{"id":9232,"date":"2012-02-18t10:06:09","date_gmt":"2012-02-18t16:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.imrbdigital.com\/?p=9232"},"modified":"2012-02-17t10:43:24","modified_gmt":"2012-02-17t16:43:24","slug":"social-pedagogies-an-opportunity-for-authentic-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.imrbdigital.com\/2012\/02\/social-pedagogies-an-opportunity-for-authentic-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"social pedagogies: an opportunity for authentic learning?"},"content":{"rendered":"

this is a post written by graduate teaching fellow, megan mcmurtry. <\/em><\/p>\n

one way to motivate student engagement with course material is to make use of social pedagogies.\u00a0 social pedagogies are \u201cdesign approaches for teaching and learning that engage students with what we might call and \u2018authentic audience\u2019 (other than the teacher), where the representation of knowledge for an audience is absolutely central to the construction of knowledge in a course<\/em>\u201d (randall bass and heidi elmendorf, of georgetown university<\/a>).\u00a0\u00a0 by creating an authentic audience for students, students are more likely to engage with course content in ways that promote deep learning. \u00a0\u00a0there are many ways to do this: group projects, class presentations, blogs, wikis, student publications, etc.<\/p>\n

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caitlyn durning's 'french persona' facebook page which is a part of her coursework. caitlyn says: "the amazing curriculum that\u2019s been developed for this french class just shows me how much professors at vanderbilt want to keep the students engaged in the material."<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

vanderbilt\u2019s admissions office runs a blog called inside dores<\/em><\/strong> featuring posts by vanderbilt students.\u00a0 two recent posts highlighted the way two classes have found of promoting student learning through use of social pedagogies.\u00a0 in the first post<\/a><\/strong>, written by vu sophomore\u00a0caitlyn durning<\/a>, students developed their foreign language skills by creating an online persona and interacting with others in the target language.\u00a0 students practiced the language in a more realistic manner than scenarios contrived to fit a chosen set of weekly vocabulary.\u00a0 weekly vocabulary drills can be useful, but using a foreign language in real-life scenarios fosters a deeper acquisition of the language.\u00a0 students were able to acquire functional use of language because they incorporated it into their everyday lives instead of merely memorizing it for an exam.\u00a0\u00a0 in this instance, the professor uses tools that the students are already using (facebook), to encourage practical engagement with the subject in a way that moves the students toward a deeper, more long-lasting and practical use of the language.\u00a0\u00a0 this type of work provides the students with useful practice in a fun and engaging way.<\/p>\n

the second inside dores<\/em><\/strong> blog post – published? as an undergrad? <\/a>– written by junior erica graff<\/a> successfully highlights several aspects of social pedagogies.\u00a0 this particular student\u2019s group project analyzed and compared differences in rural and urban water quality. students encounter and interact with the material in tangible ways instead of solely through isolated abstract discussions.\u00a0 this doesn\u2019t mean that the abstract or theoretical conversations are shunted to the side.\u00a0 rather, the interaction they have with the research is a way of piquing their interest and preparing them for the more complex discussion or the theory behind the research.\u00a0 this project also had the added motivation of publication and peer reviews.\u00a0 bass and elmendorf have shown that students are more motivated articulate their ideas and organize them well if they are presenting to their peers or in a public forum rather than merely turning in a paper or project to their professor.\u00a0 students assume that their professors will \u201cfill in the gaps\u201d in their reasoning assuming professors \u201cwill know what they mean\u201d and are therefore less likely to clearly communicate their ideas.\u00a0 additionally, students tend to be motivated by peer approval.\u00a0 presenting one\u2019s project to the class or in print encourages student to do well, while also letting them experience the process and the fun (yes, fun) of research.<\/p>\n

the reasons these projects are successful is that they engage students in activities they are already doing; they demonstrate the relevance and applicability of the course content; and, they create an authentic audience.<\/strong><\/p>\n

you can read more about social pedagogies in courese at vanderbilt by visiting these links:<\/p>\n