Lina's learning journey to Adult Education
Week 1
Ageist stereotypes
In South Korea, It's so absolute that ageist stereotypes about adults' capacity of learning how to use the digital things such as computers, smartphones, etc. There are many kinds of educational program which is for helping adults' digital training. It's easy to find that the library or city center offers that session.
A few months ago, I saw a public notice in the library which recruits volunteers for teaching English to children. I wanted to participate that program, however, when I met the staff in there she asked me. "Instead of teaching English for children, How about teaching digital skills for elderly?" "Why?" I answered. "Because there are many of aged men who cannot use smartphones or computers. we think that is more important thing to solve."
I was surprised to the staff's attitude, she told me that the activity for elderly is kind of problem that they need to solve. It's quite strange to me. Because First, we all grow old including herself but I felt that she denied it. Second, Old people are all around us. Like my grandmother. Third, there are some things that we don't know and need to learn from younger generations.
That kind of attitude is already prevalent around us. Besides what I've been through in the library, there are other unfavorable views of the elderly. There are seats only for the elderly on Korean buses and subways, and many people ignore them. In dramas, the elderly take care of their children, even their grandsons. Or they are not recognized by their children.
There are also many social problems which is occurred by negative views of the old people. There are many crimes against the elderly are also taking place, things like voice phishing and fraud. Some of old men were found three months after they died alone. I think we, our country have social responsibility of the elderly who suffers from the loneliness or depression.
We need to break the mold of the negative perspective about the old men; they don't know about trends or they're just old parents who needs to care from sons and daughters. I think that is the root cause of the elderly problem. Instead of having old impression about the elderly, we need to focus on the goods that they have.
Just like our family culture, we listen to traditional fairy tales from our grandparents and gain wisdom, we need to communicate with generations throughout society. Younger generations can teach digital skills to the old men, and the Old men can teach us the wisdom that they've been experienced by themselves. Maybe about the how to deal with wisdom in human relationships or the hardships of life.
The world is constantly changing, so I think all of us need to have 'open-mind' to all generations and find some good points to learn from each other.
Week 2
What learning means personally to me?
From reading the learning materials, I thought that I can compare two types of theories : Behaviorist approaches and Constructive approaches.
I believe that constructivism can be the best method of learning, it contains the essential point of learning. Why the learning exists? I think that learning cannot make its own meaning when it is away from life. So, the constructivism, above all, Dewey's approach was impressive to me. I think one's prior experience can be the reference and motivation of learning. (It's one of the principal of Andragogy) The fundamental significance of education can be achieved through the internal motivation, because if the learners know why they learn and what is the learning to themselves, they can make deeper connection with themselves to find their own question and values, it may let them to have various experiences for learning. Yes, the learners are independent to study by themselves but I think it's better to have facilitator in the learning environment. The teacher, can be a facilitator who can suggest some kinds of way to learning or experiencing deeply, depending their own experiences. However, in this case, we need to make the guide of 'facilitation' to teachers. Because sometimes the guidelines which teacher can give to students, include some theories. And sometimes rather, it could be a hindrance. If there is no standards about how to facilitate learners, it could be a conclusion that the experience only the experience in personal. Educators can meet students, and listening about their backgrounds, so helping them make their own purpose and meaning of learning.
And in Behaviorism, I think this is more suitable to Pedagogy rather than Andragogy. Because I think it can be used properly to deliver knowledge to learners; Behaviorists suggest knowledge is transmitted to each individual learner without any interpretation or contextualization on their behalf. The 'interpretation' and 'contextualization' can be a process of making learners' own meaning about their learning, from knowledge and experience. My opinion about behaviorism is that, in this theory, the role of the teachers can only be the instrument of deliver knowledge. Because in behaviorism, it's hard to direct/indirect interaction with learners each other or between teacher and student. I think the interaction, which is refers to the 'facilitation' rather than just teaching, can be more creative way of learning and making more communication to help learners' active learning in education.
Week 4
A lived experience
10 years ago, when I was a student in high school, I had been bullied from my friends.
The main reason why they didn't like me was that I was an unusual student. They regarded me as a 'different' person. Yes, actually I was not an usual type of student. All of our classmates were endeavor to get a good score in the exam, prepared to go to a high name-valued university. Those were 'their' main values during the student life, while I was enjoyed my study. Some of them chose some subjects, only for grading purpose that they wanted to get a good score, but I followed my mind and chose what I wanted to study.
We had two types of different curriculum tracks ; liberal arts and natural science, I studied liberal arts however, we still had some types of compulsory science classes. Although it was not directly connected with our grades that enter to the university but for me, it was pretty interesting. Many of students were slept or concentrated other things rather than studying science class but I was really enjoyed that I can learn other knowledge and it was like a 'new world' to me, I thought that it could be a new and meaningful experience to learn about the different parts of world that I hadn't studied by myself. In biology, I had an interest about 'cell division' and in earth science, my interest was in 'solar and lunar eclipse'. I tried hard to understand about those, because I had curiosity of it.
Meanwhile, we also had some optional subjects, and I chose Korean history and philosophy. It was intriguing for me that study someone's thoughts and learn the various types of thinking method..and I thought it was essential to learn about our country's history correctly. I also participated small group activity ; that make a content by using korean literature and debate our opinions once a week. Also I was a participant of biological seminar and competition in my school. I've never regretted of my quite unusual experiences in learning because it was being an 'asset' for learning and it made me find a meaning of why I have enthusiasm in learning ; It's journey toward me, myself and the 'new' world! While I was studying, the fullness of knowing new things made me happy!
