Assessment task 1 - Learning design brief

Designing learning with technology which effectively engages the emerging generation of 21st century learners and facilitates achieving the desired learning outcomes is a complex task.  Knowledge of learners, content, technology capabilities and compatibilities is essential.  My involvement with e-learning has provided me with information regarding learning design.  What I have learnt so far and some of the  considerations I will make when designing learning with technologies is explained further.

The ability to profile individual learners is an essential tool for every educator.  Fetaji and Fetaji (2009) state that "Assessing and knowing the learning audience is crucial in order to know whom to support."  Understanding how your learners learn, will form the framework for designing lesson plans that incorporate pedagogical practices to achieve the desired learning outcomes.  Knowledge of curriculum, where your learners are and where they need to get to is also essential.  Fetaji and Fetaji (2009) also state that "Instructional design can help to focus on using the appropriate format and tools for the appropriate learning objectives."  There are three basic learning theories, comprising of behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism.  Behaviorism is based on changes of behavior that can be observed.  Cognitivism aims to explain the way we think, learn and behave.  Constructivism however, suggests that an individuals perspectives of the world are derived from the individuals own experiences.  Fetaji and Fetaji (2009) suggest "Instructional design has gained significant prominence in e-learning for a number of compelling reasons."  Instructional design can potentially require evaluation of not only the learners experiences but the learners outcomes as well.  Learning theories such as Bloom' taxonomy, engagement theory and TPACK also form the basis for most learning design as they provide a good structure for planning to effectively progress students learning.  Lambert and Brewer (2007) stated "The current premise of learning design theory is that it can describe both individual and collaborative learning tasks, and that it allows for sequences of events to be described, captured, stored, discovered, shared, re-used and adapted."  21st century learners are a new generation whose constructed reality has been made involving technology from birth.  Planning learning for these learners should involve engagement in technology during selected planned activities as it is part of their everyday lives.

Engaging learners in online e-learning activities provides multiple learning experiences and outcomes for a diverse group of learners with significantly different multiple intelligence profiles.  Having an understanding of the learners styles, will help shape the scaffolding requirements in e-learning projects.  Fetaji and Fetaji (2009) stated "Assessing what the learner audience faces as barriers is crucial in achieving effective e-learning."  e-Learning activities are a good way to involve learners in constructivist and connectivism learning theories and provide authentic learning experiences they can utilise outside of the learning environment.  Online e-learning technologies can enhance critical thinking.  Wiki activities encourage online interaction and collaboration.  Mandernach (2006) suggested "Wikis support critical thinking activities such as brainstorming, collaborative experiments and teaching network literacy."  The profile wiki was a good starting place for myself as it introduced me to the technology and allowed for the beginning of social and educational collaboration.  Wiki activities can be designed to allow for small group work or individual work to be collaborated in an activity.  Jahng, Nielsen and Chan (2010) concluded in their study that "Generally, students participated more equally in small group discussion than in whole group discussions."  In my experience I saw some participants who did not contribute to the wikis.  This would need to be considered when designing e-learning activities to ensure that all students participate so they can experience the benefits of collaborative learning and apply critical thinking techniques.  Blogging activities are another online technology which supports critical thinking but also creates more of a sense of personal ownership.  Mandernach (2006) states "Blogs encourage critical thinking through the encouragement of self-reflection, sharing of the learning process and peer-review."  I believe my learning opportunities were enriched by documenting each step, putting it all together and then reflecting to understand the real lesson of the task.  Without this documentation I may not have achieved the level of critical thinking that was reached.

Collaborative learning environments support higher order thinking skills as individual participants can contribute their ideas to the larger collaborative.  Participants who engage with the information formed by the larger collaborative have the opportunity to examine diverse perspectives, potentially leading to changes in their own thinking and knowledge and this can increase interest in the information and improve learning outcomes.  Rosen and Rimor (2009) stated "The emphasis in collaborative knowledge building is on developing shared objects and collaborative advancement of conceptual artifacts."  The ability of participants to create social networks as well as educational networks is important to facilitate ongoing learning.  Collaborative environments as those described can also potentially help to improve social connections for students who may lack skills in this area through developing common interests.

