DIRKSEN'S GAPS IN LEARNING

The gaps in learning mentioned in Chapter 1 in Dirksen (2015) were an interesting read. I have created a mind map (on Coggle) below to summarize Chapter 1 in Dirksen to remind me of all the challenges in learning.

Figure 1. Mind map representing a summary of the learning gaps from Dirksen (2014).

Identifying the Gaps in Learning

Dirksen (2015) stated that falling behind in learning is not always due to gaps in knowledge. There are instances where adult learners have sufficient knowledge about a concept, but they are unable to apply their knowledge due to factors such as gaps in motivation or environmental challenges. According to Dirksen, the lack of motivation can be attributed to being unable to see the big picture. Sometimes even if the big picture is evident, a lack of motivation can be because the destination is not convincing enough for the learners. Dirksen states “Second, backsliding and grumpiness are part of that process-they don’t mean that the change has failed, but they are frequently an unavoidable part of success” (Dirksen, 2015, p. 13). This reminds me of my efforts to convince David in the Diffusion of Innovation Game (Frick, T., Ludwig, B., Kim, K.J, Huang, R., 2015) to adopt the Cornell note-taking strategy. There were several instances in the game that David seemed completely uninterested in adopting the note-taking strategy. Change is an arduous process, even with the best plans and mechanisms in place.

Dirksen stated several questions in her book that we can use to identify the gaps in learning. One of the questions was to ask “if the person would be able to do something if they wanted to badly enough” (Dirksen, 2015, p. 21). Although this is just a guiding question, identifying what the learning gap is may be quite difficult. The lack of motivation may be immediately evident in some learners, but it is generally challenging to identify a lack of motivation. Sometimes, it is difficult to understand if there is a lack of knowledge or a lack of motivation. For an instructor, it requires a lot of preparation and effort to balance the needs and interests of all the learners in the class.

References

Dirksen, J. (2015). Design for how people learn (2nd Ed.). Berkeley, CA: New Riders.

Frick, T., Ludwig, B., Kim, K.J & Huang, R. (2015). Diffusion simulation game [Online game].

Bloomington, IN: Indiana University-Department of Instructional Systems Technology. Retrieved from https://www.indiana.edu/~simed/istdemo/.