Group items tagged

"The authors' goal in this paper is to initiate a dialogue among educators who continue to make assertions about the usefulness of identifying students' learning styles with little or no research support. They discuss the status of learning style instruction and the unsubstantiated claims made by authors of learning style instruments and by instructors. They explore a number of key questions: (1) Are learning style instruments valid and reliable?; (2) Do students benefit when the type of instruction matches their preferred learning style?; and (3) More specifically, is there evidence that understanding one's learning style improves concentration, memory, self-confidence, and reduces anxiety, and leads to better grades? They conclude that learning style instruments have not been shown to be valid and reliable, there is no benefit to matching instruction to preferred learning style, and there is no evidence that understanding one's learning style improves learning and its related outcomes. They urge instructors to reconsider their instructional practices, especially the advice they give students about learning styles, and base their practices on sound research."

This was a well written article with a definite point--the answering of the authors' questions about the efficacy of using learning styles as an indicator of increased learning and performance. I agree with their assertion that research does not support continued concentration on LS as teachers design their instructional tasks. What I do know from my own experience, though, is that the teacher needs to invest a major portion of his/her time in learning how their particular students learn best, employing strategies that get at the meat of the subject for each student. I have a very simplistic motto that I use in my life and in my work: "It works best when it works". On the surface, these words mean absolutely nothing, but with a deeper probe, they are pretty profound. A highly capable high school student and graduate of Cal Tech that I worked with many years ago, coined this phrase. It was perfect then and still applies today.

I thought this short video might be of interest concerning technology integration into instruction and learning. The Marzano study was data that reflected what we see in classrooms.

With minimal investigation of this (i.e., didn't read his actual study), his work has generated dialog and interesting points. His research, as I understand it, measured the impact of the IWB (interactive white board) in learning enviornment. The result being that it made a positive impact. Whether the research results are accurate or not in this study (which were questioned in the link Jennifer provided), the point Marzano makes in the video - that technology is here and we need to learn and can teach more effectively with it - seems obvious to me. In fact, regardless of white board technology, just the use of eBooks, minimizing the weight of books students often carry with them, is positive.

Agreed. And I think it's an important skill to be able to apply a video like this to your own context, and extract the pieces that are relevant.

I shared Ann's Google Doc (without asking first, shame on me!) with others, and some folks from the VLC research lab thought it was cool and asked if they could share it with the team. They're looking for the same kind of info Ann's seeking in her document.

"For years, in our schools, teachers have told students that school is preparation for real life - a statement that divorced the meaning of school from the lives kids led in that moment. With the research, creation and networking tools at our disposal, we have the ability to help students see that the lives they lead now have meaning and value, and that school can be a vital and vibrant part of that meaning. We can help students to see the powerful humanity that exists both within them and all around them. And technology can be an essential piece of how we teach and learn about that. "

Joy, good point. The internet allows for international connectivedness that wasn't possible before.

I think we will be hearing more about this in 1-3 years Ann.

The emphasis of this article, is that we can get in information overload, which impacts the verasity of the data we get. He discusses deliberate biases in websites and the need for us to use filters in the information we receive. To me, it is not just the information we receive, but how we ask the question. Using a different search engine or how a question is phrased can often provide a different answer. When I am trying to research something, I often will not only read the first couple of references, but randomly go to a later page and some of the references there.

Library science has definitely evolved from the time of index cards and Dewey decimel system, as the only real tools we had to find information and books required physical interaction with the printed page. It is great to have access to more data, but makes filtering more challenging. I personally, still like reading words from the printed page, but find that I do much of my reading/getting information via the web or in some type of visual form. I think the ebook products are just the start. I do look forward (and I know it is beginning) when text books for our students will be primarily electronic and they don't have carry around such heavy bookbags. Also, as a new BC student, thanks for letting me about Books 24/7 and Bruce, your comment, about how the librarians are starting to use electonic means for "crap detection" in electronic media is good.

Just saw this posted by the Cybrarian who supports our MEDIT students. http://library2.norwich.edu/library/findingonlinebooks

I found this site while researching this week's topics. I explored the site and watched the demo video, however, I could not find out how much this application costs. I do see how this could be a great tool to use for research papers, essays, all written assignments.

I saw a quote to a university that was over 50K.

We have several secondary schools using it and they like it very much. It is a subscription cost per school but as thePO doesn't come through my office I am not sure how much it is. It probably varies by size of school.

I can't wait to see what you come up with for this. Actually, I wish we had time for all of us to create a full course. There are such interesting topics coming up!

I liked the term "research team" - says it all about collaboration!

Mary Ann, You really have a lot of great visual material to pull from to create your science safari of the Galapagos. Have you thought about incorporating any satellite and other ground level images of these islands from Google Earth?

Another review on Turkle's "Alone Together."

