I hope you had positive learning experiences in Module 1. With good understanding on Module 1 discussion topics, it will help you to prepare the upcoming modules. I encourage you to go back to re-read the readings or search more readings to help you to understand these theory, pedagogy, and concepts. Here are a few my reflections to share with you to improve your upcoming performances. I you have high learning expectation for your high quality performances, active and interactive participations in our course community.
M1-KEY-1-Active Learning: Instructor's Reflection
Technologies do not directly mediate learning. That is, people do not learn from computers, books, videos, or the other devices that were developed to transmit information. Rather, learning is mediated by thinking (mental processes). Thinking is activated by learning activities, and learning activities are mediated by instructional interventions, including technologies. Learning requires thinking by the learner. In order to more directly affect the learning process, therefore, we should concern ourselves less with the design of technologies of transmission and more with how learners are required to think in completing different tasks. Rather than developing ever more powerful teaching hardware, we should be teaching learners how to think more effectively. We should focus less on developing sophisticated multimedia delivery technologies and more on thinking technologies, those that engage thinking processes in the mind. The role of delivery technologies should be to display thinking tools, tools that facilitate thinking processes.
Jonassen, D. H. (N/A). What are Cognitive Tools? Retrieved March 2, 2006 from http://www.cs.umu.se/kurser/TDBC12/HT99/Jonassen.html
M1-KEY-2-Digital Citizenship: Instructor's Reflections
Does social network promote cyberbullying? Based on what I read from our postings, we seem to agree and disagree.
This question is similar to other questions: Does TV have a deleterious effect on learning and academic performance? Does TV show the negative effects of exposure to violence, inappropriate sexuality and offensive language are convincing?
How about if we change the questions to: Does social network promote collaboration and community building?
Are online technology neutral to learning?
Regardless positive or negative, we need to have effective "integration" designs or "instructional designs." We don't just provide the learners with any online learning tool, even they are considered as positive learning tools. We need provide guidance to engage learners active and negative learning. They may know "how" to use social network tools but they may not how "how to use it to promote learning." It is the designers' and teachers' responsibilities to engage them in ideal learning activities with effective instructional strategies.
M1-KEY-3-Web 2.0 Collaboration/Tools: Instructor's Reflections
I hope you have better understanding how Web 2.0 tools may facilitate online collaboration. Merely corralling students into groups does not insure ideal collaborative learning. There are four important issues that must be considered when integrating online collaboration into instruction: empowering learners, building communities, continuing support, and being patient. Regardless how collaborative learning is implemented; these four important issues must not be neglected.
Instructors must empower learners in any online learning environment. Learners should be accountable for their learning and determine what, how, when, and where to learn. Therefore, teachers become facilitators to guide learners through different learning processes, permitting a variety of elements to accommodate different learning styles rather than attempting to force everyone into the same learning pattern. Some structure is necessary, but care must be exercised to prevent it from becoming too rigid, for example step-by-step instruction. Empowering students is a difficult task for teachers because they must risk passing authority to their students.
Humans learn through rich social interaction in a community. Learners must associate and connect internally in the classroom and externally with other learners and teachers. This allows the review of multiple perspectives and enriches the learning experiences.
M1-KEY-4-PLE-Instructor's Reflection
Current Web 2.0 tools integrated with the concept of PLE addresses authentic learner-centered applications for more self and individualized environmental structuring, goal setting, time management, and task strategies. Indisputably, self-regulated learning is critical to face-to-face learning and online learning. When placing self-regulated learning into Connectivist learning, it is more than just significant, rather it is obligatory to PLEs. Effective PLE construction and exploitation demands that learners hold an ample understanding of the values and prominence of PLE, mastering multiple learning gadgets and tools and organizing their online learning portal on diverse learning platforms and environments (e.g., mobile devices, & tablets) as PLE.
Regardless, formal, informal, personal, or life-long learning, learning is always personal, constructive, ubiquitous, and collaborative. After the discussion, we see the need for pedagogies and research in designing effective network learning that learners should be allowed to personalize learning tasks, and environments and in preparing and scaffolding network learners' new self-regulated learning skills and strategies in all aspects of self-regulated learning. Simply providing Web 2.0 tools in the absence of effective PLE building and task scaffolding is inappropriate, although online learning environments lend themselves to self-regulated learning approaches (e.g., inquiry based learning, & problem based learning). Although network learners are free to organize their own set of network tools, people, and resources, many network learners felt overwhelmed by the complications of networks, particularly the network tools.
This is explained as lack of skills as new PLE literacy related to organize effective multi-tool personal environment to gain control and ownerships. Personal Learning Environment is personalized but yet it is networked and collaborative while Personal Learning Environment may be powered by technology, but yet it is rooted in the notion of pedagogy. So both concept and technology are matter. Agree?!
M1-KEY-5-Twitter-Instructor's Reflection
When it comes to technology integration, it is very common that we think in a conventional way to use the technology to replace existing instructions. It is a good step to take. Perhaps, we should think creatively, innovatively, and non-conventionally.
One of previous students shared how she integrated Twitter for her younger learners. Entire class share one account. The teacher control the log in. They discussed what people/institutions/organizations (such as museums) they would like to follow. As a class, they view their twitter feed together and discuss whether they would like to tweet about something as a class.
I think it is an excellent and a creative integration because when it comes to the technology, we frequently think 1-1 ratio. In fact, sometime working collaboratively is more effective. Agree?
M1-KEY-6-Cloud-Instructor's Reflection
Cloud computing is an unique technology to support creativity and collaboration. Clouding computing technology is not limited to Google Drives or Dropbox. I encourage you to research more if you see the potentials to support your teaching and learning. Remember, learning technology integration is more than just for teaching. You can apply the integration for your own learning, classroom management, and professional development etc. I encourage you to integrate cloud computing with mobile learning (ubiquitous learning); therefore, learning can be anywhere and anytime. Shouldn't learning be always mobile and ubiquitous?
M1-Key-7-Diigo: Instructor's Reflection
It is great to see that many of you shared your creative thoughts and logical analyses with us on Diigo.
Diigo is categorized as a social annotation and social bookmarking tool. Therefore, it works well in these two features. How about using Diigo as a tool other than bookmarking and annotation tool?
Here is an example that we did in another ETC course.
We used an online article as the reading. The students commented on the online article as a web page and/or on specific texts/phrases/paragraph. We turned each comment into a new thread. In other words, anyone could turn the comment into a discussion thread on any specific part of article.
Overall, the students' reaction to this integration was that their online discussion became more context specific and more meaningful.
I encourage you to challenge yourself with any "creative" ideas when we examine any online technology.
M1-Key-8-Connectivism: Instructor's Reflection
Connectivism may be considered as a post-modern learning paradigm. It reflects modern learning in an effective way, particularly with network technology. Does it make other learning paradigms (Constructivism, Behaviorism etc.) obsolete? Perhaps not. Why do we need to learn about Connectivism? Because it is new and cool? I hope that is not your answer. As an expert in educational technology and instructional designers, we need to know the full range of learning paradigms. When you need to design technology-based instructions, you know what would be the most appropriate and relevant learning paradigm to apply to research your learning/teaching goals.
Behavioural/Cognitive models are useful for memory and conceptual knowledge acquisition. Constructivist models develop group skills and negotiated knowledge.
Connectivist models and tools introduce networked learning and are foundational for lifelong learning. 21st Century Literacy's and skills demand effective use of all three pedagogies
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