Alfred gave us a mock exam and went through it
before the presentation of some groups.
I feel that the mock exam is skewed towards the technical side,
which is a bit too scary for examinations!
but Alfred assured us that the finals will be a lot easier.
I hope so too! :)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
week 10 : WebQuest for E-learning
This morning,
Alfred briefed with us the entire WebQuest project.
He talked about people's assumptions about the internet and WebQuest.
People tend to assume that the Internet is filled with rich resources that students and educatiors can leverage on. However, he pointed out that it's very important for internet users to have the ability to sift out legitimate information (what are accurate and useful and what are not.)
He went through the components of WebQuest,
which was what our WebQuest project have to include.
Our whole WebQuest project have to include
1. introduction - introducing the project to the students (putting them into another context.)
2. task - providing directions/link/instructions for the students to follow in order to learn
3. evaluation - providing a set of benchmarks for the students to check against so that they can evaluate themselves. This also facilitates the teachers' marking/assessment of their student's end-product
4. conclusion - to wrap up the whole topic by providing other forms of self-assessments for the students.
5. teacher's page - state the learning goal and objectives of the WebQuest while providing instructions/details for the educators so that they can use this as a guide to guide their students along this WebQuest.
In this lecture,
our team (team venture) realised that we have been doing the wrong thing!
what we did all along are web-based lessons instead of WebQuest.
This is about a WebQuest is an inquiry-orientated lesson where most or all of the information comes from the Web.
This means that the WebQuest will provide students with links to facilitate their learning.
This is passive in a way that these links were given to the students (instead of them searching for the information using the search engines)
but also active in a way that students have to click on, read and look for the information that is contained in the links.
WebQuest involves a constructivist transformation of inputs to outputs.
Hence, it means that at the end of WebQuest, there is an end-product in which learners must hand up for evaluation by the educator.
I feel that this lecture is very useful for the construction of our term project,
because this provides us with in-sights to which our project should be based on.
Alfred briefed with us the entire WebQuest project.
He talked about people's assumptions about the internet and WebQuest.
People tend to assume that the Internet is filled with rich resources that students and educatiors can leverage on. However, he pointed out that it's very important for internet users to have the ability to sift out legitimate information (what are accurate and useful and what are not.)
He went through the components of WebQuest,
which was what our WebQuest project have to include.
Our whole WebQuest project have to include
1. introduction - introducing the project to the students (putting them into another context.)
2. task - providing directions/link/instructions for the students to follow in order to learn
3. evaluation - providing a set of benchmarks for the students to check against so that they can evaluate themselves. This also facilitates the teachers' marking/assessment of their student's end-product
4. conclusion - to wrap up the whole topic by providing other forms of self-assessments for the students.
5. teacher's page - state the learning goal and objectives of the WebQuest while providing instructions/details for the educators so that they can use this as a guide to guide their students along this WebQuest.
In this lecture,
our team (team venture) realised that we have been doing the wrong thing!
what we did all along are web-based lessons instead of WebQuest.
This is about a WebQuest is an inquiry-orientated lesson where most or all of the information comes from the Web.
This means that the WebQuest will provide students with links to facilitate their learning.
This is passive in a way that these links were given to the students (instead of them searching for the information using the search engines)
but also active in a way that students have to click on, read and look for the information that is contained in the links.
WebQuest involves a constructivist transformation of inputs to outputs.
Hence, it means that at the end of WebQuest, there is an end-product in which learners must hand up for evaluation by the educator.
I feel that this lecture is very useful for the construction of our term project,
because this provides us with in-sights to which our project should be based on.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
week 9: Instructional strategies for Affective learning
In this lecture,
we learnt that attitudes can actually be desirable educational goals.
It can also be combined with values.
There is actually a difference between motivation and attitude.
In actual fact, motivation is a subset of attitude, eg. being motivated is an attitude.
For instructional designers, attitude is defined as an outcome of instruction.
Hence, there are components to attitude learning as well.
These components are:
1. cognitive : "knowing how"
2. behavourial : to be able to apply the attitude into actions
3. affective : "knowing why" (the urge/desire to put the attitude to action)
From the readings, a condition for the achievement of the affective component is to provide a role model. A respected/desirable person to do the desired action.
And an attitude includes both knowing how to do something and choosing to do it.
There are subcategories of taxonomy:
1. attending - being aware, willingness to focus
2. responding - willingness to respond and take satisfaction in the desired action
3. valuing - experiencing preference and commitment
4. organisation - conceptualising and forming an organised value system
5. characterisation - taking actions as a generalised set (giving the learner a predisposition response to a wide variety of situations)
There are also three main critical conditions that must be done for the learners to attain the attitude objectives, namely
1. demonstration of the desired behaviour by a role model (already mentioned previously)
- establish appeal and credibility of the model
- stimulate recall of relevant knowledge and concepts
- demonstration of desired action by model
- reinforcement by the model
2. practice of desired behaviour (to role play)
- offers the opportunity for learner activity within an instructional environment
3. provide reinforcement for the desired behaviour
- reinforcement is to function in a surrogate function fashion for the learner.
- it was shown that the most powerful reinforcers (defined as a stimulus that increases probability of the preceding behaviour reoccurring.) are those who apply directly to learner as product of the learner's own behaviour. And this behaviour might be a application of the demonstrated behaviour in the actual situation.
we learnt that attitudes can actually be desirable educational goals.
It can also be combined with values.
There is actually a difference between motivation and attitude.
In actual fact, motivation is a subset of attitude, eg. being motivated is an attitude.
For instructional designers, attitude is defined as an outcome of instruction.
Hence, there are components to attitude learning as well.
These components are:
1. cognitive : "knowing how"
2. behavourial : to be able to apply the attitude into actions
3. affective : "knowing why" (the urge/desire to put the attitude to action)
From the readings, a condition for the achievement of the affective component is to provide a role model. A respected/desirable person to do the desired action.
And an attitude includes both knowing how to do something and choosing to do it.
There are subcategories of taxonomy:
1. attending - being aware, willingness to focus
2. responding - willingness to respond and take satisfaction in the desired action
3. valuing - experiencing preference and commitment
4. organisation - conceptualising and forming an organised value system
5. characterisation - taking actions as a generalised set (giving the learner a predisposition response to a wide variety of situations)
There are also three main critical conditions that must be done for the learners to attain the attitude objectives, namely
1. demonstration of the desired behaviour by a role model (already mentioned previously)
- establish appeal and credibility of the model
- stimulate recall of relevant knowledge and concepts
- demonstration of desired action by model
- reinforcement by the model
2. practice of desired behaviour (to role play)
- offers the opportunity for learner activity within an instructional environment
3. provide reinforcement for the desired behaviour
- reinforcement is to function in a surrogate function fashion for the learner.