Reflective journaling gives the participants the ability to put into their own words what they have learnt and achieved.  It serves as an on going record which can be referred upon in future learning.  Watson (2010) wrote "Reflection involves logical problem solving processes, emotion, intuition and passion.  The reflective journal is not merely a log or diary of events, instead it focuses on specific topics that lead to further understanding and conceptualisation."  Sharing of reflective journals in an online environment provides opportunities to learn from others experiences and provide ongoing support.  Individuals who struggle with privacy may have barriers with this type of task and extra support or knowledge may be required if this is to be pursued.  I have found benefits from using reflective journaling and I understand the importance of using reflection in our careers as teachers to critically analyse our delivery of lesson plans, to improve our pedagogy practices and students outcomes.

In every group of learners, the individuals will all have different and varying multiple intelligences strengths and weaknesses as well as learning styles.  The task of getting all of the participants to reach the individual desired learning outcomes can be a challenge.  For this reason, sufficient scaffolding which functions across the varied learning styles including auditory, visual and kinaesthetic is essential to success.  Stewart, MacIntyre, Galea and Steel (2007) suggest "Scaffolding is a mechanism for helping learners extend their learning into more complex or unknown areas of knowledge and knowledge application (such as real-life problems)."  Scaffolding can support learners as they progress and can be reduced as the skill and knowledge levels grow.  Starting with small group work before moving to larger groups is an example of scaffolding as is introducing new technologies one at a time with instruction (text and audio/video), and requiring minimal abilities in the beginning, then moving on to more complicated multimedia tasks.  I found the scaffolding provided supported me to gain the knowledge and skills required to perform new tasks which helped me to achieve the learning goals and gave me confidence to move on to increasingly challenging activities.  It is also imperative that knowledge content is presented using techniques that will achieve the learning outcomes.  Modern technology is not necessarily the best way to present all information and should not be overused or used just because.  The learning outcomes should always be the priority.  I am also not highly skilled with some technologies and would therefore need to consider who I could use to support me in my use of technology in the classroom before instigating their use.

In conclusion, there are numerous considerations and elements involved with designing learning involving technologies.  Assessment of learners to find the areas of support required is essential.  Knowledge of where your learners are and where they need to get to is vital.  Providing scaffolding to allow learners to achieve success within activities will provide positive experiences, essential to ongoing learning.  Engaging learners in constructive and connective learning opportunities will support transitioning from lower order thinking to higher order thinking.  Through online e spaces it is possible for them to learn the power of collaborative thinking.  Reflective journaling can be an effective tool to promote critical thinking as well.  As critical thinking is one of the main aims of learning, we must find creative ways to include this in planning learning, for the learners of today.

References

Fetaji, B., & Fetaji,M. (2009).  e-Learning Indicators:  a Multi-Dimensional Model for Planning and Evaluating e-Learning Software Solutions.  Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 7(2), 1-28.

Jahng, N., Nielsen, W., & Chan, E.  (2010).  Collaborative Learning in an Online Course:  A Comparison of Communication Patterns in Small and Whole Group Activities.  Journal of Distance Education, 24(2), 39-58.

Lambert, S., & Brewer, C.  (2007).  1st, 2nd and 3rd Generation Implementation of an

eLearning Design:  Re-use from Postgraduate Law to Block/online Engineering
Course.   Journal of Learning Design, 2(2), 70-82.

Mandernach, B.  (2006).  Thinking Critically about Critical Thinking:  Integrating Online Tools to Promote Critical Thinking.  InSight:  A Collection of Faculty Scholarship, 1, 41-50.

Rosen, Y., & Rimor, R.  (2009).  Using a Collaborative Database to Enhance Students'

Knowledge Construction.  Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects,

5, 187-195.

Stewart, M., MacIntyre, R., Galea, V., & Steel, C.  (2007).  Enhancing Problem-Based Learning Designs with a Single E-Learning Scaffolding Tool:  Two case studies using Challenge FRAP.  Interactive Learning Environments, 15(1), 77-91.

Watson, D.  (2010).  Teaching Teachers To Think:  Reflective Journaling As A Strategy To Enhance Students' Understanding And Practice Of Academic Writing.  Journal of

College Teaching & Learning, 7(12), 11-18.

Reflecting on using a Blog as a journal

Well this is definitely a very new experience for me.  I have never participated in online technology in this way before.  I did not initially like the idea of putting my thoughts out there along with information relating to my learning style and multiple intelligences but, I warmed to the idea.  As I approach the end of this initial blogging task, I have come to understand why certain things have been done and why we were asked to contribute the information that we have.  Putting down in our own words what we understand and the process of getting to that point has helped me to critically analyses just what actually has been achieved, both individually and collaboratively. 

