The Assessment,
This reflection entitled The Assessment is an integral part of my learning experience. It demonstrates the level of understanding that I have constructed through experience and reflection; consistent with a constructivist learning theory (Westwood, 2004, p. 22). Therefore, this reflection is a synthesised summation of what I know; about learning styles, learning theories, learning design frameworks, and eLearning spaces.
Learning styles:
Know your learner, is a critical aspect for a learning manager to design authentic learning experience. Wyatt-Smith, Cumming, Elkins, & Colbert (20, p. 227) suggest, “Getting to know students as people is important”; I might add, knowing the students learning styles is equally important. The work of Felder and Soloman (n.d.) have identified four learning style axes pertaining to two binaries each, 1:Active and Reflective learners, 2:Sensing and Intuitive learners, 3:Visual and Verbal learners, and 4:Sequential and Global learners. It is therefore, in the best interest of the learning manager to have a grasp on these different learning styles. So much so, that she/he designs learning experiences that accommodate the different learning styles of say a traditional classroom of 25 students. I think that I may struggle with this at first, however when I break down the learning experience plan into small sections, like the introductory phase of a lesson, I can see how it is possible. For example, I could refer to a graphic organiser like a learning map that outlines the lesson; either on the whiteboard or as a handout. This provides sequential steps to follow and a global outcome; it also meets the needs of visual and verbal, active and reflective, and sensing and intuitive learners. In reflection, I would agree whole-heartedly with getting to know your learners as people; people do learn differently at different rates and through a range of learning styles. Therefore, I would recommend designing learning experiences that considers the learner first, by adopting a learner-centred approach to teaching.
Learning Theories:
Understanding learning theories transpires to how I can engage my learners in authentic learning experiences. In the first week of my course I had the privilege to view and grapple with four key learning theories Behaviourism, Cognitivism, Constructivism and Connectivism to formulate perhaps, a coherent understanding of how learners learn.
Gredler (2001 as cited in Westwood, 2004, p. 17) comments on learning theories as having characteristic that “provide a mechanism for understanding the implications of events related to learning in both formal and informal settings”. Therefore, learning theories set out to try to explain how a learner learns. In response to this Peter Westwood (2004, p. 17) suggests no single theory is comprehensive or is definitive in answering the question of “What is learning?”. In light of Westwood’s analysis, I have conceded that I should adopt an eclectic approach to implementing the four learning theories. This is because I believe strongly that whilst I may have a class of twenty-four learners, I am designing learning experiences that cater for the diverse needs and learning styles of the twenty-four individual learners. Yet having said this I do favour the constructivist approach, simply because of its cyclical manner where by the learning manager is in a position of facilitator, who helps facilitate the learners construction of new knowledge and experiences, that can be reflected upon by the learner to create new knowledge; and so the cycle goes on. Therefore, as I have indicated previously on learning styles, I believe a learner centred approach be applied to implementing learning theories.
Learning Design Frameworks:
I look at learning design frameworks as a pedagogical framework through which content is taught. In this, I have synthesised three key learning frameworks; “Engagement Theory” (Kearsley, & Shneiderman, 1999) “Productive Pedagogies” (Curriculum Implementation Unit, 2002) and Blooms’ Taxonomy (Rodin Education Consultancy, 2007) to form my own learning design framework. This framework therefore, stimulates a range of pedagogies that may be used in designing authentic learning experiences. It also accommodates Digital Pedagogies learning through the facilitated mode of ICT's or “eLearning” (Department of Education Training and the Arts, 2008).I believe that by creating authentic learning experiences that engage learners, can inspire a level of personal agency over their learning experience. This synthesised framework is by no means, a comprehensive learning design framework; nor is static. I believe as I develop as a teacher (learning manager), so to will my learning design framework.
