A Reflection on the Process of Education (James Bruner, 1960)

What does Bruner write about the importance of structure in learning and education? Jerome Bruner (1960) identified two ways that learning can serve the future. This includes, the “specific applicability to tasks that are highly similar to those we originally learned to perform” and the “nonspecific transfer or the transfer of principles and attitudes” (Bruner, 1960, p.17). This contributed to the continuous “broadening and deepening of knowledge in terms of basic and general ideas” (Bruner, 1960, p.17). In doing so, the structure provided in learning and education brought about the importance of (a) relevance and appropriateness in the subject matter, (b) purpose and meaning in the acquisition of skills and general understanding, and (c) usefulness in relationships of learning.

How does this relate to the current climate of educational curriculum in Texas? 

Jerome Bruner’s (1960) contribution on the structure in learning and education led to the establishment of organization and structure in the educational curriculum of Texas, specifically in the form of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). This relationship of the past to the present is quite significant because of its contribution towards the identification of current (a) subject matters, units, and modules; (b) teaching strategies and methodologies, (c) learning activities, and (d) standardized assessments. Furthermore, Bruner’s (1960) contribution to the structure in learning and education provided opportunities of social, cultural, and political changes in the teaching and learning climate.

Cite examples from the readings and from your own experiences.

As a Virtual School Coordinator, it is important to align online course development and online instruction with the state standards, scope and sequence, and vertical alignment of learning activities across grade levels, particularly in a K-12 educational setting. Bruner’s (1960) emphasis on structure in learning and education contributed greatly to today’s development and implementation of consistency and standardization not only in a face-to-face classroom, but as well as in an online and a blended learning environment, based on teacher’s knowledge and skills, student learning styles, administration’s leadership and school management, and parent involvement in the school community.

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