A CASE STUDY OF A LEARNER

In

EDUC 102

Facilitating Learning

To:

Dr. Cynthia S. Dy

Educ 102 – Professor

By:

Neo Abell Obligar

Caroline Panes

Lina Bless Pabalate

Mary Grace. Moleta

Remiah Milan

Learner’s Profile

Name: Mheian Villaluna

Age: 15 Years Old

Gender: Female

Mother's name: Alme M. Villaluna

Father's name: Marianito P. Villaluna

Sibling: Paul Isaiah M. Villaluna, 12

y/o

Hobbies:

Playing volleyball, singing, eating, playing guitar, and

dancing.

School: Trinity Christian School Year level: 3rd

Academic Achievements:

Nursery to Grade 3, honor student

Varsity player (Volleyball)

Chess player

Singer and dancer (School Presentations)

Significant Quote:

Principle:

Individual difference is one of the main factors why Mheian

affects herlearning development.

There are different ways in learning. We either learn by

seeing (visual), hearing (auditory), doing (kinesthetic),

smelling (Olfactory), or tasting (Gustatory).

Sometimes students use a combination of two or more of these

learning styles.

Related Readings and Studies

“I could easily catch up with the lesson if my teacherpresented a particular topic with illustrations, charts, or

drawings…”

We all want our children to do well in school. Sometimes though

kids struggle with their school work and we’re just not sure how

to help. As future educators, the first thing we must do to help

students academically is to identify how they learn.

Using variety of assessments, it is easy to determine how

students learn, but generally visual learners have certain

characteristics.

For example, “Audrey, had difficulty understanding directions

given verbally, needed absolute quiet to focus on assignments,

and worked best in an organized setting.”Therefore, the learning

style assessments given to Audrey indicated that she was a visual

learner.

Visual learners usually Like to read, good spellers, Memorize

things by seeing them on paper,organized, and would rather watch,

than talk or do.

Here are some strategies that can help visual learners succeed in

school. Practice reading by:

1. putting each letter on a card and have students arrange

words.

2. Putting words on cards and have students arrange into

sentences.

3. Putting sentences on paper strips to teach sequencing and

paragraphing.

4. Showing the visual patterns in words (i.e., word

families)

Practice other subjects by:

1. Using visuals to teach lessons, including pictures,

graphics, images, charts, outlines, story maps, and diagrams

2. When giving verbal directions write down key words or

phrases and use visuals

3. Demonstrate what you want your child to do.

4. Use dry erase boards with colored markers.

5. Use color cues, framing and symbols to highlight key

information.

6. Encourage your child to write down and highlight key

information.

7. Encourage the use of flashcards when memorizing (i.e.,

math facts).

8. Provide visual activities, including maps, videos,

models, puzzles, matching activities, computers, and word

These techniques can help your child use this learning style to

his/her advantage and maximize motivation in the classroom.

Significant Quote:

Principle:

Mheian is considered as a Field Independent student because she

has the ability to separate background from the embedded picture.

Field Independent People are Analytical because they have little

interaction and love to work alone.

Related Reading and Studies:

How the students perceive and interact with one another is a

neglected aspect of instruction. Much training time is devoted to

helping teachers arrange appropriate interactions between

students and materials (i.e., textbooks, curriculum programs,

etc.)

Some time is spent on how teachers should interact with students,

but how students should interact with one another is relatively

ignored. It shouldn't be.

“I usually study in a crowded place. In this kind of ambiance,more lessons will integrate in my mind.”

There are three basic ways students can interact with each other

as they learn…

1. They can compete to see who is "best".

Of the three interaction patterns, Competition is

presently the most dominant. The research indicates

that a vast majority of students in the United

States view school as a competitive enterprise where

you try to do better than the other students.

An interpersonal, competitive situation is

characterized by negative goal interdependence,

where, when one person wins, the others lose.

2. They can work individualistically on their own toward a goal

without paying attention to other students.

In the last 15 years, the Individualistic

interaction pattern has been the most talked about

but has never really caught on.

In an individualistic learning situation, students are

independent of one another and are working toward

set criteria where their success depends on their

own performance in relation to established criteria.

The success or failure of other students does not

affect their score.

3. They can work cooperatively with a vested interest in each

other's learning as well as their own.

Cooperation among students where they celebrate each

other's successes, encourage each other to do homework,

and learn to work together regardless of ethnic

backgrounds, male or female, bright or struggling,

handicapped or not, is rare.

Interaction is characterized by positive goal

interdependence with individual accountability.

Positive goal interdependence requires acceptance by a

group that they "sink or “swim" together.

