Question 1:
The CSILE case study from CSCL 2 (2001) is used to illustrate the use and role of technology and the role of the teacher or instructor and instructional strategies needed to determine what technological tools can do and how these tools require support from teachers and instructional strategies. The CSILE case study consisted of one teacher with two separate attempts using CSILE two years apart and the lessons learned. This CSILE study illustrates how changes in student outcomes can happen by reviewing instructional strategies and the role of the teacher in relation to the technology used in the classroom.
According to Hewitt (2001) Knowledge Building Communities allow for knowledge to be built from the collaboration of the participants as opposed to information only coming from the teacher. Students in this atmosphere must play a participatory role in gathering information thereby making learning the goal instead of simply completing a task and possibly learning from the assignment. This format allows for the focus on intentional learning (Hewitt, 2001), in that the learning is the goal as opposed to it being an incidental outcome of projects.
According to Hewitt (2001) the instructional strategies used during the second trial included: “Placing a greater focus on problem-centered collaboration” (p. 27); “Guide student toward educationally productive queries.” (p. 29); “Make student thinking focal.” (p. 30); “Make evident the iterative progression of learning.” (p. 32); “Encourage substantive collaboration.” (p. 35); and “Stress understanding.” (p. 35). These strategies were developed after reviewing the CSILE project and identifying specific problems.
The use of the technology, CSILE, provided a tool for students that would: record ideas, allow for viewing by peers, enable students to comment on peer’s ideas, provide the ability to link ideas/comments, and provide tags to organize ideas. The relationship between the use of technology and the strategies used during the second trial allowed for greater success. Simply using the technology available without proper instructional strategies to guide students through the process of building knowledge was found to be unsuccessful. The students, with additional instructional strategies, were directed to begin with a problem statement as opposed to a topic and were provided with a format to list the information in the database. This change in instructional strategy allowed for a more focused research and increased collaboration. (Hewitt, 2001) The collaborative tools available in CSILE coupled with the instructional strategies increased the level of collaboration among students and changed the activity from a task-based assignment into a knowledge building experience (Hewitt, 2001).
The role of this technology is to allow the student to input ideas and solutions into a database in order to involve students in learning and understanding new concepts and relationships. The role of the teacher is to provide initial instruction of the technology, emphasize understanding, encourage collaboration, and guide the learning process from knowledge gathering to knowledge building (Hewitt, 2001).
Question 2:
The learning community that I would like to develop is a hybrid VLC designed for an online post-clinical conference for practical nursing students. This VLC would incorporate face-to-face meetings with online activities. The technology to be used to support the online activities is Moodle. This technology provides the tools needed for communication, group work, collaboration, and reflective journaling. According to Wikipedia ( 2009 ) Moodle allows for a constructivist or social constructivist approach to learning in that the students are encouraged to contribute to the educational experience. The construction of Moodle is set for a modular format, this format can be developed in a weekly platform that will assist with the online post clinical conference.
The design of Moodle provides the scaffolding for communication through the use of forums that provide the opportunity for asynchronous discussions, a chat feature that provides the opportunity for synchronous discussions, and e-mail for additional communication. Jones & Bronack (2007) mention “an effective learning environment is one that supports the transmission of information by providing a context for people to communicate.” (p. 101) Collaboration is supported in Moodle through the use of wiki’s and databases. Reflective journaling is supported through the use of a journal activity built into Moodle. According to Dunlap (2006) journal writing is a technology that can enhance critical thinking, as well as record changes in the student’s perception during the learning event.
Instructional strategies for this VLC include guide discussions, encourage collaboration, provide examples, and stress understanding. The discussion boards (or forums) will provide the environment and opportunity for students to reflect on the information they learned during the clinical setting and use the guiding questions to further expand and build on their current knowledge. Bonk & Zhang (2006) note that discussion boards or forums allow for a delayed response to questions or statements, allowing for a more in-depth discussion. The opportunity for a more in-depth response and how it relates to the clinical experience can assist to build on the student’s critical thinking in the clinical context. Collaboration will be encouraged during the guided discussions as well as during projects using the wiki tool built in to Moodle. The projects, such as developing a patient teaching plan or concept map, will allow for additional collaboration as students work in groups to build on their knowledge in these areas. Examples will be provided to students as they begin the activities to provide a framework for their projects.
