Category: LRNT 524

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Constructivism and the Subconscious – Layers of Learning

Emotion plays a major role in memory, learning, and cognition.

In, “Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective” (Ertmer & Newby, 2013), Ertmer and Newby discuss the roles of each learning theory in a continuum of readiness of learning acquisition based on seven questions to unpack each perspective. As a psychology major, I have taken classes in learning and behaviour, and cognition. This article spelled out these two approaches well and how they can be seen as building blocks to more complex applications such as constructivism. Yet, reading this article’s answer to “[w]hich factors influence learning?” in constructivism was sadly limited. Even in the update, there was no mention of the role of the emotion, nor the role of the subconscious.

The subconscious is something not often discussed during theories of learning. In viewing the mind through a dualistic lens of the conscious and the subconscious, behaviourism and cognitivism find a comfy home in the conscious with a cabin in the subconscious, while constructivism and the subconscious are very married. The importance of meaning is paramount to constructivism, and emotions are the backbone to the meaning of constructs. The subconscious interprets the external stimuli filtered through the conscious mind through an emotional regulator of the limbic system. It has its own rules of operating that is different from the conscious. I can go into great depths of how this dualistic operating system impacts an individual with concerns/ trauma and how the mind generates a behavioural response pattern. But, this class is focused on digital learning, so I will focus on that and if you would like any further information about dualism and psychotherapy please do not hesitate to contact me.

McFadden (2007) noted a similar view regarding the role of emotion in digital learning. In his article, “The forgotten dimension in learning: Incorporating emotion into web-based education”, McFadden explores the role of emotion and ends with twenty-one hypotheses involving how this significant dimension of being human is associated with web-based learning.

1. The role of emotion is poorly understood in society and in learning.
2. Educators and learners may have ambivalent attitudes towards
emotion.
3. Science and professionalism may de-value emotion.
4. New research in brain functioning is supporting a major role for
emotion in memory, cognition and learning.
5. Emotion can enhance focus, motivation and reasoning. Under certain situations it can also impair memory, motivation and reasoning.
6. Positive emotions may stimulate more creative, integrative, flexible thinking and an openness to information.
7. Emotion has been associated with academic performance.
8. Emotions are too complex to be categorized as strictly positive and
negative. Lower levels of anxiety, for instance, may enhance focus,
motivation and performance.
9. Learning involves a wide range of emotions.
10. The emotional experience within a course may be an important factor in valuing the course.
11. The expression of emotion may be seen as a danger in creating a
“safe” classroom for discussion.
12. Facilitators may deliberately discourage the expression of emotion.
13. Learners may compartmentalize emotion, “saving” it for outside
the classroom.
14. Learners may have a “personal style” in communicating emotion
online.
15. Some of the features of online education and communication may
limit the expression of emotion.
16. Various tools can be used to enrich online communication with
emotion.
17. Online emotional expression may be related to gender, personal
style, comfort with others, size of the group, and skill and knowledge with computers and the internet.
18. Facilitators may be missing important emotional experiences of
learners such as feeling ignored or unappreciated in an asynchronous communication environment.
19. Course experiences can be described as having an “emotional topography” with common feelings and experiences among users at
different points.
20. Web-course developers should consider the emotional experiences
of learners in designing courses.
21. Web-course facilitators should be aware of the variety of emotions
experienced by learners throughout the course and be prepared to
respond to them.

(McFadden, 2007)

I think they are interesting points to consider as hypotheses. What are your thoughts? Do you think emotion is a factor in learning? What about digital learning, is your response the same?  If the subconscious runs much of our behaviour, should there be more attention dedicated to this important variable?

Maybe you don’t think the subconscious plays a role. If so, I would love to engage with a dialogue with you as dialectical engagement is an essence of constructivism.

Let’s learn together.

 

References

Ertmer, P., & Newby, T. (2013 Online). . Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43-71.

MacFadden, R. (2007) The forgotten dimension in learning: Incorporating emotion into web-based education. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 25(1-2), 85-101. DOI: 10.1300/J017v25n01_05

 

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A Growth Mindset Person Situated in a Fixed Mindset Culture

Hi, you! I need your help! To accept this mission, please continue reading.