There is a difference between "having students work in a group"

and structuring students to work cooperatively.

A group of students sitting at the same table doing their own

work, but free to talk with each other as they work, is not

structured to be a cooperative group as there is no positive

interdependence. (Perhaps it could be called individualistic

learning with talking.)

Students will face situations where all three interaction patterns are operating, and they will need to be able to be effective in each situation.

They also should be able to select an appropriate interaction pattern suited to the situation.

Significant Quote

Principle:

When it comes to class discussion or explanation of specific and

critical terminologies in studies, Mheian considered her teachers

to be an effective respondent for that, since they are the ones

teaching a particular subject matter.

At home, parents are one of the greatest influences for the

students in order for them to do the specific task both at home

and at school. This best defines Mheian’s learning style that

most of the students are into with this strategy with regards to

studies.

Related Readings and Studies:

There is really only one way to learn how to do something and

that is to do it. If you want to learn to throw a football, drive

a car, build a mousetrap, design a building, cook a stir-fry, or

be a management consultant, you must have a go at doing it.

“Of course TEACHERS and my PARENTS are one of theexperts I’ve known with regards to my studies.”

Throughout history, youths have been apprenticed to masters in

order to learn a trade. We understand that learning a skill means

eventually trying your hand at the skill. When there is no real

harm in simply trying we allow novices to "give it a shot."

Parents usually teach children in this way. They don't give a

series of lectures to their children to prepare them to walk,

talk, climb, run, play a game, or learn how to behave. They just

let their children do these things.

We offer a child a ball to teach him to throw. If he throws

poorly, he simply tries again. Parents tolerate sitting in the

passenger seat while their teenager tries out the driver's seat

for the first time. It's nerve-wracking, but parents put up with

it, because they know there's no better way.

When it comes to school, however, instead of allowing students to

learn by doing, we create courses of instruction that tell

students about the theory of the task without concentrating on

the doing of the task. It's not easy to see how to apply

apprenticeship to mass education. So in its place, we lecture.

There are better alternatives to teaching people of all ages new

things. Here are three efforts headed by Roger Schank that are

all based on learning by doing approach.

Significant Quote:

Principle:

“I always excel in MAPEH subject because Ilove to dance and even sing…”

Since we are unique in our own ways (mentally, physically,

emotionally or socially), we tend to indulge ourselves to someone

or something we are passionate or love to be with/to do.

Likewise, Mheian do have the abilities in learning specific

lessons and she excelled in a particular subject because at the

very first place, it’s her passion.

It is merely connected in our cognitive structures and learning

differences.

Related Readings and Studies:

Why do some students who are good at physical education dislike

it so much?

Research on adolescents' with negative attitudes toward physical

education has been limited. A recent study by Carlson (1995a)

examined a cross section of students and their attitudes towards

physical education.

The study demonstrated that the majority of students did not

regard physical education in the same way as they do many of

their other subjects such as math or geography.

Carlson (1995a) found that students’ attitudes were often linked

to their expectation of the subject. The students expressed that

they saw physical education as a break from their other studies,

not as a "real subject" that would aid their likelihood of

getting a good job or a place at university and thus, not as

important as other subjects.

Other studies (Carlson, 1995b; Portman, 1995; Smith, 1993)

focused on special populations of students, such as those of low

ability or those socially isolated or alienated. However, there

has been very little in-depth examination of competent students

and their attitudes towards physical education. Teachers tend to

recognize those students who are talented and try to encourage

and stimulate these students to receive their full potential. The

assumption of most teachers is that competent students enjoy and

like physical education. However, Bain (1980) found that students

needed to be positively socialized into physical education to

have positive attitudes towards it.

Significant Quote:

Principle:

“Through questioning some point that I cannot

understand makes me even more understand the

lessons…

And by grouping words in my note to come up with

Before their examination week, Mheian do have these strategies

wherein she makes a reviewer that could help her study more

efficiently and effectively.

From a long and complex paragraph and sentences,she comes up with

a comprehensive word by grouping these into simple term.

Also, questioning strategy gave her the idea to unlock various

concepts and facts connected to the topic-discussion. She always

asks question to her teacher every time she do not understand the

discussion.

Related Readings and Studies:

Chunking refers to an approach for making more efficient use of

short-term memory by grouping information. 

Chunking breaks up long strings of information into units or

chunks. The resulting chunks are easier to commit to memory than

a longer uninterrupted string of information.

It is a strategy used to reduce the cognitive load as the learner

processes information.  The learner groups content into small

manageable units making the information easier to process. 

Essentially, chunking helps in the learning process by breaking

long strings of information into bit size chunks that are easier

to remember.

