Dimensions of Learning - DOL

In the late 1980’s, Dr Robert Marzano developed a practical planning framework called Dimensions of Learning, which is about linking thinking and learning, that

• combines the best teaching and learning approaches, strategies and practices
• can improve learning outcomes in all Key Learning Areas

The Dimensions of Learning have continued to be refined and are used in schools globally to develop consistent and productive school wide pedagogies. There are five types of thinking, called the five dimensions of learning, that are essential to successful learning.

When using the Dimensions of Learning planning framework, it is essential for us to have a clear understanding of a number of “musts” we need to adhere to

• our teaching must align with our knowledge of how students learn best
• learning is interactive with a number of thinking types involved; the five dimensions
• we need to explicitly teach attitudes and habits of mind to enable quality learning and teaching
• teaching must include both teacher centred and student centred instruction
• students need to be assessed on how they can use, apply and reason with knowledge, rather than recall information.

When planning units of learning it is important for us to ensure that all of the five dimensions are incorporated

Dimension 1 – Positive Attitudes and Perceptions – relates to helping our students to grow positive attitudes and perceptions about the classroom and learning, thus having “want to” and “can do” outlooks.

Dimension 2 – Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge – relates to guiding our students through a series of steps when learning new knowledge to connect it to what they already know; leading to them being able to perform the process or skill easily and effectively.

Dimension 3 – Extending and Refining Knowledge – relates to extending and refining their knowledge by making new connections, clarifying misconceptions and arriving at conclusions by applying reasoning processes and analysis perspectives.

Dimension 4 – Using Knowledge Meaningfully – relates to providing opportunities for our students to use the knowledge meaningfully through decision making, problem solving, invention, investigation, experimental inquiry and system analysis.

Dimension 5 – Productive Habits of the Mind – relates to our students being enabled to think creatively, ethically, responsibly, accurately and be in control of their behaviours; linking, thinking and learning.

While the Dimensions of Learning represent individual parts of the overall learning process, they complement each other to ensure an enhanced quality of teaching and learning.

If offers us as teachers a strategic way of:

- thinking about the complex process of learning

- gaining insights into how the processes interact as we help our learners reach expected outcomes

The Dimensions of Learning framework helps us as teachers to:

- maintain a focus on learning

- study the learning process

- plan curriculum, instruction and assessment scaffolded by the five dimensions

At a whole school level, they are an effective way of deprivatising the classroom and reducing the variation in learning and teaching between classrooms

Investigating DOL’s will benefit teaching and learning in all schools who adopt them. For detailed information access the website www.mcrel.org

“Between thinking and seeing there’s a place called knowing” Caroyln Myss