- it was shown that the most powerful reinforcers (defined as a stimulus that increases probability of the preceding behaviour reoccurring.) are those who apply directly to learner as product of the learner's own behaviour. And this behaviour might be a application of the demonstrated behaviour in the actual situation.
week 9: Instructional Strategies Leading to Problem-solving
Problem solving skills are abilities to use previously acquired skills and knowledge to solve never-met-before but similar problems.
Designers normally include verbs like:
solve, determine, resolve, plan, troubleshoot
There are problem-solving processes can range in complexity from :
(the least complex)
1. puzzle problem
2. algorithm
3. story problem
4. rule-using problem
5. trouble-shooting
6. diagnosis-solution
7. case method problem
8. designs
9. issue-based
It must be noted that different level of problems have their own different strategies to tackle.
These problems have characteristics that varies with the degrees of structure, complexity and abstractness.
Problem solving tasks is simpler when there are fewer principles involved.
In the lecture notes and the reading,
problem-solving processes involves either well-structured problems or ill-structured ones.
Well-structured problems contains:
(i) all required information
(ii) limited rules & principles (the fewer the easier)
(iii) a single correct answer
(iv) a preferred method to solve
On the other hand, ill-structured problems contains:
(i) fuzzies (unclear goals)
(ii) multiple solutions
(iii) multiple methods
(iv) no general rule to doing it (hence judgement is needed.)
There is 4 components of cognitive processing in problem-solving:
1. knowledge representation
2. solution planning
3. solution implementation
4. solution evaluation
Other than the differences in the problem-solving tasks,
inidividual differences also exist.
Because different people has different mental capabilities
(familiarity with the concept; prior knowledge; high-level mental controls and beliefs; motivational factors),
designers must consider how such individual differences can be used/compromised in the designing of instructions.
To introduce problem-solving lessons,
deisigners must be able to
1. deploy attention
2. establish instructional purpose
3. promote interest and motivation
4. preview lesson
The problem-solving lesson should
1. review relevant prior knowledge
2. process information
3. focus attention
4. employ learning strategies
5. include practises
6. process feedback.
As a conclusion, it will be good to include
1. summary (followed by)
2. review
3. suggestions of methods - to organise problem schema for storage and easy retrieval
4. remotivate learners
5. conclude by giving reminders
The assessment of problem-solving learning is also an important aspect of the design of instructions.
The problems given to learners to practice should have a similar context as the examples - this is, despite the need to assess the learners requires problems to be novel and unencountered.
I believe that problem-solving instructions are very much needed in our knowledge-based economy today. There's an increasing demand in the reaction time needed to problems, and is probably due to globalisation and the ability to create massive changes with the technology we have today.
Designers normally include verbs like:
solve, determine, resolve, plan, troubleshoot
There are problem-solving processes can range in complexity from :
(the least complex)
1. puzzle problem
2. algorithm
3. story problem
4. rule-using problem
5. trouble-shooting
6. diagnosis-solution
7. case method problem
8. designs
9. issue-based
It must be noted that different level of problems have their own different strategies to tackle.
These problems have characteristics that varies with the degrees of structure, complexity and abstractness.
Problem solving tasks is simpler when there are fewer principles involved.
In the lecture notes and the reading,
problem-solving processes involves either well-structured problems or ill-structured ones.
Well-structured problems contains:
(i) all required information
(ii) limited rules & principles (the fewer the easier)
(iii) a single correct answer
(iv) a preferred method to solve
On the other hand, ill-structured problems contains:
(i) fuzzies (unclear goals)
(ii) multiple solutions
(iii) multiple methods
(iv) no general rule to doing it (hence judgement is needed.)
There is 4 components of cognitive processing in problem-solving:
1. knowledge representation
2. solution planning
3. solution implementation
4. solution evaluation
Other than the differences in the problem-solving tasks,
inidividual differences also exist.
Because different people has different mental capabilities
(familiarity with the concept; prior knowledge; high-level mental controls and beliefs; motivational factors),
designers must consider how such individual differences can be used/compromised in the designing of instructions.
To introduce problem-solving lessons,
deisigners must be able to
1. deploy attention
2. establish instructional purpose
3. promote interest and motivation
4. preview lesson
The problem-solving lesson should
1. review relevant prior knowledge
2. process information
3. focus attention
4. employ learning strategies
5. include practises
6. process feedback.
As a conclusion, it will be good to include
1. summary (followed by)
2. review
3. suggestions of methods - to organise problem schema for storage and easy retrieval
4. remotivate learners
5. conclude by giving reminders
The assessment of problem-solving learning is also an important aspect of the design of instructions.
The problems given to learners to practice should have a similar context as the examples - this is, despite the need to assess the learners requires problems to be novel and unencountered.
I believe that problem-solving instructions are very much needed in our knowledge-based economy today. There's an increasing demand in the reaction time needed to problems, and is probably due to globalisation and the ability to create massive changes with the technology we have today.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
week 8: instructional strategies for principals learning
Principles are high-ordered rules knowledge.
This is so because principles prescribe the relationships among two or more concepts.
The concepts are often in the form of variables (factors that has many values)
These conceptual relationships is described in two forms:
1. if-then
2. cause-effect
In layman terms, principles are the "knowing why".
Because not only principles enables learners to explain what has happened,
it also allows you to predict what will happen,
and most importantly, it allow the control of the effects of variables.
To truly acquire a principle,
means not only to be able to state the principle (declarative knowledge)
but ALSO to apply the principle to various unencountered situations.
Principle learning is the basis to domain-specific problems - they are the core of processing needed in problem solving: learners have to be equipped principles to explain the conceptual reltationships (meaning that certain principles are combined to solve certain problems.)
Principles learning is different from learning procedures,
but procedures are often used as alternatives to principles.
Procedures, as mentioned in the previous post, are a generalised series of steps in response to a particular class of circumstances to reach a specific goal.
However,
there are differences between principle-learning and procedure learning.
The differences include cognitive processes (the informational processing analysis for principles is different from that for procedures).
During the lecture,
Alfred taught us that the two toughest instructional events for teaching principles are feedback and practice.
However, i think that these two can go hand-in-hand.
Because by practising,
instructors can gather feedback about the learners' progress and address the learners' misconceptions.
There are many ways for handling feedbacks with e-learning:
1. analysis and interpretation by system (adaptive feedback)
2. by referring to "model" answer
3. self-reflection and self-checking
4. by referring to external feedback system (eg. e-tutor)
This is so because principles prescribe the relationships among two or more concepts.
The concepts are often in the form of variables (factors that has many values)
These conceptual relationships is described in two forms:
1. if-then
2. cause-effect
In layman terms, principles are the "knowing why".
Because not only principles enables learners to explain what has happened,
it also allows you to predict what will happen,
and most importantly, it allow the control of the effects of variables.
To truly acquire a principle,
means not only to be able to state the principle (declarative knowledge)
but ALSO to apply the principle to various unencountered situations.
