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Diane Gusa

The Application of Learning Style Theory in Higher Education Teaching - 0 views

  • A learning style is: "A complexus of related characteristics in which the whole is greater than its parts. Learning style is a gestalt combining internal and external operations derived from the individual's neurobiology, personality and development, and reflected in learner behaviour" (Keefe & Ferrell 1990, p. 16).
  • general tendency towards a particular learning approach displayed by an individual.
  • Riding & Cheema (1991), from an extensive review of the literature, conclude there are only two principal styles "families", the holist-analytic, and the verbaliser-imager. These two broad groupings relate to the type of cognitive activities normally ascribed to the two hemispheres of the brain. Curry (1983) suggests there are three different perspectives on styles: those relating to a preference for a particular instructional approach, those relating to the individual's intellectual approach to assimilating information independently of the environment, and those relating to the individual's intellectual approach to assimilating information with the environment.
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  • Dunn, Deckinger, Withers & Katzenstein (1990), who found that teaching students based on their diagnosed learning style did significantly increase their achievement level (see also Napolitano 1986).
  • Research indicates learning style is not a stable construct, so one may alter instructional style to meet a learning style that will itself change, requiring a further change in instructional strategy.
  • Researchers have failed to address the question of how it is possible to achieve a tailoring of instructional approaches on anything other than an individual level.
  • What may be possible is to promote an educational environment developed for flexibility at the individual student level.
  • What is required is a stimulus-stimulus approach, where the student and the lecturer are actively involved in both learning and the mechanics of the learning process, the aim being to facilitate learner empowerment by developing in students a critical awareness of material studied and the delivery and structure of the material. Learners can then tailor flexible education strategies to their requirements to optimise the quality of the learning experience.
  • his ability of an individual to actively select from a personal style or skills portfolio, is part of what can be termed self-directed learning
  • In an educational setting, a self-directed learner no longer operates as a passive receiver of information, but takes responsibility for the achievement, and ultimately setting, of learning outcomes. In essence, the traditional lecturer-student divide becomes increasingly blurred, as the learner begins to pro-actively structure the programme to match their own learning attributes.
  • facilitator, and finally to that of a resource to be tapped
  • lecturer's role
  • Under such an approach, higher education ceases to be simply something that is done to people, and becomes a platform from which individuals can go on to, in effect, educate themselves
  • "causer of learning".
  • This approach will tend to create learned helplessness in people
  • Higher education should be concerned with not only enhancing learning in a specific situation, but should also constitute a catalyst for further self-initiated development of the individual, above and beyond the contents and aims of a particular course. T
  • The lecturer must avoid removing traditional barriers to self-direction, such as a rigid programme structure, only to erect new barriers through the use of prescriptive self-direction strategies imposed on the student.
  • allow the individual the freedom to define and devise learning strategies, and to make mistakes. T
  • The role of the lecturer must be essentially non-interventionist, unless the student seeks guidance
  • as people may still not choose to direct their own learning due to: a lack of belief in their own ability, a failure by them to recognise that self-direction is needed or preferable, the setting of an inappropriate learning goal(s) that fails to act as a motivator, and previous learning and education experiences.
  • That educational system primarily tends to concentrate on didactic approaches that often view learning as being of secondary importance to memory, where information acquisition and subsequent information regurgitation predominate.
  • This will require that the lecturer breaks down barriers to learning and self-direction that may be present. This covers: those barriers created by the student during the course (wrong choice of learning approach, poor motivation, lack of confidence), those barriers that the course itself may indirectly create (lack of flexibility, lack of direction and guidance, poor structure), and those barriers that the student brings to the course (reason for attending the course, poor learning skills, previous bad learning experiences).
  • In the initial stages of a programme, the lecturer will need to ensure the existence of an appropriate control structure, as students undergo the transition from being other-directed in their learning by external influences, to being self-directed.
  • caffold structure
  • clearly communicated and understood aims and objectives for the students at regular intervals.
  • allows students to progressively take control of their learning,
  • but that also offers sufficient guidance and direction in the early stages to prevent individuals from becoming lost.
  • The application of learning style theory in higher education teaching
    • Diane Gusa
       
      This would take a very brave instructor to do this. However, I know of colleges (Goddard for one) that does exactly this in their graduate program.
Irene Watts-Politza

Disconnect: Common Core, Content, and Context | 21st Century Collaborative - 0 views

  • Maybe it is because standardization in some ways is demeaning to educators. They should be the designers of learning and orchestrators of creative curriculum implementation and student ownership of learning.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      When faculty develop their own courses it promotes autonomy and independence. The disconnect between SLOs and course development has already been discovered b at least one coursemate (Joan).
  • Testing data should be used by students themselves to improve learning choices and reflect upon the learning experience.
  • In my mind the problem with State and National tests is they support a belief that we can create a standardization of the learning process. Standardization of learning is what I am against. The belief that somehow it is possible to standardize thinking, knowledge construction, aha moments, innovation, learning, creativity, and even teachers themselves.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      Many of these educational aspects fall within the development domain of online teching and learning.
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  • Teachers become part of the learning process. They bring the expertise in the art of learning, metacognition, research, and pedagogy. Their role should be to model best practice, to coach, facilitate, organize, ask good questions, negotiate learning contracts and to provide a safe, intriguing environment for learning.
  • If projects were crowdsourced out to student/teacher networks, other classes could join in and build and learn together.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      Wow! Is this what is known as scalability?
  • The teacher could operate in the role of curator and bring in important content and resources he/she felt added to the understanding and expertise of the student designers. Technology would have an important role to play, but quietly in the background supporting the learning.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      It seems there is growing consensus that technology is learner-selected in order to support content learning. Use of technology for the sake of use of technology is not valuable.
alexandra m. pickett

ETAP640 Summer 2011 Blog - 2 views

  • So far I am enjoying the experience
  • What are the most effective instructional technology tools available to me to help me meet my instructional objectives?
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      brilliant!
  • challenge!
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      self assess!
    • Kimberly Barss
       
      check!
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  • I have been much more aware of the idea that today’s younger generations (those who are 30 and younger) are much more technologically savvy. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      I want to challange you, just like i challanged Ian (who is currently smitten with Prensky : ) to challenge the notion of natives vs. immigrants. Read this (http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2011/05/natives-are-revolting.html), find other articles (and there are many) that unpack the problems with this notion, and come back and tell us all about it.
  • I have been spending quite a bit of time and energy learning the Moodle system,
    • Donna Angley
       
      I think I spent the entire weekend last week playing around in Moodle, learning how things worked, and trying to set up my basic module outline. Once I got the hang of it, I kinda like it. I find with technology that it just takes time and patience (not my forte) to really grasp it. I don't think computer skills of any kind can be learned from a book alone; it needs to be hands on learning.
    • Kimberly Barss
       
