Unit 50: Identification of a Real World Problem

Real World Learning – Content is Nothing Without Context And Application

By Mike Paul (2016) https://pikemalltech.com/real-world-learning/

What is real world learning? What does it look like in a classroom? Is it a goal that can only be reached by the most progressive teachers and schools? Can you actually cover curriculum objectives while engaging students in authentic, real world tasks that involve more than just giving them a “scenario” that mimics a real world situation? The answer is simply: yes.

The CAPS curriculum statements for maths, science and social studies are not prescriptive in the methods used to teach the objectives, only in the content or skill that should be covered. This flexibility provides ample opportunity for educators to design and implement lessons that can meet the required curriculum statements while providing students with real world activities that reach beyond the walls of the classroom. By doing so, students are able to see how the content they learn in class has practical applications in the real world and is not just information that must be stored in their brain cells for a year-end dump on a final examination.

According to Maxwell, Stobaugh, and Tassell (2015), “When a student learns from, interacts with, and has an impact on the real world, higher retention of learning will occur” (p. 21). Clearly, when a student can move from solving problems or answering questions on a worksheet to solving problems that could have an impact on their community, region, country, or the world, the likelihood that they will work harder, engage in deeper thinking, and ultimately learn more from the problem then we, as educators, must move to more of this type of learning in our classrooms and schools.

Mathematics

Applying real world learning to curriculum statements in mathematics is a task I am involved in every day. I teach math to 6th & 7th graders and am always looking for ways to bring real world learning into the classroom. However, after reading several articles, I now understand that many of my efforts are far from meeting true real world learning standards.

In the above Big Picture Learning video (2015), we see a senior that is working in a veterinarian clinic as part of an internship program. While a great many life skills are incorporated into this experience, the student does reference using math to complete tasks such as calculating correct dosages of medicine for animals. In this example, the math standards are not the focus of the learning but are an integrated part of the entire learning experience along with many other subjects. As noted in Maxwell et al. (p.29), Real World Learning “is integrated across subject areas” and takes place not necessarily in a classroom, but in the real world.

I am beginning to see how the math statements allow for much flexibility in teaching the necessary content while providing rich and meaningful tasks to students that incorporate ideas and curriculum statements from other subject areas to make the learning more meaningful.

Science

Science curriculum statements allow for ample real world learning opportunities for students. Amy Abbott created a project for her class involving analyzing environmental controls in factories that produce clothing and how the dyes are disposed of. Students were asked to investigate the impact of chemicals being dumped into water sources and draft a portfolio for submission to the United Nations. Included in the lesson are not only standards for science but also standards for other subjects such as language. Certainly this lesson is a fine example of real world learning with applied content standards. We will study Abbots lesson in the next part of this lesson.

Conclusion

Many areas of academic content in public schools can be taught using real world learning. The opportunity exists for teachers, to create programs that are more concerned with creating experiences and authentic learning for students than simply making sure that curriculum content is covered at a basic level. As educators, we should focus on teaching students in environments that mimic or are based within the environments they will have when they are finished with their formal education.

In the video Taylor Mali: In My Middle School (Mali, 2011.), Taylor Mali provides an overview of what he thinks a middle school based in real world learning might look like. Perhaps more educators need to work towards creating such an ideal environment for our students.