RSA #5 Transformative Learning

Online Resource #1:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lATlzSQaNts&feature=related

Online Resource #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoRiCllMrdU&feature=related

By: Bridget Heenan

February 21, 2011

            Past practices in education have involved informative learning which can be seen in a traditional school setting.  In the age of technology, transformative learning is becoming the norm.  When hearing the term informative learning one may think of information being passed on to one another.  When hearing the term transformative learning one may think of what the word transforms means and conclude that transformative learning may mean to change how learning takes place.  One meaning of transformative learning is as follows, “transformative learning to refer to learning that is based on reflection and on the interpretation of the experiences, ideas, and assumptions gained through prior learning.” (Palloff & Pratt, 2007, p.185).  What I believe is being said by this quote is that one must be active member of their learning process by asking questions to further explore the concept at hand so that it becomes relevant to oneself.  Something becomes relevant to a person they have prior knowledge and or experiences involving the concept at hand. 

            When something becomes relevant to the learning a deeper level of learning has taken place, than just telling someone the information that they need to learn.  According to Cdub4086 he explains that informative learning’s field of study is a topic or subject area and the outcome of this type of learning is knowledge and transformative learning’s field of study is about human beings more specifically, you, whose outcome is power and freedom. (Cdub4086, 2009)  I think the main thing that Cdub4086 was trying to get across about transformative learning was that it is about the individual learner making the learning relevant to them; therefore, they gain power and freedom involving the given concept at hand.

            A running theme involving transformative learning is that it is about you, the individual learner.  One more online source confirms that for me.  Transformative learning takes place when one makes the learning process all about them, meaning you the individual learner.  Transformative learning can take place when you challenge yourself to learn, question, and understand the concept at hand at a deeper level.  Transformative learning takes place when you think about what you are learning, when you actively engage yourself in the learning experience, when you question what you are learning, and when you reflect on what you have learned and why you learned it. (Mason, 2010)  I believe that Mason’s four main aspects of transformative learning is to think, engage, question, and reflect on what you are learning. 

            Overall, all three resources have one main common theme and that is that transformative learning is all about you, the learner.  In order for the learning to be all about you, one must become active within their learning process.  In a World where technology and learning online is starting to become a norm people must become more active with their learning by using the internet resources to help ensure that transformative learning takes place instead of informative learning. 

References

Cdub4086. (2009, July 12).  Informative learning vs transformative learning [Video].  Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lATlzSQaNts&feature=related.

Mason, Shane. (2010, April 29).  Transformational learning – My initial thoughts [Video].  Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoRiCllMrdU&feature=related.

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2007).  Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Boss.