New Dimensions of Social Learning

Dr Kalantzis challenged us to consider nine critical elements of the new dimensions of social learning.

The first point discussed in Dr. Kalantzis’s list discusses the evolving concept of the social significance of education. Why do we have formal education? Who is the population for this ongoing research project? The answer to these questions is changing, and the changes are now identified as the knowledge economy. It is clear that the social significance of education requires more than knowledge acquisition. It is necessary that we create new learning experiences that focus on problem solving, collaborative learning, and content retention beyond the ”test.”

The understanding of the knowledge economy is critical to my work. I agree that all disciplines are focused on promoting critical thinkers, but I would argue that nursing students require expert knowledge of the content and the ability to apply that knowledge in the chaotic environment of the clinical setting. This is my greatest challenge. How can I create a new learning environment that supports each of these essential outcomes?

The second of the nine points challenges us to broaden our conception of the physical place that learning occurs. It is our responsibility to create life-long learners who understand that learning is not restricted to the classroom. Nursing students learn in the classroom and the clinical setting: however, there is still a wide gap between the experiential learning in the clinical facilities and the “real life” demands of the new nursing graduate. Currently, many nursing programs are turning to high definition simulation resources to support and or replace the development of clinical judgment. The effects of the pandemic have made the identification of new learning environments crucial to student success.

The third point speaks to the need of discovering new tools for teaching in the new learning environment. Libraries have extended their support systems for students as they encounter all of the digital learning sources. Textbook publishers compete with one another by adding interactive digital resources that multiply with each new edition. These resources must be fully understood by faculty, and their use should contribute to new learning as opposed to being considered as ‘busy work.”

The fourth point identifies the need to assess new learning outcomes with alternative tools that are capable of measuring more than just content mastery. There is increasing evidence that multiple choice testing, especially when constructed by faculty, is not the most effective way to measure new learning. An incomplete list of possible alternative forms of testing include a one minute paper, an annotated portfolio, a poster presentation, a content presentation, and a fact sheet aimed at providing health information for the community.

This issue poses certain difficulties for nursing faculty. The licensure examination to become a registered nurse is a multiple choice test. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing exam (NCLEX) is a computer adaptive test that decides if the student has, or has not, answered sufficient numbers of questions at the prescribed difficulty level to become a registered nurse. The NCLEX does have a limited number of “alternative“ questions that include select all that apply from a list of possible answers, “hot spots” which are used for anatomical placements, and mathematical calculations for medication administration. This means that practice with multiple choice testing is an essential skill for all nursing students. The NCLEX also is central to the discussion of high stakes testing in nursing curricula. Educators have proposed limiting the number and scope of these exams because the stress associated with high-stakes testing can unfairly skew the results. There is also the possibility that nursing faculty find it necessary to “teach to the test.” This means that new learning experiences are essential to nursing students’ success in assimilating content and testing.

The fifth point discusses the balance of energy. New learning requires alterations in the student-faculty relationship where students become more involved with creating the learning environment. Critical elements of the balance of inquiry include students’ involvement with reflective practice and peer-to-peer evaluation activities. Nursing faculty must step back in order to provide student support for these new learning experiences.

Providing individualized learning experiences is the sixth point of discussion in Dr. Kalantzis’s video. At first glance, this doesn’t appear to require significant changes in the learning environment; however, even before the pandemic it was clear that a significant number of students require this level of attention to manage their life as students. I teach in a private liberal arts college in New England and the college provides a wide range of student services. The undergraduate student population is largely traditional students, whose needs differ significantly from student populations in other educational settings such as community colleges. Dr. Kalantzis makes it clear that the individualized learning experiences most often address the outcomes that are in place for the entire student cohort. That means that student needs assessment becomes the first step of the new learning environment.

The seventh point discussed in the video suggests that the dramatic increases in the available new learning aids means that they must be chosen thoughtfully and used to improve the new learning environment. This point where new meets old requires a comprehensive assessment of the contribution of each of the learning aids before its addition to the new plan.

The final point in the video refers back to the initial discussion of the knowledge economy as it relates to the changing role of the teacher. As professionals, all educators must be involved in networking and collaborating with other educators, while conducting research to provide evidence-based protocols for the new learning environment.

Code, J., Ralph, R. & Forde, K. (2020). Pandemic designs for the future: Perspectives of technology education teachers during COVID-19. Information and Learning Sciences 121 (5/6), 419-431. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-04-2020-0112

McClenny, T. L. (2018). Student experiences of high-stakes for progression in one undergraduate nursing program. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship 15(1), 23-31. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2017-0001