      I completely agree! I am a very hands on and visual person, I need to INTERACT with the material in real life or else it's just text on a page.
  • It is ENGAGING
    • Donna Angley
       
      Very. I found myself not wanting to step away from the computer, even to eat. Eventually, I got hungry enough and forced a break.
    • Kimberly Barss
       
      Yes! The faculty on the SLN website even said that online teaching is an addiction!
  • Blackboard
    • Donna Angley
       
      The two other online courses that I took were both on Blackboard. I've never actually taken a course in Moodle. I have no idea what my course will look like when I'm done, but I'm very curious.
  • I’m really starting to get the hang of the expectations for posts
    • Donna Angley
       
      Took me a while as well, but now I feel more comfortable with my posts. I wasn't doing enough research. Once I started doing that, I felt like I was contributing something to the whole class.
    • Diane Gusa
       
      I had the same thought. I only hope that the computer lab is open during my class time.
    • Donna Angley
       
      Your sticky notes are usually "floating" so I never know what you're commenting on. Can you make them stationery?
    • Diane Gusa
       
      I wonder the same thing...this applies to several blogs ago. I guess we need to add a date or title.
  • This course has been the most difficult course that I have ever taken
  • I was teetering between dropping the class
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      i am really glad you did NOT drop the course!!! : ) me
  • punishment
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      : ) seriously teacher-centric...
  • I am still under the impression that the interactions required of us in the discussion space are too numerous. 
  • I LOVE LOVE LOVED that Bill Pelz commented on our posts!  I felt like a celebrity walked into the room and his comments could be equated to getting an autograph. 
  • I have learned a lot this module, especially: NEVER give up (this has been especially resonant with me) Passion for teaching and learning go hand in hand, and are a must-have for online educators The best training tool for an online teacher is to be an online learner BE ORGANIZED MANAGE YOUR TIME Support your students and your faculty (whatever your role is) And last, but not least (yes, this was intentional) don’t procrastinate.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      LOVE the new theme Kim! looks great!
  • half of the requirement for this class.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      please read the rubric. it is NOT required that you do 12 posts. this is your own self imposed choice if you do. The minimum is 6 - maximum 12. it is entirely up to you.
  • I was given this gift: show your students the importance of reflection. 
  • There was absolutely nothing about my course learning activities that was learner-centered, or, one could argue, learning-centered!  I was being extremely teacher-centered in my approach! 
  •   Because of that, I need to embrace these tools, explore new ideas, and for goodness sake- think about the STUDENT.
  • It took me almost two and a half hours just to set up a voicethread that didn’t crunch all of my text and pictures together!  Or get the right size and color font.  I realize that these are all things that cannot be explained to anyone, or if you did try and tell them, they wouldn’t understand how much work it is until they tried it themselves.
    • Donna Angley
       
      I, like the others in this course, understand. It's a lot of work, but the finished product will be worth it, I'm sure.
  • I think that embedding a youtube video or loading a podcast are in my future and I can’t wait! 
    • Donna Angley
       
      Two thumbs up!
  •   I made all of my assignments turned in to me, privately,
    • Donna Angley
       
      I too had made this mistake with some short writing assignments that I was going to have my students write. It was Alex's suggestion to have them blog it that really made sense. This way they could read each others blog entries and leave comments as well.
  • This week, as we are supposed to have the course “done done” I am doubting myself.  Every time I log in to my course I change something, add wording, create new links to rubrics where there weren’t any, etc.  It just seems like I’m never satisfied.
    • Donna Angley
       
      So glad I'm not alone. I keep logging in as well, looking to change something. Over the past 3-4 days I've definitely made changes, but I'm getting to the point now that I'm wondering if I should just leave it alone. I'm the same way about large writing project...always looking to edit. Thinking it might be time for me to step back from the computer.
    • Diane Gusa
       
      I thought done, done, done is at the end...aren't we going to have peer feedback next module?
  • I’ll have my master’s in December and I couldn’t be more proud. 
    • Donna Angley
       
      CONGRATULATIONS! I'll finish in December as well. It's been a long journey, and as much as I've enjoyed it, I'm ready to have my weekends back :-)
    • Diane Gusa
       
      :)
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      congratulations kim!!!!
  • I feel like a late bloomer (I’ll be 26 in November
  • #1- I’m scared of the idea of  real live students actually taking my course #2- I’m really disappointed that real live students will never take my course
    • Donna Angley
       
      I'm glad you said this, because I've been thinking it for several weeks now. I really want a chance to teach it, but I'm afraid of getting a chance to teach it. I'm not a teacher by profession, so I think I have more fear than most that I won't be able to facilitate my course properly. For instance, how do I open modules, are grades recorded automatically or do I manually put them in, how do I get them to show for each individual student, etc. I've put so much time and effort into building this course, I want a chance to teach it, but having never taught at the college level, I don't know that I'll get the opportunity. I will still give it my best shot as soon as I graduate in December. If SUNY isn't interested, I'll try other avenues.
    • Diane Gusa
       
      "live students" when you do teach live students you will discover kinks you never saw...this semester I had a great activity that 18 of 19 students loved! The discussions were full of every presence. The I discovered that my student from China was so lost and overwhelmed. Now I am rethinking cultural sensitivity in my activities...how do I balance a activity that engages 99% of my students 110%, but looses one student because of a cultural difference...still thinking on this.
  • feedback
    • Donna Angley
       
      I don't know if I should have done this, but I actually have 2 evaluation/feedback areas. One is the generic resource right in Moodle. I tried to write my own questions, but when I "viewed" the forum, my questions were replaced with the generic questions. So, I created a document with my own questions and I am having students download the document into a word processor, add their answers and then post to a forum.
  • o there will likely never be online courses at Mildred Elley.
    • Donna Angley
       
      Can you teach it elsewhere? As we have learned in this class, online learning is up and coming. It might be worth looking into.
    • Diane Gusa
       
      Failures maybe because the facilitators did not "know" and "do" what "you" know...convince him to try your course as an experiment...because this is the future of education...This summer I taught one online course and had a student from China, several from the west coast, and only two within driving distance in a class of 20!
  • ETAP 680 (research seminar). 
    • Donna Angley
       
      I'll be taking the course in September...how was it? I had hoped that it was just a very long research paper...any such luck? It's my last course for my degree.
  • quality with the traditional classroom in the public eye? 
    • Donna Angley
       
