Action Oriented Approach
Universidad Latina
Greddy Deliyore Rodríguez
Mariam Martínez Traña
Marcia Bello
Professor: Robert Torres Barrantes
Course: Didactics
04/03/2023
In order to learn English in the classrooms professors must opt for techniques that
make students learn in an easy way. Also, those techniques make professors can develop
their techniques for teaching and improving them. It is important to define those
techniques. Action Oriented Approach is one technique that professors use for teaching
English.
It is important to define this technique. Also, it is important to identify how it is
used in classrooms, and where it comes from. In addition, it is important to define the
advantages and disadvantages of this technique and how it helps students and professors.
ACTION-ORIENTED APPROACH
The action-oriented approach is rooted in a constructivist paradigm and takes task-
based learning to a level where the class and the outside world are integrated in genuine
communicative practices. In addition, the approach emphasizes learner agency.
The action-oriented approach promotes the organization of learning through
realistic, unifying scenarios, which span several lessons and lead up to a final collaborative
task/project.
Action-oriented scenarios are usually developed through steps which involve
communicative activities of reception, production, interaction, and the mediation of
concepts and/or communication, inspired by CEFR descriptors. The final phase of the
scenario is the collaborative production of an artefact or performance. Learners decide how
to accomplish the task/project; teachers provide language input, resources, and support to
class, group or individuals as required.
There is a focus on autonomy and authenticity of materials, topics, and practices.
Learners may use sources in various languages and work in a plurilingual way. Self-
assessment of results with selected descriptors is quite common.
Action Oriented Approach
The Action approach of Learning Action learning was pioneered by Professor Reg
Revans, who utilized the problem-solving strategy in coal mines and laboratories in the
1940s. Based on the positive application in these settings, he expanded its use to
management development and now AL is used widely across many professional spheres. It
is frequently used as an organizational development tool, often to determine the impact of
operational plans and bring about organizational change.
The central idea behind AL is learning by doing. Revans believed that people who
are experiencing significant problems together, or what he called ‘comrades in adversity’,
can work collaboratively over a period of time to help solve the problem.
Ideally, people engaged in AL are working collaboratively in an unfamiliar space,
with, unfamiliar problems and maybe, even, with unfamiliar peers. This unaccustomed
environment makes ‘fresh’ thinking possible where people cannot rely on perceptions,
judgments, assumptions and traditional ways of solving problems (Adams 2010).
The action-based approach takes into account the cognitive, emotional, and
volitional resources, and the full range of abilities specific to and applied by the individual
as a social agent. (It includes all 4 dimensions especially social where there's not always a
language-related context).
In the task-based method, tasks are focused on learning while in the action-oriented
approach; tasks are focused on social life. Puren said, "The action-oriented approach is
opposite to that of the communicative approach, and so complement each other”. (2014, p.
4). He makes this contradictory situation clear by visualizing it via a puzzle.
The Action Learning Process Detailed
Revans believed that people learned best from each other in a collaborative group
environment where they could problem-solve in a creative, supportive environment. He
called this group an ‘action learning set’ (IFALOfficial 2012).
Finding Solutions Involves Asking the Right Questions
As you learned in the previous section Revans (cited in IFALOfficial 2012)
identifies two key aspects for those participating in the AL process:
To ask probing questions to clarify the exact nature of the problem;
To seek new knowledge around the issue independently (i.e. through interviews,
books, articles, and videos).
To ensure a strong line of questioning, some of the following suggestions have been
made:
Questions should not just look for solutions, but for a deeper
understanding of the issue(s);
Questions should make people think and reflect;
‘fresh’ questions should be encouraged, particularly those without
assumptions and outside of traditional thinking. (IFALOfficial 2012)
Resources to help with the art of questioning
Adams (2010) explains the power and purpose of asking questions, stating, ‘while
every human being asks questions, it takes skill and intention to use them strategically and
effectively’.
Components of Action-Oriented Approach:
The action-oriented approach has cultural, factional, linguistic, pragmatics, and
sociolinguistic components. With these components, there is also the social actors who
perform the tasks together, an the social environment (class) in which these social actors
are performed their tasks. In 2010, Pecheur showed the Action-oriented approach as
follows.
This triple relationship of the scheme is as follows
1. Pass from man as an actor reacting to an acting actor
2.2. The interaction between the user and the environment is thought of as a task to be
accomplished. Grammar is considered secondary to the task at hand;
3. This scheme applies to both the user and the learner. Indeed, the learner is a user who
performs tasks using the language and the language class is considered the first social
environment or the first situational context in which the learner will have tasks to perform,
such as tasks between learner-teachers and, between learners themselves. (as cited in
Alrabadi, 2012).
The action-oriented approach is a methodology used in organizational development
and management that focuses on achieving specific goals through action and
implementation. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of this approach:
Advantages:
Results-oriented: The action-oriented approach is highly results-driven. It
emphasizes achieving specific goals and objectives, which can be motivating for
employees and teams.
Efficient: This approach is often highly efficient because it focuses on action and
implementation. Rather than spending a lot of time planning and strategizing, it
emphasizes getting things done quickly and efficiently.
Adaptability: The action-oriented approach is highly adaptable. If a strategy or
approach is not working, it can be quickly modified or abandoned in favor of a more
effective approach.
Encourages experimentation: This approach encourages experimentation and
taking risks, which can lead to innovative solutions and new ideas.
Disadvantages:
Lack of planning: The action-oriented approach can sometimes lead to a lack of
planning and foresight. If actions are taken without adequate planning, it can lead to
wasted resources and inefficiencies.
Short-term focus: The action-oriented approach is often focused on short-term
results. This can lead to a lack of consideration for long-term goals and
sustainability.
Haphazard decision-making: When action is the primary focus, there is a risk of
making haphazard decisions without fully considering the consequences.
Resistance to change: Some employees may resist the action-oriented approach if
they feel it is too chaotic or lacks structure. This can lead to a lack of buy-in and
decreased motivation.
Overall, the action-oriented approach can be effective when used in the right
circumstances, but it is not without its drawbacks. Careful consideration of the potential
advantages and disadvantages should be taken before implementing this approach in an
organization.
