Welcome to the Glossary of Terms for the 'Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching & Learning Support in Higher Education'.

• Below is a list terms and definitions that you may find of value during the course. If you want to add terms, you can update the pages yourself.

• The original Word document is available at http://glossary.pbwiki.com/f/PGCTLSHE_Glossary.doc

Glossary.

Accommodation listen

The process of modification of new material of learning or current cognitive structure (qv) in a learning process that results in change of conceptions (ie understanding or state of knowledge). Accommodation follows the process of assimilation (qv).

Appresentation

The process in which an element of an external experience stimulates a more complete or richer internal experience of the ‘whole’ of that thing on the basis of the prior experience of it. For example, seeing a familiar face triggers an internal experience of the whole person.

Assimilation listen

The processing of new material of learning such that learning occurs. The process of assimilation is guided by the current internal experience (prior experiences in current state of cognitive structure (qv)) of the object of learning, and any given current purposes for the learning. In meaningful learning, assimilation is accompanied by the process of accommodation (qv).

cognitive structure – the network of concepts, emotions, knowledge, experiences, beliefs etc that guides a person’s functioning at a particular time;

Conception of (structure of) knowledge

This term relates to a suggested developmental sequence of increasing understanding of the nature of knowledge generally from the concept of there being only right and wrong ideas to the acceptance of the constructed nature of knowledge.

Constructivism

A theoretical position in education / psychology that holds that in the process of learning, an individual constructs a view of an object through the processes of accommodation and assimilation (qv) giving rise to a cognitive structure (qv) that is unique and that guides the processes of further learning. In this way, the individual has a unique view of the world based on her own processes of learning

Distinction of figure from the ground

Being able to discern the appropriate cues for learning for a particular purpose from other ‘background’ or non-relevant stimuli.

External experience

The relevant experience of an object/ idea (material of learning) that is to be learnt by the learner in a given moment. See also ‘internal experience’.

Frame of reference

The ‘beam’ of awareness or attention that is directed by the learner within a learning situation. Within that focus, the distinction of specific figures from ground (qv) are made. Frame of reference may concern the object of learning or the conceptions used by the learner to interpret the learning situation.

Internal experience

The cognitive structure or sum of prior experiences relevant to an object within a particular context and at a particular time. Internal experience may be the material of learning for reflective learning.

Learning and teaching

These words have separate meanings. Learning refers solely to the action of a learner and concerns the processing of information both from outside the learner (external experience – qv) and a reprocessing of ideas already possessed by the learner (working with internal experience). Learning may or may not imply action. Teaching, and other words such as instruction, indicate the action of another to make learning easier or more appropriate for the learner through guidance or through presentation of a simplified or helpfully sequenced version of the material of teaching (qv). Mediation of learning experience (qv) is a generic term used for this process in this book

Ill-structured

Ill-structured problems have no ‘right or wrong’ answer, but require reasoning and personal judgement. Ethical issues provide a good example.

Material of learning

Material that is learnt (see ‘learning’) by a learner.

Material of teaching

Material that is taught (see ‘teaching’) by a teacher.

Learning challenge

The challenge that a learning task effects for the learner.

Level descriptors

These are guides to the level of learning expected to be attained by learners at a particular stage in formal education. The SEEC (qv) descriptors are commonly in use and cover post 16 levels in English, Welsh and N.Irish education

Mediation of learning experience

Any form of secondary experience in which the material of teaching is simplified or recodified to create a more certain situation for a learner or to challenge the learner and thereby improve her learning.

Relevance listen

A concept that concerns the noticing and perception of the appropriate elements in current external experience for the current learning purposes.

Representation of learning

Manner in which learning is demonstrated or utilised in, for example, action, in written tasks, orally etc. We assess the representation of learning, not learning itself.

SEEC

Southern English Consortium for Credit Accumulation and Transfer

Socio-constructivism

An approach according to which interpersonal knowledge can only be achieved by social construction of it. At least two people trying to solve a problem that demands knowledge and creation.

Teaching

(see learning).

Teaching challenge

The challenge for the teacher in conveying the material clearly and appropriately to a learner, taking account of the current state of the learner’s knowledge. The same material of teaching may pose more or less of a learning challenge to different learners. (See ‘learning challenge’).

Variation listen

Is the change in experience which can prompt new learning. Variation provides new material of learning - in order that there is to be new learning there needs to be variation in the experience. On this basis, learning is a process of experiencing variation and choosing to accommodate to that variation.