Chunking is used most commonly to organize or classify large

amounts of information, even when there are no obvious patterns.

Chunking Process

1. Good chunking facilitates comprehension and retrieval

of information

2. Group information into manageable units.

3. Break larger amounts of information into smaller units.

 

Questioning techniques are a heavily used, and thus widely

researched, teaching strategy. Research indicates that asking

questions is second only to lecturing.

Teachers typically spend anywhere from 35 to 50 percent of their

instructional time asking questions.

Teachers ask questions for a variety of purposes, including:

To actively involve students in the lesson

To increase motivation or interest

To evaluate students’ preparation

To check on completion of work

To develop critical thinking skills

To review previous lessons

To nurture insights

To assess achievement or mastery of goals and objectives

To stimulate independent learning

A teacher may vary his or her purpose in asking questions during

a single lesson, or a single question may have more than one

purpose.

In general, research shows that instruction involving questioning

is more effective than instruction without questioning.

Questioning is one of the nine research-based strategies

presented in Classroom Instruction That Works (Marzano, Pickering, and

Pollock 2001).

Significant Quote:

Principle:

Intrinsic Motivation is important among students. It serves as a

driving force for an individual that is manifested in his/her

behavior.

Additional allowance is one of the motivations of Mheian to

continue her good record in school. Through maintaining healthy

lifestyle, managing stress, and setting particular goals, Mheian

improve her motives in studies.

Related Readings and Studies:

Yes. I am motivated to study more because my

parents will give additional money if I got

good grades in class.

We often see students’ motivation reflected in personal investment

and in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement in school

activities (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004; Maehr & Meyer,

2004; Reeve, 2006).

Virtually all students are motivated in one way or another. One

student may be keenly interested in classroom subject matter and

seek out challenging course work, participate actively in class

discussions, and earn high marks on assigned projects. Another

student may be more concerned with the social side of school,

interacting with classmates frequently, attending extracurricular

activities almost every day, and perhaps running for a student

government office. Still another may be focused on athletics,

excelling in physical education classes, playing or watching

sports most afternoons and weekends, and faithfully following a

physical fitness regimen.

Yet another student—perhaps because of an undetected learning

disability, a shy temperament, or a seemingly uncoordinated body—

may be motivated to avoid academics, social situations, or

athletic activities.

How Motivation Affects Learning and Behavior?

1. Motivation directs behavior toward particular goals.

Social Cognitive Theorists propose that individuals set

goals for themselves and direct their behavior accordingly.

Motivation determines the specific goals toward which

learners strive.

Thus, it affects the choices students make—for instance,

whether to enroll in physics or studio art, whether to spend

an evening completing a challenging homework assignment or

playing videogames with friends.

2. Motivation leads to increased effort and energy.

Motivation increases the amount of effort and energy that

learners expend in activities directly related to their

needs and goals.

It determines whether they pursue a task enthusiastically

and wholeheartedly or apathetically and lackadaisically.

3. Motivation increases initiation of and persistence in activities.

Learners are more likely to begin a task they actually want

to do. They are also more likely to continue working at it

until they’ve completed it, even if they are occasionally

interrupted or frustrated in the process.

In general, then, motivation increases students’ time on

task, an important factor affecting their learning and

achievement.

4. Motivation affects cognitive processes.

Motivation affects what learners pay attention to and how

effectively they process it.

For instance, motivated learners often make a concerted

effort to truly understand classroom material—to learn it

meaningfully—and consider how they might use it in their own

lives.

5. Motivation determines which consequences are reinforcing and punishing.

The more learners are motivated to achieve academic

success, the more they will be proud of an A and upset by

a low grade.

 The more learners want to be accepted and respected by

peers, the more they will value membership in the “in”

group and be distressed by the ridicule of classmates.

To a teenage boy uninterested in athletics, making or not

making the school football team is no big deal, but to a

teen whose life revolves around football, making or not

making the team may be a consequence of monumental

importance.

Significant Quote:

Principle:

Reinforcement is such a great motivation for every student to do

their responsibilities at school or even at home. This merely

affects student’s behavior.

Luckily, I have my generous parents who always give

me 100 pesos every time I got good grades.

Reinforcement theory, as proposed by Harvard psychologist B.F.

Skinner, suggests that on-time arrivals would significantly

increase and late arrivals would become very rare.

According to this theory, environmental consequences are powerful

tools that managers can use to shape behavior.

Skinner observed that either positive or negative behaviors can

be targeted, but in a school setting, focusing on rewarding

desired behavior help students develop positive habits and is

less likely to foster resentment than a more punitive approach.