The teacher’s facilitation is provided in guiding the face-to-face meetings directly following the clinical experience to allow the students a debriefing time and answer questions that may have developed during the experience. Facilitation is also evidence by providing guiding questions and projects to allow the student to develop and build their knowledge concerning the clinical portion of their nursing education. The teacher will also model behavior that is expected in the clinical setting as well as on discussion boards and activities by providing timely feedback and assistance to finding answers as students require the additional help.
The theory that supports the use of Moodle for providing the online post clinical conference is a constructivist theory, Morrison, Ross & Kemp state that Vygotsky’s theory states, “. . . that social interactions can facilitate learners; progression to more advanced ways of thinking and problem solving.” (2007, p. 355) The constructivist theories of learning emphasize the student’s active role in the learning process, participating in the learning experience as opposed to simply memorizing the information. This theory is appropriate for the online post clinical conference, because it is the cultivation of knowledge and the application of that knowledge that is used for the clinical experience and to build critical thinking.
References:
Wikipedia, (2009). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle
Bonk, C. & Zhang, K. (2006). Introducing the R2D2 Model: Online learning for the diverse learners of the world. Distance Education, 27(2), 249-264.
Dunlap, J. (2006). Using guided reflective journaling activities to capture students’ changing perceptions. TechTrends, 50(6). 20-26.
Hewitt, J. (2002) From a focus on tasks to a focus on understanding: The cultural transformation of a Toronto classroom. In T. Koschmann, R. Hall, & N. Miyake (Eds.). CSCL 2: Carrying forward the conversation. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Jones, G. & Bronack, S (2007). Rethinking cognition, representations, and processes in 3D online social learning environments. In D. Gibson, C. Aldrich, & M Prensky (Eds.). Games and simulations in online learning: Research and development frameworks. (pp 89-114). Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing.
Morrison, G., Ross, S., & Kemp, J (2007) Designing effective instruction. (5th Edition). Chennai, India: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Games and simulation in online learning
Chapter 5
Learning is an active process, as the article, Rethinking Cognition, Representations, and Processes in 3D Online Social Learning Environments (Jones & Bronack, 2007) states “learning . . . as a contiguous process that exists each time people willfully interact with each other in the world around them.” (pg 93). By using 3D technologies members have the means to interact with their environment as it becomes a socially oriented learning environment allowing for interaction between not only members and their environment, but members and their peers and instructors or other experts. Through this interaction, the members have the opportunity to take an active role and participate within the virtual world by adding content or through communication.
Using such 3-D technologies as avatars, virtual environments and voice can create an online social environment that is an effective learning community. The use of 3-D avatars enhance the online social environment by allowing a visual symbol or model of a person to communicate or interact with in the online community. This tool allows the members to make connections with other members. As stated in the article, the research at the University of North Texas, “students rated the 3d learning environment as providing the same level of satisfaction and interaction as the face-to-face course.” (p.108)
With the use of avatars, the member becomes a part of the environment, interacting with other avatars and the environment online; they can become immersed in the situation or activity. It is through this immersion that situated learning can take place, the learners are immersed in the activity, actually responding to the environment and becoming an active participant as opposed to a passive viewer of information. Another theory, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, is supported through this type of learning environment, by engaging students in tasks that they can build knowledge with the help of peers and teachers.
The 3-D technology also enables the member to move through the virtual world or space, allowing them to feel as though they were entering a room or area and seeing other people (avatars) in the room. With the added feature of voice, as the member enters a room, they have the capability to join in a discussion verbally. If voice is not enabled, as they enter a room, there is chat enabled and the discussion is text based.