Principle learning is the basis to domain-specific problems - they are the core of processing needed in problem solving: learners have to be equipped principles to explain the conceptual reltationships (meaning that certain principles are combined to solve certain problems.)
Principles learning is different from learning procedures,
but procedures are often used as alternatives to principles.
Procedures, as mentioned in the previous post, are a generalised series of steps in response to a particular class of circumstances to reach a specific goal.
However,
there are differences between principle-learning and procedure learning.
The differences include cognitive processes (the informational processing analysis for principles is different from that for procedures).
During the lecture,
Alfred taught us that the two toughest instructional events for teaching principles are feedback and practice.
However, i think that these two can go hand-in-hand.
Because by practising,
instructors can gather feedback about the learners' progress and address the learners' misconceptions.
There are many ways for handling feedbacks with e-learning:
1. analysis and interpretation by system (adaptive feedback)
2. by referring to "model" answer
3. self-reflection and self-checking
4. by referring to external feedback system (eg. e-tutor)
week 8 : instructional strategies for procedures learning
In this lecture,
we learnt the definition of procedure knowledge.
In its layman terms, it just "knowing HOW..."
Using a procedure refers to applying an ordered set of actions to achieve a goal. There is often more than one procedure to goal achievement. Procedure is sometimes referred to as a technique/ skill/method. It can be either mental processes or physical skills. Most procedures are a combination of two.
Mental processes: intellectual skill =ability to execute procedure
Physical Skills: ability to state the steps.
Procedure/Rule-using Knowledge contains characteristics of :
- Sequences of action
- Algorithm
- Physical and/or mental processes
- Decision points (for complex procedures)
- Automaticity (to execute the procedure unconsciously)
Words for procedure objectives are included:
Demonstrate, perform, practice, apply.
There are Key instructional elements for procedural learning.
Generated from Task Analysis
- "When to use procedure"
+ learners to know when to execute the procedure and when NOT to. - "Steps"
+ collecting steps and decisions points and putting them in proper sequence
Which after…
- "Demonstration"
+ to show how procedure is executed - "Whole to Parts"
+looking at the complete procedure then going step-by-step. - "Practice" OR "List the steps" OR "Execute"
+to allow learners to try - "Feedback"
+to allow learners to understand what's being correctly/wrongly done
Practice and feedback events are the hardest for teaching procedures.
I suppose it's because different learners have different way of doing a certain procedure and yet the software for e-learning is not flexible enough to tailor /customise to these details.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
week 7: instructional strategies for conceptual knowledge
Conceptual knowledge involves the ability to apply knowledge in encountered circumstances.
(This differs from declarative knowledge for declarative only involves memorising an association between different entities)
THEREFORE, concepts have both declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge.
Concepts are defined as:
sets of specific objects which are grouped together on the basis of shared characteristics and can be referenced by a particular name or symbol (Merrill & Tennyson, 1977).
To put it in layman terms, it simply means: Knowing the meaning of....
It is important to understand that there are two different types of concepts.
1. concrete concepts (can be known by their physical characteristics)
2. abstract concepts (defined; no appearance)
It is hard to determine sometimes if the concept is abstract or concrete as it usually depends on the level of sophistication of the learners.
Thus, it is crucial to know the level of sophistication of learners because the way to address these two concepts differs in strategies.
The characteristic of concepts is attributes.
There are 3 kinds of concept attributes namely:
1. intrinsic (invariant property of a class of things that can be pointed out.)
2. functional (relates to how something works and what its use might be)
3. relational (a quality a concept may possess defined in terms of something else.)
Some action verbs for concept objectives are:
sort, define, categorize, discriminate.
There is a general guide/instructional events to concept learning.
1. name the concept (the idea to be defined)
2. definition (a simple statement of description of concept)
3. show prototype (showing an example that best illustrates the concept)
4. showing more examples and NON-examples (common confusions)
5. state attributes (pointing out those important attributes that is the basis to the concept)
6. practice
7. feedback
(This differs from declarative knowledge for declarative only involves memorising an association between different entities)
THEREFORE, concepts have both declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge.
Concepts are defined as:
sets of specific objects which are grouped together on the basis of shared characteristics and can be referenced by a particular name or symbol (Merrill & Tennyson, 1977).
To put it in layman terms, it simply means: Knowing the meaning of....
It is important to understand that there are two different types of concepts.
1. concrete concepts (can be known by their physical characteristics)
2. abstract concepts (defined; no appearance)
It is hard to determine sometimes if the concept is abstract or concrete as it usually depends on the level of sophistication of the learners.
Thus, it is crucial to know the level of sophistication of learners because the way to address these two concepts differs in strategies.
The characteristic of concepts is attributes.
There are 3 kinds of concept attributes namely:
1. intrinsic (invariant property of a class of things that can be pointed out.)
2. functional (relates to how something works and what its use might be)
3. relational (a quality a concept may possess defined in terms of something else.)
Some action verbs for concept objectives are:
sort, define, categorize, discriminate.
There is a general guide/instructional events to concept learning.
1. name the concept (the idea to be defined)
2. definition (a simple statement of description of concept)
3. show prototype (showing an example that best illustrates the concept)
4. showing more examples and NON-examples (common confusions)
5. state attributes (pointing out those important attributes that is the basis to the concept)
6. practice
7. feedback
week 7: Instructional Strategies for fact (declarative knowledge)
In week seven,
we were taught on how to quicken the process of learning facts.
In this case,
We followed Gagne's definition:
Facts can be simply understood as "Knowing that" which is declarative in nature.
some words to describe declarative performance: explain, describe, list, summarize.
Declarative knowledge forms a critical part of lifelong learning.
It is generally acquired within meaningful structures, and not always through "rote learning".
Declarative knowledge is needed to understand problems in order to solve them.
Declarative knowledge can be sub-divided into 3 categories(differed by cognitive processes):
1. labels and names (pairing up information to form linkages: paired associated learning)
2. facts and lists (information were to be integrated to create meanings.)
3. organized discourse (tying the new knowledge to existing ones.)
The general strategy for declarative knowledge is to attange these information into meaningful and memorable ways. This can be achieved through:
1. Organizing strategies
+ organizing the new information by clumping (chunking) them together, separating the sets and linking these sets together (by subordinating them)
2. Elaboration strategies
+ adding/linking existing information to the new information to aid memory. This can include making inferences and examples.
+ this strategy is very useful when it comes to active learning by users. Hence, instructional strategies should encourage learners to perform these elaborations
3. Linking/Association strategies
+ this is almost the same as the above. New declarative information must be tied to learner's existing knowledge. Besides, the new information is only meaningful when learners have prior knowledge that links with the new one.
Therefore, the construction/creation of meaning is important.
