There is a new knowledge order where people receive information "miscellaneously" instead of in a hierarchical organization. In the physical world, things can be in only one place at a time; however, in the virtual world of the Internet, things can be sorted in any way a user wants to find them.
This paper describes the analysis undertaken to design a 1-credit-hour online orientation course for students new to online learning. An instructional design team, as a part of an advanced instructional design course, worked with a university-based client. The client identified specific problem areas encountered by novice students of online courses and the team designed a comprehensive program to meet those needs. Analysis of the data revealed surprising differences in expectations between instructors of online courses and their students of what an orientation to online learning should include. The team also conducted a task analysis to aid in further identifying the skills, knowledge and attitudes required by students for success in online courses. Findings indicated that there is a need for online learners to understand the time commitment required of an online course and possess or develop strong time management skills. Because of small sample size, results cannot be generalized beyond the respondents. The authors found a mismatch in the perception of instructor technical skills versus student technical skill. Based on their findings, the paper provides recommendations on the appropriate design, development and implementation of an orientation to online learning.
This paper describes the analysis undertaken to design a 1-credit-hour online orientation course for students new to online learning. An instructional design team, as a part of an advanced instructional design course, worked with a university-based client. The client identified specific problem areas encountered by novice students of online courses and the team designed a comprehensive program to meet those needs. Analysis of the data revealed surprising differences in expectations between instructors of online courses and their students of what an orientation to online learning should include. The team also conducted a task analysis to aid in further identifying the skills, knowledge and attitudes required by students for success in online courses. Findings indicated that there is a need for online learners to understand the time commitment required of an online course and possess or develop strong time management skills. Because of small sample size, results cannot be generalized beyond the respondents. The authors found a mismatch in the perception of instructor technical skills versus student technical skill. Based on their findings, the paper provides recommendations on the appropriate design, development and implementation of an orientation to online learning.
students who read a passage, then took a test asking them to recall what they had read, retained about 50 percent more of the information a week later than students who used two other methods.
the illusion that they know material better than they do.
“I think that learning is all about retrieving, all about reconstructing our knowledge,” said the lead author, Jeffrey Karpicke, an assistant professor of psychology at Purdue University. “I think that we’re tapping into something fundamental about how the mind works when we talk about retrieval.”
These other methods not only are popular, the researchers reported; they also seem to give students
But when they were evaluated a week later, the students in the testing group did much better than the concept mappers. They even did better when they were evaluated not with a short-answer test but with a test requiring them to draw a concept map from memory.
The final group took a “retrieval practice” test. Without the passage in front of them, they wrote what they remembered in a free-form essay for 10 minutes. Then they reread the passage and took another retrieval practice test.
we are organizing it and creating cues and connections that our brains later recognize.
But “when we use our memories by retrieving things, we change our access” to that information, Dr. Bjork said. “What we recall becomes more recallable in the future. In a sense you are practicing what you are going to need to do later.”
The Purdue study supports findings of a recent spate of research showing learning benefits from testing, including benefits when students get questions wrong.
Howard Gardner, an education professor at Harvard who advocates constructivism — the idea that children should discover their own approach to learning, emphasizing reasoning over memorization — said in an e-mail that the results “throw down the gauntlet to those progressive educators, myself included.”
“Educators who embrace seemingly more active approaches, like concept mapping,” he continued, “are challenged to devise outcome measures that can demonstrate the superiority of such constructivist approaches.”
I am impressed by the constructivist community realizing what a powerful study this is. I think this is an indication of what we will start to see as brain based learning studies increasingly show us what is happening biologically when we learn.
This NYTimes article does contain a link to the actual study but you need an account. The excerpts though and the responses by Gardner was very interesting
This NYTimes article does contain a link to the actual study but you need an account. The excerpts though and the responses by Gardner was very interesting. I will try to find access to the study in the library database
This NYTimes article does contain a link to the actual study but you need an account. The excerpts though and the responses by Gardner was very interesting. I will try to locate the study in the library database
One kind of cognitive task that can be offloaded to a computer is converting
text, symbols, and mathematical notations. These tools can support students who
have difficulty decoding text and symbols
Too often, special education students study mathematics by first learning
isolated skills. Then they apply these skills by solving narrowly defined math
problems that are purported to provide practice for these skills. Unfortunately,
this strategy often leads to the practice of rote procedural skills
students may have the mathematical knowledge and procedures they need but may be
unable to use them because they lack the conceptual understanding that allows
them to match their knowledge to the problem situation
Then I think about the etap course now. The teaching presence is so apparent. I see it from the professor in the way shes asks questions and my classmates in their posts. I listen to the exemplar courses interviews and think “wow, it must be interesting to be in that course!”
