Instructions and details about the

Activity 3.6 Online discussion: wearing different hats

This compulsory on-line activity will be guided by your tutor and will take place in your tutor group forum. Once you have read the information set out here you should look at which hat you are wearing.

We hope you will enjoy the activity as you extend your knowledge and understanding of different theories of learning.

Hats Activity Overview

This activity involves a discussion of two short accounts written by Nicky, a playgroup leader (see Case Study below). These accounts relate to two children with whom Nicky works. In the accounts Nicky describes some aspects of the children’s behaviour and how she works with them. She raises some questions and starts to relate her descriptions to her developing (and as yet unsophisticated) understandings of theories of learning and development.

The aim of the discussion is to explore how the three different theories of learning and development, discussed in Block 3, might be used to help understand the behaviours and practices that Nicky describes. This provides you with the opportunity to clarify your own understandings of these three theories and how they relate to practice.

Carrying out the activity
During the first three weeks of this activity you will discuss the extracts from Nicky’s notes (see Case Study below) with members of your tutor group taking on different roles – wearing different ‘hats’, and all of your messages will be written ‘in role’.

In the final week of this activity you will take your hat off – and try to come to a shared summary of the key points coming out of your discussions.

Different hats

Here is an explanation of the role/perspective that each of the hats must adhere to. There will be at least one person wearing each of the hats within your allocated discussion group.

Hat Perspective/Role
Chair person – Diane Moores Co-ordinates the discussion, ensures everyone stays in role and that the discussion stays focused on the questions (see below), makes links between postings, summarizing, re-focussing, encourages people to respond to other people’s postings, encourages people to make explicit links to course materials (and other relevant sources), etc..

Behaviourist - Sarwat Uppal, Amanda Clarke, Wendy Drysdale, Victoria Healey, Michelle Grovestock, Debbie Knight, Fiona Rennie, Catherine Stokes Believes that behaviourism explains how people learn. Sees and explains everything from a purely behaviourist perspective.

Constructivist Laura Clayton, Michelle Wongsam, June Fenton, Susie Ives, Kathryn Cocks, Rachel Lockett, Simone Rowe, Monir Taghizadeh

Believes that constructivism explains how people develop. Sees and explains everything from a purely constructivist perspective.

Socio-cultural theorist Alison Cloran, Karen Tomlinson, Sarah Gordon, Toni Grant, Tracey Iwaniuk, Hannah Kenyon, Tracey Melia, Louise Stanley, Believes that socio-cultural theory explains how people learn. Sees and explains everything from a purely socio-cultural perspective.

Inquisitor Amanda Salt, Jackie O’Brien Challenges what people say – asks for evidence and explanation. Refuses to take anything at face value – always wants more information and/or justification.

Pragmatist Salma Shafiq, Karen Wilson Doesn’t really understand the three theories or how they underpin practice. Needs some convincing that theory is really relevant to practice – but is open to being persuaded. Asks lots of questions.

CASE STUDY

Nicky, a playgroup leader working in an inner city context, wrote about Cameron and