Branding and Innovation

Words that describe current trends in Educational Technology: Branding and Innovation

Best Practices in Distance Education

Signer 2008

Berge and Muilenburg (2000) recommend preparing

students  for  discussions  through  questions  and  techniques  such  as  summarizing.

Knowlton (2001) acknowledges the importance of teachers knowing how they will be

assessed, from the beginning of the course; relating tasks to higher levels of Bloom’s

Taxonomy;  providing  a  forum  for  online  students  to  construct  knowledge;  and

creating assignments that offer many ways to respond.

Miller and King 2003

Research   supports   a   need   for   distance   education   courses   to   be

constructivist,  collaborative,  and  student-centered  (Bonk  and  Cummings

1998,  Bourne  et  al.1997,  Carr-Chellman  et  al.2000,  Hiltz  1997,  Kaye 1991, McCombs 2001, Moore and Kearsley 1996, Palloff and Pratt 1999, 2001).

Nsiah 2013

Stanfield et al. (2009) discovered that establishing a clear vi- sion and strong leadership, as well as demonstrating a pro- active approach to management that can address potential prob- lems and explore opportunities to the full, are vital for success in distance education.

References

Miller, T. and King, F. (2003). Distance education: pedagogy and best practices in the new millennium. International Journal of Leadership in Education, [online] 6(3), pp.283-297. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/1360312032000118225 [Accessed 16 Mar. 2018].

Nsiah, G. (2013). Best Practices in Distance Education: A Review. Creative Education, [online] 04(12), pp.762-766. Available at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/ce [Accessed 16 Mar. 2018].

Signer, B. (2008). Online professional development: combining best practices from teacher, technology and distance education. Professional Development in Education, [online] 34(2), pp.205-218. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13674580801951079 [Accessed 16 Mar. 2018]. 

Importance of Graphics

Summary and Reflection of Clark and Mayer Chapter 4

Summary

In the fourth chapter of e-Learning and the Science of Instruction by Clark and Mayer (2016), the authors focus on "Applying the Multimedia Principle".  This principle states “people learn better from words and pictures than from pictures alone (p. 47).”  The chapter defines multimedia as the use of words and graphics.  There are two main points in this chapter: when to use multimedia and what type of graphics to use. 

Not all use of graphics have the same impact; the purpose of the graphics must be considered.  Clark and Mayer (p. 72) purpose that there are the following purposes for graphics: decorative, representational, relational, organizational, transformational, and interpretive.  Graphics used for decorative and representational purposes are not as powerful as transformative, interpretive, and organizational graphics (p 72).  Graphics should be chosen to support learning; they should have a sound reason for use.  The use of multimedia works best when the learners do not know the material well, versus experts with the material.

There is also a decision of whether to use static (still) graphics or dynamic (animated) graphics.  While there seems to be a preference of using dynamic graphics when available, this is not supported by evidence.  Static graphics are actually better for complex concepts.  Clark and Mayer state “illustrations and text allow for active processing because learners were able to control the order and pace of their processing.”  While animations are better for concepts with manual procedures.  Other valuable uses of animations include color changes and arrows or circling to point out important aspects of complex illustrations.

Reflection

Use of graphics is an important point in conceptual understanding.  Graphics are powerful when used correctly and learning to use that power effectively can enhance the learning of all students.  This is really a new concept for teaching.  However, it must be noted that a deeper understanding of how to use graphics is important.  Especially the points that dynamic graphics are not necessarily better than static graphics.  This is especially true when the online environment supports the use of animated illustrations.  These animated illustrations may not be the best tool in learner understanding.

The use of this principle in the ISD assignment is extremely relevant, as it is whenever instruction is considered.  The designer of a course should always consider why a graphic is used.  It can mean the difference between distracting the learner or helping in understanding.  After this course and this assignment, when coaching teachers in using technology in education I can use this information to inform and enhance instruction. 

Reference

Clark, R.C., Mayer, R.E. (2016). E-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning, 4^th Edition. [MBS Direct]. Retrieved from https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781119158677/

Assessments

Successful educational institutions in the future will out of necessity integrate the worlds of education, work, and leisure with leading edge electronic technologies as they become available.  The new model for educational activity will be that which is delivered by the institutions and acquired by the students in an anytime, anyplace, on-demand fashion. The educational institution of the future, at the post-secondary level at least, will not be a campus we drive through and view the ivy covered halls of wisdom, but it will be a learning experience we participate in while we drive along the highway, relax at home, work at our desks, fly to distant locations, collaborate with fellow learners, and accomplish all the other tasks required of us to be productive, useful, and educated citizens of the world.  It will always be at our fingertips, or at least no more than a click away. One of the major challenges of this new “at-our-fingertips” learning environment is how to assess learner achievement in an online course in which learner and instructor seldom or never see each other in face-to-face contact.  The assessment must be authentic as defined by Wiggins (1998), Bridges (1995) and others and must be effective in that it measures learning, engages the learner, is integrated into the learning process, and promotes further learning.  The assessment paradigm developed as a result of this study will be a step forward. (Drummond, 2003)


References:

Cheng, A., Jordan, M. and Schallert, D. (2013). Reconsidering assessment in online/hybrid courses: Knowing versus learning. Computers & Education, [online] 68, pp.51-59. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2013.04.022 [Accessed 13 Feb. 2018].