I don’t really care how students categorize me as a certain type or style of teacher. I want to know if I am a good teacher in terms of challenging students to obtain knowledge.
” yeah, Joan Erickson is not easy but she can get you to do really good work. And you know you are learning stuff in her class.”
I love my subject, but I have failed to utilize the human nature to my advantage. I forgot how powerful social interaction, motivation (how to engage), and the need to feel ownership can be in helping students learn.
Hi Joan (4) I have the same fear, I think they will be more slow that we expect, so we have to be patient, and encourage them to participate at first, and wait till they feel comfortable participating, but I hope it will work after a while!
Kind of like a wedding planner who walks through the empty reception hall and can foresee the problems with lighting, photography, food, and traffic pattern… I am the course designer, it is my job to minimize any possible glitches. It is my job to provide students with a doable and engaging learning environment.
I see more clear vision of myself as an educator. During this summer course I was confronted with questions that challenged my teaching practices. I started asking myself why I wouldn’t try to trust my students more, let them develop the social presence in the f2f class? What was the harm in that I wouldn’t even consider trying it?
I’ve finally made the connection between theory and application. I witnessed firsthand the benefit of social constructivism. It can be done. Our etap687 course is a living proof.
I understand myself better as a learner. This course pushed me to think honestly what I truly want to do.
Taking education courses is like a spring that feeds into my puddle, bringing fresh new perspectves and ideas. I needed it. It’s reshaped my outlook on teaching.
For weeks and weeks I was obsessed with making Jing videos, trying new communication tools.
have 2 weeks left. I want to make a difference. I CAN make a difference. I can use the web 2.0 applications as my allies. There is enough time for me to plan and implement changes in the f2f courses before school starts.
My reflecting puddle may seem small, because there is so much to learn and I’ve just begun. But my puddle is deeper and its water runs clearer now. Taking education courses is like a spring that feeds into my puddle, bringing fresh new perspectves and ideas. I needed it. It’s reshaped my outlook on teaching.
2 weeks ago I wrote my tagline on this blog as my “reflecting puddle”. I still think it’s a puddle; it is still small(but so much deeper!). I can recount the discoveries on this etap687 journey when I stare into the puddle. I see the following things:
’t believe we are coming to the end of this course. It wasn’t that long ago I was installing diigo toolbar, signing up for voice thread, and setting up this blog site.
Now the excitement of trying new tools has settled a bit. I start to think how technology tools will impact my teaching.
My self efficacy is low. Does it matter in the end? I only have two options: If I cant’ seem to do the work, I should leave the course. Or, I try with my darnedest effort, and see where I land.
Time to take a chance! I think I will have a lot to gain!
So this is what I’m gonna do: I will blog here periodically and document my journey in the Ed Psych course. Let’s see if I can be honest with myself. Learn because life in general is interesting and worth exploring, and I can’t capture all on my own. So I go to the experts and learn knowledge from them.
For weeks and weeks I was obsessed with making Jing videos, trying new communication tools. I thought WOW, these are the coolest things I’ve learned this summer! Now the excitement of trying new tools has settled a bit. I start to think how technology tools will impact my teaching. What other tasks should be let go in order to make room for the new things in my practice? What educational principles do I base on to justify the changes? What kind of measured learning outcomes and students’ perceived learning do I anticipate after the changes are implemented?
I added several communication tools. I want the students to feel that I want to talk to them. I want them to hear and see me. (again, teaching presence and social presence.)
Metacognitive experiences involve the use of metacognitive strategies or metacognitive regulation (Brown, 1987). Metacognitive strategies are sequential processes that one uses to control cognitive activities, and to ensure that a cognitive goal (e.g., understanding a text) has been met. These processes help to regulate and oversee learning, and consist of planning and monitoring cognitive activities, as well as checking the outcomes of those activities.
Self-questioning is a common metacognitive comprehension monitoring strategy. If she finds that she cannot answer her own questions, or that she does not understand the material discussed, she must then determine what needs to be done to ensure that she meets the cognitive goal of understanding the text.
Knowledge is considered to be metacognitive if it is actively used in a strategic manner to ensure that a goal is met. For example, a student may use knowledge in planning how to approach a math exam: "I know that I (person variable) have difficulty with word problems (task variable), so I will answer the computational problems first and save the word problems for last (strategy variable)." Simply possessing knowledge about one's cognitive strengths or weaknesses and the nature of the task without actively utilizing this information to oversee learning is not metacognitive.
