Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ It’s easy to mistake engagement for learning. Here’s how I learned the difference.

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

This is a case, I think, of missing the point (though you don't have to read it that way; it's just my opinion). The author illustrates the point that 'engagement is not the same as learning' with a (probably fictional) interaction with an assistant principal. "Laughter and joy filled the room. But were they learning, or was it just 'pretty'? ... He asked me to look at students' reflections to see what they were retaining. Sure enough, more of the responses were about the activity than about the content." I would observe that they were still learning, and more to the point, learning the important lessons about creativity and communication and presentation rather than the trivialities of fact-based content. Anyhow, I think the take-aways from this article are worth repeating: don't give up on engagement, learn each tool before moving on, build relationships, and be reflective. Via Joanne Jacobs.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Dec 22, 2024 08:51 a.m.

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