Ilpe Method in Today\'s Teaching

ILPE Method

In today's teaching environment, professionals are acutely aware of the fact that students do not arrive in the classroom as blank slates. They bring with them not only previous social and psychological experiences, but also learning experiences. Investigating these is therefore essential for the success of the teaching and learning experience. Investigating learners' previous experience (ILPE) has become a recognized teaching method in an attempt to incorporate the whole person, rather than just one aspect, in the learning process.

Personally, I believe that ILPE is essential in the success of student-centered learning. This method relies on optimizing the learning experience in terms of the newest paradigm of teaching and learning. ILPE not only contextualizes the learning experience for the student, but also helps the teacher to fully utilize the whole student experience in the teaching process. This individualizes the classroom process.

ILPE can also highlight potential learning problems in students. These help teachers to adjust the learning program according to each individual student's need. Such information is very helpful, because learning and other problems can be identified much earlier. Of course, much depends upon the type of information revealed by each investigation. A standard set of questions and tests can reveal crucial elements of a students' lifestyle, home situation and social paradigm in order to optimize his or her learning experience.

This method should also take into account a students' maturity level. More mature students, at late secondary or tertiary level, for example, could also gain learning experience via experiences such as seminars or other learning institutions. These can then be incorporated to further develop the student according to his or her current learning level. Some universities even offer recognition certificates for prior learning in this regard.

The only potential problem of ILPE can be that it is somewhat narrow in its focus only on the student's past. In my own teaching experience, I also like to incorporate the potential, or future, of the student. When I have gathered the past experiences profiles, for example, I ask the students what they expect the learning process to provide for them. I also use the information regarding the past to estimate the future potential of each student, and to investigate ways in which their strengths can be stimulated, while handling their weaknesses in a non-threatening and non-damaging way.

I would therefore suggest that the ILPE method not be used on its own, but rather as part of a student-centered program in the classroom. Current teaching practice dictates using the entire student as human being in the process of teaching and learning. It is therefore important not only to focus on the present and the past, like ILPE does, but also on the future. The student who brings his or her prior experiences into the classroom also brings hopes and dreams. These are what I like to primarily focus on in my classroom.

In comparison to the ILPE method, I therefore strongly believe that a student's previous experiences have a very strong impact on his current learning processes. I therefore feel that this is an important aspect of the teaching process, and must be incorporated. I do not, however, believe that it should be the sole focus, as the learning process involves more than the past. It also involves each student's hopes and dreams, also inevitably part of the arrival in the classroom. Teaching and learning, much more than a process relating only to the past and present, also relates to potential and the future.