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This Learning Module describes common features of most Graduate Diploma programs. Each section refers to other modules and tools that support the learning process. MODULE OVERVIEW ~
UNDERSTANDING THE PROGRAM PRINCIPLES ~ Graduate Diploma programs are designed specifically for working professionals who want to focus on educational practice for the purposes of improving teaching and learning. Learning in a Graduate Diploma program is based on four principles drawn from research on teacher professional development and studies of effective lifelong learners.
Here is a learning tool to help you think about what these principles might mean to you. Learning in a Graduate Diploma program [PDF] BECOMING A SELF-DIRECTED LEARNER ~
We believe the disposition, skills and strategies for self-directed learning are essential for both teachers and students. Our intent is to help you develop the disposition and learn the skills and strategies in a supportive environment. Self-directed learning can be simply understood by remembering these questions and asking them of yourself again and again.
You will quickly realize that in a Graduate Diploma program, many decisions about learning are within your control. By the time you complete the program you will be a confident self-directed learner. You will have increased your knowledge, examined important issues, become a more thoughtful inquirer, and implemented appropriate changes in your practice. You will also have the skills and confidence to continue learning for a lifetime without a formal support system. Ultimately, self-directed learning is not only a way to learn—it is also a deliberate and empowering way of life. Here is a learning tool that identifies some characteristics of effective self-directed learners. You could use it to track your growth from beginning to end of the Diploma program. Self-directed learning inventory [PDF] DEVELOPING YOUR CAPACITIES AS AN EDUCATOR ~ Self-directed learning places greater responsibility on the individual than more traditional approaches to education. Your learning experiences will not be identical to those of other Diploma participants. You bring a unique background to the program, and your community and work context may be quite different from those of other students. Therefore, you will be asked to make learning choices that are right for you. However, this is not to say, “anything goes”—that there are no expectations, standards or accountability for learning. The guidelines for each Graduate Diploma program are stated as a list of capacities. The capacity statements indicate the areas in which all students are expected to show learning and growth. You can see the capacities for this Graduate Diploma by going to the “Capacities” button on the Diploma home page. A capacity is an “actual or potential ability to perform, yield or withstand . . . ” By building up your knowledge of effective practices, your understanding of the students and community you work with, and your confidence to act with a clear moral purpose, you will increase your capacity to make appropriate educational decisions, even when faced with difficult dilemmas. You will be able to perform your work more thoughtfully and effectively. This is why the most important capacities in each Graduate Diploma focus on development as a learner, leader and decision-maker. Exploring the program capacities [PDF] ANTICIPATING THE LEARNING JOURNEY ~ Taking a journey is an especially appropriate metaphor for your experiences in a Graduate Diploma program. The following learning tool will help you make personal connections with this metaphor. Getting ready for the learning journey [PDF] The vision: A quest for a better future A self-directed learning journey is sometimes compared to a quest, because the learner is drawn forward by a vision of possibilities for a better future. A vision is the source of inspiration and motivation. It gives purpose to learning. Your vision may be elusive at first. It may also change over time as you discover new possibilities along the way.
The route: A learning path When a path appears in front of us, it invites us to move forward. Sometimes we don’t see a path until we begin to explore the landscape. We might start off down a path just because we are curious about where it might lead. We don’t always need to know exactly what is ahead. Some people come to a Graduate Diploma with a specific destination in mind. They may even be able to identify the milestones they hope to pass during their journey. Other people need time to survey the landscape before deciding on a route that looks promising. There’s no need to hurry. Luggage: What you bring to the program When people get ready for a trip, they make decisions about what to take along and what to leave behind. Most often, they want to take more than they can carry with them. We assume you have chosen this journey because it means something to you. You are bringing along personal and professional knowledge and experiences that have helped you get to this point. Your luggage contains items that will be useful as you travel. It may also hold things you think you need now, but may discard later if they become a burden. Means of travel: A personal learning style Each individual has a preferred travelling style, and it is important to know what suits you. Some people like to plan ahead, while others need freedom to explore. Some take along a full suitcase; others travel light. Your preferences will influence your journey, because they will determine the way you shape your learning activities. Itineraries: Learning plans A learning plan is like an itinerary for part of a trip—it can be rigid or flexible. It indicates the kinds of learning activities you want to do as you move along your learning path. It may also specify how far you plan to travel in a period of time, and what you want to investigate along the way. Effective self-directed learners build their itineraries based on what they already know and can do, and what they need and want to do next. In this program you will be asked frequently to review and discuss your plans. A plan may be short and limited in scope (e.g., selecting, reading and responding to a professional book; completing a mini-inquiry in your workplace) or large and complex (e.g., undertaking a major field study; working collaboratively with others on a shared project). However, plans may change as you venture into the landscape. Side trips often result in wonderful learning discoveries. Effective self-directed learners often change their plans as they uncover possibilities and challenges. Because you are responsible for developing these plans, you can change them at any time. Necessities: Core learning activities Most trips includes some basic activities that are necessary for survival—becoming aware of the geography and climate, knowing something about the language and culture, and perhaps learning