Chapter 4
Engaging With Knowledge
This chapter addresses the primary theme of engaging with knowledge as it arises in the
interviews and discusses student views on the ways in which curriculum and teaching practice
invite students to engage with knowledge. Barriers to learning are discussed as are teaching
practices that stimulate and encourage learning. Common themes and differences arising from
both students with disabilities and non-disabled students are demonstrated throughout the
interviews. To make identification easier for the reader each non-disabled student will be
identified as student 1 to student 5 while students with disabilities will be identified as student A
to student E.
Adopting MI in the third level classroom
It has already been emphasised in a previous chapter on MI and TFU that multiple intelligences
theory is a theory on the nature of human intelligence and not a pedagogical framework. MI can,
however, point to particular entry points to the various intelligences and Howard Gardner
suggests particular entry points suitable to address the different intelligences working together in
the students mind (McCarthy, 2011, 61-63). MI can inform pedagogy and help a teacher create a
curriculum to engage students with different profiles of intelligence. The entry points suggested
by Howard Gardner are: narrational, quantitative/numerical, logical, existential, aesthetic,
experiential/ hands on, and social. If students learn in different ways a variety of teaching
approaches are required. Different teaching approaches will not only provide a range of ways to
enter into the learning, but will also help a student develop multiple representations of a concept
and thereby provide the student with a deeper understanding of the topic. The interviews
discussed below will identify teaching experiences where a variety of entry points to learning
were facilitated. Learning experiences where a logic and linguistic approach alone were used will
also be highlighted by the students.
The lecture
All of the students interviewed were asked about their preferred learning styles. Student 1, 2, 5,
A and C say they have experienced traditional style lectures they have no difficulty with. They
do, however, for the most part emphasise that it all depends on a good natural communicator.
Student 2 in particular spoke laudably of a well delivered traditional lecture, claiming it to be by
far the best method of teaching. However, the students who advocated the traditional lecture
were quick to state also that this is not the norm. For example student 2 when asked was this the
norm replied: No, as I said it does vary drastically. I found certain departments better than
others and some teachers definitely better than others.
The vast majority of all students interviewed viewed some form of interactive learning is
preferable because many lecturers do not have the skills to deliver a lecture stimulating enough
to hold one’s attention. Student 4 states that a variety of teaching methods would suit more
people, claiming that if the teaching takes the form of different methods there are: Different ways
of hearing it, different ways of learning it. Interactive learning is one of the ways in which
student 3 finds the learning experience to be a positive one:
For Archaeology it is more the traditional lecture and PowerPoint displays, but for Greek
and Roman for our second class of the week we have a sort of group discussion. This is a
positive thing and you retain a lot more.
You like this approach so? It makes it easier to learn things. The idea is that he wants you
to read the material before class and critically analyse it. He provides questions that help
you to reflect and then bring your thoughts to class. This helps centre the focus for
discussion.
Does this make it more stimulating? I think it does. It certainly makes it more focused
which is important. There is a lot of reading and you could otherwise tend to get lost in it.
The module I describe could I suppose be described as a seminar. The teacher facilitating
would rarely interfere, but would more prompt now and again. He acted like a chairman.
During a lecture a teacher can sound like he is going on a bit and I do not think you retain
as much. After awhile you will shut down or go into a day dream.
Would you prefer more interaction in the actual classroom? Well, yes I would, I expect
that from third level actually. I was somewhat underwhelmed at the lack of it when I came
to college originally. Which didn’t happen at first so that is why I was so excited about the
particular module in second year. This was my preconceived notion of what college should
be like
This student feels strongly regarding interactive learning in the classroom and goes so far as to
say that he was underwhelmed at the lack of it at university level. It obviously creates a greater
learning experience for the student and allows for a performance of understanding. The students
are encouraged to prepare for class by reading and are facilitated in the performance of the
knowledge by their teacher. This style of teaching also allows for a broader range of entry points
to the subject and assists the teacher in creating a pedagogical framework that endeavours to
reach a broader range of intellect types. Almost all of the entry points suggested by Gardner can
be drawn upon and utilised by a teacher creating discussion from a range of questions addressing
the topic concerned. Facilitated discussion is an ideal opportunity to create a healthy scepticism
in a student and assists in teaching a student how to draw upon method to help create argument
in the domain. A student can be taught how to validate knowledge and is led away from a
dependency upon intuitive beliefs.