+However, when there is prior knowledge, learners have to employ other means to link the information. One usual way is the use of mnemonics (such as acronyms, rhymes, songs or imagery)
we were taught on how to quicken the process of learning facts.
In this case,
We followed Gagne's definition:
Facts can be simply understood as "Knowing that" which is declarative in nature.
some words to describe declarative performance: explain, describe, list, summarize.
Declarative knowledge forms a critical part of lifelong learning.
It is generally acquired within meaningful structures, and not always through "rote learning".
Declarative knowledge is needed to understand problems in order to solve them.
Declarative knowledge can be sub-divided into 3 categories(differed by cognitive processes):
1. labels and names (pairing up information to form linkages: paired associated learning)
2. facts and lists (information were to be integrated to create meanings.)
3. organized discourse (tying the new knowledge to existing ones.)
The general strategy for declarative knowledge is to attange these information into meaningful and memorable ways. This can be achieved through:
1. Organizing strategies
+ organizing the new information by clumping (chunking) them together, separating the sets and linking these sets together (by subordinating them)
2. Elaboration strategies
+ adding/linking existing information to the new information to aid memory. This can include making inferences and examples.
+ this strategy is very useful when it comes to active learning by users. Hence, instructional strategies should encourage learners to perform these elaborations
3. Linking/Association strategies
+ this is almost the same as the above. New declarative information must be tied to learner's existing knowledge. Besides, the new information is only meaningful when learners have prior knowledge that links with the new one.
Therefore, the construction/creation of meaning is important.
+However, when there is prior knowledge, learners have to employ other means to link the information. One usual way is the use of mnemonics (such as acronyms, rhymes, songs or imagery)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Large Lectures Are Going the Way of the Blackboard (MIT)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/us/13physics.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
I chanced upon this article while browsing the IVLE forum today.
To summarise things,
the article touched on MIT's teaching method.
It replaced the traditional large introductory lecture with smaller classes that emphasize hands-on, interactive, collaborative learning,
by using walls are covered with white boards and huge display screens coupled with a team of teaching assistants and a professor.
Brief presentations of general principles and students are required work out related concepts in small groups.
(sounds like what Alfred is trying to get us to do everytime after lecture; break into small groups and work on a mini assignment.)
The new approach at M.I.T. is known by its acronym, TEAL, for Technology Enhanced Active Learning.
One advantage noted is thatteachers can gauge the level of understanding in the room by throwing out a series of multiple-choice questions and getting the answers instantly. the educator can then adjust, slowing down or engaging students in guided discussions of their answers, as needed.
I pretty much like this paragraph in the article by Professor Mazur:
“Just as you can’t become a marathon runner by watching marathons on TV,” Professor Mazur said, “likewise for science, you have to go through the thought processes of doing science and not just watch your instructor do it.”
One of the reason in implementing TEAL is because of the drop in attendace for lectures.
For the TEAL programme, students are "forced" to attend to class because attendance counts toward the final grade.
This brings us back to the lecture on one of the learning theories - Behaviourism.
Students' attendance increased after the implementation of the reward/punishment system.
This also relates to the affective domain of learning where students go to classes for the fear that not attending the lessons will result in a reduction in their grades.
The article also mentioned the two other learnign theories, namely Cognitivism and the Socio-cultural approach.
The yellow quote above implied that students needs to generate thoughts and process the thingss taught during lecture.
Hence, hands-on learning is required to stimulate the thought process so that students are able to link and put the theory into use.
This corresponds to the Cognitivism theory.
The article also stated that teachers and students conduct experiments together. Conferring with tablemates, calling out questions and jumping up to write formulas on the white boards are all encouraged.
This shows the socio-cultural approach in TEAL
I think that this is also part of the pschyomotor domain of learning where students actually physically get drilled on the questions.
I realised that e-learning does not necessary mean that learnign have to take place in a virtual enviroment.
It doesn't mean that each student have a computer in front of them and isolated.
This article taught me that e-learning can also take place in a classroom where you physically see your tutors and classmates! (this is also known as blended learning)
It's just that educational IT tools are used to aid effective learning.
(I think I'm stupid. I am supposed to have known this long ago, isn't it!?!?!)
I think i'm starting to link all the concepts for the modules. :)
this is a good start, i suppose!
please correct me if I'm wrong.
I chanced upon this article while browsing the IVLE forum today.
To summarise things,
the article touched on MIT's teaching method.
It replaced the traditional large introductory lecture with smaller classes that emphasize hands-on, interactive, collaborative learning,
by using walls are covered with white boards and huge display screens coupled with a team of teaching assistants and a professor.
Brief presentations of general principles and students are required work out related concepts in small groups.
(sounds like what Alfred is trying to get us to do everytime after lecture; break into small groups and work on a mini assignment.)
The new approach at M.I.T. is known by its acronym, TEAL, for Technology Enhanced Active Learning.
One advantage noted is thatteachers can gauge the level of understanding in the room by throwing out a series of multiple-choice questions and getting the answers instantly. the educator can then adjust, slowing down or engaging students in guided discussions of their answers, as needed.
I pretty much like this paragraph in the article by Professor Mazur:
“Just as you can’t become a marathon runner by watching marathons on TV,” Professor Mazur said, “likewise for science, you have to go through the thought processes of doing science and not just watch your instructor do it.”
One of the reason in implementing TEAL is because of the drop in attendace for lectures.
For the TEAL programme, students are "forced" to attend to class because attendance counts toward the final grade.
This brings us back to the lecture on one of the learning theories - Behaviourism.
Students' attendance increased after the implementation of the reward/punishment system.
This also relates to the affective domain of learning where students go to classes for the fear that not attending the lessons will result in a reduction in their grades.
The article also mentioned the two other learnign theories, namely Cognitivism and the Socio-cultural approach.
The yellow quote above implied that students needs to generate thoughts and process the thingss taught during lecture.
Hence, hands-on learning is required to stimulate the thought process so that students are able to link and put the theory into use.
This corresponds to the Cognitivism theory.
The article also stated that teachers and students conduct experiments together. Conferring with tablemates, calling out questions and jumping up to write formulas on the white boards are all encouraged.
This shows the socio-cultural approach in TEAL
I think that this is also part of the pschyomotor domain of learning where students actually physically get drilled on the questions.
I realised that e-learning does not necessary mean that learnign have to take place in a virtual enviroment.
It doesn't mean that each student have a computer in front of them and isolated.
This article taught me that e-learning can also take place in a classroom where you physically see your tutors and classmates! (this is also known as blended learning)
It's just that educational IT tools are used to aid effective learning.
(I think I'm stupid. I am supposed to have known this long ago, isn't it!?!?!)
I think i'm starting to link all the concepts for the modules. :)
this is a good start, i suppose!
please correct me if I'm wrong.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
week 6: lecture on domains of learning and writing learning objectives
In this lecture,
we learnt about the 3 different domains of learning.