Chapter 13
The game “Reliving the Revolution” was developed to help learners learn history through experiencing the activity. The game was developed to be played specifically in Lexington, Ma using a handheld PDA with a GPS. The teams are composed of eight members paired up to play the role of four different historic character. As students arrived at certain locations, the GPS triggered information to be given by a historic figure through the PDA. This information, received through the PDA, was in the context of their character. Each pair in the team received different information, based on their character. As the students collect information, they collaborated with each other to interpret the evidence. The game consisted of two time periods, one before the Battle of Lexington and one after the Battle of Lexington. Following the two time frames of collecting evidence, the groups compared evidence with the other characters or roles during a debate to determine “Who fired the first shot?”.
By using the augmented reality game, the participants were immersed in the situation, physically being at the location of evidence and using the technology to deliver the evidence that was needed to determine the solution to the problem “who fired the first shot?”. This augmented reality game allowed for collaboration between paired team members and also the group of eight students as they debated the evidence they each gathered, all in a differing context.
References:
Jones & Bronack, (2007), Rethinking cognition, representations, and processes in 3d online social learning environments. In D. Gibson, C. Aldrich, & M. Prensky (Eds.) Games and simulatins in online learning: Research and development frameworks Hershey, Information Science Publishing.
Learning is an active process, as the article, Rethinking Cognition, Representations, and Processes in 3D Online Social Learning Environments (Jones & Bronack, 2007) states “learning . . . as a contiguous process that exists each time people willfully interact with each other in the world around them.” (pg 93). By using 3D technologies members have the means to interact with their environment as it becomes a socially oriented learning environment allowing for interaction between not only members and their environment, but members and their peers and instructors or other experts. Through this interaction, the members have the opportunity to take an active role and participate within the virtual world by adding content or through communication.
Using such 3-D technologies as avatars, virtual environments and voice can create an online social environment that is an effective learning community. The use of 3-D avatars enhance the online social environment by allowing a visual symbol or model of a person to communicate or interact with in the online community. This tool allows the members to make connections with other members. As stated in the article, the research at the University of North Texas, “students rated the 3d learning environment as providing the same level of satisfaction and interaction as the face-to-face course.” (p.108)
With the use of avatars, the member becomes a part of the environment, interacting with other avatars and the environment online; they can become immersed in the situation or activity. It is through this immersion that situated learning can take place, the learners are immersed in the activity, actually responding to the environment and becoming an active participant as opposed to a passive viewer of information. Another theory, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, is supported through this type of learning environment, by engaging students in tasks that they can build knowledge with the help of peers and teachers.
The 3-D technology also enables the member to move through the virtual world or space, allowing them to feel as though they were entering a room or area and seeing other people (avatars) in the room. With the added feature of voice, as the member enters a room, they have the capability to join in a discussion verbally. If voice is not enabled, as they enter a room, there is chat enabled and the discussion is text based.
Chapter 13
The game “Reliving the Revolution” was developed to help learners learn history through experiencing the activity. The game was developed to be played specifically in Lexington, Ma using a handheld PDA with a GPS. The teams are composed of eight members paired up to play the role of four different historic character. As students arrived at certain locations, the GPS triggered information to be given by a historic figure through the PDA. This information, received through the PDA, was in the context of their character. Each pair in the team received different information, based on their character. As the students collect information, they collaborated with each other to interpret the evidence. The game consisted of two time periods, one before the Battle of Lexington and one after the Battle of Lexington. Following the two time frames of collecting evidence, the groups compared evidence with the other characters or roles during a debate to determine “Who fired the first shot?”.
By using the augmented reality game, the participants were immersed in the situation, physically being at the location of evidence and using the technology to deliver the evidence that was needed to determine the solution to the problem “who fired the first shot?”. This augmented reality game allowed for collaboration between paired team members and also the group of eight students as they debated the evidence they each gathered, all in a differing context.
References:
Jones & Bronack, (2007), Rethinking cognition, representations, and processes in 3d online social learning environments. In D. Gibson, C. Aldrich, & M. Prensky (Eds.) Games and simulatins in online learning: Research and development frameworks Hershey, Information Science Publishing.
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