Live to learn.: Five Reasons to Learn

Saturday 28 April 2012

Five Reasons to Learn

Life List

I was recently at the Death and Diversity Project exhibition in the Museum of Wellington City and Sea. The project asked people from a range of communities (Jewish, Muslim, Chinese, Columbian, Hindu, Mexican, and Assyrian) in Wellington to share their experiences of death, highlighting many commonalities and differences across cultures. One of the activities that caught my attention was an activity they had for visitors to the exhibition: to complete a list of five things they would like to achieve from life.

The responses on the lists varied, particularly in relation to age and gender. However, many related to travelling, to having a good job, to falling in love, to learn from mistakes, to take chances, to help others in need, and to make the world a better place. One child (aged 6) had simply stated on his life list that he would not be a farmer!

The different lists reminded me of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Maslow described five levels of development (psysiological, safety, love, esteem, self-actualization) through which humans' motivation can generally move through. Maslow never actually expressed his levels in the form of a pyramid, but it is a common representation used. There are many criticisms of this hierarchy, particularly in relation to its ordering (or that ordering them is even possible) and that it centres on individualism over collectivism. The hierarchy can offer some indication of different types of motivation, but every individual can be drawing on different elements within the hierarchy (something I would have noted from the different life lists at the exhibition).

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

I think the life list would be a very valuable exercise for any teacher to use with their students. A teacher could get students to do a general life list and then have them do a second one in relation to a particular subject they are doing, e.g., how does or can doing chemistry support your life list? An articulation of such motivations could be valuable to both the student and the teacher, offering insights into commonalities and differences across students. In turn, reflecting on such insights may illuminate issues to be discussed or may be instructive on how different material may be approached in class, e.g., what material is more appropriate to group work or what is more suitable to work with on an individual level? Students' life lists could be dated and stuck on a classroom wall like the picture below, or, if you like your technology, pictures of the life lists could be taken and put on a Pinterest board. A life list could be completed at certain intervals to see if and how students' motivations can change throughout their schooling. Where would such motivations fall on Maslow's hierarchy? Do students highlight that they want to accept facts? be creative? be problem-solvers? help others? get 'stuff'? have respect? An understanding of such motivations and the rationale underpinning them are important elements to effective pedagogy.

Life Lists Board

Maslow's hierarchy of needs image taken from wikipedia.

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Publications

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Donnelly, D.F., & Hume, A. (2015). Using collaborative technology to enhance pre-service teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in science. Research in Science and Technological Education, 33(1), 61-87. doi:10.1080/02635143.2014.977782 [Link]

Donnelly, D. F., Linn, M. C., & Ludvigsen, S. (2014). Impacts and characteristics of computer-based science inquiry learning environments for precollege students. Review of Educational Research, 84(4), 572–608. doi:10.3102/0034654314546954 [Link]

Donnelly, D. F., McGarr, O., & O’Reilly, J. (2014). “Just be quiet and listen to exactly what he’s saying”: Conceptualising power relations in inquiry oriented classrooms. International Journal of Science Education, 36(12), 2029–2054. doi:10.1080/09500693.2014.889867 [Link]

Donnelly, D. F., & Boniface, S. (2013). Consuming and creating: Early-adopting science teachers’ perceptions and use of a wiki to support professional development. Computers & Education, 68(1), 9-20. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2013.04.023 [Link]

Donnelly, D., O’Reilly, J., & McGarr, O. (2013). Enhancing the student experiment experience: Visible scientific inquiry through a virtual chemistry laboratory. Research in Science Education, 43(4), 1571–1592. doi:10.1007/s11165-012-9322-1 [Link]

Donnelly, D., McGarr, O. and O'Reilly, J. (2011). A Framework for Teachers' Integration of ICT Into Their Classroom Practice. Computers & Education, 57(2), 1469-1483. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu [Link]

Donnelly, D., O'Reilly, J. and McGarr, O. (2011). Building blocks for PCK: A conceptual framework to support Shulman’s original construct. Proceedings of European Science Education Research Association (ESERA), Lyon, France, September 5-9. [Link]

Donnelly, D., McGarr, O. and O’Reilly, J. (2011). The promotion of scientific inquiry in Irish post-primary schools through the use of a virtual chemistry laboratory: Implications for teacher education. Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2011 (pp. 3638-3645), Chesapeake, VA: AACE. [Link]

Donnelly, D., O'Reilly, J. and McGarr, O. (2010). A Practical Approach to the Promotion of Inquiry in Chemistry in Irish Post-Primary Schools: a Virtual Chemistry Laboratory. Proceedings of London International Conference on Education (LICE), London, 6-8 September. [Link]

Presentations

Vitale, J.M., Libby, G.F., Donnelly, D.F., McBride, E., & Linn, M.C. (2015). Comparing teacher use of logistic and conceptual indicators to guide online science inquiry. Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Chicago, IL, April 16-20.

Gobert, J.D., Sao Pedro, M.A., Linn, M.C., Donnelly, D.F., Buckley, B., & Ketelhut, D.J. (2015). Next generation learning and assessment environment for science inquiry practices. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, San Jose, CA. February 12-16.

Linn, M., Gerard, L., Donnelly, D., Krajcik, J., & Lester, J. (2014). Navigating to NGSS success: Identifying a research agenda, DR K-12 PI Meeting, Washington DC, August 5-6.

Donnelly, D.F., & Hume, A. (2013) 'Pre-service teachers' perceptions of a wiki to support Content Representation (CoRe) design' in Australasian Science Education Research Association (ASERA), Wellington, New Zealand, July 2-5.

Donnelly, D., Boniface, S. and Hume, A. (2012) 'Supporting New Zealand Teacher Professional Development Through CoRes and PaP-eRs On A Wiki' in International Conference on Chemistry Education (ICCE), Rome, Italy, July 15-20.

Donnelly, D., O’Reilly, J. and McGarr, O. (2011) 'The Promotion of Scientific Inquiry in Teachers’ Practice through ICT: Affordances of a Virtual Chemistry Laboratory' in World Conference on Educational Technology Researches (WCETR), Nicosia, Cyprus, July 6-10.

Donnelly, D., O’Reilly, J. and McGarr, O. (2011) 'Facilitating scientific enquiry in Irish post-primary schools through the use of a virtual chemistry laboratory' in FACiLiTATE conference, Dublin, May 26-27.

Donnelly, D., O'Reilly, J. and McGarr, O. (2009) 'A Virtual Chemistry Laboratory for Irish Post-Primary Schools' in Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Conference, Kilkenny, April 23-24.