{"id":561,"date":"2017-09-25T10:26:16","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T15:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0006\/?p=561"},"modified":"2017-10-04T11:32:35","modified_gmt":"2017-10-04T16:32:35","slug":"reflection-on-my-theoretical-and-pedagogical-stance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0006\/reflection-on-my-theoretical-and-pedagogical-stance\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflection on my theoretical and pedagogical stance"},"content":{"rendered":"

I facilitate a number of InDesign and Acrobat courses through the ed2go<\/a> system. The courses are highly formalized in terms of structure, content, and delivery method, applying the simplification and standardization techniques described by Ertmer and Newby (2013). The authors state, \u201c\u2026knowledge can be analyzed, decomposed, and simplified into basic building blocks. Knowledge transfer is expedited if irrelevant information is eliminated\u201d (p.52).<\/p>\n

My courses are similar to software training courses in general in that rather than providing my students with the full range of options for a particular function, the focus is on the one or two most common ways to perform a task functionally, as well as providing options based on how a student prefers to interact with the interface (usually a menu command, a toolbar icon, and a shortcut keystroke combination).<\/p>\n

All my introductory courses start with an orientation to the program\u2019s interface, its mode of operation, functional vocabulary related to the interface components, and explanation of the software\u2019s interface metaphor. The InDesign program, for example, uses the metaphor of a physical pasteboard on which content such as pages, images, and text are laid out for compositing. The interface metaphor and orientation activities are examples of one of the five first principles of instruction, \u201cLearning is promoted when existing knowledge is activated as a foundation for new knowledge,\u201d outlined by Merrill (2002, p. 44).<\/p>\n

The behaviorism principle of emphasis on mastering early steps before progressing to more complex levels of performance is a necessary component in my course design. (Ertmer & Newby, 2013, p.49). For example, there is little value, student satisfaction, or improved learning in facing a complex styling structure before considering basic functions of text frames and working with text.<\/p>\n

I try to focus the learner\u2019s attention on why they are performing a skill or choosing a method as opposed to simply offering a set of instructions. Using a cognitive process in demonstrating error troubleshooting, workflows, and options helps to \u201cchang[e] the learner by encouraging him\/her to use appropriate learning strategies\u201d (Ertmer & Newby, 2013, p. 52).<\/p>\n

All of my lessons feature behavioral and cognitive modeling (Jonassen, 1999, as cited in Merrill, 2002). Behavioral modeling shows how to perform an activity, while cognitive modeling identifies the reasoning behind performance choices. I use behavioral modeling in describing how to perform a task, such as linking a collection of text frames; and cognitive modeling in examining how to make workflow decisions, such as defining the layout of a page to include that text frame collection and how it is impacted by the presence of other content.<\/p>\n

I employ a scaffolding method that corresponds with Jonassen\u2019s (1999, as cited in Merrill, 2002) approach, who describes adjusting the difficulty of the task to accommodate the learner as one tactic to scaffold learning (p. 235). For example, I usually introduce a fundamental topic with decreasing amounts of detail, encouraging the student to recall the process with greater autonomy. In the first instance, I may provide a series of steps, graphics, or a video explainer, the second instance may be an abbreviated set of steps, and the third instance an instruction to perform the action with a reference to locate prior instructions if necessary. In subsequent instructions, the task or function is assumed to be one the student has mastered.<\/p>\n

In reviewing the articles, the work I do for ed2go aligns more closely with Jonassen than other approaches cited. Merrill (2002) describes Jonassen\u2019s (1999) Goal Based Scenarios<\/em> instructional model as stressing that \u201clearners will assume ownership only if the problems to be solved are interesting, relevant and engaging\u201d (p. 46). I regularly use simulated work life experiences as the basis for project-based learning with very positive student feedback.<\/p>\n

References<\/h2>\n

Ertmer, P., & Newby, T. (2013).\u00a0Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26<\/em>(2), 43-71.<\/p>\n

Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50<\/em>(3), 43-59.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I facilitate a number of InDesign and Acrobat courses through the ed2go system. The courses are highly formalized in terms of structure, content, and delivery method, applying the simplification and standardization techniques described by Ertmer and Newby (2013). The authors state, \u201c\u2026knowledge can be analyzed, decomposed, and simplified into basic building blocks. Knowledge transfer is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[59],"class_list":["post-561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lrnt523","tag-activity05","wpautop"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0006\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0006\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0006\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0006\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0006\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=561"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0006\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":562,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0006\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/561\/revisions\/562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0006\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0006\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0006\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}