The main problem to be addressed is that instructors need to be able to efficiently determine what learning technology tools will best suit their instructional activities delivered online.
Many ideas have been brainstormed, and the updated Bates SECTIONS model (2015) is being considered to not only help in determining which of the brainstormed solutions is best but also as a tool in making recommendations to instructors as to what tool might be best for them.
SECTIONS is a framework that helps guide the selection of technology based on principles founded in learning theory and research.
SECTIONS is, in my own words:
- Students can access with a wide range of devices; accessibility
- Easy to use by students and instructors
- Cost to organization is free or reasonable
- Teaching or pedagogical value is significant
- Interaction and/or collaboration between students is promoted and/or supported
- Organizational support needed is modest
- Networking beyond the course for students is promoted and/or enabled
- Security and privacy of students are respected
The instructors will be the students learning how to go from the idea of an instructional activity to the selection of learning tool so that the instructional activity can be delivered online. When the instructors make their selection, with help from the digital learning resource (DLR), the DLR will support recommendations by including a brief summary using the SECTIONS model for each recommendation.
What are the affordances and limitations of the framework?
The framework provides an easy-to-use list of criteria to consider when selecting a solution. The framework does omit some criteria that may be important, such as whether the solution is expected to remain available with the existing feature set in the future. Free solutions often evolve and may become non-free or may be discontinued (e.g., Google Reader).
How well does the framework align to your existing educational and pedagogical practices?
I think the tool aligns fairly well with my practices, or perhaps I should say my interpretation of the tool. SECTIONS is detailed in over 50 pages in a textbook, so there is certainly some interpretation for me to condense it down into the list of bullet points above.
How did the application of the framework impact your decision-making process?
Using the SECTIONS model helped exclude many options that were brainstormed. For example, on-campus workshops are not very accessible to online instructors who are usually not local.
Which components of the framework did you find most valuable to your decision-making process? Why?
Student accessibility, ease of use, cost, teaching value significance, organizational support needs are modest, and security and privacy of students are respected are all critical to the selection of a solution. A solution may be worthless if any of these is poor. Interaction and/or collaboration between students and networking beyond the course are of less importance.
References
Bates, A. W. (2015). Chapters 8. In Teaching in a digital age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning. Vancouver BC: Tony Bates Associates Ltd. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/part/9-pedagogical-differences-between-media/