Вестник ТГПУ им Л.Н. Толстого №3 2005

№ 3, 2005 ВЕСТНИК ТГПУ им. Л. Н. Толстого framework. It is undoubtedly the case that the surge in demand for education from adults and from other stakeholders parallels that in theWest, and is in need of a similar regulatory response in the interests of transparency and progression routes. Principles UnderlyingNational Frameworks National qualification frameworks are largely dependent on a behaviourist psychological perspective. Behaviourism is a theory of instruction and learning based on key psychological principles. It claims that all learning conforms to observable scientific laws governing associations and patterns of behaviour - particularly stimulus-response bonds. Although behaviourists do not deny that learners think, they choose to ignore mental processes and concentrate purely on observable behaviour in the form of learning outcomes. Behaviourist techniques are most evident in the world of training and in the acquisition of work-based skills where patterns of observable behaviour are used to assess the competence levels required for particular tasks or vocations. These principles are particularly suitable for the development of transparent qualification frameworks. A number of domains or ‘worlds of learning’ were identified by behaviourists in the United States in the 1950s (Bloom 1956). These domains were arranged into hierarchical taxonomies dealing with the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains which reflected the concerns of a neo-liberal individualistic society. Other taxonomies have been proposed which stress the social nature of learning, shown as the Social domain below: Cognitive: concerned with mind and knowledge Affective: concerned with attitudes and emotions Psychomotor: concerned with skills and mind- body co-ordination Social: concerned with interpersonal group processes. Cognitive Affective Psychomotor Social Evaluation Synthesis Generalisation Unconscious mastery Leadership Analysis Value system Conscious control Role commitment Application Valuing Co-ordinated performance Role accommodation Comprehension Response Partial performance Contextualisation Knowledge Attention • Procedural task knowledge Appropriate compliance Sources: Bloom et al, Carlile and Jordan Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes which relate to the domains of learning shown above are observable behaviours exhibited on successful completion of a unit of study. They do not describe the content, nor do they imply complete mastery, of that study. Learning outcomes have a number of functions which are essential in the development of national qualification frameworks. Learning outcomes: ■ set targets by indicating to learner what they must be able to do for successful completion of study before learning takes place ■ assess what learning has taken place on its completion ■ are independent of the methods by which they are achieved ■ facilitate alignment between outcomes, assessment strategies and teaching methods in the interest of student learning