OMG...how totally eerie. How predictive! Amazing, thanks for sharing that Bruce.

The "cultural rachet effect" was particularly interesting to me. (For grown-ups, learning a new skill is painful, attention-demanding, and slow. Children learn unconsciously and effortlessly. Because of this, each new generation rapidly acquires all the accumulated innovations of the past without even knowing it. ) It becomes the new "normal", so rather than the computer, for example, being something new, its integrated as part of lives. It changes our footprint in the world and, therefore, the world.

I have added my page on Wikispace. I have a video I want my learners to view. I have asked them to research the topic and present their blogs, videos and etc.,in Diigo. I have asked them to discuss this Module's question on the need or not for a Silver College similiar to the one in Japan for aging Japanese people. Japan is one step ahead of the U.S. in trying to deal with the many issues and needs of their aging population. Grading or assessment will be determined by the quality of the participation and discussion in Diigo. The Module discussion would be set up to continue for one week and is 25% of that Module's grade. The idea is not to grade the students but to encourage them to research the topic and bring to the discussion some ideas as to whether this is a useful idea or not if applied to the Senior population in America. I will be writing a blog regarding this lesson as well. I have not finished it yet.

Joy, I really like the way you set up the assignment related to the short film on how Japan is gaining huge benefits by engaging its senior population. When you think about it, this enlightened Japanese view to making good used of aging citizens isn't controversial at all. Farming retired folks out to finish their lives out in disconnected retirement homes seems so backward, and poorly planned. We should be gathering together all of that life experience through good design, and putting it to good use!

I hear you Bruce!

An interesting blog post about a change in how we manage online courses and research at an institution.

I like the way he reasoned that you have to change the assessment of these classes and this in turn changes the classes and the time frame as well.

I must admit that I don't really have a good definition of what LMS means to the author. He refers to learning environments and gives the "follow the teacher" example, so I'll assume he means personalized elearning, but I would have preferred that he provided a definition. Anyway, I agree to have to change the assessment, as well as the expectations for the teacher. It would be a challenge for the teacher to keep up with many students, but probably also provide him or her some additional insights to his/her work.

Teaching on-line or in a classroom requires the ability to ask good questions. I found this article to be useful--I hope you will too.

I'm not opposed to a final project that involves students re-developing this course. It could even be a group project. (But I'd probably want to write about you and brag about you all to my friends!)

I posted Bloom's Taxonomy, which is a guideline for how people learn and how education should be targetted to that model. It is similiar to the types of questioning one does to reflect where we are in the learning process. I think the same is true of our course. We all seem to have through experience and past coursework some basic knowledge of on-line teaching and learning. My preference, I think, would be to have answers/discussion to some of the questions that are coming up, not just a list.

In today's Seattle Times, A3 section - interesting article which followed over 2,000 US students from 2005 to 2009. 45% made no significant improvements in their critical thinking, reasoning or writing skills during first 2 years of study. After completing 4 years, 36 % showed no significant gains in "higher order" thinking skills. Article also states some contributing factors, many students work part-time, however, most students only spent 1/5 time on their studies and 51% on socializing & extra-curricular. I have a strong hunch the internet is a big contributor to the socializing factor. When I read such statistics, it makes me ponder if on-line learning can truly change this social/educational trend. I am enjoying many readings on the diigo, both from Jennifer and others, however, I'm not sure I would design an on-line class which designated a considerable amt. of time to short readings and discussions. Your thoughts on this?

I too found the article interesting - thanks! I do wonder about the types of classes students completed especially in their first two years. The might be a marked difference in skills acquisition if students were completing many required large class survey classes to meet initial requirements vs. small, more focused classes in their areas of interest.

I am still trying to get the picture of "slogging" through studies! Is that what I am doing when reading all this material in Diigo? I don't think so.

I started a thread in the student discussion area, but realize that this might be a more appropriate place to post. I agree with Downes that the on-line environment broadens the view of what a learner is, but it also brings up the issue of standardization and safety. Students working with a teacher on polar bears collaboratively is engaging and exciting, but how does this fit into education standards, for example.

I think part of the challenge is in overcoming ego, or our desire to confirm our own beliefs and stay in our comfort zones. Maybe we need to give students assignments to write about something completely off the wall, but find the sources to back it up. Then they can see how easy it is to confirm just about anything. I'll add some more resources on media literacy and see what everyone thinks.

I think confirming beliefs is wrong. If you start with a hypothsis and do not know what the answer will turn out to be, you can set aside your biases and research for an answer. Stats give you a way of looking at data. They are testable at the ratio level and the big T for truth never happens. Only the small t for the strength of the correlation between cause and effect.

"Professor Daniel Willingham describes research showing that learning styles are a myth." Interested in your thoughts on this...

