THE KNOWLEDGE
INDEPENDENT LEARNING
ccording to Imperial College (Ferguson et al, 2020), the UK’s colleges could be shut for some time. So let’s use ‘independent learning’ (IL); a specific teaching method that is not necessarily computer-based. Even if your students are not learning in isolation, this is a great method. When my A Level physics students’ questionnaire asked them what was the best thing about Mr Petty’s course, they answered “independent learning” and “learning teams”. I was furious – neither really involved me. As you
A
Recovery position
read this, think about why these methods were so popular, and also their many advantages. In IL, students learn a topic which is defined by the teacher, but is not taught. Support and monitoring are provided by students, who also assess work in progress, but in the end the learning is assessed by the teacher. IL can be used as a component of any course and no special resources are required, but it is not an easy teaching method to use. It is highly effective, however, if enough care is given to task design, monitoring and assessment, which need to be ‘tuned’ to the capabilities of the students.
How to use independent learning At least to start with, choose a straightforward factual topic that can be learned in an hour or less.
Then design a ladder of tasks, from short and easy to longer and challenging, that will require the learner to study and learn this topic. If the students have textbooks or other resources, look at how they treat the topic. This might suggest tasks. The tasks need to be appropriate to your students, that is tuned to the group and can be directed or non-directed. A directed task might be a detailed assignment giving a carefully planned sequence of tasks and questions, with carefully chosen specific references. At least one task should make students really think about the topic rather than regurgitate what they’ve read. A non-directed task might quote what the syllabus requires, with instructions to prepare for a test on this. This preparatory work is not marked by you – though you
Independent learning gives students the opportunity to learn a topic that is defined by the teacher but is not taught, making it ideal for the current situation, says Geoff Petty
34 INTUITION SUMMER 2020
34-35 The knowledge - Geoff Petty_Intuition June 2020_Intuition.indd 34
28/05/2020 13:23
