This week I looked at two resources that helped me to better understand information processing theory as it relates to elearning. I felt like I already had a fairly good understanding of the basic theories about learning and how the brain works that we covered this week (thanks to a fantastic ed psych professor and a psychology minor), so I searched for resources that would help me apply the theoretical information to my job as an online educator.
Towards a Theory of e-Learning: Experiential e-Learning
This article, while it references course materials delivered via cd-rom rather than the web-based platform I am currently using, was very valuable to me because of the arguments made by the authors for a theoretical basis to all elearning. They argue that much of the existing drive in elearning is for technology to drive educational practice, rather than sound theory.
The authors give a very useful explanation (as well as a graphic representation) of an experiential learning model that fits elearning - this model is based on the perception process model and information processing theory. I also really liked the concept of a learning "combination lock" that takes into account the many variables that affect student learning.
Another part of the article I found valuable was the discussion of the benefits as well as challenges of using video as a teaching tool.
I found this article extremely useful in bridging the gap between the theory I had already learned about and the teaching practices I engage in each day.
Pedagogical Models for E-Learning: A Theory-Based Design Framework
This article had a similar focus as the first one I discussed: providing a theoretical framework for elearning. I found this one to be valuable as well. The author begins with a discussion of elearning from several different theoretical perspectives, including among others the cognitive information processing view. I like how the author included a table that made it easy to compare the various viewpoints.
What I liked best about this article was that the author takes some real-world examples and explains how pedagogical concepts and learning theory can be applied to different elearning scenarios.
References:
Beard, C., Wilson, J., & McCarter, R. r (2007) Towards a Theory of e-Learning: Experiential e-Learning. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 6 (2). Retrieved from http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/hlst/documents/johlste/vol6n02/127_beard_vol6no2.pdf.
Dabbagh, N. (2005). Pedagogical models for E-Learning: A theory-based design framework. International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning, 1(1), 25-44.Retrieved from http://www.learningdomain.com/MEdHOME/WEB-BASED/Pedagogy2.pdf.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
A reply to "Efficacy of Web-based Instruction" by Ferdinand Krauss
(This assignment was meant to make a contribution to the IDT community by posting a response to a blog posting. After writing this reply to "Efficacy of Web-Based Instruction", I found that no matter what I try, I get an error message from the page that says "We're sorry. We cannot accept this data." So here it is, and hopefully Mr. Krauss will see this.)
As someone who is new to both teaching in general as well as teaching in an online environment, I found this post and the original article very interesting on several fronts: the concept of the traditional classroom as a baseline measurement, the idea that technology alone does not guarantee a better learning experience (rather, the importance lies in how it is used), and finally, the idea that web-based courses should focus on providing things that might not be possible in the classroom.
First, the idea that the “traditional” classroom is the baseline measurement for all other types of education to be measured by: I think this is a product of our ingrained belief in the system of education that we currently have – regardless of whether or not it actually works. Even more interesting is the idea that this course was about critical reasoning skills…but are typical exams a good measure of critical thinking skills? In my own college experience, I found that most tests are focused on how well I was able to regurgitate the main points of the professor’s lectures. So, measuring performance against the gold standard of traditional instruction doesn’t seem to be the best option. Perhaps the students in the online class got a better understand of how to apply their newly-learned critical reasoning skills? This probably wouldn’t have been measured on the test, but it’s a good indicator of their success in the course.
Next, I really like what you said about technology being just another tool that is used to facilitate instruction. The chalkboard, the computer, and the internet are just a few in a long list of technological advances that have affected education. The article states that the in-class students performed better academically than the students taking a web-based version of the course. But this finding was based on their scores on traditional types of assessments. It’s important to remember, as you said, that the focus should be on how the technology is used, not just that it is used. A web-based class shouldn’t be just an online version of a lecture-based course, but should do things that aren’t possible in the classroom, like extensive discussion and collaboration between students. In my experience in online (k-12) education, I’ve also noticed this. The curriculum I use is very rich in multimedia content and enrichment activities and exercises – I’ve heard considerable feedback from students that this method of content delivery is very different from what they received in traditional classrooms, but that they are much more easily able to master the content in this way. If I were merely uploading lectures to the elearning site and then expecting them to take a traditional type of test, then I wouldn’t be taking advantage of the benefits of online education.