Related Readings and Studies

Set Clear and Reasonable Expectations

The use of reinforcement to motivate students should be a

positive experience for both of you. Unclear task expectations

and evaluation standards frustrate students and reduce the

tendency to attempt the desired behavior.

Imagine your response to a review in which you were told to "do

better" without any details. You might guess at what your boss

meant, but you wouldn't have enough information to make lasting

positive changes without additional feedback.

Similarly, rewarding only impossible or extremely difficult tasks

may lead to anger and a sense of helplessness and result in worse

performances than before you implemented a reinforcement program.

Expecting absolute perfection, or a consistent doubling of sales,

for example, is likely unreasonable and may result in increasing

errors and declining sales as students give up.

Identify Strong Motivators

In a classroom set-up, you can easily identify personalized

motivators, or reinforcements, that most likely produce the

desired.

Students might surpass teacher’s expectations attempting to earn

a reward that he/she has chosen. If allowing students to choose

is impractical, consider offering a set of choices from which

they can select should they meet the required conditions.

Motivating rewards are essential to the success of the students

because they have to be tempting enough for them to do their

responsibility in their perspective classroom obligation.

Encouraging Desirable Behaviors

Most teachers want to encourage positive student’s behavior such

as punctuality, strong teamwork and quality production.

According to reinforcement theory, choosing one positive

attribute to target at a time and applying positive reinforcement

techniques with a focus on extinction of the negative behavior

can help you turn desirable traits into strong work habits over

time. According to Skinner, extinction of undesired behavior

results from the absence of positive reinforcement, not from

punishment.

This means offering an incentive when work exceeds expectations,

positive reinforcement, and focusing on extinction by withholding

it or withholding additional privileges when targets are not met.

Effectively Using Reinforcement

Time your reinforcements carefully because different strategies

yield different results. Rewarding a behavior, such as an

excellent performance, each time it occurs will quickly result in

repeated performances.

However, rewarding the same behavior intermittently often yields

even better results as employees work harder in case the bar has

been raised and is more likely to facilitate a lasting change in

behavior. Intermittent reinforcement also makes it easier to wean

your employee away from her dependence on reinforcement and turn

the desired behavior into a habit.

Future reinforcement efforts can then be targeted to different

behaviors with an expectation of similar results

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/can-managers-use-reinforcement-

theory-motivate-employees-18559.html

Significant Quote:

Principle:

Prior Knowledge is an experienced gained or simply, a Knowledge.

It is also a link between old and new information.

Engaging students in prior knowledge experiences becomes a form

in classrooms where teachers’ value understanding what knowledge

students possess. We know that prior knowledge is an important

step in the learning process. It is a major factor in

comprehension: that is, making sense of our learning experiences.

“Physical Fitness Test in our MAPEH class gave

me an idea to become more effective in

badminton sport…”

It should be able to satisfy the mind's enormous curiosity and

hunger for discovery, challenge, and novelty. Creating an

opportunity to challenge our students to call on their collective

experiences (prior knowledge) is essential.

Related Readings and Studies:

Research has been conducted to determine the value of providing

activities or strategies to assist in providing students with

ways to activate their prior knowledge base. Studies looked at

three possibilities: (1) building readers' background knowledge;

(2) activating readers' existing background knowledge and

attention focusing BEFORE reading; and (3) guiding readers DURING

reading and providing review AFTER reading.

It appears that when readers lack the prior knowledge necessary

to read, three major instructional interventions need to be

considered: (1) teach vocabulary as a prereading step; (2)

provide experiences; and (3) introduce a conceptual framework

that will enable students to build appropriate background for

themselves. 

CLASSROOM IMPLICATIONS

Brain-based research confirms the fact that the learning

environment needs to provide a setting that incorporates

stability and familiarity. Through this process we move students

from memorizing information to meaningful learning and begin the

journey of connecting learning events rather than remembering

bits and pieces. Prior knowledge is an essential element in this

quest for making meaning. 

LEVEL OF PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Students generally fall into three categories: MUCH, SOME, or

LITTLE prior knowledge. In each instance, the teacher will make

specific instructional decisions based on what is discovered in

the prior knowledge part of the lesson. To check out what prior

knowledge exists about a topic, idea, or concept, you may choose

to do some of the following activities: 

1.BRAINSTORM the topic.

Write all the information solicited from the students

on the chalkboard, a piece of paper, or transparency. 

2. ASK specific and/or general questions about the topic.

See what responses are given. 

3. POST a PROBLEM or a SCENARIO.

Based on this description, find out what the students

know about the idea presented. 

Once the data is collected, a decision about the

appropriate forms of instruction can be made. The

following diagram can be helpful:

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

MUCH: super ordinate concepts; definitions; analogies; linking. 

