Barbara Basford's Book Review 6-22-07 "Dimensions of Learning"

Dimensions of Learning
By Robert J. Marzano and Debra J. Pickering
Publisher: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
City of Publication: Alexandria, Virginia
Date of Publication: 1992
Type of Book: Intended for Educators

Premise of the Book: The Dimensions of Learning teacher’s manual has an introduction, five chapters (one for each dimension), and a final chapter that explains how to put it all together. Each chapter has its own introduction and then the supporting information and data. There is information in the side margins that contains bibliographic data, interesting quotes, quotes from studies, footnotes or, perhaps I should call them margin notes. The five dimensions are: Attitudes and Perceptions, Acquire and Integrate Knowledge, Extend and Refine Knowledge, Use Knowledge Meaningfully, and Habits of Mind. There is a section at the end of each chapter that gives classroom examples of how to apply the ideas covered. Using the five dimensions will allow for a well-rounded classroom.

The introduction explains that all that follows in the book is a framework for teachers to improve the quality of teaching and learning in any content area. I have attended at least two Dimensions of Learning workshops and an extended workshop on the extending and refining of knowledge. It was a pleasure to revisit this book.

Attitudes and Perceptions - “Attitudes and perceptions affect students’ abilities to learn. For example, if students view the classroom as an unsafe and disorderly place, they will likely learn little there. Similarly, if students have negative attitudes about classroom tasks, they will probably put little effort into those tasks. A key element of effective instruction, then, is helping students to establish positive attitudes and perceptions about the classroom and about learning.”
It is important to form a relationship with each student in the class. It is easy for me to talk informally with students about their interests, chat with students outside of class (often in Walmart), comment on important events in student’s lives, compliment students on important achievements, and include students when planning classroom activities. Page 19 is something new teachers should read. It gives six tips on how to deal with students’ incorrect responses or lack of response. The classroom rules and procedures is interesting. I never knew there were so many categories for classroom rules: beginning class, room/school areas, independent work, ending class, interruptions, instructional procedures, noninstructional procedures, work requirements, communicating assignments, checking assignments in class, grading procedures, and academic feedback.

Acquire and Integrate Knowledge – “Helping students acquire and integrate new knowledge is another important aspect of learning. When students are learning new information, they must be guided in relating the new knowledge to what they already know, organizing that information, and then making it part of their long-term memory. When students are acquiring new skills and processes, they must learn a model (or set of steps), then shape the skill or process to make it efficient and effective for them, and, finally, to internalize or practice the skill or process so they can perform it easily.”
Two types of knowledge are explained. Declarative knowledge is the information (facts, concepts, and generalizations) within content knowledge, and procedural knowledge requires the learner to perform a process or to demonstrate a skill. Declarative knowledge is commonly organized into six categories: descriptions, time sequences, process/cause-effect relationships, episodes, generalizations/principles, and concepts. A couple of diagrams on page 50 explain the phases of declarative and procedural knowledge. There are seven ways to construct meaning for declarative knowledge: help students understand what it means to construct meaning; use the three minute pause; help students experience content using a variety of senses; help students to construct meaning for vocabulary terms; present students with the K_W_L strategy; and create opportunities for students to discover or figure out the new information for themselves. There is a section on the use of graphic organizers on pages 62-72. Then there is an extensive discussion on the storing declarative knowledge. There are several strategies for integrating procedural knowledge: help students understand the importance of constructing models for procedural knowledge; use a think-aloud process to demonstrate a new skill or process; provide or construct with students a written or graphic representation of the skill or process they are learning; help students see how the skill or process they are learning is similar to and different from other skills or processes; and teach students to mentally rehearse the steps involved in a skill or process. There then is a section on how to shape and internalize procedural knowledge.

Extend and Refine Knowledge – “Learning does not stop with acquiring and integrating knowledge. Learners develop in-depth understanding through the process of extending and refining their knowledge (e.g., by making new distinctions, clearing up misconceptions, and reaching conclusions). They rigorously analyze what they have learned by applying reasoning processes that will help them extend and refine the information. Some of the common reasoning processes used by learners to extend and refine their knowledge are the following: comparing, classifying, abstracting, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, constructing support, analyzing errors, and analyzing perspectives.”
Although I do not think this is the most important dimension, it is the one that will raise test scores the most. There are eight complex reasoning processes identified: comparing, classifying, abstracting, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, constructing support, analyzing errors, and analyzing perspectives. Each of these processes is discussed in great detail throughout the chapter. There are some godd examples for classroom use.

Use Knowledge Meaningfully – “The most effective learning occurs when we use knowledge to perform meaningful tasks. For example, we might initially learn about tennis rackets by talking to a friend or reading a magazine article about them, however, when we are trying to decide what kind of tennis racket to buy. Making sure that students have the opportunity to use knowledge meaningfully is one of the most important parts of planning a unit of instruction. In the Dimensions of Learning model, there are six reasoning processes around which tasks can be constructed to encourage the meaningful use of knowledge.”
There are six complex reasoning processes addresses in this chapter: decision making, problem solving, invention, experimental inquiry, investigation, and systems analysis. These are given great detail and explanation throughout the chapter.

Habits of Mind – “The most effective learners have developed powerful habits of mind that enable them to think critically, think creatively, and regulate their behavior.”
If you have mental habits that exemplify critical thinking, you tend to; be accurate and seek accuracy, be clear and seek clarity, maintain an open mind, restrain impulsivity, take a position when a situation warrants it, respond appropriately to others’ feelings and level of knowledge. If you have mental habits that exemplify creative thinking, you tend to: persevere, push the limits of your knowledge and abilities, generate, trust, and maintain your own standards of evaluation, and generate new ways of viewing a situation that are outside the boundaries of standard conventions. If you have mental habits that exemplify self-regulated thinking, you tend to: monitor your own thinking, plan appropriately, identify and use necessary resources, respond appropriately to feedback, and evaluate the effectiveness of your actions. The rest of the chapter defines, explains and gives examples of each of the above characteristics.

The last chapter is entitled, Putting It All Together. It puts together a series of questions to consider for each dimension when planning a unit of study. There are three models: focus on knowledge, focus on issues, and focus on student exploration. There are also sections on assessment grading, and sequencing instruction.

Noteworthy for Our Purposes: The chapter on Habits of Mind would be most useful.

Particularly Cogent Graphs, Charts, Visuals – These are included in within the chapter summaries.

Something of Lasting Value I Have Found in This Book: I have found this to be a valuable text and I keep it handy when planning out a unit of study in any discipline. I have used it for five years with good results.