Resource-based
learning (RBL) involves establishing contexts for, tools for acting on and
with, and scaffolds to guide the differentiated interpretation, use, and
understanding of resources in ways that are consistent with epistemology,
foundations, and assumptions of a given learning model (Hannafin & Hill,
2007). The authors suggest that Resources in the
21st century have dramatically changed compared to the past. Technology in the
21st century has redefined the nature of a resource and how teachers can use it
in their classroom to support learning. The
authors state “RBL does not embody a particular epistemology but rather
provides a process through which epistemologically different, but grounded,
learning models are enacted” (p. 528).
Technology
has allowed RBL to become a more accessible learning pedagogy for both students
and teachers. The Internet has substantially increased the amount of resources that
are at the fingertips of students. The
traditional role of the teacher has changed in RBL, “Teachers act as coaches, facilitators or guides as
their learners are sampling and manipulating information in multiple formats”
(Campbell, Flageolle, Griggith, & Wojcik, 2002, p.
4). In RBL teacher do not teach content, rather teach students the skill
of finding content themselves or ways to
navigate through the content that is provided. The media specialist is a
significant resource for teachers when implementing RBL into their curriculum. The authors Campbell, Flageolle, Griggith,
& Wojcik (2002) describe the role of the media specialist as building a
foundation of instruction tools, finding the most relevant information, finding
a surplus of resources, and teaching students how to navigate the resources.
Resource
Based Learning can be applied in the Family and Consumer Science classroom by
taking a topic that a teacher traditionally lectures and flipping the role of
the teacher and student. For example, in a Parenting class, the teacher can have
students pick a mental, physically, or emotional disability or conditions of a
child to research. Topics might include:
Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, attention deficit disorder, childhood anxiety
and depression, autisms, Asperger’s. The
teacher could provide a multitude of resources, text, audio, videos, etc., that
the students would need to navigate through for content. With the media specialist the teacher can plan
a lesson where the students learn how to navigate the school’s
database for researched based articles.
Within the lesson the students would learn how to identify credible websites
related to the topic of children with special needs. The students can then use the resources to
create a presentation about the causes, possible treatments and cures, parent
and children support groups, and parent and child coping mechanisms for the
disability or condition. Students would
be guided by the teacher and the media specialist when researching the
disabilities and conditions of children with special needs.
Implementing
Resource-based learning into the classroom has become easier as technology has
provided students with an unlimited number of resources. RBL flips the roles of
the teacher and the students, making students more responsible for the process
of learning rather than just the content. RBL requires teachers to play the
role more of a coach than an instructor. RBL can be used in all content areas
and levels of education including Family and Consumer Science and these
resources are tools to help start the processes of implementation into a
classroom.
Campbell, L., Flageolle, P., Griffith, S., & Wojcik, C.
(2002). Resource-based learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology. Retrieved
from http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/
Hannafin, M. J., & Hill, J.
(2007). Resource-based learning. Handbook
of Research on Educational Communications and Technology, 525-536.
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