      I think you're probably right, but I think it's turning a corner. At a time when institutions are scrambling for money, online learning costs them very little. They pay an instructor and that's about it. We don't need a classroom or any campus resources other than student access to the library for research if they need it.
  • prettying up
    • Donna Angley
       
      Do you mean the background or theme of the course, because I'd love to know how to change that.
    • Diane Gusa
       
      I am almost three times that....almost :)
    • Diane Gusa
       
      My dissertation chair gave me wonderful advice...Enough is enough! If we recognize that we are always evolving, growing, expanding, deepening our understanding...then we understand that a "project" is just a snap shot of one time in our progress.
  • the more effort you put into it, the more successful you’ll be.
  • One thought I had, as I look forward to getting a PhD, is that theories come from practice which means that theories about online learning come from individuals creating courses, teaching courses, and collecting feedback from courses over and over and then after all of that work is finished, turning right around and working at analyzing the data, and attempting to answer research questions.  In order to have credible research, the questions must be relevant, the measures must be valid and thorough, and the analyses of results must be comprehensive. 
  • Reflective Writing: I have to admit, at the beginning of the course I thought the blogging activities were just busy work.  I viewed the assignments as busy work, and treated my entries as such.  As time ticked on, I started getting into the blogs and realizing that it was my personal space in which I could reflect on my work on my course and my learning throughout the week/module.  So much of life and learning in school is sort of thrown at you, and if you don’t take the time to intentionally deconstruct the events and make sense of them, then you’ll never grow and improve.  I’d rather grow.
  • If I don’t place intentional emphasis on something (like making it worth a portion of their grade) then I am sending a message that it’s not important. 
  • Nothing should be an accident or “just because” in the online teaching environment. 
  • Students don’t want their time wasted.
Diane Gusa

A dialogic approach to online facilitation - 0 views

  • Social construction of understanding has long been a significant underlying principle of learning and teaching
  • Learning through dialogue with others has a long history.
  • main themes of learning theory
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  • cognition is situated in particular social contexts (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989; Lave & Wenger, 1991); knowing is distributed across groups (Cole, 1991; Perkins, 1993); and learning takes place in communities (Lipman, 2003; Scardemalia & Bereiter, 1996; Wenger, 1998).
  • "a space where conversation can occur
  • the integration of concrete experience and abstract thought; the integration of reflection and action; the spiral nature of these two; the relationship between separate and connected knowing; and the balance between collaboration and leadership.
  • The learning process must be constituted as a dialogue between tutor and student" (1993, p. 94)
  • Community of Practice and Community of Inquiry theory
  • The Community of Inquiry model is based not on the Community of Practice model but, at least in part, on Lipman's work with children (2003) in which "tutor and children collaborate with each other to grow in understanding, not only of the material world, but also of the personal and ethical world around them" (Wegerif, 2007, p. 139)
  • Although reflective dialogue has strong connections with Lipman's notion of multidimensional thinking, in that reflection allows synthesis, there may be difficulties with the use of this term as it has been used elsewhere with different connotations (Brookfield, 1995; Schon, 1983).
  • Yet students often find this kind of thinking difficult to express when they are learning something new, perhaps because emerging ideas are very vulnerable to criticism
  • the dialogic space is broadened to include other types of dialogue which contribute to the development of understanding yet which are easier for students to express. Creative dialogue opens up a reflective space in which issues can be explored with encouragement and trust.
  • Another technique is "thought shower" - similar to but perhaps less intense than brainstorming - in which even implicit judgement is suspended. Creative thinking, or dialogue, is not the same as creativity, which is often associated with art and design, yet it appears to have an important role in discovery
  • A third aspect of this reflective space is caring dialogue,
  • each of the participants really has in mind the other or others in their present and particular being, and turns to them with the intention of establishing a living mutual relation between himself and them."
  • Buber calls this intersubjectivity
  • The focus is on listening and understanding (Bakhtin, 1986), or reading and understanding in an asynchronous online environment
  • Caring thinking also includes caring about the topic or subject (Lipman, 2003, p. 262), which Sharp (2004) calls pedagogic caring,
  • Identifying (information responsive): Students explore the knowledge base of the discipline in response to questions or lines of inquiry framed by teachers ("What is the existing answer to, or current state of knowledge on, this question?") Pursuing (information active): Students explore a knowledge base by pursuing their own questions and lines of inquiry ("What is the existing answer to, or current state of knowledge on, my question?") Producing (discovery responsive): Students pursue open questions or lines of inquiry, framed by tutors or clients, in interaction with a knowledge base ("How can I answer this open question?") Authoring (discovery active): Students pursue their own open questions and lines of inquiry, in interaction with a knowledge base ("How can I answer my open question?") (Levy, 2009).
  •  
    AJET 26(1) Swann (2010) - another approach to think about for my discussion forum.
Diane Gusa

Learning-Centered Syllabi - 0 views

  • Learning-Centered Syllabi Workshop
  • Creating and using a learner-centered syllabus is integral to the process of creating learning communities.
  • students and their ability to learn are at the center of what we do
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  • we focus on the process of learning rather than the content, that the content and the teacher adapt to the students rather than expecting the students to adapt to the content, that responsibility is placed on students to learn rather than on professors to teach.
  • facilitate student learning rather than to act as "gatekeepers" of knowledge
  • A necessary first step in creating a learning-centered syllabus, according to most sources, is to spend some time thinking about the "big questions" related to why, what, who and how we teach.
  • thoughtful discussions with ourselves and our colleagues about our teaching philosophy and what it means to be an educated person in our discipline
  • We also need to think about how we encourage responsibility for learning in our students.
  • students should progress from a primarily instructor-led approach to a primarily student-initiated approach to learning.
  • participate in planning the course content and activities; clarify their own goals and objectives for the course; monitor and assess their own progress; and establish criteria for judging their own performance within the goals that they have set for themselves, certification or licensing requirements, time constraints, etc.
  • Your first objective is to facilitate learning, not cover a certain block of materia
  • According to Johnson, "course objectives should consist of explicit statements about the ways in which students are expected to change as a result of your teaching and the course activities. These should include changes in thinking skills, feelings, and actions" (p. 3)
  • Don't use words that are open to many interpretations and which are difficult to measure. Make sure that all students understand the same interpretation.
  • here are three primary domains of development for students in a course
  • The Cognitive Domain is associated with knowledge and intellectual skills. The Affective Domain is associated with changes in interests, attitudes, values, applications, and adjustments. And the Psychomotor Domain is associated with manipulative and motor skills
  • An effective learning-centered syllabus should accomplish certain basic goals (Diamond, p. ix): define students' responsibilities; define instructor's role and responsibility to students; provide a clear statement of intended goals and student outcomes; establish standards and procedures for evaluation; acquaint students with course logistics; establish a pattern of communication between instructor and students; and include difficult-to-obtain materials such as readings, complex charts, and graphs.
  • Students need to know why topics are arranged in a given order and the logic of the themes and concepts as they relate to the course structure
  • Clarify the conceptual structure used to organize the course.
  • Does the course involve mostly inductive or deductive reasoning? Is it oriented to problem-solving or theory building? Is it mostly analytical or applied? In answering these questions, acknowledge that they reflect predominant modes in most cases rather than either/or dichotomies.
  • Identify additional equipment or materials needed and sources.
  • "Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact the Disability Resources Office at 515-294-6624 or TTY 515-294-6635 in Room 1076 of the Student Services Building to submit your documentation and coordinate necessary and reasonable accommodation."
  • Use a variety of methods.
  • "A learning-centered syllabus requires that you shift from what you, the instructor, are going to cover in your course to a concern for what information and tools you can provide for your students to promote learning and intellectual development" (Diamond, p. xi).
  • Critical Thinking
  • Critical thinking is a learned skill. The instructor, fellow students, and possibly others are resources. Problems, questions, issues, values, beliefs are the point of entry to a subject and source of motivation for sustained inquiry. Successful courses balance the challenge of critical thinking with the supportive foundation of core principles, theories, etc., tailored to students' developmental needs. Courses are focused on assignments using processes that apply content rather than on lectures and simply acquiring content. Students are required to express ideas in a non-judgmental environment which encourages synthesis and creative applications. Students collaborate to learn and stretch their thinking. Problem-solving exercises nurture students' metacognitive abilities. The development needs of students are acknowledged and used in designing courses. Standards are made explicit and students are helped to learn how to achieve them.
dkiesel