One day, I read some materials in my literature class and a classmate of mine asked me.
"What are you doing?"
"I've just read this material. Isn't it interesting? I heard that it also had a movie, I really want to see the movie afterwards!"
"Huh, that's why your grade is lower than me. Studying is just studying. You don't need to make a 'meaning' of what you learn. You know what? Our studying is only for the 'first-named university'."
Not only she, but also many other classmates ignored me often, because my mindset in studying was quite different from them. I was 'other learner' in our class and in our school. They stigmatized me as an usual student. Having lived under such constant gaze, I was being really timid. Gradually I didn't want to talk with other people about my learning in front of them. My feeling was filled with 'fear', the feeling of not being accepted by my peers brought shame on me. I felt isolation and social pressure that it's better to do not express my own thinking about learning, because my peers didn't like me. I couldn't feel my identity was "accepted, valued and appreciated"(Rovai, as cited in K. Phirangee & A. Malec, 2017, p. 161) while I was with my classmates.
As such a process itself continuing, my attitude toward learning was also became passive. Sometimes I even felt shame of my curiosity or question. After that, I didn't share my learning experiences with my peers, I shared my questions and feelings with teachers instead. It was really helpful to solve my emotional desire of learning and sharing, and my teachers were all supportive to help my study, they respected my attitude and curiosity. They complemented my "social nature of learning"(Hew, as cited in K. Phirangee & A. Malec, 2017), so I built "trust, commonality, and interactivity"(K. Phirangee & A. Malec, 2017, p. 161) with my instructors, it was quite satisfactory experience to me.
And after I entered the university, I was so curious that am I a really 'different type' of student and was it really bad thing to interact with my peers. So, I reflected myself about my way of learning..wanted to make a connection with other knowledge and love to learning 'other new world'. I participated in learning groups and shared my experiences about my journey of learning. They told me my approach is more fitting with learning in university. And finally, I could feel comfort to be accepted from my peer group, also it was a thing to prove and be recognized that my study method were not wrong. My reflective experience in the university was to contemplate my learning way, that process was connected with authobiographic approach, which "allows individuals to examine their own experiences, while discovering new meanings and interpretations for themselves (Grumet, as cited in Kanu & Glor, 2006)."
Now I've got my confidence and meaning of learning truly, it let me enjoy my learning more deeply. Also I will continue to work on exploring my own way of studying from now on.
Week 5
In which way we as educators can introduce "OER Ecosystem" concept in our classroom?
I think the biggest blind spot that an OER can have is, in fact, that the consequences of using it can vary so much depending on the individual's learning capabilities, contrary to the purpose of lowering the learning barrier and being created for equal education. I think students who already know the right way to learn are well aware of how to use it. But if a person who doesn't have a good understanding of himself or herself depends only on OER, he or she may feel pressured and not be able to concentrate on learning. Since it is a resource that can be freely accessed and used by anyone, I think the learning deviation will increase depending on the individual's ability, It would be a cause of "a new form of elitism"(Knox, 2013, p.825).
I think there are many issues that OER can have, so the role of educators like us will be more important.
We believe that as educators, we can guide them on how to use OER to suit their individual learning levels or student preferences with navigating, or provide psychological support to students who feel pressured and pressured to view vast amounts of data. In fact, I think OER is the right resource for mentor teaching type education. The usage varies too much depending on the learner's 'self-reliance' and 'capacity', so I think we need someone who can orient us next to the learner. Or, I think we can share learning among students with group-style mentoring under the supervision of educators using E. Aronson's concept of jigsaw classroom. As an educator, by using the notion of jigsaw classroom and constructive method in andragogy, we can arrange the theme of study and the range of resources that we can use, then we can let learners make other concepts of knowledge or ideas with engaging by themselves.
Just as we look at things like ILO (intended learning outcomes) and see syllabus and predict what's going on in the class and what we're going to get, and create the right study direction for me, education through OER certainly needs that guideline. Without instructing, learners or even teachers can feel lost.
Also, what we should not overlook is that if a lot of data is provided through OER, students may lose motivation to study due to the pressure and pressure to access the vast amount of data. So I think we should reconsider the self-motivation that OER can give us at this point. I think we need to rethink whether OER is really the right way to self-directing. Even in my personal learning experience, I used to feel frustrated or hopeless as a learner when I didn't understand or utilize the given materials properly.
Therefore, I thought that education using OER could replace campus-based education only for students with a certain amount of learning ability. Why don't teachers tell you how to redistribute some data or use it to meet the students' level of learning? As Knox mentioned, "It seeks to widen participation in education with a two-tiered system: those who are guided in their learning by institutional expertise and those who must self-direct."(Knox, 2013, p.824), we can find the integrated approach in using OER.
If we really want to make the right use of this resource in the field of education, I think it's necessary for us to have a clear target for who really needs the 'OER'. If we use this method well, we can use it as an appropriate tool for online education, but if not, I think that education using OER may lead to misuse of data.
As an educator, I believe that OER can be used as intended only when the learner's learning steps and tendencies are analyzed and understood by instructors, and the learners' participation in active and autonomous learning is combined.
*Reference
Knox, J.(2013). Five critiques of the open educational resources movement. Teaching in Higher Education, 18(8), 821-832.