Learning is a vital process for both children and adults as it helps them acquire the necessary skills to enable them to achieve their set goals. The process assists individuals in enhancing their knowledge and gaining the essential skills required in attaining specific goals. Learning, acquiring skills or knowledge through experience, study, or being taught, is crucial for every individual because it results in change, which may happen at attitude, knowledge, insight, interests, skills, and behaviour. As a result, the learning process should be practical and beneficial to the learners. The learning setting and the frequencies of learners' diversity are vital determinants of the effectiveness of this process. Consequently, the paper will focus on enhancing the learning process for adults and children in studying a second language. To achieve this purpose, the paper will review three articles that have significantly contributed to improving the learning processes and settings. The report will also discuss various modifications that can help to meet the needs of diverse learners better.
The Learning Setting
In the recent past, there have been significant technological advancements globally. Due to the introduction of online learning, the improvements in question have impacted the learning process in many ways. For instance, unlike the traditional learning environment where the student was required to attend class physically, online learning requires the learner to read course module notes, read email postings and messages to the discussion area, read the course outline and review the calendar information. Also, learning online gives the learner control of beginning and ending the instructional time, the learning speed, and other learning process aspects except for the content in the Learning Management System placed by the course designer or the teacher (Boland, 2017). With the learning environment in question, the learner can do extensive research on specific topics through the internet, and participate in discussions activities, such as reading, responding, and posting to a chat room or discussion area. Therefore, this learning model allows the students to collaborate.
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Unquestionably, the primary objective of eLearning is to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The online learning process helps enhance time flexibility and user accessibility to engage second language learners in the learning process. Due to these factors, the method improves the quality of teaching and learning and meets the students' learning needs (Neimann & Wang, 2020). Although there are various purposes and types of online learning environments, characteristics for web-based learning have general characteristics. For instance, online education has asynchronous communication, which takes the messaging system form rather than live communication. Text messaging, blogging, discussion boards, and email messages are examples of asynchronous communication tools.
Anonymity is another significant characteristic of the learning process in question. Apart from the names, the personal information of both the learners and their instructors can be easily kept private. However, the degree of this anonymity depends on the course they are learning and its material's nature. Additionally, this learning process has a place and time flexibility since the learners are not required to be in a particular location or be online at any given time (Neimann & Wang, 2020). Independent learning is another characteristic of the online learning process. The instructors might not be available at all times, thus requiring the learner to locate information independently.
Diversity and Learners
Due to the place flexibility of the online learning process, it is easier for learners to participate globally. Besides, second language learning, such as English, has been on the rise recently, thus attracting many participants. As a result, this learning setting has significantly encouraged diversity, the range of identities existing in a group of individuals, in education. Diversity in online learning represents a vast range of initiates and ideas to create safe learning environments that are equitable and inclusive for numerous identities. Consequently, the learners are exposed to many cultural and social groups, thus preparing them to be better citizens in society. For instance, while teaching ways of improving the learning process for children and or adults in studying a second language, diversity is evident in the learning setting. This diversity includes social-economic status such as culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and religion (Bozkurt et al., 2021). Ability is another diversity feature in such an environment due to the age group difference. Additionally, language and exceptionalities are also likely diversities in such a learning setting. Therefore, the online learning process has played a vital role in promoting diversity in education.
Review of the Research
The article, " Children and Adults in Second-Language Learning ," defines learning as a process individuals study to obtain skills or knowledge. Therefore, learning a second language involves internalizing and making sense of it after establishing the first language. According to the article, an individual learns the second language after absorbing and speaking the first one. The absorbed knowledge influences the learner to learn the second language, making it relatively difficult to understand. The article findings indicate that children are better second language learners than adults (Suryantari, 2018). The argument was supported by an observation that shows children learn the second language quickly due to their high exposure without learning.
