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EARTH UNIVERSITY
EDUCATIONAL MODEL
8
9
THE TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS
Ultimately, learning is the result of a dynamic process
that is both individual and social, during which students
build knowledge and develop values, attitudes, skills and
abilities. At EARTH teaching is envisioned as an intentional,
deliberate process mediated by a facilitator who promotes
the construction of knowledge. At EARTH, diverse
didactic and methodological strategies are used to work
toward constructing and re-constructing knowledge in an
atmosphere of dialogue, tolerance, and respect. As such,
at EARTH teaching is a process of facilitating meaningful
learning that transcends the mere transfer of knowledge
and provides students the resources and experiences that
contribute to their personal and professional growth.
TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESSES
ARE ACTIVE AND PARTICIPATORY
Regarding knowledge:
- constructed (constructivism)
- a process in flux rather than a static state
- not innate
- not transferred by the professor
Regarding learning:
- a social, group process
- active and participatory
- occurs when students construct and apply
knowledge
- generated through experience
Regarding teaching:
- an intentional, deliberate process
- mediated by a facilitator
- transcends the transmission of knowledge
- ultimate goal is to generate learning
At EARTH learning and teaching is a dynamic and
participatory process. At the core of this process is the
belief that knowledge is constructed, and therefore, that
knowledge is a dynamic process rather than a static state,
and that it is not innate nor does it simply exist in the
external environment waiting to be transferred from
professors to students. We also recognize that although
the world in which students will be working is presented
to the learner in all its richness and complexity, the
learner can only make sense of it and construct his or
her interpretation in a gradual manner, and in his or her
own way.
At EARTH, we understand learning as a social process,
which should occur amongst social groups in the most
natural environment possible. Learning is an active process
in which students are continuously building mental models
and theories from their interaction with the world around
them. Furthermore,we view learning as a process in which
knowledge is created through experience. Thus, learning
implies a process of construction and re-construction; the
contributions of each student play a critical role and give
meaning to what they learn in relation to his or her reality.
THE TEACHING
AND LEARNING
PROCESS
THE TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS