634fall2023.blogspot: Transformative learning by Siobhan Gillespie

Assignment 6, Transformational Learning: ECAC634

Siobhan Gillespie:

Project name: Experiential Learning: Inside the Mind and Body of a Stroke Patient

Goal: To utilize the four main components of Mezirow's psycho-critical approach to transformative learning: experience, critical reflection, reflective discourse, and action to understand what a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) patient and their families may go through during the initial onset of a CVA and their rehabilitation recovery.

Objective: Utilizing the student's base knowledge, students will complete the four main components of Mezirow's approach. Post-completion, students will complete the process again after viewing the Victim/witness video and participating in class activities to experience what a CVA patient goes through, provide critical reflection and reflective discourse on their personal experience as a CVA patient, and implement changes in their treatment and opinions of patients post CVA. Overall, these activities will allow students to understand and empathize with their patients who have experienced a CVA and make more informed decisions regarding their treatment due to their experiences using transformational learning.

Summary of Mezirow's psycho-critical approach to transformative learning:

According to Merriam, "adult educators must be aware that helping adults learn how to move from an argumentative mindset to an empathic understanding of others' views is a priority. Possessing empathy, social skills, and self-control is essential for effective discourse to occur" (Merriam, 2020, pp. 236-237). Mezirow's psycho-critical approach to transformative learning utilized a ten-step process to help individuals utilize building exercises to help individuals achieve a higher level of understanding and judgment versus an argument by using a specific dialogue that is "devoted to searching for a common understanding and assessment of the justification of an interpretation or belief" (Merriam, 2020, pg 236).

Module 1: Experience: Take 5 minutes to write out your beliefs regarding someone who has experienced a stroke based on personal or academic knowledge.

Rationale: Using current knowledge based on life events and education to assess their feelings towards a specific event before and after exposure to the lab portion will increase the likelihood of enlightenment through experiential and transformative learning.

Module 2: Critical Reflection: Take five minutes to describe what you assume the patient feels physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Rationale: Students must analyze a disorienting dilemma to challenge their thinking, before being exposed to the lab portion of the modules to help them find the differences in their present thinking (pre-lab) and their post-lab experiential part of the modules.

Module 3: Reflective Discourse: In groups of four, take 20 mins to discuss and write out any commonalities you have from modules one and two. Take time to challenge others' opinions on the topic, negotiate over alternative perspectives, and enlighten others on any justifications you have for any points you have made.

Rationale: Allows students to learn from others' perspectives, utilize their current knowledge on the subject, and reflect on any biases they may have regarding the topic.

Module 4: Action: Take ten minutes to reflect on what you learned from your peers and how your perceptions of the topics have changed.

Rationale: To transform our learning, we must grow through experience. Hearing and assessing others' thoughts on the topic will allow for new learning opportunities in both the pre and post-lab sections.

Module 5: Experience:

Students will watch a short video regarding the signs and symptoms of a stroke from a victim and witness perspective. Link to video here: CVA Victim and Witness Perspective

Links to an external site.

Following the video, students will split into two groups: therapists and stroke patients. Each group of patients will face different challenges and be required to be a patient for forty minutes and a therapist for the alternative CVA effects for forty minutes; for example, one group of students will only be able to use their non-dominant side for all tasks given by the "therapist," and have an eye-patch over their eye on the right side. The other group will be assigned books to read with jumbled words, have headphones in with white noise playing, and wear glasses that make the room look fuzzy while they try to complete the tasks given by their "therapists." All therapist must have their patients complete a simulated bed transfer, gait training, toilet transfer, hygiene tasks, reading, and writing.

Module 6: Repeat activities 1-4:

After both groups have completed their simulations, they will complete modules one through four again. However, after completing their experiential labs, they should have new feelings, judgments, arguments, and perspectives. The students should better understand "how their past assumptions and beliefs may have been wrong and have a perspective transformation" (WGU, 2020). They can then plan a course of action and "consider what kinds of learning they will now need to understand a problem or situation more fully" (WGU, 2020).

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