Teaching and learning: Tales from the ampersand

Abstract

Focusing on the relationship between teaching and learning and being skeptical about claims often made about the 'learning' potential of new technologies, this paper explores the use of The Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) Taxonomy and the way it is used to address the needs of diverse students in technologically mediated environments. SOLO is a model of learning that makes learning outcomes visible to all regardless of age, gender, culture or socio-economic background. When used within the Differential Curriculum Model of New Zealand it is able to provide diverse students with an explicit common language for learning outcomes, for self-assessment and peer-assessment. Students learn to synthesise and integrate information; identify learning experiences and learning interventions aligned to their intended learning outcomes; choose relevant technology-mediated environments in which to learn; and build knowledge to create new understandings. In this way diverse students become versatile learners with ownership and control of their learning outcomes, ready to live well with others in whatever contexts their futures might offer.