some facts and gathering ideas about how to get around in the territory. Similarly, some basic activities are considered essential for everyone in a Graduate Diploma program. These are called core learning activities, and they are usually developed by the instructional team. They are designed to give everyone the foundations they need to be successful in the program, and they are usually introduced and completed over a relatively short time in the program. You can review some of the core learning activities by clicking on the Academic Requirements button on your Graduate Diploma program website. Choices: Focused inquiries During a trip, most people like to participate in activities that reflect their interests and feed their curiosity. Sometimes choices are given on a list of options; in other situations the travelers make their own plans. If you are on a group tour, choices are often interspersed with large-group activities. In a Graduate Diploma, self-directed learning activities that are relatively limited in scope are called focused inquiries. These are small projects that make the early stages of self-directed learning more manageable. They may be selected from a menu of sample learning activities, or they may be developed independently. In your first semester you will probably design at least one focused inquiry with guidance from a mentor or instructor. This will help you gain confidence in developing your own learning activities. Adventures: Field studies Confident travelers often organize their own adventures. They may decide to explore an unfamiliar region, or return to a place they’ve been before to gain different perspectives or deepen their understanding. They choose where they want to go, their traveling companions, what they will need for the trip, how they will travel, and how they will avoid catastrophes and make the most of the experience. Field studies offer similar opportunities in a Graduate Diploma program. Field studies are major self-directed learning projects designed by a student or small group of students to explore a particular area of interest. They are more ambitious and complex that focused inquiries. They arise from questions or issues that relate to educational practice, and they usually involve a challenge that goes beyond the student’s comfort level. Field studies lend themselves to learning on the job, and they have great potential to enhance both capacities and confidence. Field studies may be worth 2, 3, 4 or 5 credits in one semester, depending on their scope and complexity. All field study proposals are negotiated with a mentor or instructor. You must complete at least 10 credits of field study work by the end of a Graduate Diploma program. Field study forms are provided in the Learning Tools to help you design your proposals, plan for implementation, and summarize your learning activities. Stories: A reflective journal and collection of artifacts During a journey, people often gather stories of their adventures and record their travels in some way. We may collect postcards, take photos or keep a journal as reminders of the ups and downs of a trip. Letters home may talk about significant events, giving examples of what stood out and why. We share our stories with others, recalling the highs and lows and thinking back on what we are taking away from the experience. So it is in a self-directed learning journey. Along the way you will continually reflect on significant learnings you gained from your activities. It is important to record these insights, and to keep track of your thinking as it evolves. A reflective journal is one tool for gathering stories and saving gems of wisdom discovered in your travels. An ongoing journal, as well as informal reflections and selected artifacts, will become important resources for your working portfolio. They will help you to represent your learning journey to others as part of the portfolio assessment cycle. Treasures: Representations of learning During a long journey, each stage of the trip has a life of its own. As we move from one place to another, past adventures fade into the background. We may not remember the highlights when we return home—unless we periodically gather up and consolidate the treasures we have collected. Periodic consolidation, including self-assessment, is a cornerstone of learning in a Graduate Diploma program. Each semester you will be asked to summarize and illustrate your learning in a working portfolio. The working portfolio is a place to consolidate your treasures—summaries of learning, selected examples that illustrate your growth, reflections on the learning process, and self-assessments. At the end of the program, your working portfolio will provide the raw material for a comprehensive portfolio. The homecoming: A comprehensive portfolio People are often changed by their travel experiences. Your learning journey through the Graduate Diploma is likely to transform you, your perspectives on learning, and your work as an educator. At the end of the program, you will be asked to synthesize your learnings in a comprehensive portfolio that represents and evaluates these changes. In the comprehensive portfolio, you will select the most significant learnings from your two-year journey, choose examples to illustrate them, explain why they are important and talk about how they have affected you as an educator. You will also be asked to consider what the next phase of your learning journey might look like, and how you might develop your leadership capacity by helping others in their own learning journeys. LEARNING TO LIVE WITH AMBIGUITY~ You may find it difficult at first to trust this kind of learning. It asks you think deeply about what you want from the program, make thoughtful choices, venture outside your comfort zone and experience learning as a never-ending and unfinished adventure. It demands that you ask serious questions about education and examine issues that have no easy answers or quick fixes. You may feel anxious and even angry during the first semester when the instructional team does not give you a list of required assignments and tell you exactly what to do. You may need time to understand the learning process and the range of choices available. You may be resistant to thinking of learning as a work in progress, especially if you like to take small steps, finish things and have a product in hand. Most Graduate Diploma students experience some anxiety until after the first course is finished and the first cycle of portfolio assessment is over. If you feel this anxiety, ask yourself what it can teach you about the nature of learning. Here is a learning tool to help track some affective (emotional) elements of your learning journey. Plot profile [PDF] REFERENCES ~ Tough, A. (1979). The adult’s learning projects. 2nd. Ed. Toronto: The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. USE THE BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THE HOME PAGE |
