Clark, J., Dodd, D. and Coll, R. K. (2008). Border crossing and enculturation into higher education science and engineering learning communities. Research in Science and Technological Education, 26(3), pp. 323-334. Retrieved on July 4, 2010 from http://pdfserve.informaworld.com.ezproxy.usq.edu.au/269567_751304989_903081781.pdf
Enculturation into communities of practice
Designing a framework for teaching and learning embeds a system of integration and participation. Language, artifacts, and tools sustain group culture that manifests through social interaction, and is attributed to culture and past activity. Teaching and research improves over time with an increase in group participation.
Learning is viewed as a distribution of cognition, and emerges in social contributions to learning. Individual minds develop in the right setting with situation monitoring and accurate self-evaluation. Positive perception of self improves group culture. Sense making is a negotiated exercise. Context is therefore a critical component of participation. However, contextual settings (e.g. institutions for higher education) are only limited to individual imagination. Learning that takes place in an educational context is broken down to its component parts in order for participants to generate new meaning as it applies to their situation (e.g. the ability to transfer what has been learned to a new setting). An holistic understanding of knowledge is applied, and can be used in multiple situations. Static knowledge becomes living knowledge and creates new meaning with every application. Distributed cognition is more than the concept of individual brain power, and lives in the social interaction between group members. The environment is part of the interactive process. Social interaction is made possible through technological and psychological tools (e.g. software and language). Evolutionary processes have led to improvements in both and is inherently part of the sociocultural context. As language is conceptual, misunderstandings can occur during communication which is why it is important to have specific terminology.
Border crossing into communities of practice
Teaching practice is considered to be a social activity contained within discourse specific to the environment (e.g. classrooms). Each community can be said to be unique, thus discourse is subject to extreme diversity. Clarity of objective can be seen immediately when considering internal power sources, the relationships extended, how knowledge is embedded in daily activity, and the assessment procedures. A transformational approach has been accepted as a method to empower students. Empowering students promotes an increase of values and identity.
Introduction to new learning methods (e.g. graduate programs) takes the student from what is known (e.g. current levels of education) to new levels of meaning making. Students are expected to link external culture to group culture, progressing towards full assimilation of the new community. Research into enculturation has noted that there may be interference in accepting a Western pedagogy by indigenous or minority groups. Language and epistemic beliefs are seen to be a block to many.
Vocational institutions are known to benefit domains such as science and engineering. Students who have access to subject matter experts (e.g. working alongside scientists) are more likely to accept group culture and ethics (e.g. legitimate peripheral participation). Learning is motivated by a need to belong. Belonging encapsulates intrinsic motivation and a desire to know more. Language and terminology become second nature.
Methods of analysis
Clark, Dodd and Coll analyse methods to understand how students assimilate a different culture and use practical methodology of interviewing group members derived from a national study conducted in New Zealand.
Staff perception of the nature of their higher education learning communities
In order to understand how students assimilate, the exact nature of the culture must be determined first. Teachers values and principles (or behaviour modeled) are causal by nature. Individual success is based on the ability to learn independently, to self-regulate, to accept challenges (e.g. increased workload), and to participate.
There are considerable differences observed between cultures in schools and higher education. Students are expected to monitor their learning schedule and participation. Emphasis is placed on lecturer roles, which are different entirely from the modeled behaviour of a school teacher. Responsibility comes with acceptance of group norms. Higher education settings provides more freedom for students, and many times a lack of commitment becomes a sure sign of failure. Practical exposure to other students connects individuals to their environment, finding safety or security in their ability to ask questions. Several higher education institutions regulate attendance and commitment from students by having them sign a contract.
Clark, Dodd and Coll state that general feeling acknowledges the barrier that students face when entering university from schools. Naivety in choosing suitable training programs is apparent to lecturers when students join without any knowledge of their selected topic.
Higher education develops practical skills and ability in students who prepare to enter the workforce. The time spent in higher education allows an individual to develop a maturity that helps foster an attitude commensurate with the world of work. Independent learning promotes maturity and thoughtfulness, and the ability to concentrate and focus on work.
