I asked my 16 year old daughter "If you are going to look for information on a subject where do you go?" and her very quick response was "Google...or...the library". Accessing information in the knowledge economy of the 21st century can appear quite simple (there are two options: Google or the library) or it might appear daunting or overwhelming if the focus of the topic is not clearly defined for the learner and a plethora of sites is listed on Google or shelves of books are available on the subject at the library. Designing learning experiences that guide the learner to sources of relevant learning material is an important consideration for the learning manager.
I began thinking about the 5E's model as outlined in the Primary Connections (Australian Academy of Science, 2010) units of work. I began to see that E-Learning could work in any stage of a learning journey that followed this framework and so what follows is an exploration of that idea.
In the 'Engage' phase of a unit of work students could be introduced to a Voki character who acts as either an expert or as somebody to report back to once information (and knowledge) has been sourced. The use of a Voki by the teacher brings the animation world to life in the classroom - it engages because it is a bit of fun - it takes the learning to a new dimension - one that the digital native can relate easily to.
In the next phase, 'Explore', students can follow a WebQuest, access a Virtual Classroom or a Website designed specifically to cater for their learning with appropriate links to other websites or scanned information from readings - much in the same way that we as University students use Moodle to support our learning. We explore the content and identify the parts that we can link to prior knowlege in order to understand more about a topic. I think Anna has created a great website for us all to tap into. I have further reflected on her idea and come to realise that the habit I have developed of "Adding to Favourites" could quite easily be replaced with a website constructed to reflect and support my own learning. Thanks Anna.
Exploring does not have to be done alone. The engagement theory proposed by Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999) "emphasises collaboration among peers and a community of learners". This theory supports learners working together on project based learning tasks that have a real-life context or audience. By creating exploratory projects that relate to community issues the learning manager is preparing today's student for success in the world beyond the classroom.
Learning objects are another useful resource in the Explore phase of learning. They work at various junctures on the teaching methods continuum either supported by direct instruction or as a cooperative or independent learning tool. Following Pauline's blog (and in particular her conversation with Anna and Kristen) led me to reconsider my own visit to the ExploreLearning site and the use of Gizmo's in the classroom. As Kristen pointed out there are many good reasons for including learning objects or gizmo's as a learning tool.
During the 'Explain' phase the teacher and students come together and share their findings. It is at this point that any misunderstandings can be identified and corrected and deep understandings can be formed. This phase is also an appropriate time to conduct diagnostic assessment. In this phase of a learning journey students can be encouraged to sort and sift through the information and data they have collected and look for patterns or groupings that help them to organise the information. Using a concept mapping tool such as bubbl.us would allow students to do just this. Marzano and Pickering (2006, pp. 61-68) state that it is important for students to "understand the importance of organising information" and that graphic organisers provide a way to identify the pattern of declarative knowledge that is gathered.
The concept map can be used to define specific subject knowledge or, as suggested in my blog, as a revision tool by which each learner defines his/her learning completed at school that week. Further reflecting on that idea, it should be acknowledged that such an activity should not be simply carried out once and then filed away. The constant updating of a map would allow a student to self-reflect on the whole journey of learning across a shool term or year. McInerney & McInerney (2006, p. 112) state that by discussing their concept map the learner is able to assess what they know and clarify their understandings. Using concept maps in this way supports the development of self-reflection and encourages the skill of independent life-long learning. By building a concept map students are able to demonstrate their current understandings and organise their thinking.
The next phase is 'Elaborate'. At this point learners apply the knowledge they have learned to new situations in order to develop deeper understandings or improved skills (Australian Academy of Science, 2010). The 'Elaborate' phase aligns with Marzano and Pickering's (2006) Dimensions 3 and 4 of learning in which students extend, refine and use knowledge meaningfully. By this stage the learner has gathered information, clarified their understanding and is now considering the information through the lens of a complex reasoning process. Useful tools for this phase are Wiki's or construction of a website. According to SmartTeaching.org (2008) students can use the Wiki tool to create virtual field trips, establish literary circles or construct a class encyclopedia. Students are operating in Kearsley and Shneiderman's 'Create' and 'Donate' phases as they apply their ideas to a specific context for a specific audience.
Finally, the learner will 'Evaluate' or reflect on the learning journey and identify new understandings. Here students will produce their summative task. In the context of E-Learning such a task might be the production of a movie using still images dropped into a software program such as MovieMaker or PhotoStory. The images might be supported by audio such as music, or perhaps a Podcast recording.
In each of the 5E phases the learning theories of behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism can be drawn upon. The theory of connectivism specifically provides insight into learning skills and tasks needed for learners to flourish in a digital era (Siemens, 2004). According to Fasso (2010) "teaching and learning occurs across a continuum of practice, in most cases we use all of these theories strategically across a learning experience or unit." Additionally Mergel (1998) believes there is a "place for each theory within the practice of instructional design, depending upon the situation and environment" stating that the learner first requires a guiding compass before embarking on the learning journey. The guiding compass can be as broad as the subject area or as specific as an identified learning outcome. Allowing students to collaborate on a topic they feel intrinsically motivated about will support deeper learning due to the "meaningful nature of the learning environment and activities" (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999).
McInerney and McInerney (2006, p. 47) state that ICT is a tool that allows exploration and development of higher order thinking skills. They point out that with computers children are able to "play alone, play cooperatively with others, or play with a virtual community". Playing alone a child can interact with information presented as an animated movie, cooperatively with others he might collaborate on a Wiki or as part of a class explore a WebQuest that leads him on a virtual tour of another land at another time in history.
It is worth noting however that just as all children are not great athletes or artists or literary geniuses, not all children will naturally pursue learning via electronic media. Thrupp (2010) states the pedagogical practices that support ICT in the classroom include understanding "the individual learner's ICT identity" and fostering "peer-peer mentoring and negotiation about the choice of ICT practices". Profiling the cohort and designing appropriate learning experiences remains a high priority for the learning manager.
As a mature age Batchelor of Learning Management student, I cannot ignore the picture that Prensky (2001) presents of the digital native and digital immigrant. His views also of YouTube (2009) seem quite valid. In 2005 YouTube became a new type of communication - one that provides the pen and paper illiterate person with a way of getting their message out - through audio-visual means. The YouTube example that I have chosen to include in my blog is an example of 16 digital natives delivering Prensky's message in their own way.
Similarly, Loughland (2010, p. 116) believes that people use the internet as a communication tool rather than an information tool and states that "in education, communication is at the centre of everything we do." It is probably fair to say that in life, communication is at the centre of everything we do. If we use the internet and the tools that can be found there in our classrooms then surely we are setting ourselves and our learners up for life-long learning and ultimately success in the 21st century.
At the beginning of this learning journey if you had showed me this blog and told me I could do that, I would not have believed you. The shift for me has been amazing. Now I am thinking - what else can I do, how else can I use this to engage learners so that they develop a relate, create and donate mentality. Thanks for the E-Learning.
