If learning is regarded not as the acquisition of information, but as a search for meaning and coherence in one’s life and, if an emphasis is placed on what is learned and its personal significance to the learner, rather than how much is learned, researchers would gain valuable new insights into both the mechanisms of learning and the relative advantages of teacher-controlled and learner-controlled modes of learning.
— PHILIP CANDY (1991)

Connect - Extend - Challenge
Connect – Extend – Challenge [1]

Connect-Extend-Challenge(CEC) [2] can be considered as the three co-ordinates of Learning space.The “information” can’t be converted to “knowledge” without this CEC cycle. Understanding the importance of this “three stop process” is very essential for effective teaching & learning.

We can start with the following example to realize the CEC process.

While teaching in a science class we generally observe the following reactions from the students [3]:

1. Yes, I observed this earlier. Now I understood the reason behind this (Connect)
Ex: I observed, walking over plane road is easier than walking over rough road. Alright, then friction is the reason behind this.

2. The reason concludes this also, along with the earlier observation. This is a new interesting outcome (Extend)
Ex: This means more energy will be consumed if we cover a same distance over a rough road than a plane road.

3. If this is true based on the reason, then why not that? (Challenge)
Ex: If road having less friction causes walking easier then why is it difficult to walk over a slippery floor as this floor must have very less friction?

Let us understand the word “Connect” first. Daily we see, listen, watch, read and come across many things. Students are taught lessons in every day class. They come to know several things from the classes, from their peers, from their society and from their own observations. Many a times human keeps on storing information unintentionally, even sometime without knowing the reason behind them. When in some context (not necessarily only in class environment) they come across some related observations to their known information, they start correlating them. And a smile full of satisfaction appears on their lips when they feel like “yes I knew this”. This is when “Connect” takes place.



Now let us try to put some light on the word “Extend“. This is the next phase of “Connect” and can be described as the earlier phase of later “Connects”. This is the phase which opens up the path to explore the new dimension of known facts, based on the proof of earlier observations in “Connect” phase. This phase enhances our knowledge level with new ideas and strengthen our belief. Sometime it may give a new direction to our beliefs also. We can say this is the Knowledge expansion phase.

The word “Challenge” introduces all 5 Ws and one H. Surprisingly this phase is  considered as the beginning of the actual learning. It is believed that effective teaching and learning occurs if the students start questioning. During this phase the students get jumbled up first, unable to realize the hidden facts beyond their knowledge, but then only they discover ways to explore and innovate something new for them or may be for the world.

So as a teacher and a learner as well, we always keep on connecting what we already  know, extending our knowledge based on the known facts and most importantly keep on asking questions to solve the challenges. This process will enhance the effective teaching and learning process.

Please put comments under this post regarding your believe and thinking regarding “Connect – Extend – Challenge”. IgEn would love to know your view points on this topic, which has a great impact on the learning process.

References:

[1] www.toondoo.com

[2] Visible Thinking, Project Zero, Harvard

[3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRJA7RUu-Wg



“Connect – Extend – Challenge” in Learning and Teaching

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