REALs Presented by Chad Pittman

REALs is a constructivist model of instructional design that stands for Rich Environments for Active Learning. This instructional model derives directly in response to needs for changes in academic settings to facilitate authentic learning that increases application and generalization, which have been identified as weaknesses of modern educational systems (Grabinger & Dunlap, 1995). From this perspective, REALs identifies rich environments for active learning practices, learning theories, and conducive philosophies. These theories, philosophies, and practices have venerable connections with significant historical figures and act as the foundation of REALs for the renewal of thinking and problem solving in education (1995, p. 12):

Socrates - Environmental Analysis

Dewey - Student Reforms

                    

Rousseau - Direct Experience

Bruner -Discovery

       Foundations of REALs

Constructivist Attributes & Practices

Conceptually, the ideas of 'rich environments' as well as what constitutes 'active learning' can have broad meanings in both academic and conversational capacities, so these concepts require additional connections to theorization and definition to understand meaning and application. To further define REAL's, Grabinger and Dunlap thoroughly develop 5 constructivist attributes to clarify associated theories and philosophies along with connected practices (Grabinger & Dunlap, 1995). Check the links for more in-depth practice descriptions: 

Student Responsibility and Initiative

• Reciprocal Teaching                          

Generative Learning Activities

• Cognitive Apprenticeship 

Authentic Learning Contexts

• Anchored Instruction
• Cognitive Flexibility Theory

Authentic Assessment Strategies

• Learning in Design

Co-operative Support 

• Problem Based Learning

Grabinger & Dunlap, 1997, p. 6

The REALs in Action

The Child-driven Education by Sugata Mirta

This link above is to a video that is too large to embed, it's more than 15 minutes, but really worth watching as it uses each of the constructivist attributes of REALs to facilitate learning with children in communities in India that historically have difficulty finding and retaining teachers. While the scenarios in the video do not meet all of the REALs criteria, like making sure that technology is a supplement or component to instructional design, Mirta's research is certainly within the same constructivist spirit of creating rich environments for active learning (Grabinger & Dunlap, 1995; Mirta, 2010). The tech is set up in such a way that the students work together to solve problems, the assessment of progress and learning contexts are authentic, the activities generate learning, and the facilitation of learning depends on student initiative. As quoted in the video the following statement sums up REALs eloquently:

"If children have interest, then education happens." - Arthur C. Clarke 

References: 

AdLit.org. (2016). Reciprocal Teaching. Retrieved from http://www.adlit.org/strategies/19765/

Bransford, J. (2015). Instructional Design: Anchored instruction. Retrieved from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/anchored-instruction.html

Collins, A., Hollum, A., Brown, J.S. (1991). Cognitive Apprenticeship: Making Thinking Visible. Retrieved from http://www.21learn.org/archive/cognitive-apprenticeship-making-thinking-visible/

Grabinger, R. S., & Dunlap, J. C. (1995). Rich environments for active learning: A definition. Research in learning Technology, 3(2).

Grabinger, S., Dunlap, J. C., & Duffield, J. A. (1997). Rich environments for active learning in action: problem-based learning. Research in Learning Technology, 5(2).

New England Board of Higher Education. (2015). Problem Based Learning Projects. Retrieved 

from http://www.pblprojects.org/

Slide Share. (2016). Traditional vs. Constructivist Classrooms. Retrieved from http://image.slidesharecdn.com/constructivism-120529142541-phpapp02/95/constructivism-22-728.jpg?cb=1338301968

Spiro, R. (2015). Cognitive Flexibility Theory and the Post-Gutenberg Mind: Rand Spiro's Homepage. Retrieved from http://postgutenberg.typepad.com/newgutenbergrevolution/

Mitra, S. (2010). The child-driven education. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education?language=en

The Faculty of Mathematics, Computing & Technology. (2016). MCT Research: Teaching and Learning in Design. Retrieved from http://mct-research.open.ac.uk/research/theme_teachingandlearningindesign