Fiona's E-Learning Blog
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Wednesday 8 May 2013
Monday 6 May 2013
Sunday 23 December 2012
Reflective Synopsis
Week 7 - Assessment 2 Reflective Synopsis
How do learners learn? Over the years, various learning theorists have
attempted to describe the phenomenon of learning, and how it takes place. This
reflection will begin by providing a brief overview of popular learning
theories including Behaviourism, Cognitivism, Constructivism and Connectivism,
followed by the current perspective on what works best in teaching and
learning. Next, several merits of e-learning will be identified, and the most
effective way to implement the use of technology within the classroom will be
discussed. Basic consideration will be given to safe, legal and ethical
participation in online environments. In addition, links will be provided to
previous blog posts which explore various digital tools that can be used within
early childhood (EC) settings to enhance teaching and learning. Finally, the
importance of assuming technology to be integral to twenty-first century
learning, as opposed to a pedagogical tool that may be randomly integrated into
learning experiences, will be highlighted.
Behaviourist Learning Theory
Cognitivist Learning Theory
Cognitivist learning theories focus on ‘the internal mental processes individuals use in their effort to make sense of the world’ (McInerney & McInerney, 2006, p.572). Emerging in the 1950’s, Cognitivism sought to explain the inconsistencies of Behaviourism; for example, ‘children do not imitate all behaviour that has been reinforced … [and] may model new behaviour days or weeks after their first initial observation without having been reinforced for the behaviour’ (Mergel, 1998, p.7). Good and Brophy (1990) explain that ‘cognitive theorists view learning as involving the acquisition or reorganisation of the cognitive structures through which humans process and store information’ (p.187). One of the key concepts of Cognitive Theory is the Three-Stage Information Processing Model, which asserts that external stimulus ‘first enters the sensory register, then is processed in short-term memory, and then is transferred to long-term memory for storage and retrieval’ (Mergel, 1998, p.7). Jean Piaget, instrumental in the development of cognitive theory during the 1960’s, explains this process in terms of ‘schemas’. Schemas are internal or cognitive knowledge structures, with which new information can be compared; schema then combine, extend or alter to accommodate the new information (Mergel, 1998, p.7). In this way, schema theory suggests ‘that our prior knowledge can facilitate or enhance transfer of learning’ (asiaeuniversity, n.d., p.131).
Constructivist Learning Theory
Constructivists believe that ‘learners
construct their own reality or at least interpret it based upon their
perceptions of experiences, so an individual’s knowledge is a function of one’s
prior experiences, mental structures, and beliefs that are used to interpret
objects and events’ (Jonasson, 1991, cited in Mergel, 1998). Constructivism
assumes that knowledge is constructed from experience and personal
interpretation of the world (Mergel, 1998, p.8). Pedagogical implications of
constructivism include the implementation of learning experiences taking place
in authentic situations, and assessment being embedded in the task rather than
as a separate activity (Mergel, 1998, p.9). Social constructivist, Lev
Vygotsky, claimed that learning is heavily influenced by social interactions.
He maintained that, through the Zone of Proximal Development, teaching designed
and ‘aimed slightly ahead of what children know and can do at the present time
… will pull them along, helping them master things they cannot learn on their
own’ (Snowman et al., 2009, p.46). An important pedagogical practice within
constructivism is ‘scaffolding’, which involves supporting students through the
early stages of learning a new skill. Using such techniques as demonstration of
tasks, providing hints as to correct solutions for problems or answers for
questions, and asking leading questions, the support is gradually withdrawn as
students become more competent at working independently (Snowman et al., 2009,
p.47).
Connectivist Learning Theory
So, which learning theory should educators trust to inform their
instructional design? Each theory has its pros and cons. Contemporary
curriculum design encompasses a combination of pedagogical practices drawn from
all theories. For example, Behaviourism is adopted when rote learning is deemed
the most effective way to learn a skill. When students need to learn from
experience, Constructivism is the theory of choice. If learners need to access
expert information, Connectivism becomes important. However, contemporary
learning theorists believe that ‘learning is only complex when knowledge is
constructed, and because complex reasoning processes are critical to
decision-making and learning in the twenty-first century, constructivism is the
theory that informs much of our online design for learning’ (Central Queensland
University [CQU], 2012a).