I agree that you don't have to adjust your learning style for each student; because if I just speak for myself, I learn from all three. I read, listen and set out to do a task. If I have a question I go to the source or instructor for clarification. If that is not available, I look for other sources of information that might help.

I've seen this video before -- this summer when we were discussing learning theories. What makes it more interesting this go round is what I read in the Wiggins textbook about understanding...can they apply what they understand. Willingham clearly states we need to foucs on meaning rather than the audio/viisual learning style. Also, he makes the point about the use of a good analogy to help the student 'understand'...ties in with the metaphor activity.

This is an overview of a guideline for how learning occurs and how as teachers we can focus our lessons to this guideline. It is relevant in on-line education, as the on-line environment allows us to have different modes to provide information to our students. We can utilize everything from video to chat rooms.

Ann, do you have any tools or taxonomies that have helped you develop those questioning skills? And have you got any experience using the SOLO taxonomy?

I have not had experience with SOLO - Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes - but from the bit of investigation I have done, it is similiar to Bloom's in that it is based upon the notion that a studen'ts ability to grasp more abstract concepts, is based on more fundamental understandings and that you need to make sure you are not too advanced for where the student is. It reminds me of Piaget's concept that you can only learn something that is slightly more advanced than where you are (my paraphrase). As for my experience with help in developing questioning skills, which I feel is an excellent example of elearning, is that my company had us first take an interactive tutorial on Bloom's taxonomy. The "final" was taking a math problem and providing questions for each level of the taxonomy. We posted this on a dedicated discussion, with the teacher providing her response for everyone to see and learn from. We have since started another topic where teacher can post specific questions they are using and have tried and this will eventually be collected into a reference document. For example, one idea that was shared was that you after you have tested your student on a fundamental, you can ask them to give you a problem. My experience is that I often get back something I didn't expect. Like if adding decimels, they will return with a problem that might be in the millionths rather than the tenths. What I found most useful was not these specifics or having a question for each level, as much as the consciousness raising it did for me to think more creatively in helping the students. I have found that an elearning platform is very helpful in this regard. For example, they might take a lesson on adding or subtracting fractions and another on adding or subtracting decimels. I will then give them a problem in adding both - example - 1/2 + .25 = . By having an interactive whiteboard I can see how they convert the fraction to a decimal to add them and offer guidan

This is a research article where the authors studied classroom teachers who were required to convert to on-line learning. Some of the results I found interesting, was how the teachers who taught in traditional classrooms had challenges in re-structuring the information - primarily in the area of control information flow. More assessments, for example, had to be added. There is also a discussion of increased workload by the instructors and how this was a variable in the enthusiasm of the teacher's embracing the technologin.

The amount of time is always a big shock. And most of the time, it's difficult to get administration to understand that. It's something faculty unions are definitely taking into consideration with contract negotiations. I read this book a few years ago http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0787987700.html and while it has some good ideas and information, I think they were also providing a huge stipend for redevelopment of courses.

Just click and play. If you want to know what kinds of skills your students need and will be using in just 5 years from now, it may be important to follow futurists and developing technology...for instance, holograms and touchable holograms which will certainly benefit medical students. I had the experience of a robotic operation using the De Vinci robot. Only a handful of doctors were able to operate this way. Mine was a prof at UW, a respected researcher with Fred Hutch and a practicing surgeon with Swedish. Swedish was, at the time, the only hospital with that capability. He sat at a computer...several feet away and operated by looking at the computer.

P.S. It was major sugery and I was sent home the next day. I was back to work in less that two weekends and one work week!

Another Professor from my Alma Mater, the Unversity of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He is a professor of Political Science.Taken from his blog the follow excerpt: "He received his Ph.D. from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in 2003. He currently teaches introductory politics, international politics, and a U.S. Foreign Policy course at Steven's Point through the Collaborative Degree Program. His current research focuses on how the U.S. military has adapted strategies and tactics in stability and reconstruction operations. Contact Eric at: egiordan@uwc.edu" We both are Political Science majors with an interest in Law and Diplomacy and the U.S. Military.

I love reading reflections on implementing new strategies in teaching and learning. That's one of the best things about posting your reflections online. You never know when someone will find you and feel connected, or at least less alone!

This is from last year, but it's got some important considerations in it. You've got to watch it until the end to get the full message, though.

The observation in this video is quite powerful. We have always been motivated by incentives, but the internet and technology has taken this to a new level. Small incentives can become big ones. We've always behaved this way - like coupons for food - a few cents makes a different buying decision. However, his discussion on how egames have become a major financial source for Facebook and the virtual world is replacing the "authentic" world shows how technology is transformational. The point - about how everything we do is being recorded and kept - and will this change how we behave is true.

I haven't had time to read it yet, but it's an important read for me each year.