References:
Grayson, J., S. MacDonald, and J. Saindon (2001). The Efficacy of Web-Based
Instruction at York University: A Case Study of Modes of Reasoning, 1730. The Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies York University, Toronto. Retrieved from http://www.atkinson.yorku.ca/~pgrayson/pdfs/areport1.PDF
Krauss, F. (n.d.) Efficacy of Web-Based Instruction. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://ideas.blogs.com/lo/2004/04/efficacy_of_web.html
As someone who is new to both teaching in general as well as teaching in an online environment, I found this post and the original article very interesting on several fronts: the concept of the traditional classroom as a baseline measurement, the idea that technology alone does not guarantee a better learning experience (rather, the importance lies in how it is used), and finally, the idea that web-based courses should focus on providing things that might not be possible in the classroom.
First, the idea that the “traditional” classroom is the baseline measurement for all other types of education to be measured by: I think this is a product of our ingrained belief in the system of education that we currently have – regardless of whether or not it actually works. Even more interesting is the idea that this course was about critical reasoning skills…but are typical exams a good measure of critical thinking skills? In my own college experience, I found that most tests are focused on how well I was able to regurgitate the main points of the professor’s lectures. So, measuring performance against the gold standard of traditional instruction doesn’t seem to be the best option. Perhaps the students in the online class got a better understand of how to apply their newly-learned critical reasoning skills? This probably wouldn’t have been measured on the test, but it’s a good indicator of their success in the course.
Next, I really like what you said about technology being just another tool that is used to facilitate instruction. The chalkboard, the computer, and the internet are just a few in a long list of technological advances that have affected education. The article states that the in-class students performed better academically than the students taking a web-based version of the course. But this finding was based on their scores on traditional types of assessments. It’s important to remember, as you said, that the focus should be on how the technology is used, not just that it is used. A web-based class shouldn’t be just an online version of a lecture-based course, but should do things that aren’t possible in the classroom, like extensive discussion and collaboration between students. In my experience in online (k-12) education, I’ve also noticed this. The curriculum I use is very rich in multimedia content and enrichment activities and exercises – I’ve heard considerable feedback from students that this method of content delivery is very different from what they received in traditional classrooms, but that they are much more easily able to master the content in this way. If I were merely uploading lectures to the elearning site and then expecting them to take a traditional type of test, then I wouldn’t be taking advantage of the benefits of online education.
References:
Grayson, J., S. MacDonald, and J. Saindon (2001). The Efficacy of Web-Based
Instruction at York University: A Case Study of Modes of Reasoning, 1730. The Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies York University, Toronto. Retrieved from http://www.atkinson.yorku.ca/~pgrayson/pdfs/areport1.PDF
Krauss, F. (n.d.) Efficacy of Web-Based Instruction. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://ideas.blogs.com/lo/2004/04/efficacy_of_web.html
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Entering the World of Instructional Design
Well, I'm beginning to settle into my new roles after a pretty big shake-up in the past few months: I love my job as a Connections Academy teacher, we're nearly finished unpacking at the new house, the kids are settled into the middle school and daycare routines, and I'm really enjoying the grad program I'm taking through Walden University. Juggling all of my responsibilities continues to be difficult (and the importance of cooking healthy food for my family has really taken a backslide - to the apparent dismay of my waistline), but it gets a teeny bit easier each day.
Anyway, here I am beginning to look into the world of instructional design. Well, you say, what IS instructional design? In easy to understand terms, it's the concept of figuring out the best ways to teach so that your students (whoever they are) can learn most effectively. This week we looked at the importance of professional development for teachers, and one article I read suggested that we should be frequently reading blogs to get ideas, stretch our brains, and basically be a part of the ongoing conversation about teaching and learning. Great idea, right? I've been reading blogs for years. I've even tried writing them (not very successfully, I might add). But most of the blogs in my feed reader are about food or parenting. Why didn't I ever think to use it for more than recipe inspiration or entertainment? So I went on an instructional-design-blog-finding mission...here are three of the best I found today:
1. Well-Rounded Professional by Lilly Kreitinger.
This blog first caught my eye because of the author's tagline: "Adventures in learning, training and career transition." I liked the way she embraces change and learning as an adventure, so I began to read. I found that this blog includes posts on a variety of topics, including instructional design, the use of social media, ID in education, and elearning - all areas in which I'm interested. It's a bit more focused towards the business world than education, but I think the content can still be relevant to the virtual classroom in which I'm currently teaching. This blog is still very "young" - just started last month. But the posts so far make me think that this is one I'll be interested in following as it grows.