When asked about his attitude to interaction in the classroom student 5 had the following to say:
I have also seen the benefit of more seminar type classes and this became more possible as
time went on and classes became smaller. The lecture can end earlier and a discussion can
take place. I think this sort of thing is really useful. Holding a discussion signals to the
teacher what areas of the material students are having difficulty understanding. It is also a
good skill to learn for students to be able to discuss an issue. If a degree is equipping you
for the future I think this skill is really useful.
This student is also glad to benefit from an interactive learning experience and points out the
benefit of the teacher being in a position to assess the progress of the student. This provides for
formative assessment by the teacher. By understanding how knowledge can be used in the future
the student recognises the skills of identifying purposes that drive enquiry in the domain.
As with the non-disabled students all of the students with disabilities looked favourably upon
some form of interactive learning in the classroom. Student B made the following comments
when asked did his teachers break up lectures by asking questions or by creating discussion via
small groups of 2 or 3:
It depends on the lecturer. In Philosophy we are encouraged to ask questions or discuss
issues between ourselves. In other subjects such as Economics it is discouraged. The
understanding appears to be that there is a certain amount of the curriculum to get
through in a year and they have to do that.
Student C had more experience of teacher/student interaction and had the following thoughts:
Do many of your lecturers use a variety of learning methods? No. It’s just mainly the
standard lecture.
To be fair, however, in the Religion, which I like, there is a great interaction.
So is there more discussion?
Yes, very much so. It is far more engaging. I think this helps you retain more also. Most
of the history lecturers just get up give their piece and go.
Are there any breaks?
No, no breaks.
Is there any opportunity for discussion in class?
No, no.
Both these students have had some experience of interaction in the classroom, but express some
disappointment with subjects that do not normally provide this. Student B has experienced peer
discussion in one subject, but not in the other. The fact that the student highlights the subject
rather than the teacher may indicate that this may be an issue influenced by signature pedagogy.
One of the subjects is described as having a lot of knowledge to be covered and therefore leaves
no time to perform with the knowledge, hence missing out on a deeper and broader
understanding of subject concepts. Of course this does not mean that all teachers of these
subjects are using a non interactive teaching style, but may highlight that some signature
pedagogies need more thought and perhaps restructuring to create interactive experiences for
students. Interaction in the classroom between either teacher and class or between peers
facilitated by a teacher is effective in its appeal to many simply because it allows a teacher to
experiment with multiple entry points to the subject. The appeal of the interactive learning
experience is common to both students with disabilities and non-disabled students.
Two hour lectures
Two hour lectures were highlighted by several students during the interviews and they appear to
have presented a greater challenge to teachers in terms of keeping student attention. Student B
described one two hour lecture as a two hour monologue with a five minute break in between. He
also claims that most students do not return for the second half of this class. Student 5 had the
following to say when asked did a teacher use a two hour lecture for any interactive learning:
Yes, we had this teacher for a double lecture and the first 45 minutes was a lecture while
the second 45 minutes was a discussion based on reading material we had to read. This
teacher was extremely interactive and videoed his lectures and used them as podcasts.
Did you feel this was more helpful than trying to focus on a straight lecture for 2 hours?
O yes, definitely.
What about your other subject apart from history? That was politics and it was not as
creative at all. One module on environmental politics was done through the Philosophy
Department and it was a 2 hour session. For this there was 1 hour lecture and the second
half was more interactive. Again I thought this was much more beneficial than having a 2
hour lecture.
Student A makes the point that he personally is not bothered with two hour lectures because it is
possible to get through a large amount of material at a time. However, when asked did he
experience interaction at these sessions he said that he did. His teachers did try and get
discussion going in the class during these sessions. He did claim that the disadvantage of a two
hour lecture was that he only saw this teacher once a week. Overall, it appears to be more a case
of what goes on during a two hour learning experience rather than the length of time itself. If via
discussion a teacher is willing to draw on questions that awaken the different intelligences
working in his students then he will keep their interest and attention.
Group work
At least half of the students interviewed spoke of some form of group work. Some spoke
positively, but others had reservations regarding marking or amount of work accorded to each
student. Student 1 had the following to say regarding group work undertaken:
When I do group work I always seem to end up being in charge and speaking out and it
gets a bit tiresome after awhile. For this reason I prefer working by myself.
Student 5, another non-disabled student, while acknowledging the benefits of group work, had
the following complaints to make:
Did you like group work?
No I didn’t actually.
What puts you off group work?