The article further states that second-language learning involves three factors: the psychological category that concerns intellectual processing, induction, and explication, and motor and memory skills. Social situation, which consists of the classroom situation and natural situation, is the second factor. The third factor consists of EFL or ESL community context, attitude, and motivation. Although the article concludes that children are better second language learners than adults, it is difficult to determine (Suryantari, 2018). The significance of these findings in this paper is identifying that early age is a vital factor to consider while improving the second language learning process. When learning occurs in a classroom setting, older children do better than adults while young adults do better than young children.
The second article, " Using Constructivist Teaching Strategies to Enhance Academic Outcomes of Students with Special Needs ," suggests that there is no teaching strategy that meets the needs of all learners. However, it is optimistic that the new Every Student Succeeds Act will have better results for vulnerable learners. It is more flexible on how individual states carry out teachers' and students' evaluations. The Act offers better testing flexibility and ensures the adaptation of the curriculum to the learner's needs. Due to this flexibility, the student's preparation time and energy for statewide exams will be reduced.
Additionally, the article suggests that constructivist teaching philosophy is better as it accepts learners' autonomy (Akpan & Beard, 2016). As a result, the learner's thinking drives the lessons, valuing puzzlement, inquiry, and dialogue. Consequently, the philosophy in question can solve all learner's needs since it assists the tutors in drawing on new ideas when making decisions about the most appropriate teaching techniques for all students. These findings indicate that learners' flexibility is vital in improving the learning process for children and or adults in studying a second language. Besides, constructivist teaching philosophy is also essential in enhancing the second language learning processes.
The article " Second Language Acquisition, The Effect of Age and Motivation " focuses on second language acquisition competence by investigating how individuals of different age groups acquire their second language. Subsequently, the article explores the age factor for second language learners with a desire to identify if there is adequate evidence to support the belief that starting a second language at an early age makes a difference in achieving better language competence (Ritgerð & Stefánsson, 2013). Additionally, the article analyzes research on motivation in relation to the learning environment to find out if it helps the learners achieve the necessary second language competence.
The results indicate that starting young to learn a second language partially helps in second language learning. Notably, other factors, such as motivation and language exposure, significantly impact second language acquisition achievement. Adequate language exposure is essential for learners to learn the second language (Ritgerð & Stefánsson, 2013). Unquestionably, these findings are necessary for this paper since it seeks to identify ways of improving the learning process for children and or adults in studying a second language. Consequently, according to these findings, enough exposure of the second language to the learners is one of the interventions that can help make the improvements in question. Motivation is also a crucial intervention in improving the second language learning process. Arguably, these two factors, exposure, and motivation play a vital role than the age factor.
Theoretical Approach to Learning
Students have different ways of learning, and it is not easy to find other students with similar learning strategies. Individuals' brains are unique; therefore, different ways of acquiring education depend on individuals' experiences. Therefore, teachers and educators can use learning theories to enhance students' better learning environment. Similarly, improving children's and adults' second language learning process requires the application of learning theories. They include Cognitive learning theory, behavioral learning theory, constructivism learning theory, human learning theory, and connectivism learning theory.
The cognitive theory analyzes people's way of thinking and their mental processes. Internal and external thoughts can influence learners' understanding. When students understand the impact their thinking has on learning, they can easily control their thoughts (Davidson & Davidson, 2003). As a result, understanding student's thought process helps them improve their knowledge. As an educator, it is essential to give students opportunities to think aloud, do tests and fail, and ask questions. Consequently, students understand their thinking capacity better, which can influence them in constructing better learning opportunities.
Behaviorism learning theory tends to focus on how students behave concerning the interaction with their surroundings. It suggests that external forces influence a person's behavior more than internal forces (Nebel, 2018). The teacher can help students learn concepts better by utilizing positive reinforcement rather than focusing on their internal thinking capacity during learning lessons. Positive reinforcement is a product of behavioral learning theory, enabling students to retain information forward.
