_social_work/groupwork/docs/BenefitsOfGW.pdf

Video. Creating a Group Assignment - Blackboard Learn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPwiUOZUy60 Difference Between Cooperative Learning and Group Work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MwYjSSBN1A Video. Littler Learning Group (LLG) .How to discuss a topic in a group. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY2yjEEoB3U Video. Creating Group Assignments https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAcg2u6oEEA Video. Working in Groups posted by The Chapman Learning Commons. http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/student-toolkits/working-in-groups/

4. Problems of learning

What is problem-based learning?

Problem-Based Learning

What is problem-based learning?

Why use problem-based learning?

What are the basic steps in designing a problem-based learning project?

What is problem-based learning?

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered approach in which students learn about a

subject by working in groups to solve an open-ended problem. The problem is what drives the

motivation and the learning. Rather than teaching relevant material and subsequently having

students apply the knowledge to solve problems, the problem is presented first.

Students generally must:

Examine and define the problem.

Explore what they already know about underlying issues related to it.

Determine what they need to learn and where they can acquire the information and tools necessary

to solve the problem.

Evaluate possible ways to solve the problem.

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Solve the problem.

Report on their findings.

PBL assignments can be short, or they can be more involved and take a whole semester.

PBL is often group oriented, so it is beneficial to set aside classroom time to prepare students to

work in groups and to allow them to engage in their PBL project.

Video. Why use problem-based learning? https://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-students/problem-based-learning.html

Video. Learning To Learn: Preparing Teachers and Students for Problem-Based Learning. ERIC Digest. https://www.ericdigests.org/2002-2/problem.htm

Video. Learning how to learn | Barbara Oakley | TEDxOaklandUniversity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O96fE1E-rf8

Video. Coursera: Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects https://www.class-central.com/mooc/2161/coursera-learning-how-to-learn-powerful-mental-tools-to-help-you-master-tough-subjects

5. How to reflect in learning to learn?

Reflection has many facets. For example, reflecting on work enhances its meaning. Reflecting on

experiences encourages insight and complex learning. We foster our own growth when we control

our learning, so some reflection is best done alone. Reflection is also enhanced, however, when we

ponder our learning with others.

Reflection involves linking a current experience to previous learnings (a process called scaffolding).

Reflection also involves drawing forth cognitive and emotional information from several sources:

visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile. To reflect, we must act upon and process the information,

synthesizing and evaluating the data. In the end, reflecting also means applying what we've learned

to contexts beyond the original situations in which we learned something. Valuing Reflection.

The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery./Mark Van Doren. Learning Through Reflection. http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/108008/chapters/Learning-Through-Reflection.aspx

Reflective learning. http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/linguafolio/5572 Reflective Thinking: RT. http://www.hawaii.edu/intlrel/pols382/Reflective%20Thinking%20-%20UH/reflection.html

What is Reflective Practice?

Reflective practice is, in its simplest form, thinking about or reflecting on what you do. It is closely linked to the concept of learning from experience, in that you think about what you did, and what happened, and decide from that what you would do differently next time. Read more at: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/reflective-practice.html

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Reflect on and improve own practice in learning and development. http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/74220-level-4-unit-02-reflect-on-and-improve-own-practice-in-learning-and-development.pdf What can be done to help develop the critical, constructive and creative thinking that is necessary for reflective practice? Neil Thompson, in his book People Skills, suggests that there are six steps:

1. Read - around the topics you are learning about or want to learn about and develop 2. Ask - others about the way they do things and why 3. Watch - what is going on around you 4. Feel - pay attention to your emotions, what prompts them, and how you deal with negative ones 5. Talk - share your views and experiences with others in your organisation 6. Think - learn to value time spent thinking about your work.

In other words, it’s not just the thinking that’s important. You also have to develop an understanding of the theory and others’ practice too, and explore ideas with others. Read more at: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/reflective-practice.html

Video. Learning to learn: reflecting on learninghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VHb9wwC_tM

Video. Getting learners to evaluate/reflect on learning. https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/cambridge-teach-in-english/0/steps/18024

2.2. TASKS FOR INDEPENDENT AND GROUP LEARNING

Task No.1

Identify your learning style (from H. Gardner theory) by using provided questionnaire. Multiple Intelligences questionnaire.

A. Please complete the following questionnaire by assigning a numerical value to each of the statements which you consider represent you. If you agree that the statement very strongly represents you assign a 5. If the statement does not represent you assign a 0. Use the numbers 5 – 0 to grade each statement.