I suppose I can understand the benefits of group work, but relying on other people is not
something I feel comfortable with. Different people have different concepts of workload.
This is difficult especially if the mark is going towards your final grade. It is difficult then
to be relying on other people. It is a case of being as strong as your weakest link.
So this was a concern?
It was, yes.
Both of these non-disabled students were strongly concerned that other students would not
undertake their responsibilities as group members, thereby either compromising the grades of
students who were willing to work or by causing dedicated students to carry too much of the
work load.
Students with disabilities who spoke of group work reacted differently to the topic. Student A
had a lot of experience of group work and made the following remarks:
Do you like the idea of group work where you work with a group of 2 or 3 or maybe 4 or
5 with more interaction? Having experienced working in groups for many years I actually
would prefer to work in groups because that way I can bring forward my skills as a worker
and also where I lack in skills someone else could probably make up for that. We could
work together towards a really great assignment. But I think it is better to work in small
groups because if you work in large groups what happens is that you will always have a
free rider. If you have a small group there is less chance of someone dossing or free riding
on the group But overall I would prefer to work in groups for the obvious advantage that
you are able to break up the work and bring different skills and different backgrounds and
abilities to the workload.
Though student A clearly expressed the benefits of group work he too was conscious of the
danger of group members not carrying their weight, but suggested that from his own experience
this was less likely to happen in small group settings. Student B also spoke of enjoying the
benefits of group work:
Have you experienced Group work?
Yes, in first second and third year there is a compulsory module in which we have to do a
group assignment.
Does this appeal to you?
It appeals to me greatly.
I find it good to help support me in areas of weakness and I can support others through my
strengths.
It is all about building up connections. In my opinion a person will not survive in college
health wise, physically, mentally or academically if they do not build up friendships or
social networks. One has to do that because after all no man’s an island.
This student is an interesting example for he points not only to the educational benefits of
sharing one another’s skills, but also to the social advantages of group work. This student is a
wheelchair user and like all people with visible disabilities faces the challenge of breaking down
social barriers. Social interaction can be difficult for many students in this position as many
people have no experience of working with those who have a disability and therefore can
sometimes try and avoid interacting with them. The academic use of group work can therefore
work to help integrate all those who find social interaction difficult whatever the reason may be.
Student D had experience of group work in the classroom consisting only of small groups
interacting in class, but I feel her experience is worth consideration:
I did not like working in small groups very much because we were all shy and we were new
and I did feel a dead weight on the other students. The second year there were more
mature students in my class and this was fine and we gained from each other. This year the
pressure is on and I really don’t want to be holding anyone back so I do sit apart from the
other students and that has prompted my tutor to come over to me, but she doesn’t always
do it so sometimes I am sitting there and everyone is working and I’m doing nothing.
Is that difficult?
Yes.
This student’s experience of group work was socially and academically not a positive
experience for first and third year. She was made to feel that she was only a dead weight in the
group. Second year, however, it does appear to have worked for her and she felt that all members
of the group benefited from one another. This student was a mature student and she does mention
that the second year groups ensured that she was included with mature students who would have
more in common with her and this does appear to have helped a lot. . This student’s disability is
blindness and similar to the student mentioned above she appears to have difficulty breaking the
social barriers between her and most of her fellow students. This results in a situation where the
student becomes academically and socially isolated from the class unless the teacher is willing
and has time to take the situation in hand. Selecting the group in which the student takes part
does appear to help as proved by the second year experience, so it is important that the student is
with a group that has something in common with him/her.
The non-disabled students see the benefits of group work, but are conscious of situations
developing in which some students are not carrying their weight. This suggests that students may
feel more relaxed about the experience if only formative assessment was involved and not
summative assessment. This would create a situation in which students could learn in a more
relaxed environment, break down social barriers and develop the skills required to work as part
of a team. Good team work is essential in today’s working environment and students will
embrace it more enthusiastically if they do not see it as a threat to their performance record.
Group work can be designed to address a range of intelligences depending on the questions
involved and it provides a special opportunity to those who are strong in interpersonal
intelligence and enjoy a social entry point to learning.
Off Campus learning
Out of the ten students interviewed 7 spoke in positive terms when asked about off campus
learning. Student 1 was offered the opportunity to go on a trip to Rome with the History
Department, but refrained because of cost. She did, however, say she would be pleased to go on
a less expensive trip, perhaps organized more close to home. Students 4 and 5 had nothing to say
on the topic because they had not experienced off campus learning and felt they were not in a
position to comment. Student 2 had not experienced off campus learning, but had the following
comments to make:
Have you ever experienced off campus learning?