SOME: examples; attributes; defining characteristics. 

LITTLE: associations; morphemes; sound alikes; firsthand

experiences. 

Teachers should remember to: 

1. Present information which builds: 

*Concepts 

*Principles 

2. Show, don't tell through-- 

*Demonstrations 

*Multi-media 

*Graphics 

3. Use outside resources, trips and speakers. 

4. Tell about topic from your experience. 

5. Use any combination of the above.

Interview:

1. Question: What type of learner are you?

Learner: Visual.

2. Question: Which do you prefer when you are studying? Working

alone,

Working with a group or both?

Learner: Working alone but not quiet.

3. Question: What is your learning style: learning by doing,

learning by watching others or learning from theories?

Learner: Learning from the experts.

4. Question: What subject do you perform most?

Learner: MAPEH (Music, Health, Physical Education, Health)

5. Question: What strategies do you use when studying: chunking,

outlining, highlighting. If others, please specify.

Learner: Chunking and questioning.

6. Question: What factors affects your motivation in learning?

Learner: extra allowance if ever I got higher score/grades.

7. Question: What reward do you get from your parents if you

excel in school?

Learner: Money.

8. Question: What significant topics or lessons you have learned

from the previous discussion that retained in your mind up until

now?

Learner: The physical Fitness test (MAPEH)

Reflection

“The study facilitates us to become more sufficient in realistic

organizational doings in accordance to our learning. It means a

lot of time and even in sharing idea. Time is important for us to

organize things up. Because we belong in different major, we

doesn’t have enough time to enhance our study to have a very good

performance. It reminds me of becoming a responsible when it

comes to courtesy, understanding, and unity. Moreover, I have

this difficulty on how to manage the time. Managing time is not

easy but if you have that strong

determination you ended up as a

successful person. During the

interview, this student reminds me of

being a good student, person, a

reliable daughter and a loving sister.

“I have learned in this case study

that motivation is pushing students to

perform in school and finish their

studies. Lack of motivation will

simply mean stopping at any moment you

want to. It is important that parents

initiate motivation to their children

at the early age. Motivation will help

every learner to set a goal and get that goal. With the right

amount of discipline and affection, we mold future teachers,

engineers, nurses and all the ideal people we could have in our

society.”

“Having this activity is a great

privilege for us because we are

future educators. This case study

helped us a lot to develop our

critical thinking skills. First,

it’s really hard for us to manage

our time because we are in different

majors and also we should adjust our

time in order for us to interview

our learner. I learned that as future educators, we should have

the ability on how to balance and manage our time effectively.

With regards to my group, I am very thankful that all of us are

cooperating and our learner too. Our case study will not

accomplish if the group are irresponsible and don’t have the

passion in teaching.”

“The case study helped me improve my

communication skills. It also made me

understand deeper on lessons in

Facilitating Learning because it was

put on a true or real situation. It was difficult for our group

to meet because we don’t meet always (we are not classmates in

our other subjects) and some are irregular students like me,

because I am a transferee just this year. We need to finish this

because we are required to and I believe we will learn something

from this. It will be worth it if we finish this successfully.

And I am happy that we have finished it on time.

“I considered this activity as an

opportunity which enlightened and

appreciated my perspectives to

one’s particular way of developing

his/her integration of learning.

Mheian is a typical high school

student and it seemed that she has

what it takes to be a unique

individual. Nevertheless, as a

future educator, the Case Study of Mheian is a great help for me

to understand a particular student’s learning abilities,

capabilities, and principles at school/home which served as a

preparationto face potential students I may encounter in the near

future. Through this activity, I am rest assured that these

experiences set my personal view towards the betterment of me.”

Documentation

References:

Henry, M. (1993). School cultures: Universes of meaning in private schools. NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation.

Langer, L. M., & Warheit, G. J. (1992). The pre-adult health decision making model: Linking decisions, making directedness/orientation to adolescent health related attitudes and behaviors. Adolescence, 27(108), 991-942.

Locke, L. F. (1989). Qualitative research as a form of scientificinquiry in sport and physical education. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 60, 1-20.

Rovegno, I. (1994). Teaching within a curricular zone of safety: School culture and the situated nature of student teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. Research Quarterly in Exercise andSport, 65, 269-279.

Smith, B. (1994). Marginalization in a middle school physical education class. Unpublished master's thesis, Washington State University, WA.

http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9219/prior.htm

Www.Education.com

http://commoncoresuccess.elschools.org/curriculum/ela/grade-5/

module-3A/unit-1

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2630138/

Www.wikipedia.com