Constructivism learning theory suggests that students' past experiences form the creative basis for their current learning strategies. Students create a unique reality by adding their previous knowledge to their new teachings (Akpan & Beard, 2016). According to this theory, learning is an active process that is individual and personal for each student. Educators utilize constructivism to guide and help understand their students' past in the classroom every day. Students create their learning processes based on past experiences and use them to improve their current learning skills.
Humanism learning theory is commonly focused on the self-actualization idea. People realize that they are the best in every activity. People need to meet all their requirements since they are the best (McFarland, 2017). Teachers should create a self-actualization classroom environment closer to meeting learners' needs. They can provide plenty of food, learning materials, and a safe, comfortable learning area, satisfying their physical and emotional needs. As a result, it is the most conducive environment for students' learning.
Connectivism learning theory focuses on the perception that through connections, people learn and grow together. It can either be connected with the obligation in their lives, roles, or a connection to each other (Harasim, 2017). Connections that influence learning can be people, hobbies, or goals. By helping students connect with things that excite them, teachers can help them learn. Digital media is a source of excitement to students, making a better positive learning connection platform. Additionally, they can create relationships with their peers in groups to better their learning motivations by building connections online.
Three Modifications Proposed to Improve and Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners
Shorten Tests and Assignments
In the case of a multiple-choice question, a teacher can eliminate one or two choices. Additionally, a teacher can shorten the number of groupings for matching queries (Nebel, 2018). Furthermore, students who struggle with writing are given oral essay questions or short answers options to questions at the lower level of knowledge. A teacher can regularly post online tests for learners to answer in groups. Others read the correct answer and master how to phrase their responses, especially to Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and 504 students. However, the bright and quick-learner students are exposed to biases since they are subjected to more complex questions. On the other hand, slow learners may consume a lot of time before grasping a particularly complicated concept. As a result, there would be no uniformity in competition and the learning process (Nebel, 2018).
Minimizing the number of multiple-choice answers is expected to give the learner a hint of the most appropriate solution to the question. Getting the correct answer motivates a student to try more questions and even more complex questions of the same type. Furthermore, as students deal with questions of low knowledge level, they gradually develop skills to handle difficult questions.
Expose Students to Contents
Students are exposed to content that is beyond their capacity to grasp. Although learners may not get certain concepts, exposing them to the basics improves their memory and learning new concepts (Davidson & Davidson, 2003). Nevertheless, biases may be experienced since not all students can grasp the idea at the same time. Consistently, educators may move on to the following concepts, with some students not understanding the previous topics. Encountering a prerequisite subject becomes a burden to students who had earlier challenges regarding the same ideas. It is expected that the more a student gets familiar with the concepts, the more they develop skills that are required in the next level of learning. As a result, the student changes attitude towards the subject and the concepts as well. Eventually, they can grasp the concepts and handle the complex questions related to them.
Open Communication
All educators can have open communication regarding a particular student in their different class settings. Students may have a more friendly educator they can work with and make it in all lessons (Davidson & Davidson, 2003). Therefore, such a teacher has ample knowledge of the most appropriate teaching strategies for that particular student. However, biases may come up if the student prevalence for one educator improves their performance. Other students may be willing to be in the same situation, but the teachers are unwilling to make it the school culture for all students to choose teachers in various subjects.
Additionally, an educator may be doing well with a student in one subject, but the performance is inconsistent with other topics (Davidson & Davidson, 2003). The expectation is that what works for the student in a particular class with a specific educator could be the stepping stone for their success in another class setting. Given the same educator in all subjects, emulating the strategies used in a successful class setting will also make learning in the other class.
Explicitly (and appropriately) Linked to a Theory of Learning
Content differentiation includes skills, concepts, and knowledge required by students for learning according to the curriculum. Various delivery formats such as audio, lectures, readings, and videos incorporate differentiating contents (Nelson & Rose, 2014). Students may get chances to choose their content based on interest and area of focus. Furthermore, educators can determine the process of how content makes sense to the students. They are given time to digest and reflect on the learning activities before moving on to the next session.