The Technology Source Archives - Ten Ways Online Education Matches, or Surpasses, Face-... - 6 views

  • Students are empowered to learn on their own and even to teach one another.
    • Erin Fontaine
       
      Students are made accountable for their own education and are able to reflect on what they are learning.
    • Heather Kurto
       
      Students work together with professors to create a learning style that meets their needs. The students guide information that is important to them making the experience meaningful.
  • Students served as instructors to their classmates, and together they worked toward learning goals more effectively than if they had been provided with the answer by the instructor.
    • Erin Fontaine
       
      I have seen my own students achieve better comprehension when they are able to see the information through the eyes of their peers rather than my perspective.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      This also supports Shift 4 in ELA Common Core which calls for students to have "rich" conversations centering on a text.
  • When an instructor posts a question on the asynchronous discussion board, every student in the class is expected to respond, respond intelligently, and respond several times.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      This expectation is supported by the online instructor's facilitation of discourse and intellectual leadership, identified by Jones et al. as two aspects of teaching presence.
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  • On a more formal note, online tests and quizzes can be constructed with an automatic grading capability that provides immediate feedback and references to text and class notes that explain the correct answers. Assignments, including grades and editorial comments, can be returned to students more promptly and usually with more detail than in the F2F environment.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      This is something to consider with respect to formative assessment, RtI evidence/data, and computer-based grade books. Wondering how it would work in an open source learning platform for collecting data on teacher effectiveness at the university level?
    • Teresa Dobler
       
      I have used online homework systems with my middle school students, and it works wonderfully. Many students use the immediate feedback to their advantage, reviewing the questions they got wrong. I know they use it well because whenever I happen to make an error in marking the correct answer, I will receive a flood of emails from students quoting resources stating why they believe their answer to be correct.
  • They say that it is common for participants in online courses to develop a strong sense of community that enhances the learning process.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      Bodes well for gobalization of education, especially when supported by language conversion apps.
    • Teresa Dobler
       
      Reminds me of a community of inquiry model. See Garrison, Anderson, and Archer, 2000.
  • thrilled
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      This is indeed the perfect verb for this experience!
  • The thinking, planning, research, learning, and effort that goes into constructing and teaching an online course has rejuvenated many faculty members who were frankly going through the motions after numerous years of teaching the same courses, semester after semester, in the same classroom environment.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      As online learning increases at the secondary level, is it possible that responsibility for curriculum development will become an APPR bargaining issue under the Regents Reform Agenda?
  • the best way to teach students how to write more effectively is to have them write more often.
    • Erin Fontaine
       
      One of my main concerns about creating and online class for a junior high (7th/8th) grade is about how technology is affecting their writing abilities. I was afraid of how all the short hand phrases we all use are affecting students and their abiliity to write. Yes, online courses are writing intensive and a great means of keeping students writing but as the teacher I feel like I have to make sure that the work I recieve is of quality. As I continue to research this fear I am seeing both sides of the argument. Text talk may be both positive and negative. Still looking into this... Here is just one of many articles I have found on this topic: http://www.nst.com.my/nation/extras/zero-to-12-is-technology-deteriorating-language-skills-1.89256
    • Teresa Dobler
       
      Thanks for the link. I know with my students, I emphasize the need for using conventional English in typed school work no matter what device they are using. Most of my middle school students are adept at transitioning from the language they would use while texting to the language I expect in their lab report, even if they are typing the lab on their phone.
  • Students with family or work responsibilities are often unable to commit to a traditional course because they cannot be in the same place at the same time for 15 consecutive weeks.
    • Amy M
       
      This is a huge factor is accessibility for adult-learners.
  • Although some instructors may discover more than they wanted to know about their students, my online teaching experience disproves the notion that online courses are impersonal and do not foster relationships, either between students and instructors or among students themselves.
    • Amy M
       
      I wonder what the limit on class size is for an online course to feel "intimate."
  • In the traditional F2F classroom, the instructor asks a question, and the same four or five extroverted students inevitably raise their hands. They offer spontaneous, often unresearched responses in the limited time allotted for discussion. In the online environment, discussions enter a new dimension.
    • Heather Kurto
       
      This is huge for online learning. Students are able to thoughtfully respond which deepens discussions.
  • . Online education is neither right for all students nor right for all faculty, but it frequently meets the needs of both for an exciting, high-quality educational experience.
    • Teresa Dobler
       
      How do we make the jump and empower students to actually take on the role as a teacher?
  • explain, share, comment upon, critique
  • explain, share, comment upon, critique
  • unresearched responses in the limited time
  • unresearched responses
    • Teresa Dobler
       
      I personally have seen a big difference in my thought and contributions when given time to think, research, and craft a response to an argument.
    • sherrilattimer
       
      There is also something to be said abou the "delete" button. Once you say something, you cannot undo it.
  • can refer to their course materials and think through their answers
    • efleonhardt
       
