Doing is Learning

Doing is Learning

Through the course of this paper, I will compare and contrast the three different theories by Benjamin Bloom, John Dewey, and Carl Rogers.  Bloom’s theory of mastery learning centers around testing in a very structured environment while Dewey and Rogers theories of learning by doing and experiential learning are based on submerging the student in the experience.

Let’s begin with a summarization of Dewey‘s theory of learning by doing. Dewey was a philosopher, social reformer, and educator. He changed fundamental approaches to teaching and learning. His ideas about education sprang from a philosophy of pragmaticism and were centered on the progressive movement in schooling. He insisted that the student must be invested in what they are learning. This includes relevant curriculum.  He held that the school must represent present life and life as real and vital to be as that which carries on in the home and in the neighborhood and on the private playground. 

Carl Rogers had a similar theory, in my opinion. He thought that the conditions of learning should have room for uniqueness, self-direction, and self-initiated learning. He believed that experiential learning is the active process in which students learn information through discovery and exploration. It’s a very student-centered approach that’s based on the student’s needs and wants. Learning happens with mistakes and failures along with its successes.

In stark contrast, we look at Benjamin Blum who developed the mastery theory. It maintains that students must achieve a mastery level of 90%  knowledge and a prerequisite to moving forward in a subsequent formation. If they do not achieve this standard they’re given additional support and they may test again. This theory leaves no room for differentiation from student to student and also leave a little room for uniqueness. In the mastery learning theory, there’s a shift in responsibilities so the student’s failure is based more on instruction and not the lack of ability. All the weight is squarely placed on the shoulders of the instructor to provide enough time and employee instruction.

As a CTE educator, I am a firm believer in both Dewey’s and Rogers’ theories. My belief in these theories is made even firmer by the fact that before knowing these theories I came to realize that this approach was very successful in the classroom. On the contrary, I find Bloom‘s theory of mastery learning to be outdated, ineffective, and void of fruit. As a very real picture of its ineffectiveness, we can look at what’s going on in our world presently with distance learning. Around the world, society is becoming even more aware of the inability to learn effectively through assignments and tests. The relationship from teacher to student has been distilled down to one contact point: the computer. As a teacher, parent, and homeschool teacher I have hopes for the future that people will realize the importance of experiential/hands-on learning inside a comfortable classroom.

In large part, I have applied Dewey‘s and roger‘s theories in my classroom. I call it “ teaching in reverse”. For instance, the first lesson I teach in my sewing unit is called “The Great Pull Apart”. In this assignment, I take apart a sewing machine and task the student to get the sewing machine working again. They prove that it is working by sewing a small pillowcase. I’ve never had a student take more than an hour to produce a pillowcase nor do I ever have to answer questions about fixing a machine for the rest of the semester. I believe this is undeniable proof hands-on/ experiential learning is the most effective and efficient way to learn.

In conclusion, I believe the hands-on experiential learning theories of Dewey and Rogers are far better than the theory of mastery learning by Bloom. It would be my hope that schools and districts will continue to turn their focus away from testing and standards towards social and emotional intelligence and real-life experience in a modern classroom.

References 

Mike Doe, August 30th 2018, D is for John Dewey: His Approach to Education, Retrieved from https://www.thepositiveencourager.global/john-deweys-approach-to-doing-positive-work/

Benjamin S. Bloom (1981). All Our Children Learning - A Primer for Parents, Teachers, and Other Educators. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastery_learning

LEARNING THEORIES RESOURCE GUIDE Retrieved from https://psyc479.weebly.com/experiential-learning.html#:~:text=Rogers%20introduced%20the%20idea%20of,experience%20and%20real%20world%20situations.

Public Broadcast System, Only a Teacher: School House Pioneer, Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/john.html