Voices in Dialogue :: Book Review - On Teaching and Learning...

Jane Vella has done it again! She clearly articulates the principles and practices of Dialogue Education and demonstrates applicability across many formats. On Teaching and Learning extends the dialogue begun in Learning to Listen, Learning to Teach into the international and on-line education arenas. A key theme running through this book is – action! Her call to action is a passionate and unapologetic plea to design learning events with this goal in mind: “The purpose or end of Dialogue Education is learning; the end of learning is personal and social transformation toward peace.” The power of this work is the bridge it builds between hearing a call for action and taking that action. This engaging and relevant book demonstrates the use of the principles of Dialogue Education in both face-to-face and on-line learning formats.

The book is clear and well-structured, organized around the core content and process questions that confront anyone interested in designing effective face-to-face or on-line learning.

Structure: How do I structure for both rigor and spontaneity?

Social: How do I create a safe and learning-centered community of which I am a meaningful member?

Surety about outcomes: How will I know they know?

Soundness: What are the guiding principles of a sound design?

Synthesis: What can I learn from how others have put all the principles and practices into action?

The 7-Step Design and Learning Cycle structure are deceptive in their simplicity. In Jane Vella’s hands they emerge as elegant and strong frameworks for constructing powerful learning events. The concept of "learner voice" is expanded to include "facilitators as learners", too. Individual and group roles are addressed in terms of building toward learning exchange. The sound principles of Dialogue Education are called into action around examples which in practice shatter the status quo of “Too much teaching and not enough learning.” And once again Jane advocates that we learn from one another and stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. Examples from diverse disciplines and learning formats provide a lens into the depth and breadth available to dialogue educators.

As an educator I know through twenty years of practice that the principles of Dialogue Education work. As a researcher I know the theory of what makes good teaching and learning mirrors these principles. I continue to learn from Jane Vella’s work because I feel as if I am a valued and active participant in constructing my own new knowledge. This book is packed with dynamic examples and clear guidelines for learning design possibilities. However, I don’t see it as a “How to” book. In my opinion, On Teaching and Learning asks “What if…”. What if not one more student has to experience the humiliation of being peppered with questions for which the teacher already knows the answer? What if courses were always designed around “who needs what as defined by whom?” What if “safety” and “rigor” were considered parts of a whole? What if courses were designed for learning rather than teaching? What if instructors knew how they would know learners know? What if learning transformed our experiences as teachers and learners, and led toward peace? What if . . . ?

Read this book and find out for yourself.

Marianne Reiff, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at Lesley University, School of Education.

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