Cognitive Strategy Instruction (CSI) is an instructional approach which emphasizes the development of thinking skills and processes as a means to enhance learning. The objective of CSI is to enable all students to become more strategic, self-reliant, flexible, and productive in their learning endeavors (Scheid, 1993). CSI is based on the assumption that there are identifiable cognitive strategies, previously believed to be utilized by only the best and the brightest students, which can be taught to most students (Halpern, 1996). Use of these strategies have been associated with successful learning (Borkowski, Carr, & Pressley, 1987; Garner, 1990).
Metacognition enables students to benefit from instruction (Carr, Kurtz, Schneider, Turner & Borkowski, 1989; Van Zile-Tamsen, 1996) and influences the use and maintenance of cognitive strategies.
Metacognition and Cognitive Strategy Instruction
The study of metacognition has provided educational psychologists with insight about the cognitive processes involved in learning and what differentiates successful students from their less successful peers. It also holds several implications for instructional interventions, such as teaching students how to be more aware of their learning processes and products as well as how to regulate those processes for more effective learning.
Metacognition refers to higher order thinking which involves active control over the cognitive processes engaged in learning. Activities such as planning how to approach a given learning task, monitoring comprehension, and evaluating progress toward the completion of a task are metacognitive in nature. Because metacognition plays a critical role in successful learning, it is important to study metacognitive activity and development to determine how students can be taught to better apply their cognitive resources through metacognitive control.
. Analysis of students' contributions revealed that there is a substantial evidence of collaboration, but that there are differences between conventional face-to-face instances of collaborative learning and what occurs in an asynchronous, networked environment.
Analysis of students' contributions revealed that there is a substantial evidence of collaboration, but that there are differences between conventional face-to-face instances of collaborative learning and what occurs in an asynchronous, networked environment.
Johnson & Johnson (1996) list the following major types of behaviors in collaborative learning situations:
* giving and receiving help and assistance;
* exchanging resources and information;
* explaining elaborating information;
* sharing existing knowledge with others;
* giving and receiving feedback;
* challenging others' contributions (cognitive conflict and controversy leading to negotiation
and resolution);
* advocating increased effort and perseverance among peers;
* engaging in small group skills;
* monitoring each others' efforts and contributions.
Analysis of students' contributions revealed that there is a substantial evidence of collaboration, but that there are differences between conventional face-to-face instances of collaborative learning and what occurs in an asynchronous, networked environment.
Johnson & Johnson (1996) list the following major types of behaviors in collaborative learning situations:
* giving and receiving help and assistance;
* exchanging resources and information;
* explaining elaborating information;
* sharing existing knowledge with others;
* giving and receiving feedback;
* challenging others' contributions (cognitive conflict and controversy leading to negotiation
and resolution);
* advocating increased effort and perseverance among peers;
* engaging in small group skills;
* monitoring each others' efforts and contributions.
the mode of sharing and the representation of knowledge as expressed by students are more important than the access to the distributed resources itself.
concept Shared cognition emphasises the mutual understanding of collaborators' perspectives and shared interpretations of the problem as an essential requirement of collaboration
very important that cooperating subjects acquire a common frame of reference to communicate their individual viewpoints
knowledge is arranged in networks with meaningful connections between nodes.
hared cognition is built upon the individual inputs in the collaborative process. Representing their cognitive structures and negotiating about the meaning of concepts, individuals reach a common vision on the problem.
Shared cognition at the same is the way a group contributes to "personal meaning" at the level of individual students
shared cognition is substantial for cognitive construction and reconstruction and that concept mapping is an effective tool for mediating computer-supported collaboration
orm in which knowledge is shared strongly influences the process of shaping, and shared cognition subsequently influences the effectiveness of collaborative learning
icate with other people. Regarded as an end,
it is underpinned by the pleasure that can be derived from understanding, knowledge and
discovery. That aspect of learning is typically enjoyed by researchers, but good teaching
can help everyone to enjoy it. Even if study for its own sake is a dying pursuit with so
much emphasis
giving students the tools, ideas
and reference methods which are the product of leading-edge science and the contemporary
paradigms.
Learning to know implies learning how to learn by developing one's
concentration, memory skills and ability to think
global “platform” that has vastly expanded access to all sorts of resources, including formal and informal educational materials. The Internet has also fostered a new culture of sharing, one in which content is freely contributed and distributed with few restrictions or costs.
Web 2.0, has blurred the line between producers and consumers of content
the Web 2.0 is creating a new kind of participatory medium that is ideal for supporting multiple modes of learning
social learning is based on the premise that our understanding of content is socially constructed through conversations about that content and through grounded interactions, especially with others, around problems or actions.