Furthermore, teachers commonly use product differentiation to give students choices to pick from formats, and students provide proposals for their designs (Nelson & Rose, 2014). Products have different complexities aligning different students for respectful levels. Clear academic criteria are the key to product options for students' understanding.
Research-Supported or Validated
A history student is constantly exposed to life skills and civics topics regarding students' exposure to content. The student must have fundamental aspects of the Holocaust or the United States of America history to pass in the unit successfully (Akpan & Beard, 2016). Exposure to all units makes them recognize their existence and have their basic knowledge.
Furthermore, in shorter tests assignments, A teacher uses less than ten words initially required to match words with their definitions (Akpan & Beard, 2016). The teacher draws a line or any other better formula. Then highlights the illustrations and words in two different colors for students' easier identification of the matching answers.
Moreover, open communication works best for students who require particular educator and learning environments (Akpan & Beard, 2016). Educators make an open communication regarding a specific student; they choose a teacher with whom they closely work together and assign more subjects for teaching. An improvement noted in the issue is a clear indication of successful open communication.
How Modification Could be Incorporated into the Learning Process
Open communication can be incorporated into the learning process during the interaction between teachers and students (McFarland, 2017). Students are encouraged to ask questions which may be beneficial to other students as they receive the answers from the educators through online platforms. The students are also encouraged to comment on remarks made by other students. The learners can ask and respond to the questions anytime since online learning is open and accessible all the time.
Shorten tests assignment and exposure to contents can be incorporated with the learning process due to the benefits accrued with regular testing hence repeated exposure to contents. The instructors emulate the tendency to ask the right question at the right time in the proper format equivalent to the personalized capacity for the test (McFarland, 2017). As a result, students are exposed to information, acquiring knowledge and skills required in the study area. Additionally, studied understanding requires regular retrieval for long-term retention. Consequently, the tests help learners preserve learned knowledge for long-term recovery.
References
Akpan, J. P., & Beard, L. A. (2016). Using constructivist teaching strategies to enhance academic outcomes of students with special needs. Universal Journal of Educational Research , 4 (2), 392-398. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2016.040211
Boland, L. A. (2017). Building models of learning and the equilibrium process. Oxford Scholarship Online . https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190274320.003.0016
Bozkurt, A., Yazıcı, M., & Aydın, İ. E. (2021). Cultural diversity and its implications in online networked learning spaces. Research Anthology on Developing Effective Online Learning Courses , 1823-1849. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-8047-9.ch091
Davidson, J., & Davidson, Frances. (2003). Bandura's social cognitive theory: An introduction . San Luis Obispo, CA: Davidson Films. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyBaFRoW35U
Harasim, L. (2017). Connectivism as an online learning theory. Learning Theory and Online Technologies , 80–104. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315716831-6
McFarland, H. S. N. (2017). Human learning: Intelligence, remembering and motivation. Psychological Theory and Educational Practice , 165–189. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315226521-7
Nebel, C. (2018). The learning scientists blog. The Learning Scientists. https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2017/8/10-1
Neimann, T., & Wang, V. (2020). Deep learning and online education as an informal learning process. Deep Learning and Neural Networks , 1323-1343. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-0414-7.ch074
Nelson, L., & Rose, D. (2014). Design and deliver: Planning and teaching using universal design for learning. Baltimore, Maryland: Paul H. Brookes Publishing. Available through the UM Library. http://archive.brookespublishing.com/documents/nelson-design-and-deliver.pdf
Ritgerð, T., & Stefánsson, E. G. (2013). Second Language Acquisition: The Effect of Age and Motivation. Heim | Skemman. https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/15018/1/BA%20Ein
Suryantari, H. (2018). Children and adults in second-language learning. Tell : Teaching of English Language and Literature Journal , 6 (1), 30. https://doi.org/10.30651/tell.v6i1.2081