      I think this is a very important piece of online learning I hadn't thought about t before. When students are online they are able to actually process the information and not be afraid if they're processing skills are slower than other students.
    • Teresa Dobler
       
      The goal is for the student to continue learning throughout life, not just for the course. This links back to the Minds on Fire reading: http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/minds-fire-open-education-long-tail-and-learning-20
  • However, I have heard from very few faculty members who are not energized by the creative process of achieving the same instructional goals in an entirely new format.
  • On average, online courses are far more writing-intensive than traditional classes have ever been.
  • he first response that comes to mind rather than the best possible response
    • George Dale
       
      and you don't have the, "Doh! I should have said ..." as you're walking out of the classroom.
  • Many online students have indicated that this is the first time they have ever "spoken up" in class and that they enjoy the opportunity
  • Geared to lifelong learning
    • George Dale
       
      While I'm not a LMS hater, I do see this as a problem in the way LMSs keep a death grip on the content and learning. I'd like to develop a plugin for Balckboard that allows a student to easily "pack up" and take their work with them as they complete a course.
  • as a result of the relative anonymity
    • George Dale
       
      It's almost ironic that the initial anonimity can lead to deeper connections relative to F2F interactions.
  • online education can be done well,
    • George Dale
       
      It seems that some examples that are used to demonstrate a poor online course are often as good as a "normal" (i.e. F2F) class. Being as good as a traditional lecture class is a low bar to set.
    • Arnaldo Robles
       
      I can see this serving as a useful tool for writing activities!
  • In their everyday lives, individuals do not have a teacher at their side to direct them in their acquisition of new information. One of the roles that we need to perform as educators, then, is to teach students to find and learn information on their own or in concert with their colleagues. The online environment fosters self-motivated education. Students direct their own use of Internet links, search engines, discussion boards, chat, e-mail, and other media. While such resources cannot guarantee student initiative, they establish a framework that gives precedence to the autonomy of the learner.
    • Arnaldo Robles
       
      I like this!
  • develop course materials among themselves in a manner rarely seen in the F2F classroom.
    • dkiesel
       
      In f2f classes at masters public health program, we do extensive group projects. I think that k--12 classes may not have had many project-based classes of which hopefully will be more as we are seeing the influence of online teaching and how for practical learning the online environment can greatly compliment a practical session.  But I don't agree that all the practical project based work I have done for my profession with other students and teachers is not as well integrated compared to all the practical group work I have done in my profession with students and teachers. Also the quality of spoken live discussion in group work is very challenging when it is live. Maybe online is helping by giving us more time to think before we say something. 
  •  
    Sorry I didn't want these to go public. These were just my notes to myself so that I could further do some research. Is there a way to remove these or make these private again. Guess I'm still testing the water.
alexandra m. pickett

Kristina Lattanzio's Blog.... - 0 views

  • Teacher presence, which is how you speak and relate to your students, must not be confused with teaching presence, which is the way a course is structured, activities are designed and feedback is given. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      kristina: are you missing the even bigger point here that "teaching presence" is not the exclusive domain of the one in the "role" of "teacher?" Than "teaching presence" in an effectively designed online learning environment is equally expressed, cultivated and facilitated from those in the "role" of "student." can you demonstrate to me that you understand this key concept?
  • One of the resources I came across identified audio feedback to be associated retention of content and students associate it with the perception that the instructor cared more about them.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      do you have a citation for this? would love to see and hear more about this from you or anyone else in the class.
Diane Gusa

ISJ 27: MYTHS ABOUT ONLINE EDUCATION: - 0 views

  • Online education, on the other hand, is declared to be “a more student-centered, collabora- tive, and egalitarian learning environment” (Weisenberg & Hutton, 1996). In this new paradigm, students become self-motivated managers of their own learning instead of passive bystanders, with the ability to select learning activities that best fit their backgrounds, interests, and careers
  • (Zhang and Nunamaker, 2003), while instructors move away from the roles of an oracle, lecturer, and purveyor of knowledge toward those of a facilitator, guide, and mentor (Bernard et al., 2000; Eastmond, 1996; Leidner & Jarvenpaa, 1995; Murphy & Cifuentes, 2001; Raymond, 2000; Shedletsky & Aitken, 2001; Weisenberg & Hutton, 1996). In essence, it is believed that the online forum breaks down the teacher-student hierarchy (Weisenberg & Hutton, 1996).
  • Our conclusion after reviewing the various points of view on this issue is that the notion of stu- dent-centeredness needs to be further clarified before one can even start determining whether or not the student-centered philosophy is a precondition for effective online IS courses
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • This myth, somewhat related to myth #2, arises from and also reinforces the belief regarding the (allegedly) changing role of faculty.
  • This myth therefore implies that Page 11 Sarker & Nicholson 65 online education either automatically enables a change, or at the very least, requires a change in attitude/approach of the instructor in order to be effective
  • Our own conclusion is that the “guide” versus “sage” debate reflects deep-rooted assumptions and philosophical beliefs regarding the nature of education, including online education, rather than empirical reality associating pedagogical style and effectiveness of courses delivered over different media. I
Luke Fellows

Andragogy Homepage for Adult Education Specialists - 0 views

  • was found with the German high school teacher Alexander Kapp in 1833.
  • ‘is built upon two central, defining attributes: First, a conception of learners as self-directed and autonomous; and second, a conception of the role of the teacher as facilitator of learning rather than presenter of content’
  • Knowles’ basic assumptions is that becoming adult means becoming self-directed.
Diana Cary

Instructor Competencies: Standards for Face-to-Face, Online, and Blended ... - Google B... - 0 views

    • Diana Cary
       
      "When the online setting involves a Web-based course management system, threaded discussions often become a primary and important learning activity. Students often require guidance in how to interact in such asynchronous discussion settings. The skills required to facilitate threaded discussions are quite different from those required in face-to-face settings".
alexandra m. pickett

one small step for blogging…one giant leap for me - 4 views

  • Someone please explain to me the whole “hashtag” thing. PLEASE!  I feel so out of the loop!
  • I guess I just assumed that she was the exception,
  • I realize now that I was taking this, as well as all of my other skills, for granted.
  • ...16 more annotations...
  • Twitter
  • not getting feedback on my course profile or course information documents. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      I am still trying to figure out how to not be overwhelmed with the volume of interaction in this course. : )
    • Lisa Martin
       
      I realized since I wrote that how much more you have to do than usual...I can't imagine!
  • I also realized that my ideas come from a desire to incorporate social networking more into online courses. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      take a look at this http://www.masternewmedia.org/ning-alternatives-guide-to-the-best-social-networking-platforms-and-online-group-services/ - i think you are thinking about a social networking site. In the future you may want to consider this as a companion to your course.
    • Lisa Martin
       
