Week 2: Information Processing Theory and elearning

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.