The Adult Learner, 5th edition
Chapter 10: “Whole-Part-Whole Model”
Kate Mohr’s notes
“The Whole-Part-Whole Learning Model represents a practical methodology for designing learning programs. The model honors general learning theory, the six Core Adult
Learning Principles, and the Subject Matter Differences as presented in the more
holistic andragogy in practice model. The whole-part-whole perspective is useful for
the overall design of learning programs of any length--total courses as well as for short
learning experiences. It is simple enough that it can be used by learners to design their
own learning experiences, by subject matter experts not having a deep understanding
of the learning process who want to develop learning experiences for others, and a
practical tool for experienced education professionals.”
HISTORY
The Whole-Part-Whole Learning Model was developed in 1972 by Malcom Knowles for the training of Johns-Manville Corporation personnel.
MODEL OVERVIEW
“This WPW Learning Model goes beyond the present holistic, behavioristic, whole-part, and part-whole learning models. The WPW Learning Model purports that there is a natural whole-part-whole rhythm to learning.” The basic WPW Learning Model is seen in the figure below.
WHOLE
PART
WHOLE
“introduces new content to
learners by forming in their minds
the organizational framework
required to effectively and
efficiently absorb the forthcoming
concepts into their cognitive
capability”
“the supporting cognitive
capabilities and component
behaviors developed in the
classical behavioristic style of
instruction”; mastery of each part
must be attained before moving on
”the instructor links the individual
parts together once the learner
has successfully achieved the
performance criteria for them”
“The whole-part-whole learning experience provides the learner with the complete understanding of the content at various levels of performance and
even allows for higher order cognitive development to the levels of improvement and invention (Swanson, 1991).”
FIRST “WHOLE”
2 main purposes:
1.
“to provide a mental scaffolding through advance organization and schemata alignment to prepare learners for
the new instruction they will receive”; a foundation, a basis for understanding, a snapshot
2.
“to provide motivation for the participant to want to learn by making the content meaningful and connecting it to
the learner”; a motivational tool
DiVesta found that “previous knowledge and experiences form their own mental structures”...called schemata.
GOAL: The instructor must recognize that each adult learner comes to the learning experience with his/her
unique schemata, or mental structures, of the topic at hand.
TIP: Create schemata alignment in the classroom using videos, literature, pictures, diagrams, or music.
Ch. 10
“Whole-PartWhole Model”
page 2
“The organization of knowledge should be an essential concern of the teacher or educational planner so that the direction from simple to complex is
not from arbitrary, meaningless parts to meaningful wholes, but instead from simplified wholes to more complex wholes (Knowles, 1988).”
Rapport-building
“A unified concept in the classroom between the instructor and each of the students becomes an essential foundation for the instruction that follows [italics added].”
Motivation
Motivation is an important aspect of the WPW model because there is little chance of retention or transfer without learners valuing the new content.
“The potential for change in the motivation of an individual is possible due to the fact that human behavior is goal oriented….Clearly, the opportunity
to motivate the student comes from capitalizing on the learner’s own internal desire for goal attainment and personal achievement….
Learning Objectives
”Motivation is also attained through clearly stated learning objectives at the beginning of instruction.”
being learner-centered
making the process
transparent
“By clarifying the purpose and rationale for instruction as it relates to the
learner, then by detailing the how, what, and why of the instruction
through clear objectives, the learner is fundamentally prepared for the
instruction to follow [bold and italics added].”
SECOND “WHOLE”: “the major component”
“Based on gestalt psychology that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, it is here, in the second whole,
that we contend that complete understanding occurs.”
“The second whole links the individual parts back together to form the complete whole, for it is not only the mastery of each individual part of
instruction that is important but also the relationship between those parts through the second whole that provides the learner with the complete
understanding of the content.”
It is the role of the instructor to help transfer new knowledge for short-term memory to long-term memory employing rehearsal by active learning,
giving learners and active, participative role rather than a passive role.
Learners may practice the entire procedure of learning in order to bring about automaticity, successful, rapid completion of the material without having to think through the parts. It is at this point that the learner may now give “full attention to comprehension and application.” We see
that the learning process does not end with automaticity; wider application of the content can only be achieved after the material has become
automatically remembered and understood.
QUESTION: In what way(s) does the Whole-Part-Whole Model, particularly the concept of the “second whole,” relate to Bloom’s
Taxonomy, if it does at all?
Whole-Part-Whole Learning Example
WHOLE: The instructor gives an initial
snapshot of an ecosystem.
PART: The geography,
rain cycle, and vegetation parts of the
system are analyzed.
WHOLE: The ecosystem in its entirety is examined
as the parts are fused to form the second whole.