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A Humanist approach

The Humanist approach developed from the Cognitive but focuses on experiential learning and the assumption that the individual is ever seeking greater personal adequacy, self-esteem and self-actualisation.

Humanists emphasise the individual’s innate need to achieve personal worth, dignity and creativity and believe a better society will evolve by nurturing these qualities.

Humanist teachers can create a positive classroom climate and encourage the psychological growth towards the creation of self-actualising people.

Humanists believe that learners respond to their environments as they experience it – part of that is the person themselves – the self.

Feeling and emotions play an important part in learning.

What effect might e-Learning contexts have for the Humanist approach?

Humanists can establish links between the world and their previous experiences as they learn by doing. E-learning can provide resources for humanist learning style students which encourage reflections and self expression. For example it can encourage reflection in weblogs and creative application in learning and expression of information such as presentations which can include group work or can encompass a range of insights, discussion and feedback that enhances meaning and learning.

Principles emphasised by Humanist theory:

 

§         People learn by relating the world to their previous experience – they learn by doing

 

§         People learn in a free environment that permits and encourages development of potential, self-expression and self-determination

 

§         People learn co-operatively, which includes constructive feedback in a non-competitive environment

 

§         The learning that has most meaning for people is that which is contructed by individuals out of their experience

 

Burns, R. 1995, The Adult Learner at Work, Business & Professional Publishing, Sydney.

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