LRNT 523

Activity 6-Implications of Abundant Content for Lifelong Learning

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Katie Brown and Steve Minten 

What we investigated:

We decided to investigate how to start an Asparagus farm and how to grow Asparagus in general.

What we found:

We found a variety of different digital environments and sources surrounding our topic including:

  • A variety of gardening blogs and videos
  • Suggestions on further topics to explore (cost of Asparagus farming, best fertilizers, number of plants required etc)
  • Various opinions from hobby farmers to professional horticulturists
  • Blogs with reviews and added tips
  • Government websites on starting an asparagus farm (California’s was very thorough)

Confidence in the abundant content around our topic enabling us to learn about it:

For a topic that neither of us had ever explored before and not the most popular of concepts, my assumption going into this would be that it might be tough to find adequate information. Wow were we wrong! Abundance seems like an understatement even for a topic this unique.

Weller (2011), discusses connectivism and how it enables learning through the diversity of options. So with that, we felt confident that given the abundance of content through many options like user-generated content, professional horticulturists’ websites, and passionate gardening bloggers, we were able to navigate through the information and genuinely learn more about it.

Weller (2011) also notes that before the internet, the relationship between the relatively few experts in a given field (the supply) and the learner wanting to know (the demand) was skewed in the fact that there was much more demand than supply.  With the advent of the internet the relatively few experts on asparagus farming were easily located.

With one of our team members (Steve) living on a 7-acre parcel of land outside Sarnia, ON …he is now intrigued to start an asparagus farm!

Was abundant content enough:

Abundant content in this case was enough to confidently learn how to farm asparagus.  There was an abundance of information on the subject and presented in a variety of mediums (written, images, videos…).  The most helpful content was the recommendations from other farmers and gardeners who have tried it before.  The connections made by others helped create a path as we mined through the resources required (Anderson, 2016).

In general, however, we feel that abundant content may not be enough to ensure that proper learning occurs.  Some sort of facilitation, perhaps through a constructivist learning environment (Anderson, 2016, p. 38) will ensure that participants learn.

What do you need to make use of the content:

To ensure we were well equipped to make use of the abundant content, we clarified what it exactly was that we were wanting to learn and how to articulate through web searches. The online resources that we trust and use frequently allowed us to choose from different formats of learning (video, images, or written) and mine through content that allowed us to source the information that worked for what I needed (Anderson, 2016)  

Thinking as an instructor, we would need to make sure my students are well equipped to make use of all of the internet resources and ensure that they were properly educated in recognizing valuable resources from those that were not accurate (Weller, 2011)

Ways we can make use of this content:

If we were instructors on teaching people how to grow asparagus, we would leverage the content online and use it as an example, then have our students create their own blog as they went through their own learning journey. By using problem-based learning, the students (or learners) would have their identified problem to solve “How to grow asparagus”, and would navigate their own way to solve the problem and learn the process while resolving the problem (Weller, 2011).  If practical, we would set up a community of practice with local gardeners and farmers to help support the learning (Weller, 2011).

References

Anderson, T. (2016). Chapter 3: Theories for learning with emerging technologies. In Veletsianos, G. (Ed). Emergence and Innovation in Digital Learning: Foundations and Applications. Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Weller, M. (2011). A pedagogy of abundance. Spanish Journal of Pedagogy, 249, 223–236.

 

LRNT 523

Assignment 1 Relevant Resource- Quizlet

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The relevant resource that I would like to share is a program called ‘Quizlet’.  Those of you in the MALAT online cohort may have had contact with Quizlet during our theoretical frameworks presentations in LRNT 522.  For those of you not familiar with it, Quizlet provides study tools for teachers and students.  It works on the freemium (Weller, 2011) pricing strategy however the tools that have no charge are very useful.  Quizlet provides several options for teaching and learning:

  • Flip Cards allow the learner to self-pace through the study set and also provides them with an option to hear the answer by clicking on the speaker on the card  https://quizlet.com/84067184/flashcards
  • The Write study mode allows the learner to type the answer, the only drawback is it requires the exact spelling and capitalization https://quizlet.com/84067184/write 
  • The Spell study mode simply asks the learner to spell what they hear https://quizlet.com/84067184/spell
  • The test study mode combines written questions, multiple choice, and true/ false question in a test format https://quizlet.com/84067184/test
  • The Match study mode allows the learner to drag corresponding items onto each other and make them disappear.  It is timed and your classes scores can be kept adding an element of gamification to the learning https://quizlet.com/84067184/match
  • The Gravity study mode asks you to type in the answer before the asteroid crashes into the planet, this is a fun game but similar to the Write study mode it requires the exact spelling and capitalization.  This mode would be good for math questions https://quizlet.com/77484184/gravity
  • The Learn study mode progressively gets harder and customizes your learning using fill in the blanks, true/false, multiple choice, and flashcards https://quizlet.com/84067184/learn
  • As you may have noticed, all the previous study modes are designed for the students to move through at their own pace, but with Quizlet Live, you can create a gamified element to your classroom by randomly grouping the students in teams and having them compete in real time

Quizlets are easy to create and provide a variety of options to meet different learning styles.  They provide immediate feedback and also can incorporate gamification in your classroom (online or on-ground).  These study sets can be implemented by a course designer or teacher in a behaviorist, cognitivist, or constructivist course design and delivery environment (Ertmer & Newby, 2013).