Due to the abundance of information now available to students, and the
fact that knowledge has such a short life (i.e. as newer, more up-to-date
information comes to hand), success for twenty-first century learners is now,
more than ever, reliant upon the development of ‘know-where’ skills, in terms
of being able to source information relevant to their learning, in a digital
world. This requires both technological and critical literacy skills. For this
reason, it is important for today’s educators to understand the importance of
incorporating information and communication technologies (ICTs) as an integral
component of learning environments, and as an integral tool in learning, right
from the early years of education.
Why digital technologies?
My favourite digital experiences
During my recent experimentation
with several digital tools, I have found that most have relevance and can be
applied to the EC setting, allowing teachers to utilise their creativity as an
additional teacher. It is difficult to choose just one or two, because they all
offer fantastic opportunities for EC learners, and different tools would suit
different learning styles and intelligences. However, I would have to say that
my favourite digital tools were Glogster, Powerpoint, and Zooburst. The links below provide access to
previous posts, where an example of each is available, and the reasons I value
these tools as EC learning tools is explained in the reflections. I also love
the idea of developing a class website to bring many different teaching tools together
in the one location for the children to access, and also for the children to
share their own digital creations.
TPACK
It is important to remember that
ICTs are only beneficial when combined with appropriate and effective teaching
strategies; these then form the basis for ‘digital pedagogy’which enhances
teaching and learning outcomes. The Technological and Pedagogical Content
Knowledge (TPACK) framework has been designed specifically for the purpose
of guiding teachers in the successful incorporation of digital tools into the
learning environment, while maintaining a focus on providing essential content
knowledge and utilising effective pedagogical practices. Historically, the
profession of teaching has focussed on the delivery of content knowledge. In
more recent times, the profession changed its emphasis to the pedagogical
practices employed by teachers. Curriculum has typically been influenced by one
or the other of these foci. In 1986, Shulman introduced the idea of combining
pedagogical and content knowledge to create the concept of Pedagogical Content
Knowledge (PCK), which is what occurs when the two aspects of teaching are
employed together. Since then, vast technological advances have necessitated
that technology also be incorporated into the model, resulting in the TPACK
framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006, p.1029). Mishra & Koehler (2006)
state that ‘Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is an emergent
form of knowledge that goes beyond all three components’ to provide
‘pedagogical techniques that use technologies in constructive ways to teach
content’, in this way providing a fourth, learning-enhancing dimension
(p.1029). While ICTs will enhance teaching and learning, they must be combined
with the necessary content knowledge and appropriate pedagogical skills for
optimal results. Importantly, ICTs should be seen as integral to the
facilitation of learning and used regularly, rather than used infrequently as
an optional extra.
Safety,
Legal & Ethical Issues
With the benefit of ICTs, also come
some important responsibilities. Firstly, it is important to consider the
safety of the students; that they cannot access inappropriate material on-line,
and that they are not in any way exposed to cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying is
‘when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated,
embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the
Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones’ (WiredKids,
n.d.). Examples of inappropriate material include pornography and violence.
Secondly, it is essential that the teacher and the students are aware of the
laws protecting copyright, and are able to abide by these so as not to use
images and other material on-line in an unauthorised capacity. Finally, ethics
dictate that all resources that do not directly belong to the on-line
participant must be referenced appropriately.
At this ‘half-way mark’, I have to say that I feel really privileged to have accessed this learning through the CQU Managing e-Learning Course. I have discovered many exceptional digital tools that I may not otherwise have engaged with. This past seven weeks has opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Being a creative person, I know I will utilise the knowledge and the tools I have accessed through this course to enhance my teaching and, hopefully, my students’ learning in the future.
References:
asiaeuniversity. (n.d.). Learning
theories: Five cognitive learning theories.Retrieved 23 December, 2012,
from
http://peoplelearn.homestead.com/beduc/chapter_5.pdf
Central Queensland University [CQU]. (2012a). Learning theory: A brief overview of learning theory. Retrieved 30 October, 2012, from
http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=60611
Central Queensland University [CQU]. (2012b). e-Learning design: Teaching
in digital environments. Retrieved 3 November, 2012, from
http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=60619
Good,T. & Brophy,J. (1990).Educational
psychology: A realistic approach.Longman: White Plains, NY.