I have behaved as requested, extended my knowledge, contributed to discussions, constructed this very blog and experienced an authentic learning outcome.  Without this blog, my learning journey would not be documented and I may not have been able to reach some of the conclusions I have come to because, I would not have been forced to examine and experience them for myself.  Without fully participating, you will miss out on just what this experience has to offer.  This is a powerful tool as it leads to the light bulb moments...uuhhh huh!!!  I like those moments.  This would be a great tool to use with students as you can follow their learning and their thoughts are made transparent............... .as are my very own right here.

SWOT Analysis of a Blog.

Strengths

Allows for the collaboration of information.
Makes thinking transparent.
Involves engaging with technology.
Provides a medium for personal online space.
Enables users to easily reflect on previous learning.

Weaknesses

May not appeal to all students.
Requires computer and internet access to use.
Would require more time and planning to implement due to ethical reasons.

Opportunities

Allows for development of skills involving technologies.
May improve social circumstances as users develop common interests.
May allow users to connect with people outside of in-house educational setting.

Threats

Safety of students who share personal ideas or experiences.
May face barriers from parents who will not give consent for children to  participate.

Reflecting on the purpose of a wiki

I have discussed in a previous blog entry that a wiki is an accessible website which allows the users to create and edit web pages which can include hyperlinks, allowing individuals to create their own space amongst a larger collaborative group.  The information can be easily accessed, updated and edited by all participants.  A wiki is an online tool which allows numerous participants to contribute to a topic which creates a collaborative learning environment.  Collaboration is an important aspect of learning as the benefits of being able to see the thoughts and ideas of others, can give the participants the opportunity to view information from other perspectives.  Collaborative learning also opens the door for networking to occur among participants.  Networking is vital to ongoing educational opportunities. 

 While I was a little hesitant at the start, I came to see the benefit of being able to easily access a compilation of different ideas and opinions on the same material I was also investigation independently.  I definitely see the benefit to using a wiki and also how starting small can lead to something much bigger and much more valuable. The creation of wiki's could definitely be a valuable resource for use in a classroom. It can slowly introduce students to this type of technology and help to create collaboration using behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism and connectivism learning theories.  It is a tool which can support learners, moving them from lower order thinking skills to higher order thinking skills in a technology based style.  This type of task is hands on and has applications in the real world making it an authentic activity.

Discussion and reflection on the Mobile Phones in Education Wiki

The task this time was to individually read linked resources to the topic for discussion and then analyse this using De Bono's Hats tool, then finally contribute our ideas to the wiki. 

My experience -
This is an interesting task to follow from the learning styles wiki as it continues with some of the same ideas but requires higher levels of ability.  While the content is interesting, I feel the real lesson in this activity is in what we actually did.  We had to add to our knowledge of analysis using PMI to include De Bono's Hats which is far more involved and requires you to look at information from more diverse perspectives.  It is yet another activity which has allowed others thoughts to be made transparent and allows for networking to continue.  The collaboration of information extended my thinking on the topic to include ideas that I had not thought of myself, reinforcing just how powerful collaborative learning is in enabling learners to acquire more information efficiently.  This input from others has the potential to change the way an individual perceives and reflects on information which could potentially make the learning more worthwhile and interesting.  The activity allows for people to voice their own opinions but it also can hide those in the cohort who are not participating. These people can be hidden and can take the information which has been added without gaining the benefits that participation allows (i.e. actually thinking about the information).

• So how does this link to learning theory?

This is collaboration and connectivism at work as individuals were asked to add their ideas to the wiki.  Behaviourism was involved through the reinforcement of behaviour.  This activity is constructivism in nature as we used our prior knowledge in assessment and added another tool to our assessing skills.  The information added to our knowledge which may be of benefit to our future career as teachers.  Further information on this topic was provided through the collaborative ideas that were posted on the wiki.  All five of the dimensions of learning were linked to this activity.

• How has this scaffolded my learning?

This activity has given me a tool which allows me to analyse information from multiple diverse perspectives and shown me how this can benefit myself in my own learning and how potentially this type of activity could prove very effective as a classroom activity.  This is a great stepping stone towards understanding the benefits of elearning opportunities.  It has reinforced my belief in the benefit of collaborative learning and shown me that this is a great way to extend individuals knowledge of topics and how it has the ability to change peoples perspectives.

• Why use a wiki for this activity?

A wiki is still a great tool to use for this type of collaborative information grouping.  It not only allows for extension of skills but knowledge and abilities as well.  The wiki allows all thinking to be transparent and easily built upon.  The wiki supports networking which is vital to continued education opportunities.

