Enhancing understanding

Too often teachers think of assessments in terms of one-shot deals. Students have a clear-cut performance to accomplish and they are often given just one chance to get it right. Some students are self-starters and welcome the tension this produces. Others become shy and withdrawn or lose interest in the material. Many times, the view which students have of “getting it” versus “not getting it” is based on the intentions the teacher puts forth. Many teachers think in terms of students “getting” the content or “not getting” it. Instead, “(H)elping learners embrace a more incremental perspective enables them to view learning as a process and to regard themselves as capable of advancing their own learning through effort, practice, and revision” (Wiske, Franz, and Breit, p. 83)

Teaching for understanding, according to Wiske et al., requires that the interest and experience of both learners and educator be considered when developing lesson plans. There needs to be a focus on concepts. The lesson plan must be constructed in such a way as to enhance student thinking on these concepts. An environment must exist in which students can share their knowledge with others whom they trust so that they may construct their own knowledge. Finally, lesson plans must allow for ongoing assessments of products which foster metacognition in the learners and allow each learner to become critical judges of their classmates’ products.

Teaching for understanding, then, requires an environment of mutual support. This support comes not only from the educator but from fellow classmates. Students need to feel comfortable communicating their viewpoint to others, whether these are classmates in the classroom or other students in far-away lands. In either case, a sense of community is fostered. “Engaging students in reflective, collaborative communities of learners is important, not only because it promotes their understanding of academic content but because such experiences also help students learn how to cooperate in teams to solve problems and create products no one of them could accomplish alone” (Wiske et al., pp. 99-100).

Source:

Wiske, M., Franz, K., & Breit, L. (2005). Teaching for understanding with technology. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.