How COVA and CSLE align with your learning philosophy

 

When I think about my learning journey and how it all began, I have to go back to my career as a tutor coordinator at the Student Success Center at Del Mar College. I felt there was something missing and needed to further my knowledge of pedagogical and andragogical approaches to better help students. As the need for online learning grows, I found myself wanting to understand better ways to help adult learners by designing technology support to bridge the gap.

 

The COVA approach (Choice, Ownership, Voice, and Authenticity) and Creating Significant Learning Environment (CSLE) strongly align with my learning philosophy, which centers on learner empowerment and authentic engagement. As I've expressed before, at 56, choosing to continue my education represents taking ownership of my growth journey - "I choose me." This personal experience reinforces my belief that learning must be driven by intrinsic motivation and personal agency. What I've discovered through my education is that I'm also the adult learner. 

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Both approaches honor adult learning principles that I value deeply. Through my work as tutor coordinator at Del Mar College, I've witnessed how nontraditional students thrive when given choice in their learning paths and ownership of their educational journey. CSLE's emphasis on creating environments where learners actively construct knowledge resonates with my belief that education should mirror real-world complexity and passion-driven exploration.

One of my favorite video’s Creating Significant Learning Environments (CSLE) has been a great source of inspiration to me and I how I view planning out educational goals.

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Utilizing the COVA approach gives students control over their learning environment. Through microlearning modules on the VikingGo app students gain autonomy to access information when they need it, fostering significant learning environments that respect their schedules and learning preferences.

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The COVA framework particularly benefits adult learners who already navigate self-directed learning and want responsibility for their educational decisions. Adult online learners require andragogical approaches that honor their experiences and autonomy. As Schultz (2012) notes, adult learners need to understand why they're learning something, bring valuable life experiences to their education, and must own their educational decisions. Majeski et al. (2017) found that such learning tasks develop cognitive self-appraisals and help manage learning-related emotions.

The alignment is particularly evident in how both frameworks view mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures - a growth mindset principle I actively model. They transform education from passive content delivery to active meaning-making, which matches my philosophy that learners should be co-creators of knowledge, not just recipients.

 

Challenges in adopting CSLE+COVA and Learner's Mindset

 

Personal challenges: Initially, releasing control was difficult. Moving from traditional teaching structures to truly student-centered approaches required confronting my own fixed mindsets about what "proper" education looks like. Balancing my natural helper instincts with giving students authentic ownership meant establishing new boundaries.

Organizational challenges at Del Mar College: The most significant barrier has been technology anxiety among nontraditional students. Many arrive excited but fearful, some not even familiar with basic computer operations. This creates a paradox - we want to give them choice and ownership, but they first need foundational digital literacy.

Institutional inertia presents another challenge. Traditional assessment structures and standardized approaches conflict with COVA's emphasis on authentic, personalized learning. Faculty need support transitioning from information delivery to facilitation roles.

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The solution I've proposed - microlearning modules accessible through mobile apps - addresses both challenges by providing scaffolded support that maintains learner autonomy while building confidence. This approach honors COVA principles while meeting students where they are, transforming "problems into solutions."