Kerton, C. and Cervato, C. (2014). Assessment in Online Learning--It's a Matter of Time. Journal of College Science Teaching, [online] 043(04). Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/43632008 [Accessed 12 Feb. 2018].

Module 4: Design (P2: Assessment). (2018).

Watson, C., Wilson, A., Drew, V. and Thompson, T. (2016). Small data, online learning and assessment practices in higher education: a case study of failure?. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, [online] 42(7), pp.1030-1045. Available at: http://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2016.1223834 [Accessed 12 Feb. 2018].

Gange’s Nine Steps of Instruction are :

1 - Gain attention of the students

2 - Inform Student’s of the Objectives

3 - Stimulate recall of prior knowledge

4 - Present the content

5 - Provide learning guidance

6 - Elicit performance (practice)

7 - Provide Feedback

8 - Assess Performance

9 - Enhance retention and transfer to the job

These are applicable to both the brick and mortar classroom as well as the digital classroom.  They may look different though.  The brick and mortar classroom will ask students to come to attention at the start of the class, then proceed to highlight the objectives with a teacher traditionally at the head of the class maintaining class obedience and attention.  Digital Classrooms, like this one will have a list of objectives, assignments, and videos posted in predetermined locations so that students can review them at will. 

As it applies to a K-5 class, students cannot be relied on to self pace themselves through the course.  Teachers or other adults must be on hand to aide students in direction and instruction and staying on task.  Older students can take on more responsibility to pace themselves.  K-5 classrooms may be more successful to share Ganges Steps of Instruction.

 Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center (2018). Gange's Nine Events of Instruction. [pdf] Northern Illinois University, pp.1-3. Available at: https://www.niu.edu/facdev/_pdf/guide/learning/gagnes_nine_events_instruction.pdf [Accessed 1 Feb. 2018].

Welcome EDUC 633

Welcome EDUC 633

I am Leslie Baxter-Pipoly.  I'm pursuing is a Master's Degree for Teaching and Learning Instructional Technology and Online Learning.  I will graduate with my degree this summer.  I have about 4 classes left for my degree.  I'm currently in my dream job, I am an Instructional Technology Resource Teacher for a small school district. I work with other teachers to enhance their lessons with technology. 

 I live in Virginia.  My husband and I have been married for about 5 years.  We have one baby girl together, she is almost 2 years old.  We also have his and her kids, two boys from his side who are 21 and 25, and one girl from my side, she is 10. I am a Girl Scout Leader for my daughter's Junior troop.  I also love to read and crochet in my few minutes to myself.  

In this course, I'm hoping to learn how to properly set-up and manage online learning for blended classes as well as classes offered online only.

Happy studies everyone!

Innovation and Personalisation

As educational / digital leaders, how can we ensure technology is being used to allow students to construct knowledge, share experiences, reflect on practice, seek feedback, and contribute to the learning of others? Why is this important?

The answer to this question is the students.  Put the students in charge of their learning and their experience.  As teachers, we want to have control and craft out the learning path for our students.  What if we flip roles?  What if the students were the focus and not the learning objectives?  Okay, I’m not saying that we should throw those almighty learning objectives, we should just shift the focus back to the student experience.  Inquiry-based learning, student-centered coaching, these are the new catchphrases now.  These ideas focus on posing a problem to the students and allowing them to find a solution and the teacher orchestrates a scenario that creates the real experience of the learning objective.  Below I’ve included a graphic called “Personalisation: The Shift.”  It shows what it looks like to put the focus on the students.  The first students are the Who, and then the Why.  If you haven’t had a chance to watch the YouTube video of Simon Sinek’s “Golden Circle” I would highly recommend it.  In this video, he says “People don’t buy what you sell, but Why you sell it.”  As teachers, we need focus on our students and sell our “why”.  Build a classroom of finding celebrations in failure, and celebrating the growth that those failures create.  Teach students the cycle of growth.  Have an Idea, make a plan, design and make, get feedback, repeat.  Teach them without using pass and fail, teach them about growth, even the best ideas can be improved.  Make the classroom a place of collaboration and communication.  Create a safe place to be real about shortcomings and free to help all students build on those weaknesses, everybody can learn.  Make a classroom that is a real-world model, so that students are ready for real-world experiences.  That is what is important, getting them ready to live in a real-world.

http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2015_09_01_archive.html

Simon Senik's Golden Circle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4

TedTalks. (2010). How great leaders inspire action. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4

Sheninger, E. (2017). Schools That Work for Kids. [online] Google Docs. Available at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19VqViLxtN09fNRqwLwIkSgKtHpRZH8FTGrnwjLR4am8/edit [Accessed 7 Dec. 2017].