1. the cognitive (to increase one's knowledge)
2. the affective (feelings and attitudes to change attitude)
3. psychomotor (the actual doing: physical skills)
We also learnt that goals must be specific instead of vague/fuzzy.
attitudes and ideologies tend not be stated as goal objectives because there is no way to measure attitudes, neither is there any benchmark for such objectives.
There are 7 levels of cognitive outcomes,
namely knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis. synthesis and evaluation.
(these ranges from the lowest to the highest level of cognitivism)
There are 5 levels of affective outcomes,
ranging from receiving, responding, valuing, organising and characterising.
Lastly, the outcomes for psychomotor learning.
It comprises of perception, set, guided responses, mechanism and complex overt response.
Action verbs are often used to describe these affective outcomes.
But very often, psychomotor learning activities cannot be held through e-learning due to the limited user movements.
week 6: tutorial assignment (reflections on 3 face concept)
The Need assessment can be used when1. there is a problem
2. there is something new to be learnt
3. when one wants to evaluate programs to assess if goals and reality are congruent
The 3-Face model which is multi-leveled,
includes the problem model, discrepancy model and the innovation model.
There are many steps that are inclusive of these models which are part of the 3-Face model.
For problem model, ultimately it boils down to if instruction for desired performance is offered.
If no, then one proceed to the innovation model to create new appropriate goals.
If yes, then one moves on to the discrepancy model to determine and try to bridge the performance gap between the reality and the ideal.
I personally think that the model is a complication of an actually very common sensical way of dealing and solving problems.
As a rule of thumb, problems are often solved by analysing the problem
(which mostly is because of the discrepancy between what's ideal and what's actually happening).
if the solution is already in place but is not working well,
one will then try to come out with new ways and means to try to fix the problem.
however, the 3-face model tries to inject too many points and information,
and therefore result in overcrowding of information,
making it harder to comprehend and understand.
the 3-face model (the problem model) begins with a rather incomprehensible sentence: is cause learning? (which, up to now i don't quite get it actually)
Yet the model, when explained by Mr Alfred and Jodie,
is fairly understandable.
week 6: tutorial assignment (learning design)
the original learning design:
the new learning design we did during tutorial:
Monday, February 9, 2009
week 5 - the pictorial
we were asked to draw a learning model using the symbols taught in lecture.
triangle : resources
square: task
circle: supports
so my team brainstormed on the national Budget 2009.
come to think about it,
i agree with what Elmie commented.
He said that brochures and public service announcements should be drawn as resources.
Alfred, during lecture, also mentioned that supports come in forms of feedback.
and now i'm starting to wonder if supports not the intended part of the programme,
which means that it comes in forms of responses...
hmm.
guess i will have to read up more on this!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Assignment two
Behaviourism
• Key assumptions on learners
Learners have to identify learning objectives and to be reinforced in the kinds of behaviours the educator want. Learners need to have an educator involved throughout their learning process in order to get desired outcomes more quickly.
Learners need an informal environment to shape their behaviour more quickly to get the desired outcomes – which is to get learners to behave in ways that would be maximally effective. Ultimately, behaviour is learnt through environment. Learners’ reactions have been shaped by environment, hence people know the right kind of thing to do in the right kind of context because they have done it before or that they have seen people do it. Context means a lot for behaviourism.
Learner is active because he has control over what he does and when he does the action initially. Reinforcements are given in very small steps in the direction of the targeted behaviour.
Learning takes places because people respond to incentives and avoid punishments.
Learners (humans) are selfish and instrumental creatures therefore they do stuff in their self-interest.
• Key assumptions on learning.
Learning involves shaping the learner’s behaviour to get the intended outcome by providing reinforcements or punishments depending on behaviour displayed. Learning involves an organism and an environment with variable conditions; meaning that when one varies his behaviour, different results will be generated. Learning is the process of changing our behaviour so that we get more good stuff and less bad stuff.
Environment plays the most vital factor as the individual organism does not control the ultimate outcomes because the outcomes are shaped by the environment and different environment produces different outcomes.
Learners do various actions according to the environment but the educator is shaping those behaviour s hence the educator sets up a conducive environment for the learning of the intended behaviour. This means that the educator must have a goal in mind and takes what a learner does to shape behaviour.
If one has control over reasonable rewards and reinforcements, one is able to attain the kinds of behaviour one wants in many circumstances because people respond to reinforcement. Hence, ultimately, the environment efficiently shapes the behaviour of people.
People are motivated to learn because of their selfish nature (we need to satisfy our needs.).
• A representation of the process of learning
It is to help the learner to build new representations in which the educator has lesser control over as learning is not forced. Learning in this case, involves more indirect ways to teach. A representation of the process of learning is the pigeon study.
The pigeon study is one of the more regurgitated examples of behaviourism whereby the pigeon is attuned to the colour signal for food consumption. When disk is green, food will be given to the pigeon and if red, the pigeon will get a shock if it pecked the food. After a while, the pigeon will learn that punishment will be given when the disk is red while it pecked at the food, and that when the disk is green, the pigeon gets to eat with ease.
This is a representation in which people find themselves in an environment which they do something in response to the environment and something happens. If something good happens, we continue doing it. If something bad happens, we change our behaviour in order to lessen the punishments incurred upon us.
Another important process during the pigeon study is the reinforcements given. The pigeons were taught how to play ping pong via small steps in direction. And this is a reflection of how educators teach. They identify goals, shapes behaviour slowly towards the goal and later on more complex behaviours are required in order to get the reinforcement.
Behaviourism is reflected in the real world everywhere. People do all sorts of things to reinforce behaviours – may it be in institutions, corporate world and even at home. Parenting, Governance and institutions are all built on rewards and punishments.
• The theory's usefulness to different type of problems
The theory is useful to problems that involves learners that are unmotivated. Without the rewards or punishments as motivations, learners who lack of enthusiasm will probably avoid the problems. I totally agree with the belief in which Behavourism rest upon whereby people's will to do things depends on motivations in terms of rewards or whatever way as long as one is satisfied. Thus, this theory is very useful in motivating or inducing people to do things they don't want to do.
However, Behaviourism in terms of belting out rewards may backfire when one is too reliant on extrinsic rewards to learn or do things. When one is too dependent on rewards, one may lack of the motivation to do things (even the ones they are interested in) because it's "pointless" to do so - as one tend to lose out on other rewards if one chose to do the one without.
• The theory's usefulness for the development of the 21st century skills.
As the 21st century relies mainly on technology, one needs to be equip with the necessary skills to know how to operate computers. This is especially important for the older generation as they are not born in the technology-era. In order to persuade them to accept technology and to learn the computer skills, the government and organisations may want to promote the benefits of computer knowledge by increasing their employability (as a reinforcement) should one is equipped with the right computer skill and "threaten" those without.