Resources

Ertmer, P., & Newby, T. (2013). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43-71.

Weller, M. (2011). A pedagogy of abundance. Spanish Journal of Pedagogy, 249, 223–236.

 

LRNT 523

Low Hanging Fruit

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Something was bothering me about our unit 1 readings and I couldn’t put my finger on it until just now, the readings from Watters (2014) didn’t sit well with me.  It’s not because I don’t agree with her, in actual fact I think she is probably 100% correct in her assertions.  What bothered me is the retrospective critique of past online edtech failures.  As I mentioned, I agree with her and the author knows way more that I ever will on the subject, but I just think it’s too easy to pick off this low hanging fruit without being someone who was directly involved with these projects.  Watters  writes about failures of OpenCourseWare, Fathom, and AllLearn as monumental disasters and seems to insinuate that this could have been avoided with proper planning, design, and organization.  The problem I have with this is that she has no way of knowing all of the circumstances in which each of these projects were built (maybe they were government funded and were pushed through for political reasons?).

This reminds me of situations I used to run into all the time as a contractor, people would have a project completed by another contractor (not myself) and be unhappy with the results.  They would then ask me to come over and comment on all of the perceived problems with their work.  I always resisted the urge to comment on things because I had no way of knowing the conditions that the project was built in..they could have  rushed by the owner, advised that it was ‘good enough’, or perhaps they just got what they paid for and shouldn’t have ‘cheaped out’ in the first place.  Unless you have actually been part of the project, your retrospective observations are biased.

Sorry for the rant…

LRNT 523

Lessons From the Past

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After completing this week’s assigned readings and checking out a few online articles suggested by some of our classmates, I get the distinct impression that we continue to relive our past mistakes with regards to education and technology (Reiser, 2001a, 2001b).  One example of Reiser’s (2001a) claims still being relevant is where he describes five categories for instructional design and technology (design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation) that are still important and can be applied to many situations in our educational world today (pp. 53-54).  Where I found his argument dated is when he describes the effect that constructivism has had on the development of instructional principles (Reiser, 2001b, p.65).  Although not always used, in my experience with course design, development, and delivery a constructivist approach is a commonly used practice when teaching and learning with technology.

The first lesson that Reiser (2001a) describes that is meaningful to my work is that when any new medium enters the educational system, the initial response is great interest and a feeling that it will revolutionize education, only to eventually have interest subside and the medium have no lasting effect on education (pp. 61-62).  I found that this was the case with our colleges roll out of teaching with iPads, first there was great interest from faculty, but now many teachers use them sparsely and have gone back to their traditional teaching methods.  Another lesson that is still relevant to my work is in the same vein as my previous point, that even though their is a great increase in the presence of technology in the classroom this does not correlate to an increase of using the technology for educational purposes (p. 60).  We have tech everywhere in our college, but without proper professional development for teachers and students it does not gain traction.

One lesson that seems to contradict my last position at the college (designing and developing online courses) is Skinner’s (as cited in Reiser, 2001b, p. 59) assertion that programmed instructional materials be presented in small chunks followed by frequent questions and immediate feedback.  While I agree that small steps of instruction and immediate feedback are important, we had many complaints from students that they had a sort of click fatigue, where they would be clicking so many times it almost became mindless.  There needs to be a balance of content, formative questioning, and feedback.

References

Reiser, R. A.  (2001a).  A history of instructional design and technology: Part I: A history of instructional media. Educational Technology Research and Development, 49(1), 53-64.

Reiser, R. A. (2001b). A history of instructional design and technology: Part II: A history of instructional design. Educational Technology Research and Development, 49(2), 57-67.

 

 

 

LRNT 523, Uncategorised

What’s the plan Stan?

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The first thing I noticed when I entered the search terms ‘education, technology, history’ is that most of the websites provided information and timelines regarding software and hardware that have been developed over the years.  Bates (2014) provides an overview of the history of how we moved through the basic levels of educational technologies:

  • Oral communication as the earliest form of sharing knowledge

  • Written communication where early correspondence education started in the 1840’s in England

  • Broadcasting and video education that started with the BBC in the 1920’s

  • Computer based learning that began with B.F. Skinner experimenting with teaching machines in the 1950’s

  • Computer networking where higher education institutions began using networks to assist in learning in the 1980’s

  • Online learning environments (LMS’s such as Moodle) that began in the 1990’s providing comprehensive spaces for teaching and learning

What I found interesting is that much of the focus on educational technology is on the hardware and software and not the pedagogy and theory of using educational technologies properly in order to effectively integrate them into the classroom.  Once I added ‘pedagogy’ to my search terms several articles did appear that related more to more of the theory behind applying technology to education.  One early framework for the integration of technology is the TPCK theoretical model where attention is paid not only to the technology itself, but also to the pedagogy, content, and knowledge (Koehler, Mishra, Yahya, 2007, pp. 741-743).