      Thanks Alex!
  • ~I continue to be astonished every week with how much I am growing and learning in this course.  Not only am I learning how to be an effective online instructor and everything that it entails, but I am also learning a lot about myself.~
  • I lose track of time and hours have gone by without me even realizing it. 
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      that is the definition of "engagment"
  • “What young children perceive that their teachers do plays a more significant role in their socio-emotional outcomes than what teachers report they do” (p. 30).  We have an EVEN bigger impact than we thought!
  • “Am I providing a bridge for my students from their prior knowledge to where I want them to be and where THEY want to be?” “What am I doing to facilitate their growth not only in building a positive self-image, but also as learners in general?” “Am I REALLY taking into consideration their interests, passions and motivations?” And finally, “What Would Alex Do?”
  • “I really like how you tell them you are there for them.  A lot of my teachers give us confusing assignments and I never feel like I can ask them questions.” 
  • When she was done going through everything she said, “Are you actually going to teach this class? Can I take it when you do?” 
  •   I was spending so much time figuring out the tools that I felt like I wasn’t spending time on content.  I realize now that I needed to spend that time and those tools were part of the content of this course. 
  • I LOVE learning in general!  I liked learning before…well I never disliked it anyway…well unless it was math…or science…I had no idea what it was like to truly LOVE learning.  Its sad to me that it took me 30 years to experience this.  Did I work A LOT in this course?  Did I give up much of my social life?  Did I stay up too late?  YES, YES and YES.  Was it worth it? Absolutely!  Did I mind? NOT ONE BIT…Reflecting on the fact that I worked so hard and so much on something and not only wasn’t bothered by it, but enjoyed every moment was a HUGE wake up call to me. 
  • You just have to have passion and a belief in yourself.
  • This was the only course I have EVER taken in which I will walk away having truly internalized knowledge.  I know that I internalized what I have learned because when I was reviewing my classmate’s courses I didn’t have to refer to a book or a checklist, it was all in my head.  When I look back at my undergrad education, I have always said that I didn’t feel like I actually “learned” anything until I student taught and learned by DOING.  That’s exactly what happened in this course, I learned by doing.  This is only course that has ever provided me with this type of experience and it has shown me what quality education should be, not only online but in a face-to-face situation as well.
  • We(myself, my classmates AND Alex) worked together in this course to contribute to the construction of our knowledge. 
  • It wasn’t until this summer when I turned 31 that I finally experienced being a student in a student-centered, constructivist environment that actually got me to THINK.  Not just think, but think critically…It took 31 years for me to experience a true community of learners!  I don’t want other students to have to wait 31 years to experience what its like to REALLY LEARN!
  • I want to CHANGE someone the way that Alex, ETAP 640 and all of you have CHANGED me.
  •  
    I'm posting the link to my blog so that I can practice adding bookmarks to diingo
William Meredith

Sensation-Seeking | Education.com - 0 views

    • William Meredith
       
      Not applicable to higher education?
  • Nevertheless, these students still pay attention to tasks, activities, and media messages that are low in sensation-value, if the topic is particularly salient to them. For example, individuals may attend to a seemingly boring documentary on cancer research, if they have close relatives or friends who is suffering from the disease; they may attend to a lecture on the stock market if they have just received the gift of a larger sum of money.
  • Students with a high sensation needs benefit from instructional practices that meet those needs. It certainly is not possible to meet the needs of these students at all times, but some lessons can be altered to better hold their attention.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • benefit from changes in daily routines
  • hese adaptations include: (a) the use of dramatic role-playing activities (including the videotaping of such activities), (b) the incorporation of videos and music into traditional lessons, (c) the inclusion of outside speakers with real-world experiences, and (d) the opportunity for students to facilitate conversations and activities in the classrooms
  • Third, educators need to be aware that students with high sensation needs may also experience problems with behavior in the classroom. These students are more likely to get out of their seats, to talk to their neighbors, and to seek attention from the teacher. Thus targeting students with high needs for sensation early on and setting up classroom contexts to provide for these students' needs may alleviate some potential behavioral problems in the classroom.
  • Sensation-seeking is characterized by researchers as a basic human need and as a component of human personality. The need for sensation runs along a continuum, wherein some individuals have a high need for sensation, whereas others have a low need for sensation.
  • The concept of sensation-seeking primarily has been studied in the domains of clinical psychology, personality psychology, health psychology, and communications. From an evolutionary perspective, attention to novel stimuli in the environment was necessary for human survival
  • Individuals who have high sensation needs typically engage in certain predictable behaviors. Most notably, the research indicates that individuals who exhibit a high need for sensation often are more likely to engage in risky or dangerous behaviors, such as abusing substances and having unprotected sexual intercours
  • Research indicates that sensation-seeking rises markedly during early adolescence (Donohew et al., 1994). For many adolescents, this increase coincides with the transition from elementary school into middle school. Thus although students with high needs for sensation are present in elementary, middle, and high schools, these students may be particularly prevalent in middle school settings.
Alicia Fernandez

Online Instructional Effort Measured through the Lens of Teaching Presence in the Commu... - 1 views

