Stephanie Canuel 10034458

Reading Summary for Transformative Learning: From Theory to Practice

This paper opens with a statement that says to be human is to desire to understand the meaning

of our experiences. It then goes on to establish something called a frame of reference; which really is

at its core the particular lenses we shape our actions through. Frames of reference come from our own

collection of experiences, associations, concepts, values, feelings, and conditioned responses in short it

is what defines our world. Transformative learning therefore, is a process of changing our reference

frame. There are two important aspects to frames of reference: habits of mind, and points of view.

Habits of mind are broad and abstract shaped by various different elements that ultimately lead to

establishing a point of view. However, they are not so easy to change. Whereas a point of view can be

more readily adaptable to new ones, or others points of view, a habit of mind is much more durable.

Though in order to be truly transformed it must change, if ever so slightly.

An important step to transformation is through communicative learning via discourse. Discourse

in this paper is presented as a dialogue specifically geared towards assessment of a particular given

subject. It is a way that we can become critically reflective of the assumptions that underlie our own

personal values, beliefs and feelings, and it is through this process that we can change our frames of

reference which ultimately leads to transformation. The paper continues to talk about the importance in

todays workforce of autonomy. With things ever changing on the technological front, now more than

ever, workers have to be adaptable to various changes in their environments. They have to be able to not

only think for themselves, but also do so critically to ensure that they arent just regurgitating the status

quo.

This is where education plays a role. Education of adults should be designed to make individuals

think critically and challenge their own beliefs and assumptions. It should help to get students to

redefine the problems they face by taking it into account from a different perspective. Educators should

Word Count: 778 1 November 21, 2017

Stephanie Canuel 10034458

guide students in recognizing their own frames of reference and effectively engage in discourse to

challenge it. Learning therefore, must be a social process in which others help to change the view points

and assumptions others have by being able to express their own. In this sense it doesnt much matter

what is being taught, so much as that it is getting to the heart of thinking critically about the content.

Everybody has their own bias going into learning, and even people who were raised in the same

household will differ in it. Transformative education lies in understanding everyones unique frames of

reference and coming to some sort of consensus through dialogue. This is one of the values of having

team based learning. It sets the table to let others learn from one another and not as much from the

teacher. It gets students to think critically about the content presented, and challenge it until

understanding it reached. Team based learning helps individuals learn many of the vital skills that are

needed in the real world. Not only does it promote the aforementioned, but it also helps to engage

students to problem solve together, work collaboratively, deal with conflict resolution, be confronted

with different people of different backgrounds and belief sets, and so much more. For myself the

experience of it has helped me as a student yes, but also as a person. I try to look at things from others

perspectives and see what I can learn from it, or how I can grow through it. I have also noticed that I

tend to naturally put into practice collaborative work in other courses. It has become so natural for me to

work with others, that I dont even think about it. I used to not want to help others out with assignments

because I felt it wasnt fair that I should do the work and that they should gain from it, but I have

realized that I learn better through teaching others, and I genuinely care about others succeeding. If I can

help to make that a reality, why shouldnt I? My opinion on this has been transformed, and I believe that

it is because of my time spent in collaborative work all last year that has done it. As a mentor in a team

based learning class, these are some of the revelations that I should share with students. I should let them

know that this might seem trivial now, but there are great implications for it, and if they let it, it might

just change them too.

Word Count: 778 2 November 21, 2017