In “Assessing d.learning: Capturing the journey of becoming a design thinker” (Goldman, Carroll, Kabayadondo, Cavagnaro, Royalty, Roth, Kwek, and Kim, 2012) Goldman et al. unpack the transformative journey of changing mindsets through a qualitative lens. Honestly, loved this article. It has some of my favourite elements – Vgotsky, Dweck, and qualitative theories. So I don’t need your assistance in appreciating this article, but your mission, if you choose to keep reading, is to help me apply their understanding in a current work situation that I am not sure how to progress. Maybe through this as a collaborative process, the solution will rise up like smoke.

The Background

Smoke is the key word here. I was offered a new job (Christmas eve starting at 2300) at a residence that has six elderly residents with a long-standing diagnosis of schizophrenia. Each resident has approximately forty years under the mental health act. This means that they: have a severe diagnosis, are not able to find their own shelter, are a threat to themselves/ others, and have not voluntarily accepted continual assistance care (under control of the state legally). Most of their adult life of each individual has been spent in a psychiatric facility. Due to their age, they are no longer considered a violent threat and can live in a community under 24-hour care. This includes medication, food, and knowing of their whereabouts at all time.  Four of the six residents are cigarette smokers. One of the non-smokers smoked for 30 years but has quit about five years ago. Two of the residents that smoke are extremely delusional in that they believe that staff are trying to control them – poisoning coffee, the government is controlling their mind, they are in charge of the world during this third world war, etc. The workers in this residence consist of four daytime workers and two night-time workers. I work four nights on and then two nights off. Therefore, I am the most often work at nights.

On my last shift, I was told that two of the staff (the other night worker of two nights, and the primary day person) would like to change the smoking habits of the clients so that there is no smoking between midnight and 0600. Their reasoning is so that they “don’t have to deal with them”, and that maybe they will “stay in their rooms longer”. As you can clearly see, this is not an empathetic approach. In fact, they do not speak with the clients very often, and some clients are afraid of the workers. I, on the other hand, really enjoy engaging with the clients and listening to their perspective although I only have a small window working 2300 – 0700. Building rapport is essential in assisting others, and also allows workers to understand the clients’ motives. One of the clients smokes during the night for two major reasons – smoking a cigarette creates smoke army men that are used to fight in Armageddon that he is in charge of as the commander, and the soldiers are Corinthians (they disappear when the first ray of light hits them) and as such his army building needs to take place during darkness in order to save humanity. Therefore, in his mind smoking during the night is essential to his delusions. I agree that a changed mind be helpful for his health, but a move too quickly can be extremely jarring to a life-long delusion.

Mindshifts

So, the goal is to create a mindshift with the clients, and with the work culture.  Goldman et al, identified four key mind-shifts: human-centred; experimental; collaborative; and metacognitive. If the smoking time restriction initiative had more time to develop, I would be developing a design that is collaborative with clients to see how the transition process could be developed with their buy-in. As the initiative has already commenced, the process will have to be a dynamic transition of moving parts. It will need to be a living experiment.

Clients

Human-centred – talking with the clients during the change to understand why they would like to smoke between the times of 0000 – 0600.

Experimental – the transition is possibly changing as I will be working the majority of the nights. Therefore, the times allowed during my shifts, and the rewards/ consequences, can be everchanging while a fit is found.

Collaborative – speaking with the clients to see if they have solutions (eg. perhaps they would like staff to ration out their cigarettes, or remind them when it is closer to smoking end times)

Metacognitive – maintaining mindfulness of the power dynamics between clients and workers, and that these are considered at-risk populations.

Coworkers

Human-centred – I need to be empathetic to their concerns about work restrictions. Although laziness seems to be a predominant factor, perhaps there are additional reasons.

Experimental – speaking with staff about the different tools that are available to help in shaping behaviour and that documenting the team approaches during the transition.

Collaborative – trying to reinforce that as a group we can be more effective in solution finding, and maintaining of a healthy habit.

Metacognitive – being mindful of the power dynamics between the workers. I am the “new guy” and three of the six workers there have been there for over twenty years.

Mission Possible?

Okay, back to you. Since you have continued to read this (way over the word count, but I don’t mind and can take a penalty) I am assuming you have accepted the mission. What I am asking of you is for your perspective. I think that a collaborative approach can yield incredible results.

This is your Windaloobah experiment. This is your mission.

What do you recommend?

Reference

Goldman. S. et al. (2012). Assessing d.learning: Capturing the journey of becoming a design thinker. In H. Plattner, C. Meinel & L. Leifer (eds). Design Thinking Research: Understanding Innovation. (pp. 13-33). Berlin: Springer.