Anonymous
Posted November 2, 2009
Jane Vella is someone to discover, if you haven't already. Her principles of learning (detailed with wonderful case studies in her first book, "Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach") are practical and relevant for any group of people. If you are familiar with the work of Paulo Friere or Malcolm Knowles, you will recognize their lineage in Jane's work.
This book is a simple "how-to" guide to training (or curricular or meeting) design, that I have adapted many times in many different situations. Check it out.
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More About This Textbook
Overview
"As an octogenarian who has taught for many years, I celebrate what Vella has done in these pages. By marrying theory and practice, she has shown how to design learning that takes hold of the learner--mind, heart, and muscles. I'm going to use learning tasks in my own work and prove that it is never too late to learn."--Jack McCall, professor, Principals' Executive Program, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Is Jane Vella's brilliant and challenging approach something we can truly master? In Taking Learning to Task, the master herself reveals the mechanics of creating learning tasks. You'll feel as though you've found the keys to creating profound and powerfully effective learning experiences. Anyone responsible for engaging a group of adults in learning will find this book invaluable!--Rod Brooks, vice president for administration, EXPLORIS
"Vella has inspired me to rethink my teaching and move in a new direction. Instead of merely giving a lecture, I now weave theoretical information into creative learning tasks. It's a dynamic new teaching-learning approach, and your students will thank you for it."--Monica Rector, professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Editorial Reviews
Booknews
Vella (School of Public Health, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill) takes teachers of adults through a seven-step process of transforming their lecture-based teaching to the task-and-learning- centered model, detailing how to design, lead and test learning tasks for different cultures and for online and distance education courses. Provides a checklist of principles and practices, critical questions for instructional design, and key components for evaluation. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)Product Details
Related Subjects
Meet the Author
Table of Contents
2. Comparing Teaching Tasks and Learning Tasks.
3. Learning Tasks As Part of a Complete Design.
4. Four Types of Learning Tasks.
5. The Power of Action: "The Verb's the Thing".
6. Principles to Guide Design.
7. The Art of Leading Learning Tasks.
8. Time and the Learning Task.
9. Checkpoint: Reviewing Concepts Through Examples.
10. Matching Tasks to the Group: One Size Does Not Fit All.
11. Tasks for Distance Learning and the Internet.
12. Using Learning Tasks: Twenty Reasons and Twenty Principles.
Resources.
A. Learning Tasks in Action: A Workshop Model.
B. Example of a Distance-Learning Course.
C. Technical Guide for Designing and Using Learning Tasks.