Mastery Learning in a 21st Century Classroom

Blog 4: Mastery Learning in a 21^st Century Classroom

            Wouldn’t it be nice if every student got at least an 80%?  What if you were given the time you needed to fully understand a topic before moving on to another?  Would you feel safe being operated on by a doctor who passed all their courses with a 51%?  Probably not!

The title of this course is “Foundations of Curriculum and Assessment” and our text “Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment”.  Much of our course has been spent showing us ways to create a 21^st century classroom that incorporates the benefits of a traditional classroom model while overcoming its limitations.  Traditional classrooms often rely on standardized tests as a measure of whether or not students are succeeding academically.  A shortcoming with this model is that for those students who have not fully grasped the material, as illustrated by failing a test, there is no opportunity for them to go back and learn where they went wrong.  This is especially important for classrooms where the following lessons often build off of the knowledge of the previous ones.  Unfortunately, students who fall behind because it takes them longer to learn fall through the cracks and give up, writing themselves off as stupid. 

            As 21^st century teachers, we know that everyone learns at different paces.  It is not as if some people are incapable of learning material, it just takes some longer than others.  In their study, “Master Learning and Assessment: Implications for Students and Teachers in an Era of High-stakes Testing”, Zimmerman and Dibenedetto propose the use of the Mastery Learning model.  This model is based on the idea that everyone can learn if given sufficient time.  In the Mastery Learning model, assessment is more frequent than in the traditional model.  Students are assessed and those who achieve above 80% move on to supplementary material while those who achieved less than 80% are given extra support by the teacher, alternative readings, and additional learning tools.  After a time, these students are re-evaluated and those achieving greater than 80% move on.  Within reason, the students who still need additional time and support are given this before moving on.

            When we began discussing solving complex real-world problems in the 21^st century classroom as an alternative to the traditional model, this article which I had read previously came to mind.  Both of these models require more frequent assessment and greater effort by the teacher.  The Mastery Learning model also requires a backwards design by the teacher who must know the mandatory curriculum well in advance to ensure that it is met while also allotting the time necessary for all students to grasp these points before moving on to more specific curriculum.  Technology plays a large part in a 21^st century classroom.  This can also be incorporated into the Mastery Learning model by making use of additional resources available online for students who have not yet mastered the material.  For those that have, making good use of other technologies such as smart boards for their supplementary material can increase student motivation and engagement.  This model solves another issue created by the traditional model where students only achieve lower levels of learning or memorization to pass tests.  With the Mastery Learning model, students are more engaged because the emphasis is shifted from achievement to genuine learning which will promote intrinsic motivation and higher learning. 

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