Cognitivism
• Key assumptions on learners
There are two different theories to cognitivism. One involves cognitivity as innate structures and the other involves cognitiviy as constructed over time. But both theories hold that there is mediating step in between the stimulus and the response. Learners cannot be forced but they have to use their own resources, use their own models to make sense of what’s happening.
Learning involves the learners’ own internal representations (what they make sense of the world to build representations) in order to aid their learning. Thus, the individual is the unit of analysis.
Learner is more active as he has to make sense of the worlds and the different ways of imagining what might happen in this particular context. Learners must be motivated enough to learn as learners must change their mentality in order to do something they are unfamiliar with.
• Key assumptions on learning.
It is important to know what the learners are interpreting about what’s going on in between the stimulus and the response. What the learner thinks about the context is crucial because what the learner thinks is going to shape his actions. People try to make sense of where they are and what they are doing and try to fit into their existing concepts. When the context does not behave the way the person thinks it’s going to behave, the person have to change his view and concepts of things. Hence, learning is about changing.
Learning is self-induced. Educators help to build new concepts by setting up a context where learners run into circumstances that they haven’t meet before and encouraged them to think about the new situation in a new way. Hence, educators cannot force learning, but should instead encourage and facilitate learners to do things differently. Therefore, educators normally just setup an environment and allow learners to go “experiment” around, performing trial and error. Therefore, like Behavourism, educators must know what is their ultimate goal and how to induce conditions that are favourable to the goals’ direction.
Cognitivism falls upon the belief of the human curiosity –that people have the desire to learn and make sense of things around them. And that sometimes, extrinsic motivation may undermine and ruin the innate desire to learn.
• A representation of the process of learning
An example extracted from the reading is to take a child and provide the child with a bunch of interesting things to play with. The educator poses a few puzzles and then the child is left alone to figure the puzzles out through trial and error.
• The theory's usefulness to different type of problems
The theory is useful for problems that allows one to tap on one's creativity and imagination such as problem solving. It allows one to conduct trial and error to navigate oneself around the problem until one manages to seek an solution that one deems fit. In this way, one is able to truly understand how solutions are created and yet at the same time, realise what kind of learning is one more inclined towards (as not one learning technique can create the same impact to different people)
• The theory's usefulness for the development of the 21st century skills.
The theory is useful during the 21st century as creativity is required to differentiate oneself from others. By allowing creativity juices into learning, one might be able to find ways in which learning can be more accustomed to one's preference so that they can learn "better".
Sociocultural Approach
• Key assumptions on learners
Learners learn as a group. Learners are a part of a system and hence one should know one's role in the system so that the system can function well as a whole. Learners can depend on cues in order to make sense of what they need to make sense of, by making inferences.
• Key assumptions on learning.
Learning takes place across systems that include individuals but also include other people, objects and tools of various sorts (such as special layout of task settings). It shifts focus from an individual learner to a larger system. Hence, learning involves not only the things going on in the person's mind but also the use of the tools from the environment. (Learning depends on other people. It requires tools and devices, languages and physical layout of tasks.)
Learning is embedded in the human culture as it depends on what people can use jointly for tolls in order to accomplish what they need to accomplish. In this case, learning means to give the person better tools. It means to involve reorganising the layout of how people see one with respect to another or to give them the right kind of other people whose knowledge complement theirs. Educators is to fit the learner into a system where he is able to do his part so that the system accomplishes what it needs to accomplish.
• A representation of the process of learning
The process of learning can be seen in a battleship scenario where no one in the crew knows where exactly the battleship is at any point of time. In order to know the exact location of the ship, everyone on board will have to perform his task and collaborate to gather the results.
• The theory's usefulness to different type of problems
The theory is useful for problems where group work is involved. The best team includes people from different areas of expertise working towards a common goal. This means that the individual need not to be an all-rounder but is only required to know skills needed for the field of work he is expected to do. Therefore, solutions to problems can be found easily and perhaps new and better knowledge can be found to enhance efficiency.
• The theory's usefulness for the development of the 21st century skills.
With the world getting "smaller" (due to the increasing networking), sociocultural differences might be one of the factor that hinders the potential to synergise. The ability to "connect" and work with others peacefully is vital for people to tap onto synergism.
part two of the assignment:
i've read:
http://un-scatter-brain.blogspot.com/
http://eunicetan-elearning.blogspot.com/
http://sid3204.blogspot.com/
http://jac3204.blogspot.com/
and commented on:
http://fa-elearning.blogspot.com/
• Key assumptions on learners
Learners have to identify learning objectives and to be reinforced in the kinds of behaviours the educator want. Learners need to have an educator involved throughout their learning process in order to get desired outcomes more quickly.
Learners need an informal environment to shape their behaviour more quickly to get the desired outcomes – which is to get learners to behave in ways that would be maximally effective. Ultimately, behaviour is learnt through environment. Learners’ reactions have been shaped by environment, hence people know the right kind of thing to do in the right kind of context because they have done it before or that they have seen people do it. Context means a lot for behaviourism.
Learner is active because he has control over what he does and when he does the action initially. Reinforcements are given in very small steps in the direction of the targeted behaviour.
Learning takes places because people respond to incentives and avoid punishments.
Learners (humans) are selfish and instrumental creatures therefore they do stuff in their self-interest.
• Key assumptions on learning.
Learning involves shaping the learner’s behaviour to get the intended outcome by providing reinforcements or punishments depending on behaviour displayed. Learning involves an organism and an environment with variable conditions; meaning that when one varies his behaviour, different results will be generated. Learning is the process of changing our behaviour so that we get more good stuff and less bad stuff.
Environment plays the most vital factor as the individual organism does not control the ultimate outcomes because the outcomes are shaped by the environment and different environment produces different outcomes.
Learners do various actions according to the environment but the educator is shaping those behaviour s hence the educator sets up a conducive environment for the learning of the intended behaviour. This means that the educator must have a goal in mind and takes what a learner does to shape behaviour.
If one has control over reasonable rewards and reinforcements, one is able to attain the kinds of behaviour one wants in many circumstances because people respond to reinforcement. Hence, ultimately, the environment efficiently shapes the behaviour of people.
People are motivated to learn because of their selfish nature (we need to satisfy our needs.).
• A representation of the process of learning
It is to help the learner to build new representations in which the educator has lesser control over as learning is not forced. Learning in this case, involves more indirect ways to teach. A representation of the process of learning is the pigeon study.
The pigeon study is one of the more regurgitated examples of behaviourism whereby the pigeon is attuned to the colour signal for food consumption. When disk is green, food will be given to the pigeon and if red, the pigeon will get a shock if it pecked the food. After a while, the pigeon will learn that punishment will be given when the disk is red while it pecked at the food, and that when the disk is green, the pigeon gets to eat with ease.