Some people say that if you are not participating in social media, then you "don't exist". I think it is interesting to see that idea brought up in an educational context.
We are entering a world in which we all will have to acquire new knowledge and skills on an almost continuous basis.
Students in these groups can ask questions to clarify areas of uncertainty or confusion, can improve their grasp of the material by hearing the answers to questions from fellow students, and perhaps most powerfully, can take on the role of teacher to help other group members benefit from their understanding (one of the best ways to learn something is, after all, to teach it to others).
I have been intrigued about the idea of just in time education. It would seem more authentic for students to learn skills or information as it is needed to complete some bigger task - perhaps in a problem based learning situation? This is definitely something I want to consider more.
thereby enabling a new kind of critical reading—almost a new form of literacy—that invites the reader to join in the consideration of what information is reliable and/or important
"thereby enabling a new kind of critical readingâ€"almost a new form of literacyâ€"that invites the reader to join in the consideration of what information is reliable and/or importan"
Joy! thank you for making your learning visible to me! I am awed and inspired by the depth of your insights!
So establishing teaching presence is what all the designers, Alex, and even I, am doing when we make decisions about the content of the course, the types of activities we want to include, the tools we would like to use, how we want to assess, how we provide channels for providing and managing feedback, how we want to induct students into the course, how we want to wrap up the course….Basically – everything!
From planning, to execution, to assessment, to revision. So this is why developing a course is an “iterative process”.
And nothing happens by chance. Everything happens by deliberate design. And I am seeing how this is happening.
People are important, so… (make decisions, plan activities, evaluate, discard, adapt, iterate, etc.)
Thinking is important, so ….(make decisions, plan activities, evaluate, discard, adapt, iterate, etc.)
Learning is important, so…..
Content knowledge is important, so…
Skills are important, so…
From this, I have learnt that it is perfectly fine to change your mind, as long as you have solid justification. This was also a useful reminder abot the importance of accurately matching the number of objectives with activities. A designer needs to avoid creating an objective that has no activity, and an activity with no objective, as can sometimes happen through oversight.
“You need to rethink lots of things, to be open to possibilities, opportunities to options, then you’re more likely to be successful,” says Alex.
This kind of openness does not happen as a matter of course. It has to begin with an awareness. This attitude of being open to possibilities, opportunities and options has to be actively worked upon.
I failed to understand this at first. So I found it perplexing that Alex would pursue what I thought was a trivial line of discussion. What do you think is not possible to teach and learn online? I volunteered several bright contributions. I was still unaware of the purpose of this apparently innocuous discussion.
Of course now I know better. That discussion was supposed to challenge a closed mind. Because with a closed mind, we render ourselves unable to be open to possibilities, opportunities to options. A closed mind works against innovation, progress, improvement, expansion. This is a new frontier, and therefore the stance which can reap untold benefits and leanings should be “Let’s explore!”
So the question we should be asking isn’t “What cannot be done?” but rather “How do I make this possible?”
thank you for this observation, joy! thank you for taking the bait and giving us all the opportunity to question our assumptions and to arrive at creativity, innovation and possibilities!! : )
I need to be open to possibilities, opportunities, to options. I must put aside my prejudices and temporarily suspend “logical thinking” in favor of creative thinking.
But we should never give up on the unwilling ones.
The best way to spark change is to let them attend an effective online course.
I am beginning to see how “developing a course is a transformative experience”.
I don’t think I can return to the classroom and teach anything the same way before.
Designing an online course has been, for me, a truly transformative experience. It has allowed me not only to reexamine, reformulate and reassess, but to also move forward to innovate and in some ways, to reinvent myself as a teacher.
I was therefore quite relieved Alex confirmed what I had feared. I was packing in too much. Even before even before Alex provided her completely justified feedback that my course was too packed (“for you Joy, less is more!”)
An online environment is different from a f2f setting. Being able to state it in a theoretical way is not the same as understanding it and translating it into practice. Of course I knew the theory. But when the time came for application in the design of the online course, my knowledge did not transfer well into practical application. This is one of the main problems when there is a failure of the student to successfully transfer learning, which is basically one of great challenges of teaching. So basically, what I did initially did was to replicate my f2f activities directly into my online classroom.
As I feared, and Alex confirmed, this large amount of group work puts a strain on the students and also poses too many logistic difficulties. Perhaps one or two group work activities might work, but not several in each module. It is unrealistic. So I have learnt, in a very concrete and hands-on way, that designing for my online classroom in this instance is different from designing for my face-to face classroom.
Once again, I am reminded that theory and practice need mutual reinforcement. Understanding the theory is one thing. Transferring the theoretical knowledge into action requires experience, reflection, and feedback from others.
thank you for making your thinking and learning visible to me!
