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Fink (2003) provides a Taxonomy of Significant Learning that helps us to set more comprehensive goals (pp. 31-32). The six elements in his taxonomy are:
Foundational knowledge goals deal with content acquisition – both remembering and understanding key concepts now and in the future. Application goals have to do with students applying earlier learning by thinking about it, by critical thinking or problem-solving for example, or by doing something with it (i.e., a hands-on experiment). Integration goals would involve students seeing connections among ideas within a course, with other courses, or with life outside of school. Goals about the human dimension have students learn about themselves and others and how to interact with others, such as leadership and teamwork skills as well as issues of ethics. Caring goals involve shifting what students care about. And learning-how-to-learn goals focus on how to be a good student, how to construct knowledge in the discipline area, and how to be a self-directed learner. To Fink, these goals are not hierarchical; instead, they all overlap and intersect at what he calls ‘significant learning.’ Courses should include all of these types of goals, which help to move the focus of a course far beyond content acquisition. To find out more about Fink’s work, visit the website about his latest book at: http://www.ou.edu/idp/significant/index.htm. Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating
Significant Learning Experiences. Excerpted from: Donna Ellis, Learning: It's
More Than Content. Teaching Matters
Newsletter, May 2003. trace, |