This is a representation in which people find themselves in an environment which they do something in response to the environment and something happens. If something good happens, we continue doing it. If something bad happens, we change our behaviour in order to lessen the punishments incurred upon us.
Another important process during the pigeon study is the reinforcements given. The pigeons were taught how to play ping pong via small steps in direction. And this is a reflection of how educators teach. They identify goals, shapes behaviour slowly towards the goal and later on more complex behaviours are required in order to get the reinforcement.
Behaviourism is reflected in the real world everywhere. People do all sorts of things to reinforce behaviours – may it be in institutions, corporate world and even at home. Parenting, Governance and institutions are all built on rewards and punishments.
• The theory's usefulness to different type of problems
The theory is useful to problems that involves learners that are unmotivated. Without the rewards or punishments as motivations, learners who lack of enthusiasm will probably avoid the problems. I totally agree with the belief in which Behavourism rest upon whereby people's will to do things depends on motivations in terms of rewards or whatever way as long as one is satisfied. Thus, this theory is very useful in motivating or inducing people to do things they don't want to do.
However, Behaviourism in terms of belting out rewards may backfire when one is too reliant on extrinsic rewards to learn or do things. When one is too dependent on rewards, one may lack of the motivation to do things (even the ones they are interested in) because it's "pointless" to do so - as one tend to lose out on other rewards if one chose to do the one without.
• The theory's usefulness for the development of the 21st century skills.
As the 21st century relies mainly on technology, one needs to be equip with the necessary skills to know how to operate computers. This is especially important for the older generation as they are not born in the technology-era. In order to persuade them to accept technology and to learn the computer skills, the government and organisations may want to promote the benefits of computer knowledge by increasing their employability (as a reinforcement) should one is equipped with the right computer skill and "threaten" those without.
Cognitivism
• Key assumptions on learners
There are two different theories to cognitivism. One involves cognitivity as innate structures and the other involves cognitiviy as constructed over time. But both theories hold that there is mediating step in between the stimulus and the response. Learners cannot be forced but they have to use their own resources, use their own models to make sense of what’s happening.
Learning involves the learners’ own internal representations (what they make sense of the world to build representations) in order to aid their learning. Thus, the individual is the unit of analysis.
Learner is more active as he has to make sense of the worlds and the different ways of imagining what might happen in this particular context. Learners must be motivated enough to learn as learners must change their mentality in order to do something they are unfamiliar with.
• Key assumptions on learning.
It is important to know what the learners are interpreting about what’s going on in between the stimulus and the response. What the learner thinks about the context is crucial because what the learner thinks is going to shape his actions. People try to make sense of where they are and what they are doing and try to fit into their existing concepts. When the context does not behave the way the person thinks it’s going to behave, the person have to change his view and concepts of things. Hence, learning is about changing.
Learning is self-induced. Educators help to build new concepts by setting up a context where learners run into circumstances that they haven’t meet before and encouraged them to think about the new situation in a new way. Hence, educators cannot force learning, but should instead encourage and facilitate learners to do things differently. Therefore, educators normally just setup an environment and allow learners to go “experiment” around, performing trial and error. Therefore, like Behavourism, educators must know what is their ultimate goal and how to induce conditions that are favourable to the goals’ direction.
Cognitivism falls upon the belief of the human curiosity –that people have the desire to learn and make sense of things around them. And that sometimes, extrinsic motivation may undermine and ruin the innate desire to learn.
• A representation of the process of learning
An example extracted from the reading is to take a child and provide the child with a bunch of interesting things to play with. The educator poses a few puzzles and then the child is left alone to figure the puzzles out through trial and error.
• The theory's usefulness to different type of problems
The theory is useful for problems that allows one to tap on one's creativity and imagination such as problem solving. It allows one to conduct trial and error to navigate oneself around the problem until one manages to seek an solution that one deems fit. In this way, one is able to truly understand how solutions are created and yet at the same time, realise what kind of learning is one more inclined towards (as not one learning technique can create the same impact to different people)
• The theory's usefulness for the development of the 21st century skills.
The theory is useful during the 21st century as creativity is required to differentiate oneself from others. By allowing creativity juices into learning, one might be able to find ways in which learning can be more accustomed to one's preference so that they can learn "better".
Sociocultural Approach
• Key assumptions on learners
Learners learn as a group. Learners are a part of a system and hence one should know one's role in the system so that the system can function well as a whole. Learners can depend on cues in order to make sense of what they need to make sense of, by making inferences.
• Key assumptions on learning.
Learning takes place across systems that include individuals but also include other people, objects and tools of various sorts (such as special layout of task settings). It shifts focus from an individual learner to a larger system. Hence, learning involves not only the things going on in the person's mind but also the use of the tools from the environment. (Learning depends on other people. It requires tools and devices, languages and physical layout of tasks.)
Learning is embedded in the human culture as it depends on what people can use jointly for tolls in order to accomplish what they need to accomplish. In this case, learning means to give the person better tools. It means to involve reorganising the layout of how people see one with respect to another or to give them the right kind of other people whose knowledge complement theirs. Educators is to fit the learner into a system where he is able to do his part so that the system accomplishes what it needs to accomplish.
• A representation of the process of learning
The process of learning can be seen in a battleship scenario where no one in the crew knows where exactly the battleship is at any point of time. In order to know the exact location of the ship, everyone on board will have to perform his task and collaborate to gather the results.
• The theory's usefulness to different type of problems
The theory is useful for problems where group work is involved. The best team includes people from different areas of expertise working towards a common goal. This means that the individual need not to be an all-rounder but is only required to know skills needed for the field of work he is expected to do. Therefore, solutions to problems can be found easily and perhaps new and better knowledge can be found to enhance efficiency.
• The theory's usefulness for the development of the 21st century skills.
With the world getting "smaller" (due to the increasing networking), sociocultural differences might be one of the factor that hinders the potential to synergise. The ability to "connect" and work with others peacefully is vital for people to tap onto synergism.
part two of the assignment:
i've read:
http://un-scatter-brain.blogspot.com/
http://eunicetan-elearning.blogspot.com/
http://sid3204.blogspot.com/
http://jac3204.blogspot.com/
and commented on:
http://fa-elearning.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
theories of learning
Lecture today basically touched on the three theories of learning
-Behaviourism, Cognitivism and the Sociocultural Approach.
To summarise VERY briefly in keywords,
Behaviourism: individualistic, reinforcement of rewards and punishments
Cognitivism: individualistic, environmental-stimulated
Sociocultural Approach: system, tools, contextual-based
Like, Stanton Wortham,
I was wondering how these theories can be assimilated together into learning programs.
(since he said that it's hard to maintain 2 of the 3 positions not to mention all three at the same time.)
Using a trial-and-error method,
I shall start with my own real life example:
The module (NM2202) I am taking currently has allocated us compulsory tutorial lessons in which we have to attend in NUS Secondlife.
