What is Meaningful Learning?

Meaningful Learning

This week, I read What is Meaningful Learning? By Jonassen, D., et al. This article was about how teaching in schools at this present moment inhibits students learning as the learning process is not meaningful to the child. It also focuses on how technology can be used to make the learning process more meaningful.
Basic points of the reading

*Learning is driven by the understanding and effort invested in completing a task or activity.

*Due to curriculum, students only learn to take tests.  As a result students become fully invested in passing that they make no attempt to understand the knowledge being tested.

*Because of this process of single standardised form of testing, children are not able to show how they know things in multiple ways and thus there is no meaningful learning.

*For learning to be meaningful students must be willfully engaged in the task. In order for meaningful learning to occur the tasks that students pursue should engage active, constructive, intentional, authentic and co-operative activities.

The 5 characteristics of learning

Constructive: learning through questioning what you are learning. When one is curious or puzzled by what they see, meaning is made through reflection of ones confusion.

Active learning: learning through process, trial and error, observation. The learner is actively engaged in the learning process. E.g. learning to hit a baseball through trial and error.

Intentional: Learning in order to fulfill a goal. E.g. learning in order to satisfy a need.

Authentic: Learning in the correct environment. E.g. learning about physics by driving a car instead of reading a textbook.

Co-operative: Learning through working with others and sharing skills.

The role of Technology in Meaningful learning.

*When students are engaged with technology, the student must teach the computer or use the technology to represent what they know in order for learning to be meaningful.

*The process has to be learner initiated and learner controlled.

*The technology must be intellectually engaging to the student.

* Technology as social medium. E.g. working with others.

*Technology can be used to articulate and represent what the learner knows.