McInerney, D., & McInerney, V. (2006). Educational psychology: Constructing
learning. Pearson: French’s Forest, NSW, Australia.
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. (2006). Technological
pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Retrieved
5 November, 2012, from
http://site.aace.org/pubs/sigs/sig-Mishra-Koehler-TCR.pdf
Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional
design & learning theory.Retrieved 3 November, 2012, from
http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm#The%20Basics%20of%20Behaviorism
Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A
learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved 3 November, 2012, from
http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
Snowman, J., Dobozy, E., Scevak, J., Bryer, F.,
Bartlett, B., and Biehler, R. (2009). Psychology
applied to teaching. Milton, QLD, Australia: Wylie.
WiredSafety.org. (n.d.). Stop
cyberbullying:what is cyberbullying,
exactly? Retrieved 10 November,
2012, from
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/what_is_cyberbullying_exactly.html
Friday 14 December 2012
Zooburst
Week 6 - Engagement Activity 12
Reflection on Zooburst
I had a lot of fun experimenting with Zooburst, and creating my own pop-up book, which you can view below. It is better to expand the screen to full-size, to be able to read the page and character captions. The character captions are accessed by clicking on the exclamation marks over the top of the pictures.
I can see Zooburst being an excellent resource to employ within the early childhood education setting. Teachers can use this tool to create simple books on any topic, from introducing beginning sounds and early numeracy skills to explaining scientific phenomena that take the children's interest. In addition, it would make an excellent collaborative tool to engage young children in creating a class story, that can be created one page at a time and built upon as much as the children would like, or for as long as they remain interested - before they decide to begin another story, that is!
This is such a simple tool to use, and the results can be seen within such a short time that it is sure to maintain the interest of young children. In fact, pages can be as elaborate or as simple as you or they choose. This being the case, it would be an excellent tool through which to introduce basic computing skills to children in early childhood settings. Although they would need adult assistance to spell the words to search for pictures either within the clip art file supplied, or through uploading images, they themselves could use the mouse to maneuvre and position pictures, change the angles and sizes of pictures, and the timing of the pop-ups. There really isn't any way to go wrong with these simple tasks, and the result will always be quite effective.
The ways an early childhood teacher could use Zooburst to create teaching and learning resources is only as limited as their imagination. Why not try creating a page of 'farm animals', with one or two misplaced 'zoo animals', and then ask the children to identify the odd ones out? The answer could be on the following page ... which could then lead onto another page of 'zoo animals'. On this page, there might be a few misplaced domestic 'pets' for the children to identify as the odd ones out ... and, of course, this would lead onto a page of 'pets', and so forth. There are many such simple classification / categorisation tasks that could be created in this way (e.g. fruits and vegetables, hot and cold, healthy and unhealthy, living and non-living, warm-blooded and cold-blooded and so on), and the beauty of Zooburst is that it is so quick to create a book - and, it already has many pictures available for use.
In addition, audio tracks can be added to books. This would be great for stories the children create themselves, or for books of favourite songs and rhymes, or for identifying sounds. You might have a series of pictures and sounds on consecutive pages, some matching and some not. For example, a page may display a picture of a telephone with the sound of an alarm clock. You would then ask the children if the sound matches the picture. If not, on the next page you might display the same object (the telephone), with the numbers 1,2, and 3 on the page, attach sounds to the numbers, and ask the children to choose the correct sound. Or, you might have a number of alternative items on the next page (e.g. a toaster, an alarm clock and a small bell), from which the children can choose the item that really matches the sound. This is rather a simple example, but there are many more challenging objects and sounds to choose from, depending on the children's level of development.
And so, Zooburst can be used by teachers and students. It can be used as a creative story book, as an interactive educational book to explore factual information, or as an interactive and educational activity book, among many other fun and engaging applications. As previously stated, the uses for Zooburst are only as limited as the imagination. I believe this is one of the best and simplest tools for presenting a variety of educational material to early childhood students, with both visual and auditory input and cues to stimulate sensory experiences and intellectual development. It's fun, engaging and creative! It can be used for all key learning areas, as well as for the development of basic concepts and understandings learned during the very early childhood years. I don't think young children would grow tired of this tool in a hurry, especially if they are allowed to play with it and create books and activities of their own - for themselves and their friends, and perhaps even for their teacher?!
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