eLearning spaces:
Over the past three weeks, I have participated in and constructed eLearning spaces such as blogs, wiki’s and web pages. The blog has been my ejournal on my progress and understanding of learning theories, learning styles and learning design frameworks. It in my opinion, that it is a quintessential reflective tool, that is consistent with standard 10 of the Profession Standards for Queensland Teachers (graduate level) to "Commit to reflective practice and ongoing professional renewal"(Queensland College of Teachers, 2009). When it came to constructing a wiki and web page, I located them within a specific learning context so that I may reflect upon their construction as an eLearning space, with the content within the space having a direct application that may be applied to all KLA’s. Therefore, the content that I chose to insert into the wiki and the web page is within the learning context of Visual Literacies: understanding and interpreting visual literacies as a text. In reflection I have noticed that these three different eLearning spaces are autonomous, yet do display limitations when they are used individually. Yet, when I linked these learning experiences together, they formed a multilayered scaffold that presented a more comprehensive learning experience. Therefore, I am of the opinion that the use of these three eLearning spaces are an essential element in facilitating authentic learning; that is only limited by the learning managers creativity and imagination.
Personal Reflection:
This course that I am enrolled in EDED20491 ICT’s for learning design is facilitated through a flexible mode of learning. Be that as it may, it does require a high level of engagement, engagement in collaborative learning. Raymond Brown (2010, p. 224) suggests, collaborative learning signifies learners who contribute, to “helping others to contribute to the group’s effort by sharing ideas, justifying and explaining ideas, working to understand others’ ideas and building on each others’ ideas and representations.”. Therefore, I have a concern over my level of participation in group activities and learning experiences. This is due to, and is not exclusively my own domain as other learners, I believe in this course have, or will have experienced, family and social commitments that are dare I say it nonnegotiable. This has led me to consider my learners; to which I agree with Wyatt-Smith, Cumming, Elkins, & Colbert (20, p. 227) when they suggest, that we consider our learners as “people ”. Thus, I have come to the stark reality that learning does not happen in a sterile vacuum. With this in mind, I would like to recommend to myself that I consider the learner, when I design learning activities; by providing a structure for the learner/s to complete or attempt to complete learning activities in class time, to work alongside (collaboratively in the true sense) to help the learner/s complete their learning tasks. This may be through tailoring the learning task or the expected outcome of the task to suit the diverse needs of the individual learner. In conclusion, initially I had thought that this course would equip me to be a teacher, yet, I have found that it has done much more. Over the past three weeks, I have been privileged to learn and understand how to be a learning manager from a learner’s perspective or viewpoint. This has cemented the ideology and philosophy of a learning centred approach as quintessential to best teacher practice; including knowing the learner, learning-styles, learning theories, and learning design frameworks.
Bibliography
Brown, R. (2010) Collaborative learning. In D. Pendergast. & N. Bahr (Eds) Teaching middle years: Rethinkingcurriculum, pedagogy and assessment (2nd ed. pp. 223-23). Crows Nest NSW: Allen and Unwin.
Curriculum implementation Unit. (2002) Productive Pedagogies; Classroom reflection manual. Department of Education Training and the Arts. Retrieved from http://education.qld.gov.au/public_media/reports/curriculum-framework/productive-pedagogies/
Department of Education Training and the Arts. (2008) eLearning for smart classrooms. In.Smart Classrooms Bytes.Queensland Government. Retrieved from http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/pdf/scbyte-elearning.pdf
Felder, R. M., & Soloman, B, A. (n.d.). Learning styles and strategies. Retrieved from
http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm
Kearsley, G. & Ben Shneiderman. (1999) Engagement theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Queensland College of Teachers (QCOT). (2009). Professional standards for Queensland teachers (graduate level): Aguide for use with preservice teachers. Retrieved from http://www.qct.edu.au/
Rodin Education Consultancy (2007). Thinking Skills Framework. Retrieved from
http://www.itcpublications.com.au/itc-shop
Westwood, P. (2004). Learning and learning difficulties: A handbook for teachers. Camberwell, Victoria: Acer Press.
Wyatt-Smith, C.M., Cumming, J.J., Elkins, J., & Colbert, P. (2010). Assessment. In D. Pendergast. & N. Bahr (Eds)Teaching middle years: Rethinking curriculum, pedagogy and assessment (2nd ed. pp. 319-44). Crows Nest NSW:
Allen and Unwin.
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