SITUATED COGNITION ACROSS THREE ABE PROGRAM TYPES IN MINNESOTA: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Jamie Kreil, M.Ed., Doctoral Student, Adjunct Faculty, University of Minnesota

kreil009@umn.edu

OBJECTIVES

Participants will:1. Identify characteristics of low-literate learners2. Explore situated cognition theory as it applies to

work literacy programming3. Discover 4 key arguments for the use of a

situated cognition approach in program planning for low-literate learners

4. Identify for whom and how the theory applies (or does not apply) in 3 ABE program contexts

5. Design a program proposal applying situated cognition (or a modified version of it) in a workplace literacy context

Attempt to apply theory to practice

BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

Are any of you familiar with situated-cognition?

Come up with a working definition of situated-cognition

INTRODUCTION• Overview of NRS levels, Theory and Work Literacy• Key Terms

• Academic Skills• Context-Specific Skills• Situated Cognition Approach

• 4 Key Arguments

OVERVIEW LOW-LITERATE LEARNERS: NON-ESL

FROM HTTP://MNABE.THEMLC.ORG/ACCOUNTABILITY_AND_NRS.HTML

Literacy Level

Basic Reading and Writing

Numeracy Functional and Workplace Skills

Beginning ABE Literacy

Minimal or no reading and writing skills

Little or no recognition of numbers or simple counting skills

Little or no ability to read basic signs or maps

Beginning Basic Education

-Read simple material on familiar subjects-Write simple notes or messages on familiar situations

Count, add, subtract three digit numbers, multiplication through 12, simple fractions

Able to read simple directions, signs, and maps, fill out simple forms requiring personal info

OVERVIEW LOW-LITERATE LEARNERS: ESL

Literacy Level

Listening and Speaking

Basic Reading and Writing

Functional and Workplace Skills

Beginning ESL Literacy

Cannot speak or understand English

Minimal reading and writing skills in any language

Communicates through gestures or isolated words

Low Beginning ESL

Understands basic greetings, simple phrases and commands

-Read numbers, letters, common sight words-Write basic personal info.

Provide limited information on simple forms

High Beginning ESL

Understands common words and simple phrases

-Read most sight words-Write simple sentences with limited vocab

Can function in familiar social situations and those related to immediate needs

OVERVIEWLOW-LITERATE LEARNERS: SOCIOCULTURAL

PROFILES

What else do you need to know about your learners? Reasons for attending Cultural understandings of work and school

(Jacobson, 2011) Compensatory skills (Binder & Lee, 2012) (e.g.,

excellent decoder, poor comprehension except in workplace context)

Other ideas?

OVERVIEWSITUATED COGNITION AND WORK

LITERACY

Reading is viewed as an important job skill Learners read in different ways for different

purposes Highlights the importance of the work

environment Emphasis is on learning to use tools and

procedures in a specific context and workplace enculturation

Allows students to connect skills learned in classroom to workplace

DEFINITION: SKILL TYPES IN ADULT BASIC EDUCATION (MARTIN, 1999)

Key Term Definition Contextualized in this Investigation

Academic Skills A broad set of skills taught in basic skills programs, such as GED and ELL.

Context-Specific Skills A narrow set of skills taught in workplace programs.

DEFINITION: A SITUATED COGNITION APPROACH IN ADULT BASIC EDUCATION (MARTIN, 1999)

Key Term Definition Contextualized in this Investigation

Situated Cognition Learning is grounded in context. Instruction takes place on site.

4 ARGUMENTS FOR THE USE OF A SITUATED-COGNITION APPROACH IN THE INSTRUCTION OF LOW-LITERATE ADULTS

(BROWN, COLLINS, & DUGUID, 1989; MARTIN, 1999; RESNICK, 1987)

1. Situated cognition provides low-literate learners with a mental model of workplace culture when they may not have models of school culture.

2. Academic knowledge acquired in the classroom may not translate to workplace communication skills.

3. Learning is social and collaborative4. Action is contextually-based

DISCUSSION

Given these arguments and what you now know about situated cognition, do you any of your programs use a situated-cognition approach?

If so, what are some examples? If not, where do you see it (or not) fitting into

your context?

METHODOLOGY AND METHOD• Preliminary investigation of 3 ABE sites in

MN• Interviews and document analysis

conducted

3 SITES IN MN

1. An adult community school2. An adult school operated through a school

district3. A non-profit organization working with lower-

income adults to gain skills of self-sufficiency through employment training, education, and support services.

METHODS

ABE Site Methods

Adult Community School Open interview with an instructor, a woman who has been teaching ELL for the past 5 years.

School District Site Document analysis as well as prior experience working at the site

Non-profit Document analysis as well as prior experience working in partnership with the site

INTERVIEW: COMMUNITY SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR

Semi-Structured Questions Focusing on Work-Related Literacy Program Content and Delivery

INTERVIEW: KEY FINDINGS

• Many institutional barriers to successful implementation of a work-readiness program • First iteration failed due to lack of understanding

of student skill levels• Stopped after government shutdown

• Individual instructors, while acknowledging the need to test learners, recognize “gains” in increases in participation and attendance• Tests do not consider the often traumatic lives and

resiliency of learners.

