Metaphors and practices.

I have already said that I like metaphors – so this should be an interesting topic to explore.

Thorpe, the author of this weeks study materials, tells us that our assumptions about learning drive the way we learn and how we deliver learning to others and that normally we focus on how learning happens and not what learning is.

In work, it’s all about knowledge, skills and behaviour – how do we want the individual to be transformed? What should they know, what will they be able to do, and how will they feel. I train others in this process.

What’s the role of the metaphor?

We are introduced to Sfard and a paper from 1998. I think it’s important that we remember the date, as much of what she is discussing seems like common sense. But then common sense often has a hard time – and I am sure this is especially true in academia, where everyone wants his or her theory to be the ‘one’. If you look in google scholar you will find that lots was happening in 1998 around theories for learning. The key message of the paper is that you cannot cover everything with one metaphor…you can’t put all your eggs in one basket. Maybe that’s not a good comparison. Everyone needs a coat but most people have more than one (unless you are my partner) because the coat you wear will depend on where you live, what size you are, what the weather is like etc etc.

“no two students have the same needs and no two teachers arrive at their best performance in the same way”

Anyway back to Sfard. Acquisition and Participation. AM and PM. (which is interesting as I find it easier to acquire information in the morning but would rather have meetings and participate with others in the afternoon) Apparently these are the two opposing theories about learning.

What’s the difference? Acquisition is about knowledge. Getting it, storing it, passing it on. It’s an individual capitalist state of having something. Participation is more socialist, it’s about knowing, about participating and becoming part of a greater whole. (see metaphors!)

But wait – Sfard tells us that this is not a metaphor of learning – this is about how we learn – the mechanism. She also warns us that extreme language may lead us into a dictatorship of the metaphor! Sfard reckons there needs to be an equilibrium – a patchwork quilt if you were of metaphors. The right one for the right situation. So we probably all get that no metaphor can cover everything.

So what about my learning? Do I acquire or participate? I probably go round in circles. I participate to acquire and acquire to participate, and often don’t know what came first.  I use technology a lot to get facts and papers; to listen to video links and webinars. It’s all in the linguistics and for everyone, I think that these metaphors are relevant. They are relevant because they are our experience. We have mostly grown up in a education system that requires us to know certain things, then we move on to a working life, where mostly what we learn from participating with others in our chosen environment. I think that most of us a selfish learners. It revolves around us.  My learning is for me – but it helps me make sense of my world, my experiences, my job – and also gives me some pleasure and fun. (Very important remember!)

Having more – doing more – being more : knowledge skills behaviour maybe?