1. I am skillful in working with objects 2. I have a good sense of direction 3. I have a natural ability to sort out arguments between friends 4. I can remember the words to music easily 5. I am able to explain topics which are difficult and make them clear 6. I always do things one step at a time 7. I know myself well and understand why I behave as I do 8. I enjoy community activities and social events 9. I learn well from talks, lectures and listening to others 10. When listening to music I experience changes in mood 11. I enjoy puzzles, crosswords, logical problems 12. Charts, diagrams, visual displays are important for my learning 13. I am sensitive to the moods and feelings of those around me

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14. I learn best when I have to get up and do it for myself 15. I need to see something in it for me before I want to learn something 16. I like privacy and quiet for working and thinking 17. I can pick out individual instruments in complex musical pieces 18. I can visualize remembered and constructed scenes easily 19. I have well developed vocabulary and am expressive 20. I enjoy and value taking written notes 21. I have a good sense of balance and enjoy physical movement 22. I can discern pattern and relationships between experiences or things 23. In teams I co-operate and build on the ideas of others 24. I am observant and will often see things others miss 25. I get restless easily 26. I enjoy working or learning independently of others 27. I enjoy making music 28. I have a facility with numbers and mathematical problems

B. Multiple Intelligences: key statements: C.

Intelligence Statements Total score Lingustic 5 9 19 20 ................................. Mathematical and logical 6 11 22 28 ................................. Visual and spatial 2 12 18 24 ................................. Musical 4 10 17 27 ................................. Interpersonal 3 8 13 23 ................................. Intrapersonal 7 15 16 26 ................................. Kinesthetic 1 14 21 25 ..................................

D. Multiple Intelligences wheel By taking the numerical score against each intelligence from the questionnaire, plotting it on the wheel and shading each segment you will get a visual representation of your balance of intelligences according to Howard Gardner‘s theory.

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Skills: 1

Task No.2

Identify the concrete current learning needs in any field, like getting drivers licence, performing leisure activities like skiing, gardening etc.

Answer the following questions: - What kind of problems have to be solved by the learning? What kind of work processes /

actions/operations solving these problems involve? - What knowledge and skills are needed for you to deal with these processes/actions/operations? - What are the possible learning activities that would permit you to acquire these skills

(independent learning on your own, attending seminars and other learning events, informal studies, vocational courses, etc.)?

- Foresee the concrete steps of learning with the time-schedule. Write the answers on paper. Discuss these answers with the colleagues. Skills: 2, 5.

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Task No.3

Reflect on the concrete cases when there were encountered problems in the process of learning. Present the case of your learning problem to the others by answering the following questions: - What was the reason of the problem? How did it occur? - How did you solve the problem? If it was not solved, what were the implications of this problem

for the learning process? - What external support did you use for solving the problem? Where did you look for the support? - What you would recommend now, from the nowadays perspective, how to solve this problem? Exchange your ideas with others in the group. From your discussions identify the common strategies and approaches on how to solve learning problems. Skills: 4, 5.

Task No.4 Analysis of the available supply of learning services. Identify your learning need. Afterwards, look for the available learning services provided from the different sources (training courses, continuing vocational training, on-line courses, etc.) and answer the following questions: - What is the access of the learning services? (For free, fees required). - If the service is not free, what is the price of learning service? - What are the other access requirements for learners (like education level, qualifications, etc. )? - How do the contents of provided service and the regime/organisation of learning (timing,

location, on-line, face-to-face) fit to your possibilities of learning? - What is/are the best suitable option/-s of the offered learning services for you?

Skills: 2,3,5

Task No.5

Critical reflection of the learning experiences. Reflect on your chosen learning experience (case of learning) and present this experience to the group by answering the following questions:

- What was the goal of learning? - What had you known on the issue of learning before the learning activity? - How long did it take for you to learn the issue? - Did you planned your learning activity? How did you make it? - Did you monitored and followed your learning progress? How did you make it? - Did you self-evaluated the results of learning? Why? How did you make it? - What were the biggest mistakes in this learning process? Why did these mistakes occur? After sharing the experiences, please identify the common recommendations on the improvement of learning activities. Skills: 3,5

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2.3. MOSTLY USED METHODS OF LEARNING TO LEARN:

1. Brainstorming. Brainstorming is about thinking of alternative possibilities without judgement, in a comfortable environment. It involves working together as a group and encourages creative thinking and risk taking in order to generate new ideas and solutions, no matter how unclear or ineffective. In brainstorming, there are no “wrong” answers or suggestions; on the contrary, weak points are considered great opportunities for developing a deeper understanding of the topic in question in a highly supportive environment, which increases engagement levels.

2. Three-minute review - Teachers stop any time during a lecture or discussion and give teams three

minutes to review what has been said, ask clarifying questions or answer questions.

3. Team Pair Solo (Kagan)- Students do problems first as a team, then with a partner, and finally on their

own. It is designed to motivate students to tackle and succeed at problems which initially are beyond their

ability. It is based on a simple notion of mediated learning. Students can do more things with help

(mediation) than they can do alone. By allowing them to work on problems they could not do alone, first as a

team and then with a partner, they progress to a point they can do alone that which at first they could do only

with help.