What I have found in my experience as a teacher using technology and a faculty mentor in integrating technology is that people get distracted by the technology itself and tend to focus on the ‘cool, new tech toys’.   More focus on how to make a plan to apply technology in the classroom is needed in order to enhance learning, not just supplement it.

References

Bates, T.  (2014).   A short history of educational technology.  In Online learning and distance education Resources.  Retrieved from https://www.tonybates.ca/2014/12/10/a-short-history-of-educational-technology/

Koehler, M.J., Mishra, P., Yahya, K.  (2007).  Tracing the development of teacher knowledge in a design seminar: Integrating content, pedagogy and technology.  Computers and Education.  (49).  740-762.  Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/31313419/KoehlerMishraYahya2007.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1504882412&Signature=EKBIIMw3FGgwNn%2BEwR2BpJEyB3k%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DTracing_the_development_of_teacher_knowl.pdf

LRNT 522

Copyright Vs. Copywrong

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Copyright vs Copywrong. The original image was sourced from the Public Domain from WikiMedia Commons.

The presentation from Melanie Wrobel on copyright reminded me of the muddy waters that are often associated with copyright.  I have attended a few workshops on copyright and honestly, I am still very confused.  I have compiled some resources throughout this enjoyable (gag) journey on trying to master copyright.  Here are some if you wish to investigate (many of these were courtesy of a partnership we have with the great folks at Seneca College).

Image Sites

Video Sites

Another useful resource I have used is ‘tineye’, it is a reverse image search that allows you to upload an image and it will search the web for the other locations of that image on the web.  I find this one to be very helpful if you are trying to determine if the image you are trying to use is an original or not.  https://www.tineye.com/

 

Also, here is a helpful presentation on working with OER’s and creative commons:

https://www.slideshare.net/clintlalonde/oe-ontario-workshop

…and a site that has some more resources complete with descriptions of their functions http://learning.signpostwebdesign.com/?q=node/2 

LRNT 522, Uncategorised

What Motivates Us to Research?

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This week’s podcast from Dr. George Velestianos got me thinking about what motivates us to do research?  It’s hard, it’s time-consuming, and did I mention the amount of reading that is necessary in order to perform a thorough research study…just thinking about it makes my head hurt.  Yet, as I write this I am oddly intrigued by the possibility of undertaking a research project myself in order to get some concrete data to support all the anecdotal claims I have been making over the past few years as an educator.

It was not easy to find any research on what motivates us to do research (maybe more research is needed in this area?).  One interesting article I did find polled college faculty who had been published as researchers and found that while many people were motivated by money, either a salary increase or other incentives that were offered to them for undertaking the research (LeBlanc & McCrary, 1990, pp. 67-68) , 42% said that personal satisfaction was the main motivator, followed by rewards for the institution at 21%,  rewards for their discipline at 20%, and approval from others at 10% (pp. 65-66).

I don’t think I’m there yet to be motivated fully by personal satisfaction to jump into a research study, although I do feel a ‘pull’ (maybe a push) to start taking part in formal research.  Hopefully by the time we start our research projects I will find my motivation and be engaged to become part of the world of academic research.

References:

LeBlanc, A., & McCrary, J. (1990). Motivation and perceived rewards for research by music faculty. Journal of Research in Music Education, 38(1), 61-68.

LRNT 522

Google and VR…What’s next?!

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I just came across an article in the Free Technology for Teachers blog on Google’s recently updated virtual expeditions.  Essentially it allows the user to guide themselves through many of the world’s wonders in a virtual space.

I have utilized Google’s virtual services before in my undergrad at Brock University.  I was taking an elective on introduction to art and came across the Google Arts and Culture Institute where you are able to virtually navigate through many museums from around the world.  I found that this changed my perspective on art and really added to the overall learning experience.  I’m thinking their latest update will provide the same appreciation for millions of students.

Say what you will about Google as a Multinational Corporation…but these tools sure are handy when used for learning.

LRNT 522

Teaching Resources

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Image courtesy of the College Educator Development Program

I was lucky enough to be a facilitator in the College Educator Development Program (CEDP), a collaboration of six Southwestern Ontario Colleges (Lambton, Fanshawe, Conestoga, St. Clair, Mohawk, and Niagara) that helps develop new full-time faculty.  About a year ago we received funding to develop six online learning modules.  These may or may not be useful to you, but feel free to use.

Creating a Positive Learning Environment

http://www.softchalkcloudcom/lesson/serve/ra9lWoYcw3QVpX/html

Integrating Technology

http://www.softchalkcloudcom/lesson/serve/G8Ot1yPgbi6cTe/html

Intro to Assessment

http://www.softchalkcloudcom/lesson/serve/9YJATpM0rWFq4H/html

Lesson Planning and Active Learning

http://www.softchalkcloudcom/lesson/serve/1eJ4GOXCILsQMu/html

Outcomes Based Education

http://www.softchalkcloudcom/lesson/serve/GfacAMp6soEgVr/html

Teaching Professional

http://www.softchalkcloudcom/lesson/serve/aoTxj7n4qS9FzJ/html

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