“This is how all classes should be run. It’s not about the teacher, it’s about learning, it’s about the students.” —Melina N., student.
Listening is not the same as learning
Even if a student is fully attentive during a lecture, the real work of learning occurs when he is actively processing what he just heard. Most of us learn best when we are talking to each other. Learning is the active engagement of the mind with new ideas. It is antithetical to passivity.
Conversational learning is active learning
In conversation, students are forced to ask and answer questions of each other. Students who master the material quickly are required to slow down and listen to a different point of view. Answering questions means reworking and deepening their understanding. Students who haven’t mastered the material yet must ask questions and listen intently. The exchange is more personal than other modes of learning, and therefore more likely to be internalized. Conversational learning deepens the learning process.
Students must be taught the skill of appropriate socializing
This skill requires a commitment, both by the individual and by the whole group, to staying on-task while enjoying the moment. This is good training in the art of self-governance.
In an effective classroom, teaching and learning are ubiquitous
Not only should there be more than one teacher in the room, but teaching and learning should be happening everywhere, all the time. This is the goal toward which the community strives.
Learning and teaching are different aspects of the same activity
The engagement of the intellect with new ideas can take many forms, but being engaged in conversation requires both teaching and learning, the give and take of meaningful dialogue. Teaching doesn’t have to defined as an expert holding forth. It can be the subtle activity of a student expressing a new idea in his own words and causing another student to see it in a new light.
Sharing the wealth through conversational learning is an antidote to the bell curve
When students teach each other, the rich get richer and the poor also get richer. It should be considered preventative medicine, to be applied frequently.
In a properly functioning study group, collaboration is the normal mode of activity
The skills of listening, teaching, and leading are all built into the everyday activities of the group.
Study groups engender loyalty
This is a trait often found in teams, but rarely in an academic setting. When combined with a sense of common purpose, loyalty provides a strong and positive motivational force.