Learning Design Framework

Click on the picture to enlarge.

Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains suggests that there are three separate types of learning domains - 

• Cognitive - (knowledge) mental skills
• Affective - (Attitude) growth in feelings or emotional areas and
• Psychomotor - (Skills) manual or physical skills.

Each of these domains further subdivide into further hierarchical categories which show the simplest behaviour at the bottom working up to the most complex at the top.  In order for a learner to progress from the lower levels to the higher levels, they must progress through the steps.

          

 

Engagement Theory

The main idea with engagement theory is that the students will engage meaningfully in learning if the activities involve interactions with others (group work), the activities or tasks are worthwhile (authentic, have a use outside of the classroom) and include a technology component.

There are three components to this theory -

• Relate - this component requires team efforts that involve the skills of effective communication, planning, management and social skills.
• Create - this component requires learning to be creative and purposeful.
• Donate - this component emphasises the need to make the learning valuable and useful.

This theory also requires collaboration to occur so that information can be shared and assessed.

My current learning design framework

The task of creating your own learning design framework so early in the process of learning about learning is an interesting idea.  This allows you to put together some of the pieces of the puzzle and start to recognise how they all fit together. 

•  Firstly, you need to assess your learners for their learning styles, strengths of character (multiple intelligences), current knowledge, skills and abilities, group dynamics, limitations and special needs. 
•  You need to know where they have been, where they are now and where they need to get to (curriculum/content of learning).
• You need to know your resources and your ability to effectively use and acquire these (materials, technology, human).
• You need to know how to teach and scaffold the learning so that the learners effectively engage and learn (pedagogy).
• You need a teaching toolbox of skills, ideas and activities to cover changes in routines, unavailability of resources, behaviour management issues, non-compliance with school policies and catch up for students who have been absent during crucial learning stages.
• You need to be creative, flexible and participating in continual professional learning.

At this point, I hope this design will be a good place to start and I am sure that as my knowledge, skills and abilities grow, so will my learning design framework.

 

Discussion and reflection on the learning theories wiki's

The next activity we were exposed to required us to partner with another student we selected from the profile wiki and together using the PMI tool, add our analysis of one of the core theories to the learning theories wiki.  Some information of the learning theories was included in our course readings but this was more of a broad brush approach.  In this task we were required to understand the use of the PMI tool and use this tool to analyse more detailed readings associated with the learning theory we chose.  The results of our analysis was then to be posted to the wiki where we could also view the contributions of the other students regarding their chosen learning theory.  This was certainly a great task which highlighted the benefits of collaboration of information.  As individuals, it would take more resources and time to analyse each one of the learning theories, thus making us aware of the benefits of connectivism, collaboration and networking. 

• So what was my experience like?

I found a partner to work with on this task, we chose the constructivism learning theory and used the PMI tool to analyse the information and then finally added this to the wiki.  This was an interesting task as it allowed individual learning, collaborative learning and networking.  I have found benefit from reading the summaries of the other students on their chosen learning theories.  This has saved me time and allowed me to see how others are thinking and working through the materials.  The information is being presented differently when compared to face to face as it is mostly displayed in relevant point form and there is no lengthy discussion between a select few individuals.  This makes the information to the point and concise.  This activity has allowed the students to see multiple outcomes.  For example, the information has been presented in different ways, some of the partners have information posted only by one of the persons in their pair and some partners have assigned themselves a learning theory but have not posted any analysis.  This collaborative approach can allow people who are not contributing to get hidden amongst the information that is being presented.

• So how is this task linked to learning theories?

Firstly, we had to understand how to use PMI as an analysis tool to separate and categorise the positive, the negative and the interesting information.  We then transferred this knowledge to analyse information relating to our chosen learning theory.  After analysing the constructivist learning theory I have come to realise that this task is constructivist in nature.  It requires us to have some prior knowledge, including that of wikis (from the profile wiki task) which we build upon and requires us to actively participate as a pair in a larger group.  Our learning has been facilitated as compared with taught and has required higher order thinking skills.  Our thinking has been made transparent through this task which has allowed us to see how people with strengths in different areas of multiple intelligence interpret and construct information.  The knowledge we have gained will transfer into real life, within our future careers as teachers. This task also contains elements of behaviourism and connectivism.  This task had required us to advance our skills of socialising in an online environment which contains elements of social development theory.  It is supporting the ongoing social and educational networks required for ongoing learning by requiring the information to be collaborated together on a wiki. 

