In the video Connecting the Dots Vs. Collecting the Dots (Harapnuik, 2015), Dr. Harapnuik describes the difference in the way we currently teach our students, versus the way we should be teaching our students so that real learning occurs. He describes current popular method of learning as "collecting the dots." The "learning" here is based in knowledge transfer and is assessed by students' regurgitation of facts on a test of some sort. He contrasts this learning style with that of connecting the dots. In this style teachers provide a framework of components then create an environment where students can play, fail, and investigate to make meaningful connections with what they already know.
Connecting the dots is real learning. Students forget collected dots as soon as they no longer need them. Connected dots stay for a lifetime -- like riding a bike. You can assess learners who have connected the dots with a simple test that only assesses parroting of facts. They would pass it of course, but that would not really assess their true learning. To assess if the dots are connected, we should create assessments that put our learners in the middle of a problem and see what path they take to solve the problem. Are they assessing a situation correctly and will their path lead them to a solution?
So why don't we teach so that we can connect the dots instead of just having students collect them?
There are several reasons. One is that our school districts, administrators, and parents expect this type of rote learning. Memorize facts, spit them back out on the test. Our states create standardized tests that require the regurgitation of facts, and our districts, administrators, and parents expect our teaching and the students' learning to follow suit. Another reason is that the sage on the stage teaching style is easy and what we as teachers know. This is the type of schooling we experienced, it's what we were taught in school, and preparing materials for our class only means we need to be the experts in out content - not the students.
How can we help students connect the dots then instead of collecting the dots?
We need to create independent learners instead of dependent learners. Dependent learners depend on the teacher for all facts. Independent learners are self-directed and self-motivated (Conyers & Wilson, 2018). We can create independent learners by:
Modeling the learning process - show what you do when you fail, have a question, or need help.
Coaching them through the learning process - guide them through the process when they fail, have questions, or need to find help.
When we model the process and coach our learners through it, we let our passion for learning show. When we display our passion for learning, our students are more likely to take away a positive impression of learning that they will carry with them over time (Conyers & Wilson, 2018).
References:
Conyers, M., & Wilson, D. (2018, January 2). Guiding Students to Be Independent Learners. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/guiding-students-be-independent-learners.
Harapnuik, D. (2015). Connecting the Dots vs Collecting the Dots. YouTube. https://youtu.be/85XpexQy68g.
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