The Necessity of Reactions

Building upon James’ previous conceptions of education as a practical tool, this next talk discusses the importance of reaction as a means of gauging student learning and understanding. According to James, reactions are the results of acting on the impressions, or pieces of information, that the student has been exposed to. More than rote memorization, James’ makes the point that action and reaction must convey mastery of the material in terms of applying it in the world. “Laboratory work and shop work engender a habit of observation, a knowledge of the difference between accuracy and vagueness, and an insight into nature’s complexity and into the inadequacy of all abstract verbal accounts of real phenomena, which, once wrought into the mind, remain there as lifelong possessions” (p. 18). This idea is very much in line with the concept of situated cognition and authentic activity described by Brown, Collins and Duguid (1989). Situated cognition refers to the practical application of knowledge in a way that demonstrates mastery of the material. In James’ view these types of experiences were best for learning because “they confer precision… if you are doing a thing, you must do it definitely right or definitely wrong” (p. 18). This type of immediate feedback helps the student to gauge their progress towards mastery.

This gets at the distinction between the student being able to tell you the correct answer and being able to tell you why that answer is correct. Memorization is a useful tool for some aspects of learning, but a deeper understanding is often necessary in order to apply what you have learned. The authentic activity is a good assessment for this. By taking the abstract knowledge and applying it in a relevant and practical situation, the student will need to demonstrate their understanding of what they have learned. These types of opportunities allow the teacher to assess the student’s level of understanding and provide additional clarification if need be. Moreover, these opportunities allow students to engage with the subject matter and behaviors associated with it, which provides them with the opportunity to make meaning on their terms. Instead of providing the student with the answer and having them understand it in an abstract sense, this type of learning by doing allows them to get further involved in the subject matter. This type of learning can be time consuming, however, and given the large amount of content that needs to be covered in a given school year, is this type of learning truly practical in today’s classroom?

References:

Brown, J., Collins, A., and Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 25, 5-11.