As each institution of higher education have identifiable values, students who register with that community are expected to align themselves to group culture (e.g. plagiarism is frowned upon). Collaboration occurs through acknowledging a sense of belonging to the group.
Individuals are valued because they have attributes and aspects of independent learners. The culture and values of higher education institutions instills a cohesion through embedded tasks, establishing community spirit. Pedagogical approaches assume the responsibility of undertaking various aspects of group development. Levels of experience, personal characteristics, and capability lead to diffusion of tension between individuals if identity building processes have been an effective measure of enculturation.
Role models are critical when developing these observational skills, as goal setting procedures procure immediate results. Mature students are seen to be more in tune with this approach, as their wisdom allows them to carry the responsibility more easily.
Student perception of the nature of their higher education learning communities
Students are tested on their affiliation to group culture. Assessment and validation come from values, honesty, and collaboration. Students adopt the characteristics of the organisation and use them as guidelines to structure and develop personal working styles. Clark, Dodd and Coll observed students levels of awareness as it relates to community practice.
Independence in learning
The move to higher education from school demands a certain level of personal accountability. Independent learners (e.g. students who are able to self-regulate) are more likely to have a level of organisational skills (e.g. time management) that propel and guide towards their end objective. Without a definitive plan or schedule, students remain unfocused and unclear about their primary function.
Working hard
While first year students prepared themselves to understand new areas of interest (e.g. science), the pace of learning is enduring and chronic. Without extra effort and determination to accomplish the tasks, students may find themselves lagging behind. In general, higher education institutions develop program structures that link modules together. Student understanding increases as they acquire new knowledge and create their own meaning to comprehend the following tasks.
More demanding assessment regimes
Progressive understanding comes with recall. Student recall is a key objective when analysing information. Rote memorisation is not enough. Details come from intellectual stimulation of the subject and students are required to really think about what is absorbed (e.g. knowing what photosynthesis means, rather than just understanding it as a sequence of events).
Developing practical skills
To facilitate understanding and encourage further stimulation, improving on practical skills is a pragmatic and sensible way of developing deeper insight. Without the practice of applying knowledge, students miss out on some aspects of learning. Concepts are made clear during activity. Specific fields of employment develop a system of tools that aid working practice. Students who are exposed to and have practical working knowledge of these tools are more likely to find immediate employment (e.g. lab work). In addition, students are expected to have documented learning in a manner that not only briefs supervisors, but becomes part of the individuals' research history. The recording of personal learning creates more meaning to an individual than when information is just read and acknowledged (e.g. blogging).
Values
Plagiarism is a highly frowned upon activity as it is considered an unethical form of research. However, when working collaboratively, cheating is no longer an offence. The group exists so that knowledge can be shared. Role models provide the impetus for individuals to be successful students. Ethical practice is incorporated into daily activities and student observations generate similar personal ethics and values. Passion and interest is transferred from lecturer to student.
Collaboration with others
Students find that collaboration makes it easier to comprehend the mass of information that is encountered. Group discourse aids stimulation and capacity for analytical thinking. Full participation in group work means that the acquisition of information to discuss is critical. Lack of sufficient knowledge in an individual creates disharmony and reduced levels of participation. Commitment to self correlates significantly with commitment to group activities.
Summary and conclusions
Dodd, Clark and Coll state that from observations of students and teacher in higher education, it is clear that independent learning takes into account the responsibility and commitment to learning, full and active participation in group work, understanding why artifacts are produced, the ongoing development of practical skills, and the growth of values and ethical behaviour.
Acclimatisation to higher educational culture promotes progressive advancement in career and life experience.
Discussions and implications
The development of cultural awareness in higher education is driven by social contribution in student learning. Interaction between educators and students creates transactive memory for the group (e.g. distributed cognition). Successful collaborative work requires technical and psychological tools, and a structure that embeds learning in daily activity. Students produce artifacts that can be used by both group members and individuals to intensify knowledge gathering. Deeper levels of analysis can be achieved from diverse perspectives. Knowledge and learning developed in this manner is more effective for student learning than rote memorisation (e.g. reading manuals without practice). Tacit knowledge is made clear from data and becomes explicit knowledge through discourse. By building and fostering a sense of community, alignment to group culture prepares students for the future.
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