  • The focus of this paper is teaching presence, which has been defined as “the design, facilitation and direction of cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realizing personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile outcomes” (Garrison et al., 2000).
  • Instructor teaching presence is hypothesized to be an indicator of online instructional quality.  Empirical research has supported this view with evidence indicating strong correlations between the quality of teaching presence and student satisfaction and learning (Bangert, 2008; Picciano, 2002; Shea, Pickett, & Pelz, 2003)
  • First, there is a need to revisit two of the original three teaching presence elements.
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • The second limitation relates to design and organization (DE).
  • The third limitation relates to the locus of research investigating teaching presence which has been limited largely to threaded discussions.
  • Lastly, a careful review of the original teaching presence indicators developed by Anderson et al. (2001) reveals that they are largely reliant upon the threaded discussion activities of the instructor and thus fall short in identifying and articulating the full range of online collaborative tasks and effort demonstrated by both instructors and students.
  • Where does teaching presence occur in online courses? 2. How do instructors employ communicative functionality within the course to   demonstrate teaching presence? 3. In what ways do students demonstrate teaching presence? 4. Does teaching presence shift over time? 5. Does teaching presence correlate with learning outcomes reflected in instructor-assigned grades?
  • These results suggest that students’ teaching presence may have a “floor” threshold level and when the instructor's participation within the threaded discussion drops to zero students attempt to recreate “instructional equilibrium.”
  • When accounting for instructor teaching presence in all areas of a course, we see that there is a certain ebb and flow to teaching presence.
  • restricting analysis of teaching presence to discussion areas may present too narrow a view of individual instructor’s effort. Some instructors may take a strategic approach by participating in early discussions to model how to formulate probing questions and by providing direct feedback with the goal of withdrawing once this scaffolding is completed
  • These results also document a significant correlation between instructional effort reflected in frequency of teaching presence behaviors and learning outcomes evidence through instructor-assigned grades on closely related assignments. 
  • If students’ perceptions indicate that they place a premium on instructor interaction (Anderson, 2003; Shea et al., 2006) instructors must actively manage students’ expectations about the nature of online learning and the role of the instructor in this process. Online instructors can accomplish this by taking the time to communicate that online courses are not teacher-centered models of learning and by explaining the rationale behind student-to-student interaction in negotiating shared meaning through discourse.
  • In this study we found that the effectiveness of the instructor did not depend on participation within the threaded discussion per se, but that responsiveness and effective interaction with students was carried out through a variety of forums, including the ask-a-question area, email, and other modes of communication.  We suggest that benchmarks for effective interaction be communicated to instructors and that institutions provide training and support for online faculty around teaching presence. 
  •  
    With more than 4 million students enrolled in online courses in the US alone (Allen & Seaman, 2010), it is now time to inquire into the nature of instructional effort in online environments. Reflecting the community of inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) this paper addresses the following questions: How has instructor teaching presence (Anderson, Rourke, Garrison, & Archer, 2001) traditionally been viewed by researchers? What does productive instructor effort look like in an entire course, not just the main threaded discussion? Results suggest that conventional research approaches, based on quantitative content analysis, fail to account for the majority of teaching presence behaviors and thus may significantly under represent productive online instructional effort.
sherrilattimer

Depth of Knowledge in the 21st Century - 0 views

  • Depth of knowledge offers some advantages over Bloom’s Taxonomy for planning lessons and choosing instructional techniques. By increasing the DOK levels of activities, teachers can teach students to adapt to challenges, work cooperatively and solve problems on their own.Whereas Level 1 of DOK prompts students to recall or reproduce, Levels 3 and 4 require students to work without the constant supervision of teachers. Usually students work on higher DOK activities in groups, communicating with one another to solve challenging problems and freely offering their own ideas.
  • The teacher’s role at higher DOK levels is therefore to facilitate, not simply dispense the acquisition of knowledge.
  • Working on creating activities in such peer groups enables teachers to learn and articulate while planning for lessons that promote high expectations and cognitively challenging curriculum. In addition, administrators need to provide ongoing support for their teachers in order to empower teachers to succeed in this endeavor.Administrative leadership must mentor and assist teachers in providing the enthusiasm and motivation to continuously teach lessons that promote high student expectations and cognitively challenging lessons.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • The students in one classroom are prompted to recall facts and procedures while the students in the other classroom are encouraged to apply their learned knowledge to solve complex problems featuring real-world relevance.
  • Through his work with the business community, he has learned that there is no shortage of employees that are technically proficient, but too few employees that can adequately communicate and collaborate, innovate and think critically. So, rather than simply equating 21st century skills with technical prowess, educators need to expand their understanding of such skills to increasingly emphasize preparing students to think on their feet, communicate effectively and value the ideas of others.
  • The depth-of-knowledge levels of Norman Webb’s depthof-knowledge (DOK) levels constitute a system that addresses how to teach these skills. Depth of knowledge is a scale of cognitive demand that reflects the complexity of activities that teachers ask students to perform. DOK-1. Recall — Recall or recognition of a fact, information, concept, or procedure DOK-2. Basic Application of Skill/Concept — Use of information, conceptual knowledge, follow or select appropriate procedures, two or more steps with decision points along the way, routine problems, organize/ display data DOK-3. Strategic Thinking — Requires reasoning, developing a plan or sequence of steps to approach problem; requires some decision making and justification; abstract and complex; often more than one possible answer DOK-4. Extended Thinking — An investigation or application to real world; requires time to research, think, and process multiple conditions of the problem or task; non-routine manipulations, across disciplines/content areas/multiple sources Level 1 of DOK is the lowest level and requires students to recall or perform a simple process.As DOK increases toward the highest (fourth) level, the complexity of the activity moves from simple recall problems to increasingly difficult and teacher independent problem-solving classroom activities, as well as real-world applications.As students are prompted to work within the realms of higher DOK levels, they will learn to independently employ higher-level thinking skills.
  •  
    Webb's Depth of Knowledge
efleonhardt

JOLT - Journal of Online Learning and Teaching - 0 views

  • fostering student engagement or creating effective student interactions with faculty, peers, and content.
  • rapport
  • One way that Bain identified highly effective teachers was by how they treated their students
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • teachers usually believe that students want to learn and they assume, until proven otherwise, that they can
  • pretests, survey forms, and a course overview that identified several questions that the course would help them answer.
  • is better equipped to gather information about students in a variety of ways that may help with success later in the semester.
  • The distance gap needs to be bridged in both directions. It is not sufficient for teachers to get to know their students without letting them get to know their teachers as well.
  • (e.g., Anderson, Rourke, Garrison, & Archer, 2001). Facilitating interpersonal contact is an important role for online teachers and creating a social presence by projecting their identities is essential
  • these general behaviors as teacher “presence”
  • that student deserves to be recognized and treated as an individual
alexandra m. pickett

Sue's reflections ETAP687 - 1 views

  •   Perhaps that is why Professor Pickett mentioned she had a hard time with students that felt they had nothing to learn.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      : )
    • Joy Quah Yien-ling
       
      Nothing to learn??!! I am wondering what on earth those folks were expecting. This says nothing about the teacher. But is says volumes about the students. I think readiness is a key component in learning. When a student is not ready, there is nothing even the best teacher can do about it. There is also an attitudinal component in learning which some students lack.
  • “the aim of education must be the facilitation of learning”.
  • Though Rogers was referring to these traits in classroom, these same qualities apply to online learning and have been demonstrated by the Professor in the design of this course and in the breeze presentation explaining effective online learning.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      thank you for noticing. i can't think of a higher compliment. : )
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • For a while, I never thought I would get here!
    • Melissa Pietricola
       
      Good for you, Sue! You must feel relieved :)
  • spelling errors
    • Joan Erickson
       
      I have those, too! I wish Moodle had a spell-check. I couldn't even catch my own spelling errors when I proofread my own writing.
  • the finish line is still there right?
    • Joy Quah Yien-ling
       
      It keeps moving Sue. Thought I was done as well. So this is the meaning of "iteration". You're never done!
    • Sue Rappazzo
       
