This week the teams were asked to rethink improvements on our Edweb based on the pacing of our instruction. In the former where I participated, we only had 2 major threads. The first one was the thought I contributed regarding creating the big picture for the learners. The jump-off point for me was the 3 Bricklayers’ Story which was appropriate in characterizing the differences people view instruction. Chad replied that seeing the end in mind helps in his motivation. Kerry wrote that the challenge of instructional designers is helping the learners envisage the cathedral from the pile of bricks.
Chad brought another interesting issue, that of distinguishing between effective repetition and annoying redundancy. While it is true that adult learners benefit from the former, they find unreasonable duplication insulting. In response, my second contribution for the week was to identify other areas in the Edweb development wherein we need to decide on these thin lines between effectiveness and annoyance. It is true that each facet of our project development involves designing for our target learners who are not heterogeneous in one or more aspects.
A value-adding discussion this week was participation in the Jan 2008 cohort’s Webcon. As a formative evaluator, I was tasked to participate in the Blogs & Wikis session. I found this to be an eye-opener, being a newbie in the uses of the Social Web. The information I gathered and the practice skills afforded by the session in a safe environment engaged my curiousity. Moreover, the exchanges regarding the issues associated with web 2.0 such as Intellectual Property which I started, helped me compare and contrast the Asian versus the US perspectives.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
How will Learning in the future be?
I saw this presentation on slideshare.net as part of my participation in the Blogs & Wikis conference session. It predicts possibilities in terms of lifestyle and media. And since both affect learning, I wonder how we should design learning in the future to address evolving needs and preferences.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Preparing for Online Learning
Thinking about learning in an online environment was the topic for this week. Since the f2f setting cannot be exactly replicated online (at times, replication is not really the goal!), there will be different issues to address.
The most common concern that emerged is the discussion aspect. Unlike the traditional classroom sessions where the instructor can request a person to start the exchange through the use of both verbal and non-verbal cues, this does not apply completely online. Jessica cited the example of our webcon wherein participants were reluctant to make the first post. Our teams (Engage and Blended Learning) had to make the first posts for each other to get the ball rolling. Jessica and Elizabeth both were reflecting on possible options to get people past this initial barrier.
Overcoming this reluctance is critical in view of the value of online discussions, which was the subject of my contribution this week. Bender wrote that unlike classroom dialogue which is ephemeral in nature, online discussions are captured in text that allows reflection at the demand of the learners. For this reason, I suggested that as facilitators we must encourage quality output that will benefit both the contributor and the other participants. This could be accomplished by providing more structure in terms of expectations to newbies in the online environment. By specifying guidelines on what to post, and when, the confidence level can increase. By being definitive on what the posts should contain, we can increase the probability that the posts would generate learning for the entire group.
Do we always have to be directive in our discussion forum? I don’ t think so. I would always go by the rule of know our audience. If you have an online audience new to this learning methodology, the motivational aspect must be built first. This is easier when there is something at stake- like a prize of a grade. When the learners recognize the benefits of online learning and the richness of the discussion, hopefully they will govern themselves and the facilitator can pull back as needed.
Other topics discussed this week included the importance of memory brought up by Sheri: how representing text visually can make powerful learning happen; and the ingredients of a successful Communities of Practice through an article generously shared by Kerry.
There would be many more aspects of online learning to reflect on. As we engage in it more, there would be others that we will uncover. After I have successfully studied online years ago, I have stopped wondering how I can replicate f2f online. Instead, I am exploring the uniqueness of online learning and what it has to offer.
The most common concern that emerged is the discussion aspect. Unlike the traditional classroom sessions where the instructor can request a person to start the exchange through the use of both verbal and non-verbal cues, this does not apply completely online. Jessica cited the example of our webcon wherein participants were reluctant to make the first post. Our teams (Engage and Blended Learning) had to make the first posts for each other to get the ball rolling. Jessica and Elizabeth both were reflecting on possible options to get people past this initial barrier.
Overcoming this reluctance is critical in view of the value of online discussions, which was the subject of my contribution this week. Bender wrote that unlike classroom dialogue which is ephemeral in nature, online discussions are captured in text that allows reflection at the demand of the learners. For this reason, I suggested that as facilitators we must encourage quality output that will benefit both the contributor and the other participants. This could be accomplished by providing more structure in terms of expectations to newbies in the online environment. By specifying guidelines on what to post, and when, the confidence level can increase. By being definitive on what the posts should contain, we can increase the probability that the posts would generate learning for the entire group.
Do we always have to be directive in our discussion forum? I don’ t think so. I would always go by the rule of know our audience. If you have an online audience new to this learning methodology, the motivational aspect must be built first. This is easier when there is something at stake- like a prize of a grade. When the learners recognize the benefits of online learning and the richness of the discussion, hopefully they will govern themselves and the facilitator can pull back as needed.
Other topics discussed this week included the importance of memory brought up by Sheri: how representing text visually can make powerful learning happen; and the ingredients of a successful Communities of Practice through an article generously shared by Kerry.
There would be many more aspects of online learning to reflect on. As we engage in it more, there would be others that we will uncover. After I have successfully studied online years ago, I have stopped wondering how I can replicate f2f online. Instead, I am exploring the uniqueness of online learning and what it has to offer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
