{"id":208,"date":"2017-12-12T08:06:00","date_gmt":"2017-12-12T16:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/?p=208"},"modified":"2017-12-12T08:06:00","modified_gmt":"2017-12-12T16:06:00","slug":"lrnt-524-changing-how-we-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/lrnt-524-changing-how-we-change\/","title":{"rendered":"LRNT 524 &#8211; Changing How We Change"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\"><em>My thoughts, concerns and questions from Innovation and Change: Changing how we Change (Dron, 2014)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\"><strong>What changes and innovations have occurred in distance education?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Single Mode (print\/radio)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Mixed Mode (telephone tutors\/CD-ROMs)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Social Mode (LMS\/Forums)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\"><strong>Distance pedagogies:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">First started out using behaviourist\/cognitivist theories that focused on how people learn.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">The second generation is based on social constructivist focusing on how knowledge is constructed socially.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">The third generation is connectivist theory stating that learning is done through the relationship humans have within a network and this includes non-human elements.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Lastly, the fourth generation goes by \u201cholist\u201d and states that no pedagogy really reigns supreme.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">When behaviourist\/cognitivist theories were at the forefront of distance learning, systematic design methods were used to ensure formalized steps.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Distance education used to be a fixed series of steps.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\"><em>What I took from this information is that the means of delivering distance education has continued to evolve throughout the years, from technology like a radio, where information was given in one direction, to platforms that encourage back and forth collaboration and contribution (like discussion forums and interactive learning management systems). It makes me wonder however, does the delivery change because of the technology evolution solely? Or is pedagogy truly considered when changes are implemented?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\"><strong>How does such change come about? What are drivers, what are the obstacles to change?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Technology itself seems like the key driver of change of distance education.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Quick growth with technology can be attributed to accelerated rates of available technologies combining and recombining which ultimately creates faster development and progress.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">With knowledge happening through social and collaborative methods, technologies have changed to become softer (see below) to become more agile and uncertain.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Ultimately, softer technologies have contributed more to the change in distance education.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Disruptive technologies could be the levers for change for structured systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Resources and knowledge skills are seen as main barriers for overcoming difficulty in the education sector. Access in general seems to be the ultimate barrier for distance education as a whole.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">LMS systems are prominently used however as a whole they are typically hard and rigid technologies, leaving less room for flexibility, creativity, and innovation. The driver for change here is how these platforms can blend and house space within it to allow for learners to create and think outside of the confines while still providing guardrails within the learning system.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\"><strong>How should change be managed in a distance environment?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">The concept of Hard vs. Soft Technologies can help designers and educators manage distance education (or eLearning in general).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\"><strong>Soft Technologies<\/strong> are described as malleable, slower to produce, less consistent, and they offer flexibility to the user. Pedagogies are considered soft technologies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\"><strong>Hard Technologies<\/strong> are described as quicker to produce, require less effort, and are more consistent than soft technologies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Designers can add or take away techniques to make the system harder or softer depending on their requirements.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">The degree of hard or softness is noted to be determined by the user competency. If the designer or teacher can understand the needs of the learner or level to which they are comfortable with technology, the proper delivery methods can be put into place to accommodate and create an effective learning environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">An important thing to note is the discussion on how distance education and many other online avenues are taking the approach of quick and easy results, therefore stunting creativity while sacrificing efficiency.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Overall, it seems that hard technologies are more resistant to change which I think in my line of work makes sense to some degree as we require consistency and sustainability in certain training requirements. In other environments like higher education where creativity can add value to learner, I understand the benefits of choosing more open, softer, technologies.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">RLOs can allow for change in distance education as they allow flexibility and the ability to adapt and change contexts where necessary. They did however face issues in the long term when it came to copyright, granularities and other factors. They seem to be better served in the education sector.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Overall learnings:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">It\u2019s not enough for technologies to change for change to occur in distance education.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">It\u2019s not whether people choose to use a new technology but more of whether the technology even has real value.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">The learning theory that is\/was prevalent at the time has a direct effect on the progression of change within distance education. Behaviourist\/Cognitivist approach caused slower innovation whereas connectivist approaches fundamentally embrace change and promote innovation. However, the point is made about courses being built on these loose approaches, experiencing higher dropout rates and lack of commitment. If the new age learner is expecting to control their learning and go at their own pace, and we build training programs for them for that reason, will we see a lack of interest and learning growth?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif\">Dron, J. (2014).\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.aupress.ca\/index.php\/books\/120233\"><strong>Innovation and Change: Changing how we Change<\/strong><\/a>. In Zawacki-Richter, O. &amp; T. Anderson (Eds.),\u00a0<em>Online distance education: Towards a research agenda<\/em>.Athabasca, AB: AU Press.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My thoughts, concerns and questions from Innovation and Change: Changing how we Change (Dron, 2014) What changes and innovations have occurred in distance education? Single Mode (print\/radio) Mixed Mode (telephone tutors\/CD-ROMs) Social Mode (LMS\/Forums) Distance pedagogies: First started out using behaviourist\/cognitivist theories that focused on how people learn. The second generation is based on social &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/lrnt-524-changing-how-we-change\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">LRNT 524 &#8211; Changing How We Change<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":69,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/69"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":209,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208\/revisions\/209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0025\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}