      Great point!
  • I have struggled with who I am as a “Teacher”.  I am a trainer, spoon feeding information for those to do their jobs.  A teacher brings students to the level of thinking for themselves…nurturing critical thinkers.  A very big part of me now questions my training. 
    • Joan Erickson
       
      Sue, I think we all have to work with this issue. You are certainly not alone...You work with adults, so the role of a trainer is appropriate! :)
    • Joan Erickson
       
      Sue, thank you for being such a great classmate and teacher to me. I've learned from you!
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      brilliant observation!!
  • I feel I am now a teacher
  •  
    "For a while, I never thought I would get here!"
Donna Angley

A Constructivist Approach to Teaching - 1 views

  • Presenting instructional content online requires faculty to consider course objectives and the learning outcomes that are produced. How those outcomes are achieved and by how many students are important concerns of higher education institutions and their faculty members
  • Constructivism, on the other hand, is founded on the notion that “the only important reality is in the learner’s mind, and the goal of learning is to construct in the learner’s mind its own, unique conception of events”
  • learner is not a passive recipient but rather the center of instruction
  • ...27 more annotations...
  • constructivists believe in independent exploration by students that will lead to a deeper understanding of the content
  • cooperative/collaborative approach
  • socio-cultural model
  • cooperative or collaborative model of learning argues that learning occurs as an individual interacts with other individuals
  • socio-cultural model of learning argues that learning best occurs when the learning event is meaningful, more deeply or elaborately processed, situated in context, and rooted in the learner’s cultural background and personal knowledge
  • one goal is to create a meaningful environment that includes communication and collaboration
  • New technologies allow for construction of knowledge through what is actually deeper reflection by the learner
  • Through groups and other learning interactions with their online peers, students acquire deeper understanding because of the “opportunities for exposure to multiple perspectives and interpretations
  • Learning involves active cognitive processing
  • Learning is adaptive
  •   Learning is subjective, not objective
    • jessica mascle
       
      again, does it need to be balanced?
  • Learning involves both social/cultural and individual processes
  • socializing function by fostering a friendly environment
  • Organizing involves setting the objectives, procedural rules, and timetables
  • intellectual role, guide the students’ journey to understanding. This is accomplished by probing and questioning students about their responses, by summarizing main themes, and by linking these to assignments such as readings, written responses, and independent and group projects.
  • discussion board posts serve as learning artifacts as well as springboards for more learning and the development of community
  • social negotiation and mediation
  • authentic and real-world environments
  • Teachers serve primarily as guides and facilitators
  • prompting students to develop their own inquiry questions
  • allowing students to express their knowledge through multiple avenues
  • encouraging group projects and collaborative learning
  • If, on the other hand, we believe that learners actively construct knowledge in their attempts to make sense of their world, then learning will likely emphasize the development of meaning and understanding
  • use of discussion boards
  • provide forums that require students to research an area of interest and report back to the class in the forum
  • incorporates collaborative elements
  • instructor should build in as many collaborative opportunities for group work
  •  
    ooooh execllent tags highlighting and comments!!
  •  
    The author contends that using a learning-centered, or constructivist, approach in online courses is critical to student success.
Diane Gusa

ISETL : International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning - 0 views

  • Presentation Objectives are to: 1) Educate faculty on the pedagogical uses of avatars in the online classroom, 2)Provide an opportunity for participants to practice developing their own avatar and 3)Promote interest and improve confidence in using avatars as part of established learning activities and spark generation of new ideas. Presentation Audience: Faculty who desire to see improvement in the richness of their students’ online experiences will find this presentation interesting and beneficial. Faculty who have never considered using or developed their own avatars will find practical assistance. Presentation Activities: In this highly interactive session, participants with laptop computers will have the opportunity to create and publish an avatar, which can be posted on their faculty webpage or other Web 2.0 forum. The facilitator will also present avatars developed by undergraduate students as part of a class project and will invite participants to generate ways that they can use this medium in own classrooms. Description: Avatars have typically been associated with gaming, recreation and entertainment, and most recently were the central characters in a hugely successful blockbuster movie. Their use in learning environments is much less popular, although it is growing. A central definition has not emerged, although the following are generally accepted: “a digital representation
  • Online instructors lament some of the same problems expressed by their students, not the least of which is the feeling of disconnection in the learning environmen
  • The social presence created by avatars may diminish some of these negative factors
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Allmendinger, K. (2010). Social presence in synchronous virtual learning situations: the role of nonverbal signals displayed by avatars. Educational Psychology Review, 22(1), 41-56
  • Falloon, G. (2010). Using avatars and virtual environments in learning: What do they have to offer? British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(1), 108-122.
ian august

John Dewey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

  • School and Society (1900), The Child and the Curriculum (1902), Democracy and Education (1916) and Experience and Education (1938). Throughout these writings, several recurrent themes ring true; Dewey continually argues that education and learning are social and interactive processes, and thus the school itself is a social institution through which social reform can and should take place.
  • addition, he bel
  • addition, he be
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • ieved that students thrive in an environment where they are allowed to experience and interact with the curriculum, and all students should have the opportunity to take part in their own learning.
  • life means to give him command of himself; it means so to train him that he will have the full and ready use of all his capacities” (1897, p. 6).[23] In addition to helping students realize their full potential, Dewey goes on to acknowledge that education and schooling are instrumental in creating social change and reform
  • According to Dewey, the teacher should not be one to stand at the front of the room doling out bits of information to be absorbed by passive students. Instead, the teacher’s role should be that of facilitator and guide.
  • The teacher is not in the school to impose certain ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is there as a member of the community to select the influences which shall affect the child and to assist him in properly responding to these influences (p. 9)
  •  
    john dewey wikipedia page
Diane Gusa

New models for learning flexibility: Negotiated choices for both academics and students - 0 views

shared by Diane Gusa on 07 Jul 11 - No Cached
    • Diane Gusa
       
      Eisner, one of my favorite authors.
  • Eisner (2003) claims that it is appropriate to take into account a learner’s frame of reference.
  • While, the educational value of using a social constructivist approach is supported in educational literature (Jonassen, 1998; Garrison & Anderson, 2003), individual constructivism and self-directed learning (Merriam & Cafarella, 1999) are also valid educational strategies
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • The flexible model proposed in this paper would allow informed choice by both students and academics, thereby resolving equity considerations and providing choices for academics, learners and learning
  • Professor Richard Johnson describes open learning as ‘an approach rather than a system or technique; it is based on the needs of individual learners, not the interests of the teacher or the institution; it gives students as much control as possible over what and when and where and how they learn; it commonly uses the delivery methods of distance education and the facilities of educational technology; it changes the role of teacher from a source of knowledge to a manager of learning and a facilitator. (pp. 7-8
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