Meaningful Learning: Integrating Old and New Information into One’s Schema

In both my teaching and learning experiences, I give prime importance to meaningful learning. Barkley (2010) emphasized that “new information results in meaningful learning only when it connects with what already exists in the mind of the learner, resulting in change in the networks that represent our understandings” (p. 19). This is elaborated through the concept of schema which refers to the patterns of information represented in the structure of one’s mind (Gillani, 2003). In this article, I am sharing to you this idea of meaningful learning and how it applies in my teaching practice.

Personally, I learn better when I connect the new information with what I already knew. I may assimilate (integrate immediately in what I know) or accommodate (make some changes to what I already know) the information, but I make sure that I spend more time than usual in learning the new information. More time means more opportunity for me to create connections between the old and new information. For example, when I read theories in learning, I sense activation in my existing schema on psychological theories that I learned in my field. I am able to experience meaningful learning by integrating what I previously learned and what I am currently learning in the context of instructional strategies.

I also observed meaningful learning with the psychological assessment course that I currently facilitate. Students have prior knowledge on experimental psychology, behavioral statistics, and personality. In this psychological assessment course, they now have the opportunity to make use of their prior knowledge by applying it in psychological assessment measures (e.g., psychological testing, interviews, and other assessment methods). In this case, their schema is prepared to form new and more elaborate connections between psychological assessment and previous courses. This also reflects that the design of the curriculum is able to efficiently map out the progression of learning.

How does meaningful learning optimize learning?

Understanding meaningful learning in a cognitive perspective helps me articulate how it looks like in the classroom and how it resonates with my teaching philosophy. Instructional strategies have to fit with the level of the learner (van Merrienboer & Sweller, 2010), so the facilitator has the responsibility to find innovative ways to optimize student learning (Yilmaz, 2011). This is the constant challenge that I regularly face in teaching. 

In guiding my students, I put in mind the concept of scaffolding within a learner’s zone of proximal development (Vygotsky, 1978). By recognizing the level and pace of learning of a student, I may be able to tailor fit the way I facilitate that particular student’s learning journey. This is evident even when there is already a general set of instructions and descriptions of the assigned task – the challenge is to customize my response to the learning readiness of the student. This is in line with Yilmaz’ (2011) contention that instructional materials become meaningful when there is a fit between the student’s mental model and the conceptual models.

Anchoring on cognitive load theory, efficient learning occurs when the student is able to tap into his/her working memory resources and relate it to the present information (van Merrienboer & Sweller, 2010). One way of doing this is to provide a task that a student carefully examines and while working on that task he/she is being prompted with opportunities to engage in self-reflection or mindful abstraction – a task that van Merrienboer and  Sweller (2010) called  self-explanation principle. Hence, as a facilitator, I have to craft activities that are relevant to the course outcome and can specifically scaffold the student towards improving his/her skill related to that course outcome.

In light of the growing need for remote learning especially during these times, the idea of meaningful learning is even more relevant. Asynchronous learning activities provide more time for students to reflect before they read further and work on their outputs (Hill, Song, & West, 2009). This time delay facilitates meaningful learning by providing students enough time to assimilate or accommodate the information and thus promotes storage in long-term memory.

How do I apply meaningful learning in teaching?

Meaningful learning through integration with one’s schema is central to my teaching philosophy, wherein I see both teaching and learning as a cycle of meaningful experiences. Banking on the ideas of assimilation/accommodation, scaffolding, and self-explanation principle, the importance of providing a meaningful learning experience to students is a way to increase the quality of learning. Hence, students do not just learn in order to comply with the course requirements but because they see the connection of the lessons to their personal or professional life. This resonates with Knowle’s (1984) principles of andragogy emphasizing that a learning task becomes optimally valuable when it addresses the immediate need of the learner.

In terms of instructional strategy, I have to craft learning activities that activate the students’ interest in integrating their prior knowledge to the present information. I can do this through concept mapping. In this activity, students will map out how the present information is related to what they already know, and explain how the present information is relevant to his/her work or personal life. For example, students may be grouped into 5 and share how the course contents may be relevant to their work or personal experiences. After sharing, one or two members of the group who are well-versed in digitally creating a map summarizes their discussion. Moreover, in the first two weeks of the course, I may focus on providing the students an overview of the lessons in relation to the course outcomes, and emphasize that these lessons may in one way or another reflect what they have already learned and experienced in class or at work. This can be done through providing formative interactive reviews and quizzes.

Another instructional strategy is to give the students a word template with four columns where they can fill in their ideas. The first column is about the specific lesson. In the second column, they can provide their ideas as to how a specific lesson aligns or contradicts with what they already learned. In the third column, they provide their own explanation of the lesson’s alignment or contradiction with what they know. The fourth column is where they put their expectations on what to learn more about a specific lesson. This fourth column will also help me tailor fit the materials and instructions based on the needs of the students.

References

Barkley, E. F. (2010). Student engagement techniques: A handbook for college faculty. John Wiley & Sons.

Gillani, B. B. (2003). Learning theories and the design of e-learning environments. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.

Hill, J. R., Song, L., & West, R. E. (2009). Social learning theory and web-based learning environments: A review of research and discussion of implications. The American Journal of Distance Education, 23(2), 88-103. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923640902857713   

Knowles, M. (1984). Andragogy in action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

van Merriënboer, J. J., & Sweller, J. (2010). Cognitive load theory in health professional education: Design principles and strategies. Medical Education, 44(1), 85-93. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2923.2009.03498.x    

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Yilmaz, K. (2011). The cognitive perspective on learning: Its theoretical underpinnings and implications for classroom practices. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 84(5), 204-212. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2011.568989

Acknowledgment: My sincere gratitude to Glenn Galy, PhD for the feedback of the previous version of this article.