Ch 5 Evans Student Development in College

- researched how students engage with and making meaning from the learning process - typical course of development of students' patterns of thought - longitudinal study of men and women but almost exclusively used only results from men to justify his theory (Hmmmm...wonder why?)

- forms of intellectual and ethical development are the structures that shape how people view their experiences - 9 positions on a continuum of development - position instead of stage because: no assumption of duration, individuals demonstrate range, consistent with world view - continuum is from duality to evolving commitments

- the world is viewed dichotomously: good-bad, right-wrong - learning is information exchange; educators are \"right\" and they give info \"facts\" - right answers exist for everything - ideas are swallowed whole from authority figures with no questioning

- honoring divergent views when the right view is not known - all opinions are equally valid - perceptions of student role shift to that of learns to think independently (critical thinking) - peers become more legitimate sources of knowledge

- recognition of the need to support opinions - knowledge is qualitative- based on what you can prove - accepts information on the basis of a process of critical analysis (may reject or keep authority views, but does so after reflection)

- does not involve changes in cognitive structures (i.e., cognitive development) - initiating ethical development - relativism is the idea that points of view have no ultimate truth because they come from different perspectives - growth in this position is based on being able to make choices and decisions from this idea - 2 aspects characterize thinking: area (social content) and style (balance between external and subjective)

a 'time-out\" period when movement is postponed or to provide a rest period - a plateau is maintained; development is put on hold - there is a hesitation to take the next step

lateral growth or development within a particular stage

- deflection involving an abandonment of responsibility characterized by alienation - avoidance of responsibility leads to failure to make commitments

- temporary return to dualism and results from being overwhelmed and over challenged

- form tentative opinions of student development via individual interactions - my note: seems incredibly subjective and unreliable; from an administrative standpoint, I would never trust all staff to be able to effectively do this and make reliable assumptions

- Knefelkamp and Widick took Perry's theory and created a model based on his ideas - four variables of challenge and support, existing on a continuum, characterize the model

- framework and direction provided to students - high degree to low degree on continuum - students in early positions want higher degrees; students in more advanced positions want lower degrees

- alternatives and perspectives presented and encouraged - quantity refers to amount - quality refers to complexity - can be introduced through variety in readings, assignments, points of view, and instructional methods

- concreteness, directness, and involvement contained in the learning process (think student-centered learning: they do, we guide) - helps students connect to subject matter - students in early stages need this most

- creating a safe environment where risk-taking is encouraged - enthusiasm for the material, instructor availability, and comprehensive feedback are required - especially important for students in the early stages of cognitive development

- helps to form connections with students as an instructor engages with teaching PEOPLE rather than teaching content - learning where the student is in their development will help in the ways an instructor can communicate learning needs

- helps to assign appropriate duties to staff based on their own progress along the developmental continuum (multiplistic assigned to relavistic, etc)

- knowing what stage a student is at can assist in the advising process (a dualistic thinker wants a decision made for him/her, etc) - counseling women: apply plus-one staging since women advance through development differently