• At this site, the purposes of literacy instruction are largely social and not necessarily to obtain a job or economic viability.

SCHOOL DISTRICT SITE COURSE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

TABE CASAS Skills Emphasized

TABE D Reading and Math (5.0-12.5)

Reading and Math 236+

Academic and C.S.

6.0-12.5 Reading 236+ Academic and C.S.

7.0-12.5 N/A Academic and C.S.

8.0-12.5 N/A Situated Cognition

5.0.12.5 Reading form185/186, score of 221+Listening form 55/56, score of 221+

Academic and C.S.

N/A Form 81/82RX 195-220

Academic and C.S.

6.0-12.5 226+ Context-specific

TABE M 5.0-12.5 Reading 221+ Context-specific

NON-PROFIT COURSES

Information on this non-profit’s website includes the following: On-the-job training in retail and warehouse work:

Incorporates soft skill training Self-sustaining

Employment skills classroom training including: Banking Clerical Healthcare Certified Nursing Assistant Work Reentry Work-Readiness for specific cultural communities

RESULTS• An Integrated Approach May Work for Low-

Literate Adults• 4 Core Finding• Comparison Table

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH

An integrated approach to work-related literacy may be more effective for low-literate adult learners due to the simultaneous development of job-specific skills, soft skills and academic skills (i.e., “bridge” classes)

Includes both academic and context-specific skills as well as job acquisition and retention, time management, and communication

FINDINGS

Findings reflected that: effectiveness and sustainability of the work literacy program depended upon the degree to which the program Tailored work literacy programming to the English,

reading, and math levels of their students in the provision of “bridge” classes

Understood the reasons for which students attend work literacy classes and different modes of participation

Indicating that a situated cognition approach may “fit” in more homogeneous classrooms where there is less variability among reading and math skill levels, but may not be appropriate for heterogeneous groups

FOUR CORE FINDINGSUNDERSTANDING THE WHO AND WHAT OF

SITUATED COGNITION

1. Understanding who is in your class is key: Classes with a wide range of skills and abilities may benefit more from an integrated class

2. Partnerships among several agencies are critical

3. A situated cognition approach (alone) tends to work for learners in employment/skills training programs

4. An integrated academic and context-specific approaches tend to work for work-readiness courses

ABE Site Type of WL Program(s)

Learners’ Purpose(s) for attending

Skill Emphasis

Types of Collaborations

Sustainable?

Community School

Work-Readiness

Largely social

Integrated Tenants association, local community center, school district workforce development center with counselors on-site

No—lack of understanding of learner demographic

School District Adult School

Pre-Occupational, Skills/Training

Economic, educational (credentialing)

Situated-cognition, integrated

Community colleges, local businesses and non-profits

Yes, high enrollment, sustainable partnerships several options

Non-Profit Skills/Training

Continuing education

Situated Cognition, Integrated

Contract with local businesses and maintains partnership with school district (provides instructors)

Yes and no—not accessible to low-literate learners

IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

Research Additional models or examples of situated-

cognition approaches—explicitly stated as such—are needed

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Practice All stakeholders must be aware of learner

purposes and goals in regard to their participation in the program

Create “bridge-to-bridge” programs to strengthen English, reading, and math skills for a particular career path

Substitute student portfolios of written work and work experience for test scores

Use situated cognition to assist in job-specific academic skills and work context-specific skills to be practiced at work sites

Attention must be given to capacity building through partnerships and collaboration

DISCUSSION

Think about the work-readiness courses you provide in your respective contexts. Do you see situated-cognition as a viable approach for lower-level learners? Why or why not?

What would a viable approach look like?

ACTIVITY: PROGRAM DESIGN (15 MINUTES)

If you were to design a work literacy course using an situated cognition or integrated approach (depending on your answer):

Where would you hold the classes? What would you need to know about your

learners? What key stakeholders/collaborations would you

need to include and what information would you need to know from them?

What job-related content (job skills, expectations, duties, etc.) would you need to know?

Time Permitting What would three key learning objectives be? Design a simple lesson.

THINK-PAIR-SHARE (10 MINUTES)

Share what you’ve done with a partner Pay attention and provide feedback on what

they have listed: Are there any additional support services that

are needed to maximize skill development? Reiterate how you think your partner’s design

reflects either situated cognition or an integrated approach.

Be prepared to report out after 10 minutes

CONCLUSION• Integrated programs and collaborations are

key

CONCLUSION: STRETCHING SITUATED COGNITION

Integrated programs can use literacy practitioners and occupational and related skills specialists to design short-term learning experiences that teach literacy skills applicable to job-related tasks and the development of broad-based soft skills and academic skills

Collaboration with businesses or agencies willing to train are key to program sustainability and continuous development of basic skills

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