2. Experiencing E-Learning by Christy Tucker.
I got a little bit excited when I found Christy Tucker's blog. I had been clicking through the links listed in my course references and not really finding much that looked like it would be valuable to me, but then a Google search for "elearning & instructional design blogs" brought up this one. Perfect! The site that came up in the Google search results was a list of lots of other ID blogs - hooray! And as I looked further, I found more and more to cheer about. The author sums up her site by saying the blog is about "Building Engaging Learning Experiences thttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhrough Instructional Design and E-Learning." She writes about http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifinstructional design, k-12 education, higher education, corporate training, and lifelong learning. She also has a weekly bookmarks post that I found extremely interesting - I like blogs that are good at linking to relevant information elsewhere on the web. The site even includes a series of posts that explains what an instructional designer does and how people get started in the field - I think this will be a valuable tool to help me explain to family and current colleagues about what kind of career I'm working towards.
3. Following a recommendation from Christy Tucker's blog, I found The Rapid eLearning Blog by Tom Kuhlmann, an eLearning professional who runs the community at Articulate.
Some of the content seemed a bit commercially motivated, but I really like the visual style of Kuhlmann's posts, and I found quite a bit of useful information in an easy-to-access format. In just a quick perusal of the site, I found a list of PowerPoint tips that will really be helpful as I'm getting accustomed to my virtual classroom, some suggestions for people getting started in the elearning world, and dozens of tips and tools that will be useful as I continue to learn more about the field of online education. The author actually is a bit critical of instructional designers, which I thought was surprising, but even more interesting was the discussion in the comments on that post. This is a great blog that's easy to read and contains some great tips and tricks.
So, that's a start, at least. I've added these and a few other blogs to my feed reader, and I'm committing to spending a few minutes each day reading through ID blogs and thinking about what I learn (in addition to those cooking and parenting blogs that I was already reading).
~Jen
Anyway, here I am beginning to look into the world of instructional design. Well, you say, what IS instructional design? In easy to understand terms, it's the concept of figuring out the best ways to teach so that your students (whoever they are) can learn most effectively. This week we looked at the importance of professional development for teachers, and one article I read suggested that we should be frequently reading blogs to get ideas, stretch our brains, and basically be a part of the ongoing conversation about teaching and learning. Great idea, right? I've been reading blogs for years. I've even tried writing them (not very successfully, I might add). But most of the blogs in my feed reader are about food or parenting. Why didn't I ever think to use it for more than recipe inspiration or entertainment? So I went on an instructional-design-blog-finding mission...here are three of the best I found today:
1. Well-Rounded Professional by Lilly Kreitinger.
This blog first caught my eye because of the author's tagline: "Adventures in learning, training and career transition." I liked the way she embraces change and learning as an adventure, so I began to read. I found that this blog includes posts on a variety of topics, including instructional design, the use of social media, ID in education, and elearning - all areas in which I'm interested. It's a bit more focused towards the business world than education, but I think the content can still be relevant to the virtual classroom in which I'm currently teaching. This blog is still very "young" - just started last month. But the posts so far make me think that this is one I'll be interested in following as it grows.
2. Experiencing E-Learning by Christy Tucker.
I got a little bit excited when I found Christy Tucker's blog. I had been clicking through the links listed in my course references and not really finding much that looked like it would be valuable to me, but then a Google search for "elearning & instructional design blogs" brought up this one. Perfect! The site that came up in the Google search results was a list of lots of other ID blogs - hooray! And as I looked further, I found more and more to cheer about. The author sums up her site by saying the blog is about "Building Engaging Learning Experiences thttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhrough Instructional Design and E-Learning." She writes about http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifinstructional design, k-12 education, higher education, corporate training, and lifelong learning. She also has a weekly bookmarks post that I found extremely interesting - I like blogs that are good at linking to relevant information elsewhere on the web. The site even includes a series of posts that explains what an instructional designer does and how people get started in the field - I think this will be a valuable tool to help me explain to family and current colleagues about what kind of career I'm working towards.
3. Following a recommendation from Christy Tucker's blog, I found The Rapid eLearning Blog by Tom Kuhlmann, an eLearning professional who runs the community at Articulate.
Some of the content seemed a bit commercially motivated, but I really like the visual style of Kuhlmann's posts, and I found quite a bit of useful information in an easy-to-access format. In just a quick perusal of the site, I found a list of PowerPoint tips that will really be helpful as I'm getting accustomed to my virtual classroom, some suggestions for people getting started in the elearning world, and dozens of tips and tools that will be useful as I continue to learn more about the field of online education. The author actually is a bit critical of instructional designers, which I thought was surprising, but even more interesting was the discussion in the comments on that post. This is a great blog that's easy to read and contains some great tips and tricks.
So, that's a start, at least. I've added these and a few other blogs to my feed reader, and I'm committing to spending a few minutes each day reading through ID blogs and thinking about what I learn (in addition to those cooking and parenting blogs that I was already reading).
~Jen
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