(and participating tutorials in Secondlife directly translate to e-learning.)
Behaviourism can be applied in this case when the tutor wants to ensure the students' participation in Secondlife, hence (the reward which is) attendance (which ultimately translate into grades) will be noted and students who didn't attend the tutorial will be given a warning (the punishment). Then the tutor can deliberately shape the students' behaviours in order to get the dessired outcome (to attend tutorial online) more quickly.
Cognitivism can be applied in this example too as students have to learn actively and the tutor has to facilitate the learner to attempt discussions and to make sense of the whole context. In this case, the tutor setups the virtual environment and let the students learn by themselves.
(and yes, I totally agree with Stanton Wortham when he said that extrinsic reinforcement can undermine people's innate curiosity to learn and do things because if attendance is not taken, I doubt anyone will actually participate.)
Lastly, the sociocultural approach can be used when group discussions are held online. An assignment can be split up into parts which can be covered by different person and collate together to be handed up as a whole. Collation involves languages (and this can come in the form of short online slangs like gr8 = great) and the physical layout of the tasks so that communication can be done easily.
I hope I've tried successfully to apply these theories into a real life situation!
-Behaviourism, Cognitivism and the Sociocultural Approach.
To summarise VERY briefly in keywords,
Behaviourism: individualistic, reinforcement of rewards and punishments
Cognitivism: individualistic, environmental-stimulated
Sociocultural Approach: system, tools, contextual-based
Like, Stanton Wortham,
I was wondering how these theories can be assimilated together into learning programs.
(since he said that it's hard to maintain 2 of the 3 positions not to mention all three at the same time.)
Using a trial-and-error method,
I shall start with my own real life example:
The module (NM2202) I am taking currently has allocated us compulsory tutorial lessons in which we have to attend in NUS Secondlife.
(and participating tutorials in Secondlife directly translate to e-learning.)
Behaviourism can be applied in this case when the tutor wants to ensure the students' participation in Secondlife, hence (the reward which is) attendance (which ultimately translate into grades) will be noted and students who didn't attend the tutorial will be given a warning (the punishment). Then the tutor can deliberately shape the students' behaviours in order to get the dessired outcome (to attend tutorial online) more quickly.
Cognitivism can be applied in this example too as students have to learn actively and the tutor has to facilitate the learner to attempt discussions and to make sense of the whole context. In this case, the tutor setups the virtual environment and let the students learn by themselves.
(and yes, I totally agree with Stanton Wortham when he said that extrinsic reinforcement can undermine people's innate curiosity to learn and do things because if attendance is not taken, I doubt anyone will actually participate.)
Lastly, the sociocultural approach can be used when group discussions are held online. An assignment can be split up into parts which can be covered by different person and collate together to be handed up as a whole. Collation involves languages (and this can come in the form of short online slangs like gr8 = great) and the physical layout of the tasks so that communication can be done easily.
I hope I've tried successfully to apply these theories into a real life situation!
Friday, January 16, 2009
week one
like any other typical lecture,
Mr Alfred started this lecture introducing himself and the tutors.
Was pretty pleased to learn that Elmie and Jodie are the teaching assistants for this module.
Elmie was my NM2202 (intercultural communications) tutor last semester.
and so was Jodie! (for my theories - NM2101)
At the very beginning of the lecture,
Alfred tried to show us some definitions of E-learning.
and obviously, every definition he showed sounded different but yet reasonable.
thus, making the point that E-learning cannot be explained in just one sentence,
and that everyone have a different perspective for e-learning.
E-learning which means electronic learning,
to me, is just an electronic way of being taught.
and of course, electronic devices meant not only computers but also TVs, radios, etc.
thus, I suppose I'm seeing E-learning the same way as Catherall did (in the first reading),
as opposed to Rosenberg (in the second reading) who specifically stated that e-learning can only be conducted with the use of Internet technologies, citing reasons that networking is essential, etc.
We were shown the time-place concept map,
a video,
and a cartoon which try to summarise the integration of technology.
(yes. the digital divide, everyone has been talking about.)
a video,
and a cartoon which try to summarise the integration of technology.
(yes. the digital divide, everyone has been talking about.)
We were then asked to form mini groups to attempt one of the 3 assignment questions.
our group, comprised of my (lovely) group of friends, attempted question one which is to define E-learning.
and the lecture ended shortly after that.
Putting more thoughts in Rosenberg's article,
I can't help to agree with her that e-learning has to go hand-in-hand with culture and other factors.
the best way of learning something is to be interested in the subject/topic.
and interest often lies on one's culture and character (which then again, can be mould through culture.)
To end this really long entry,
I particularly like this sentence by Rosenberg in the very first paragraph of the whole text, which read,
"... major technological advances have had the power to completely alter society"
Though it's true,
it's quite a scary thought to imagine how much impact technology has on society.
What makes up the society?
Us, humans.
And who creates and reinvents technology?
Us, humans too.
But implementing and relying on technology so much in our lives,
even in learning (one must remember the immense power knowledge can bring to one),
that one day if something (the technology or even the creator) technology goes wrong,
the consequences will be drastic.
the beginning.
It's the weekend now,
and i just remembered that we needed to setup a blog for this module.
and i just remembered that we needed to setup a blog for this module.
so here i am! :)
First of all, i would really love to explain my blog address.
(obviously, if you are reading this, you already know that it's e-d1ot@blogspot.com.)
Why e-d1ot?
I intended to name it as e-diot (read: idiot),
but it happened that someone already used this address,
so I replaced the i with a 1.
(looks like those irritating e-languages people like to see. for example, cya = see you. i don't know why but i find these quite annoying. especially with the unlimited SMSes nowdays. people don't need to shorten their words, do they?)
And NO.
of course i'm not trying to be funny or do i want to diss my tutor or lecturer off in the very beginning of the module.
(i still want my grades, you see. haha.)
But i'm a total klutz with technology.
The only programs that i use with my computer is the MSN messenger, Mozilla and Microsoft Word.
And currently, i'm having problem using (this) computer,
because it's my friend's and Apple's operating system is totally foreign to me.
So technically speaking,
i'm an e-diot. (electronic idiot.)
And yes, here we touched on the point Alfred was trying to convey to us through the cartoon he showed during lecture. Reflecting on it, I suppose I'm not lagging behind (because a lot of things has to be done through technology, including basic communication) nor am I in the front pack of the IT advocators/pursuers. I'm just running along with it because I have to.
And yes, here we touched on the point Alfred was trying to convey to us through the cartoon he showed during lecture. Reflecting on it, I suppose I'm not lagging behind (because a lot of things has to be done through technology, including basic communication) nor am I in the front pack of the IT advocators/pursuers. I'm just running along with it because I have to.
Oh well, this blog will be mainly my reflections for the weekly lectures.
(i do hope I sound more intellectual in the next few entries.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)