Having experienced a wonderful sense of community, and seeing how it is done, I do feel that I have a fair idea of the basic ingredients that go into creating a sense of community. However, Alex has set a high, high standard, and I don’t know I have the energy to sustain the community building effort, even if I knew how to do it!
Yes!!! the value to me and to the others in the class is to be able to watch your process. we see how you think and refine and how your ideas change and evolve and that adds to our understanding of you and our own learning.
My present ideas never look like version 1! The result is that the ideas I
handed up in the proposed learning activities resemble very little of what I
actually have now
Oh Joy, I can relate! By the time Alex reads my submitted writing assignment, my actual course design has already morphed a few times. I've visited your course, it looks great! the activities you set up indicatethat you have high expectations for the participants!
wow, Confucious said that? I didn't even know, and I'm Chinese!
In short – let the students do the work. This is the best way to learn. This principle, I think, has been demonstrated in this course. And I intend to pursue it in my own course. I see the value of giving the students both structure and space.
One of the insights has to do with letting go as a teacher.
z, 'Colleges and universities ought to be concerned not
with how fast they can "put their courses on the Web" but with finding out how this technology can be used to
build and sustain learning communities' (1998, p. 7). Furthermore, the world's increasing dependence on lifelong
access to new knowledge is transforming the landscape of higher education and forcing the academy to rethink
virtually all of its systems and traditions (Rowly et al., 1998).
Criticalness - looking at the underlying assumptions, looking at theory base;
* Scholarship - quality of the writing/discourse community. Ability to use language to refer to other people
such as other scholars. Are we referencing each other? Are we learning from each other?;
* Connection to experiences - building on our learning from ideas and concepts gained from our experiences
as educators and learners; and
* Professionalism - acting professionally, using the correct grammar and contributing on time (Article No. 78)
My objectives in developing this course were twofold. Firstly, the aim was to promote interactions amongst learners
and to promote interactions between the learners and myself. Secondly, the aim was to create a student-centred
approach to learning where students could own their learning and feel a sense of responsibility towards their own
and the learning of others.
Using social constructivism as a referent for my teaching approach, I encouraged students to engage in peer
learning through focused discourse that was based on the theoretical ideas they read and shared with others. It
was made clear to the students that the unit, and in particular the Activity Room (as the hub of the unit), was
designed based on social constructivist theory to enhance opportunities for peer learning
Are you helping your peers to improve?
* How are you continuing/promoting the conversation? Conversation suggests a 'dialogue', a going back and
forth rather than merely a one-way-one-time posting.
When borne out in practice, social constructivism can be facilitated through activities that involve peer-learning,
reflective thinking and the joint construction of knowledge.
students also need induction on how to work on line. In particular, they need scaffolding in relation to
collaborative learning and reflective thinking, which are the more challenging, yet, elusive aspects of online
learning.
is needed is an approach that helps teachers learn how to choose, apply, evaluate and further develop different configurations of tools and artifacts - digital and otherwise - depending on their practice, their learners, the contexts they are in, and the nature of the subject they teach. If this sounds like teaching our teachers how to fish, it is. They should not be given a prescribed technology or the proverbial fish; instead, they must learn how to fish, or specifically to think through, critically choose or design and configure, learn and apply technologies that will best meet the teaching and learning needs that exist within their context. If this can be done, teachers can go beyond thinking of themselves as merely being passive consumers of technological tools and begin thinking of themselves as being designers or purposeful users of technology specifically to aid students' learning.
Koehler and Mishra (2007) explained that good teaching with technology for a given content is complex and multidimensional. It requires a nuanced understanding of how a combination of certain technologies and pedagogical technique can make learning of a particular content area more meaningful.
Key design considerations for creating activities and conditions tofacilitate socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation
Socialisation and externalisation largely manifested in the form of class discussions and out of class group discussions. Both externalisation and combination can be seen in the wiki based e-book project and higher stakes presentation at the end of the course. Internalisation was stimulated in the implementation and oral reflections in class, and the reflections they were writing for the course.
learners construct knowledge for themselves---each learner individually (and socially) constructs meaning---as he or she learns. 3 Constructing meaning is learning; there is no other kind. The dramatic consequences of this view are twofold;
1) we have to focus on the learner in thinking about learning (not on the subject/lesson to be taught):
2) There is no knowledge independent of the meaning attributed to experience (constructed) by the learner, or community of learners
Distance, Disability and the Commodification of Education: Web accessibility and the construction of knowledge. Research on different aspects of web accessibility for students with disability.