No.
Would you like that to be available to you?
If it was relevant, for example it could have been useful in film studies if it was used
properly. I am afraid that the teacher tried to tick too many boxes and does not give the
student time to interact with the subject in a classroom environment. It would have been
nice to have gone out and seen some of the films on a big screen. We only saw small clips
from a DVD and really missed the impact of it.
A teacher who was focused and creative enough I am sure could have made this a
fascinating piece of pedagogy.
Student 3 studies archaeology and field trips were integral to his course. He spoke very
powerfully with regard to the benefits of off campus learning:
Did you experience off campus learning?
We went on a field trip with archaeology. We had to prepare beforehand and learn the
different techniques before going to practice the skills at some sites.
Did you find it a positive experience?
Yes, it was a positive experience. It was more hands on. This was good because we had
done an awful lot of theory and I think people were getting a bit tired of the theory and
needed to get out there.
Do you think it is nice to use knowledge or theory rather than learning it without the
opportunity to use it?
Yes, practical application always helps. There were actually parts of the learning that I
did not understand until we were actually out in the field. It was during practical
application that things became clear to me.
Do you find that using knowledge helps to consolidate concepts and analytical skills
rather than trying to get your head around knowledge on paper?
Yes, definitely the more you have the opportunity to use knowledge the more you are going
to appreciate it and understand it. It becomes more in dept every time you use it.
Out of the 5 students with disabilities 3 of them had experienced off campus learning at
University College Cork while 1 student had no experience of off campus learning at all. Student
A did not experience off campus learning in UCC, but did experience off campus learning, while
doing a post leaving certificate course in preparation for third level:
Have you experienced off campus learning?
I did not experience off campus learning while at UCC. I experienced a field trip once a
week while studying a Fetac course prior to UCC and found this a very positive
experience. It is not all coming into college studying off theories and stuff and having to do
assignments. You can go out and actually experience what you have been learning inside
of class.
Do you feel that you would like to be exposed to more of that at UCC?
O, yes, definitely.
Student B experienced off campus learning on two occasions, while studying at UCC and spoke
very positively of both. This student is a wheelchair user and prior arrangements were required to
ensure accessibility etc. The student said his teachers flagged this with the Disability Support
Service at the college early in his course and arrangements were made to ensure no difficulties
occurred. The student was very satisfied. A good relationship between the Disability Support
Service and academic staff is therefore of great importance to the student’s experience of
learning, especially where off campus learning is concerned. Student C had the following
remarks regarding his experience of off campus learning:
Have you ever experienced off campus learning?
For two weeks we were taken to a Buddhist centre as part of our Religious Studies
program, which was extremely interesting. This brought theory into real life and it was a
good learning experience.
Over all the concept of off campus learning received a very positive response with both students
with disabilities and non-disabled students clearly highlighting the importance of being provided
with the opportunity to put theory into action. This confirms the importance of a performance of
understanding in which students are given the opportunity to play with knowledge and see it
work at different levels and dimensions. This also confirms the necessity for a strategic approach
to learning such as the TFU approach. An approach such as TFU allowing students perform with
newly acquired knowledge, allows for different dimensions of knowledge and helps create the
many entry points to learning necessary to address the multiple intellects seeking knowledge in
the classroom. Student 2, even though he did not experience off campus learning, was quick to
point out what he believed was a lost opportunity for a fascinating piece of pedagogy. It is also
worth noting the experience of student 1 who was placed in a position where she could not afford
to attend an occasion of off campus learning abroad. Teachers need be conscious of cost and
ensure that in such cases at the very least an alternative learning opportunity incurring less cost
be made available for students. The experiential entry point to learning plays a strong part in off
campus learning and is a powerful tool in creating concept and subject understanding in a
student.
Knowledge and concepts
The topic of teacher training was one that also arose in the interviews and some students felt
quite strongly with regard to the standard of teaching at third level. Student 2 when speaking of a
language subject made the following statement:
Being a language I feel it needs to be more of a taught subject. In my opinion the problem
is caused because the people teaching it are not trained teachers. There are one or two
trained teachers there and they are really good and can effectively communicate the
language. Other teachers just cannot do that.
I see teachers who are natural communicators, but many are not and so you have to ensure
that third level teachers have some sort of training. Academics spend time focused on
writing books and articles, but at the end of the day their job is to be a communicator in
class....
