Learning Sciences

We can take a look at this paper to learn about Learning Analytics applications in higher education

This article contrasts and compares analytic approaches to common problems at two comparable institutions. In keeping with this intent, it features complementary sets of issues focusing on recruitment and related issues at UMES and retention at BSU. UMES does extend its efforts into student retention, though the details are not explicated in the article. Additionally, UMES is implementing the retention-focused aspects of Starfish Early Alert as BSU has done. Still, there are differences in approach: UMES relies primarily on the flag-centered model, while BSU relies on the student-centered model for interventions. Both institutions have integrated commercial products for data collection, analysis, and response, but BSU has invested in a locally developed analytic engine, while UMES has repurposed an investment in Microsoft's Performance Point to support collection and analysis. Use of analytics in support of student retention and success is increasingly strategic to UMES and BSU. In an effort to improve access to higher education for minority and economically disadvantaged students, who often have educational deficiencies, both universities have reached out to many at-risk students. The institutions feel an obligation to assure that these students succeed. Analytics provides an important, and previously underutilized, tool set for the institutions to achieve this. These issues are increasingly common in higher education, and the approaches taken should be broadly applicable.

Learning analytics aims to enable teachers and institutions to tailor education to the needs and abilities of individual students. It does so by analysing a wide range of data, such as how students do in completing assignments and taking exams, their online social interactions, extracurricular activities and posts on discussion forums, for example. The beneficiaries are not just students; these technologies could be used to assess curricula and pedagogy, as well.

This news is about the ethical issues that may arise by learning analytics practices. A software program called Course Signals tracks various pieces of information, including the number of points earned in the course and the amount of time the student has spent logged in to the college's software platform. When students at Purdue University are reading their homework assignments, sometimes the assignments are reading them too. Our assignments are reading us. Should we be warned before the course begins? What do you think?

Guess what I found on the internet. There is an open course on Michigan university about practical learning analytics. Lets be classmates again.. :) Practical Learning Analytics from University of Michigan. Everyone in education has questions - Practical Learning Analytics is about answering them. To be practical, we'll focus on data every university records; to keep things interesting, we'll examine questions raised by many audiences; to ensure impact, we'll provide realistic data and example code.

This video is good summary of SLT and it also mentions the strengths and weakness of SLT.

This is a very nice video about situated learning in mathematics. as i understood, the professor advocates that the more important thing is how you give a context rather than just saying what it is. Moreover, using of context of land, areas, puzzles or folk stories make students learn better. Thus, she mentioned that they prepare the books used in primary or elementary classes in terms of these characteristics, and since they do not have a national curriculum, every state makes its own national curriculum. SOme of the schools adapt to some extent and translate them. What about our country? Is it possible to redevelop the curricula in terms of different regions of our country? How should we make it?

This is a nice little newsletter that mentions some characteristics of situated learning. Some resources on situated learning and its usage in learning environments are offered !

Firstly, it was a nice source to read, thanks for sharing it. I agree with you time concerns, teacher and student charateristics are prominent to implement the principles of situated learning in practice. It is really difficult to create authentic learning environment in our classes under the stess of keeping up with the curriculum which is based on traditional theories of learning. Thus, it is the work of the curriculum specialists to revise the curricula to be more in line with the improvements in the field of learning sciences.

There is a case study which I really advise you to look at it. It is about a political course in which they took a government's problem about content and design of websites. He says "given all the considerations at work in municipal government, the students will decide how the power of the web can best be brought to bear on making government work better."

This video is similar to Sibel's but there are some different examples. Here are some interesting points; Jean Lave argues that situated learning does not need to be authentic always because there is algebra. Also she says that the situation must have cognitive complexity. She points that social networks can be used to enable learning environment.

The video is generally about what is situated learning theory, how it is occurred, what is the Community of Practice and its structural elements. In the video, it is explained that Lave and Wenger observed different populations that learning takes place in social situations with other people thus the situated learning theory was born.

What is the Situated Learning Theory? Situated learning, simply put, is learning that takes place in the same context in which it is applied. It was first proposed by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger as a model of learning in among group of people who share a craft and/or a profession, i.e., a community of practice.The basic tenet of the theory is that abstract knowledge usually given in the classroom is harder to retain.

Situated cognition theory

I like this website; it gives the connection between situated learning and current educational necessities like modeling, scaffolding. In the class, these are expected from us and it really helps students visualize the target point. Thank you for sharing it with us.

A short funny video about situated learning. A teacher takes students to the supermarket so that they naturally learn basic subtraction in Math.

When I read about situated cognition, I saw that cognitive constructivism, social constructivism and situated cognition are the same in manner that all reject objectivist point of view to teaching. However, since they are three different theories, I wonder what makes them different from each other.  I encountered this article in which differences are well emphasized. According to the article: Cognitive constructivism says that people learn by building on their previous experiences with the environment. Since individuals have different history of experiences, same type of didactic teaching is not effective. Cognitive constructivism focuses on mainly individual. Social constructivism purports that knowledge are co-constructed by members of groups from different cultural backgrounds and learning environments should foster collaborative learning. Social constructivism mainly focuses on groups rather than individuals. Situated cognition, on the other hand, suggests that regardless of the fact that concepts are handled as individuals or as groups, if those concepts are not taught within their actual-natural context, learning of those concepts are meaningless and inert. Situated cognition mainly focuses on the context.

The curriculum of Concordia Language Villages immersion programs distinguishes itself by being designed on the following precepts. Students participate in a grand simulation that creates a purposeful 24/7 environment where participants engage in a community of learners. This setting, centered around community-based learning, creates a focused and supportive environment that facilitates learning from peers and mentors alike.

Here is a website telling about communities of practice, situated learning and legitimate peripheral participation. You can check for an overview about situated learning.

"Many of the ways we have of talking about learning and education are based on the assumption that learning is something that individuals do". This is a really nice article that outlines the theory and its applications and some issues related to situated learning theory are pointed out.

When situated learning theory (SLT) is investigated, it can be seen that most of the articles or documents mention learning by doing within an actual context. The first thing that comes to mind is the real world environment while someone mentions the SLT. What if we want to form a "legitimate peripheral participation" environment to learn a concept by the boundaries of online platforms? How can we design online platforms by using situated learning theory?

"Participation Learning becomes a social process dependent upon transactions with others. Learning is not separated from the world of action but exists in robust, complex, social environments made up of actors, actions, and situations. How to incorporate participation in online learning? *Create discussion boards to enable students to reflect socially *Encourage engagement in discussions and issues presented *Require students to present/defend their arguments in forums, discussion groups, bulletin boards *Encourage students to engage in critical reflection with other *Instructors should continually assess the growth of the student, and let the student know " These are the principles applied in our 542 course. We are experiencing situated cognition in progress.

A case study in situated learning

The first problem is defined by Dan Lortie in The Apprenticeship of Observations (1975) as being acquainted with the task of teaching.The professor on the video emphasizes that in the countries where immagrants are most successful, teachers spend 50% of their work planning lessons, observing other classes and negotiating about the lessons. She also touches the problem of 'Toxic Environment' of schools for teachers where they gossip about their students and colleagues. She gives a successful school example in which professional development is a part of school culture. Can you list additional problems for teacher expertise faced in schools?

Although sharing ideas and instances about the classroom hours and students can be accepted as components of adult learning for teachers, gossiping about them can be a real barrier to develop on those areas. In my teaching experience, we prohibited the conversations about the negative issues happened in the school.

Even if someone would be an expert, the things that he can do have a boundary. Do not expect impossible thing from experts. this video is a good example for this.