4. Circle the Sage (Kagan)- First the teacher polls the class to see which students have a special knowledge

to share. For example the teacher may ask who in the class was able to solve a difficult math homework

question, who had visited Mexico, who knows the chemical reactions involved in how salting the streets help

dissipate snow. Those students (the sages) stand and spread out in the room. The teacher then has the rest of

the classmates each surround a sage, with no two members of the same team going to the same sage. The

sage explains what they know while the classmates listen, ask questions, and take notes. All students then

return to their teams. Each in turn, explains what they learned. Because each one has gone to a different sage,

they compare notes. If there is disagreement, they stand up as a team. Finally, the disagreements are aired

and resolved.

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5. Focus On Your Success. Begin by telling participants that even if they currently experience school

difficulties, it doesn't mean that it has always been like that. Most probably, there was a time when they

achieved success, but they are now so much into your current situation, that they've forgotten how it was. It

happens to all of us to have good times and bad times, and we can shorten our bad times by doing several

things, this including that we focus back on our success. Tell participants that this activity is an invitation to

reflect on their past, especially on their positive experiences. Distribute handouts “Focus on your success” to

all participants. Invite participants to think about the questions in the handout. If they want to, they may write

their answers on their blank papers. Ask participants to share some of their thoughts about this topic.

Encourage a discussion about it.

6. Positive Self Talk. Begin by telling that during this activity the group will analyze the stories of two

friends. They are eighteen and are at their first driving lessons. They are very similar in their abilities, but the

way they talk to themselves is very different. Will this difference influence their performance? ○ You can

change the name of the characters, especially if someone in your group has one of these names. Or you can

have the characters to be girls, not boys, depending on your group.Give each participant the handouts “Mark

and Edward are learning to drive”. Read it together. Have two volunteers to read it, each playing one of the

two friends. Discuss with the group the questions from the handout. Allow for participation of everyone. No

answer is good or bad, there are just different opinions. Ask participants to think about their self talk about

learning. If they want, they are welcomed to share it with the group, if not, they can keep it to themselves.

Emphasize that the good news is that we have control over our self dialogues, we can modify them so that

they become helpful to our purposes. ○e.g. If we tell ourselves “I'm not good in school and I don't like it”

and we make this self talk a habit, we discourage ourselves and decrease our motivation to learn. We will

find school more boring than it actually is, and more important, we will lose the big picture, this meaning our

pursue of personal dreams for the future. Instead, a self dialogue that sounds something like this: “I know I

can obtain more if I work harder” or “If I do well in school I can choose whatever job I want”, can increase

our motivation and to assure our energy for the study. Read the other two situations. Ask participants which

one of them represents positive self talk. Does anyone identifies with the characters? End the activity by

asking participants to reflect on their self talks in different situations and to make their self dialogues to work

for them.

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7. Case study.

Guidelines for using case studies in class

In the most straightforward application, the presentation of the case study establishes a framework for analysis. It is helpful if the statement of the case provides enough information for the students to figure out solutions and then to identify how to apply those solutions in other similar situations. Instructors may choose to use several cases so that students can identify both the similarities and differences among the cases.

Depending on the course objectives, the instructor may encourage students to follow a systematic approach to their analysis. For example:

§ What is the issue? § What is the goal of the analysis? § What is the context of the problem? § What key facts should be considered? § What alternatives are available to the decision-maker? § What would you recommend — and why? An innovative approach to case analysis might be to have students role-play the part of the people involved in the case. This not only actively engages students, but forces them to really understand the perspectives of the case characters. Videos or even field trips showing the venue in which the case is situated can help students to visualize the situation that they need to analyze

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3.ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCE

Each task is accompanied by the list of criteria for self-assessment of acquired competence together with the range of assessment. Both criteria and the range should be defined by the developers of module referring to the contents of task and targeted skills.

Criteria of self-assessment Range of self- assessment

Perfect Good Satisfactory Non-satisfactory

To identify the personal learning style

To learn and act independently

To learn and act in group

To identify and solve the problems of learning

To identify and solve the problems of learning

Criteria should refer to the quality of the performance of task and its results. For example, if we

evaluate the communication competence, criteria of assessment should include both the result of

communication process (e.g. quality of transferred information) but also the quality of the process of

communication itself (e.g. learner friendliness of communication, consideration of ethical norms in

communication process etc.).

REFERENCES

David and Roger Johnson. "Cooperative Learning." [Online] 15 October 2001. <http://www.clcrc.com/pages/cl.html>.

David and Roger Johnson. "An Overview of Cooperative Learning." [Online] 15 October 2001. <http://www.clcrc.com/pages/overviewpaper.html>.

Howard Community College's Teaching Resources. "Ideas on Cooperative Learning and the use of Small Groups." [Online] 15 October 2001. <http://www.howardcc.edu/profdev/resources/learning/groups1.htm>.

Kagan, S. Kagan Structures for Emotional Intelligence. Kagan Online Magazine. 2001, 4(4). http://www.kaganonline.com/Newsletter/index.html

Kagan, Spencer. Cooperative Learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing, 1994. www.KaganOnline.com