This task also links us with the dimension of learning.  Firstly, attitudes and perceptions are hopefully more positive with this task as we have had prior experience with some elements of the task.  Also, again the learning has been scaffolded with links to information we would require to complete the task.  We again had to acquire new information, both declarative on PMI and the individual learning theory and procedural knowledge on how to apply the analysis tool and post results of this nature.  We also had to find a way to work with other students.  We have also had to extend and refine our knowledge of wiki's, learning theories and analysis. Perhaps a little ironically we have had to use and demonstrate this knowledge through this very analysis of the learning theories used in this task of analysing learning theories.

• So how has this scaffolded my learning?

This task has required us to use skills outlined in dimension five of the dimensions of learning.  It has required us to think critically, creatively and self regulate our thinking.
This task has required me to apply higher order thinking, think flexibly, question information and what it means, apply past knowledge to increase learning outcomes, create, remain open and communicate with clarity.  I have seen benefits through making learning transparent and collaborative and I have seen deficits in seeing varying degrees of non participation in the task.  I have learnt how to apply a simple analysis tool to analyse information and gained more understanding of the learning theories which will transfer into my teaching roles to improve teaching and learning outcomes.  This activity could be used as a classroom activity as it would provide the students with an understanding of the learning process and tools to improve their educational outcomes.

• So why use a wiki for this task?

Again, a wiki is a great tool to use for this task as it allows for easy collaboration of multiple groupings of information and easy access to networking.  It continues to support both social and educational links required for continued learning.

Discussion and reflection on the profile wiki

The first wiki we have been asked to contribute to is the profile wiki. Firstly, I have to say that I was initially unsure of just what I should and should not divulge about myself.  After completing some of the activities and gaining an understanding of where we are heading and what we are expected to achieve, I came to realise that the more I withheld information, the more I would be disadvantaging myself.  Without some relevant accurate information, I would not be able to select a partner to work with on the next wiki activity and more importantly the opportunity for all of the wiki activities to be truly authentic activities would be jeopardised.  How can you really understand and reflect on a task that you have not fully participated in and completed personally?  With this in mind I then decided to contribute accurate relevant information so that I can have the authentic experience that this type of learning is aimed at providing.

• So how has the profile wiki linked us to learning theory?

The profile wiki has a focus on connectivism.  Connectivism allows individuals to link together knowledge, information and ideas.  Through this activity we have been able to gain insight into our fellow students and look at possible partnerships which may enrich our individual learning experiences.  By posting some personal information explaining areas such as age, family, current experience and skills, current work commitments and learning styles, we are able to select a partner/'s who will understand our personal lives and commitments so that there is a social partnership as well as an educational partnership which contributes to our learning journey.  Social connections are an important aspect to this activity as they serve to maintain and nurture the connections that are made which facilitates continual learning.

The profile wiki also links us with the dimensions of learning.  In this activity we are exposed to how the attitudes of ourselves as the learners may influence our participation and therefore our learning.  The scaffolding of hyperlinks to information and tutorials help establish understanding of the task requirements and therefore reduces resistance that may be faced by requiring the learning of a new skill to complete the tasks.  This then leads into the acquisition and integration of knowledge.  We are given the declarative knowledge in the instructions of how to add to the wiki as well as the procedural knowledge which is contained in tutorials.  Both of these types of information is reinforced through the hands on task of adding of our profiles on the wiki.

The partnerships and wiki activities then serve to establish networking abilities.  A network being the creation of a group of people which communicate and share information that is of mutual benefit and allows advances in common interests. 

• So how does the profile wiki scaffold our learning?

The profile wiki is a starting block for us to 'test the waters' in our introduction to this type of task and more importantly establish the partnerships and networking which are foundational to our learning.  It also allows us to explore the implications of using this tool in our own teaching experiences.  Without participating and therefore understanding the activity, we would not be able to create similar opportunities for our students where we know the challenges involved and the benefits which can be gained.  This would be a great activity to do with students as it is a great way to introduce them to this type of learning and to each other as well.

• So why use a wiki for profiling personal information?

A wiki is an accessible website which allows the users to create and edit web pages which can include hyperlinks.  This allows the individual to create their own space amongst the larger collaborative information and the information can be changed and updated easily by any of the participants.  The wiki is a useful tool for allowing collaboration which enables information to be put together.  Using a profile wiki has enabled a certain type of information about our GDLT cohort to be grouped together effectively.