The purpose of this set of learning resources is to help students:
explore the educational uses of Web 2.0 tools and services;
familiarise themselves with a range of useful applications for study-related purposes;
highlight good practice in the use of social software and the internet, in general.
"Southern Miss decided to investigate the feasibility of adding a tool to our current Learning Management System, Blackboard, that would increase opportunities for student-to-instructor and student-to-student interaction. After auditioning applications from several different companies, Southern Miss decided that Wimba Classroom was the best fit for the goals and objectives it had set out to achieve. "
This interdisciplinary journal focuses on the exchange of relevant trends and research results and presents practical experiences gained while developing and testing elements of technology enhanced learning.
It bridges the gap between pure academic research journals and more practical publications. So it covers the full range from research, application development to experience reports and product descriptions.
These kinds of designs are excellent for learning discrete bits of information, practicing simple and basic behaviors, building complex psychomotor skills, and learning to use applications or processes that require a narrow, prescriptive approach
instruction that attempts to control the learner’s responses and environment
acquisition
learning goal is enculturation
Enculturation results from interactions among people, objects, and culture in a collective effort to solve problems, create products, or perform service
Carrying on a dialogue tells the student that she/he is an equal member of the community.
applicable to their needs when they need them, motivating learning
This convergence of tools, practice, and theory enables teachers and students to discuss, plan, create, and implement unique strategies for providing instruction within a unique environment.
enablers
Learners are collaborators in the learning process and have an equal role in setting goals.
They make most of the decisions related to what to learn, how to study, and which resources to use.
Teachers pass on information to the learner. The clearer the information the more the learner will acquire.
Evaluation is a critical strategy within traditional learning environments
Teachers focus on interacting at a metacognitive level with the learners. They help students analyze their learning deficits through questioning.
Insufficient learning or failure
Tools enable learners to contribute to the community.
learners who want to learn what they need as fast as they can to apply within their community of practice
Tools are not objects of instruction.
Scott Grabinger
Instructional Design for Sociocultural Learning Environments
Moodle site that explains some of the Web 2.0 tools and their applications in teaching and learning. Aimed at school teachers but a nice summary of some of the tools out there.
"The Quality Matters Rubric is a set of 8 general standards and 41 specific standards used to evaluate the design of online and blended courses. The Rubric is complete with annotations that explain the application of the standards and the relationship among them. A scoring system and set of online tools facilitate the evaluation by a team of reviewers."
At the heart of mathematics are a set of connected thinking dispositions. The mathematician uses these dispositions as the cognitive tools of their trade. While the traditional imagining of mathematics might be all about the accurate application of well-rehearsed algorithms and processes, in the real world of mathematics, it is all about the thinking. As we consider what our students need from their mathematical education, we should not overlook the importance of these dispositions.