You mentioned teacher training earlier. Do you think this would help improve teaching?
Yes, I would feel passionate about this. I find it ridiculous that this is overlooked.
These are strong words and focus directly on the importance of teacher training at third level.
These words are from a student who spoke equally as passionately regarding the natural
communication skills of some of his teachers, but who is very aware of the importance of teacher
training. Student 5 also spoke on the topic of teacher training:
Well there are many teachers who are very skilled in their topics, but could do with help in
learning how to get this across to the students. One of my teachers who was very good
used to talk about education as a subject and did appear to be aware of teaching skills etc.
It was clear that he had a good knowledge of the whole area of teaching.
At the end of this student’s interview, as with the other students, he was asked if he had anything
else to add and his reply returned again to the topic of teacher training:
I must say re teaching as a discipline itself and style of teaching, I do notice that lecturers
who have really good ideas and are more creative they often find they can’t really do that
because of the way the assessment system is laid down by the university. The university is
more conservative then the lecturers. Some forms of creative styles of teaching like using
blogs or using discussions on or off line for assessment might not be suitable. It’s great
how creative some people are and how they really want to make things better in the sense
of appealing to different groups and different skill sets. Nevertheless there is always the
problem that you have to match that to what is actually accepted as an exam.
The student is conscious of a teacher’s desire to be more creative, but being restricted by
acceptable teaching and assessment methods. This is interesting and reveals a student’s
awareness of teachers who are trained in education being challenged by barriers that exist within
teaching and assessment college policy.
The interviews of students with disabilities also revealed student awareness of teacher training.
Student B made the following comment:
The lecturers are brilliant in their disciplines, but some of them are very poor
communicators not really making clear what they are expecting of us
I think many of my teachers could badly do with some sort of lessons in lecturing style.
They can even be difficult to understand at times.
During the interviews students 4, 5, B and C spoke of the danger of teachers focusing on large
amounts of knowledge at the expense of important concepts. These are situations in which
teachers appear to be working their way through large amounts of information during lecture
periods providing neither time nor interaction to ensure digestion of important concepts. Student
4 made the following statement when questioned on this topic:
For example in History they may try and cover too much material because they are trying
to cover a large time frame. I feel that if they gave out less it would help more to
understand. I think they feel they are helping you by getting through a lot, but it would be
easier if they did not overload. If a student has the basic tools they can go and check out a
topic in detail if they decide to do an assignment etc.
Student C spoke strongly on the topic and even though he acknowledges that lectures are
generally well worked out he feels concepts suffer at the expense of knowledge overload:
I think teachers should be careful not just to cover a certain amount of material but should
ensure that it is all relevant and understood by the students. It seems to me that it is very
much a case of covering A to Z because we covered it last year. Sometimes I think people
don’t always get it or understand it and they get a bit lost.
Is it a case that you feel things are not done for the right reasons or that they are done
just because this is the way it’s done?
I think the lectures are well thought out, but it is just about covering so many topics so
quickly and I think the lecturers do not pick up on the fact that the students do not always
grasp the material. It is a question of drive on, drive on.
When it comes to bringing a student to a place where they can use knowledge
constructively or play with knowledge or make it their own, do you think it is more a
question of getting as much out there as they possibly can rather than teaching you how
to handle it?
Yes. I think it is just getting it out there.
Do you think it would help if there was less knowledge and more focus on understanding
concepts?
Yes, I think it would make college much more interesting and make for a better student.
What would it do for a student?
If the student feels that they have interacted with the process and understood it rather than
being like a sponge soaking it up I think it would be better for them.
As described earlier in the chapter this student has also had very positive experiences in which
opportunities for interactive learning were ensured by other teachers, thereby providing plenty
opportunity for concept digestion. The situation described here, however, provides no
opportunity for formative assessment of students which is key to providing feedback to a teacher.
This will result in a teacher having no knowledge of whether his students understand key
concepts in the subject area or not.
The data in these interviews suggest that teachers who are not trained in teaching are less likely
to be able to reach a lot of their students. If a student is to learn and understand the threshold
concepts of a topic the teacher needs both the skills and time to draw their students into a
performance of understanding that will portray knowledge in effective and creative ways. This
requires a reflective practice model of teaching and more focus on concepts rather than an
overload of knowledge in the classroom. Teachers who acquire good teaching skills are well
positioned to provide the variety and flexibility necessary to reach out to all students both
disabled and non-disabled alike.