Individual Work
My blog has more details about my new knoeldge and indiviudal work.
Selected discussion posts:
1. About constructivism and learning centred paradigm
I had not heard of the term constructivism until reading these few pieces. I teach with both a student centered paradigm and teacher centered I must admit. I am a PBL tutor for our Masters of OT course. In that course we use case based learning, or scenario based learning for students (groups of 10) to build a set of questions based on information they have been given in the scenario and what they need to learn to build there knowledge. This is nice in my sort of profession as in working life one meets a client with a disability or problem and we construct solutions based on needs. The students get the case or scenario about a person on a Monday and they scurry off wo locate and collect information to bring back to the group on the Friday. There are skill building sessions and just factual lectures pertaining to the case through the week. I find that studetns do need steering during this type of tutorial, especially if their knowledge is limited and the focus on some irrelavency. It really wastes their time not to direct their learning a little. More or less steering them towards the information that they might benefit from. I actually did a course on PBL sometime ago also. Aa a teacher ones asks questions of the students letting them arrive at the solution. This method also forms a strong group among the learners and students do really love it.
As I was saying, I do do teacher centered lectures also, where I get to stand up and ramble on about what I know and want to share. I do allow questions and I ask questions so that I can gauge what is being heard (hopefully not wah, wah, wah). I enjoy this sort of lecturing. I like to share my knowledge. Sometimes one must sit on one hands a little too much during PBL to allow someone to find their own way, even when they are kind of deviating.
I see constructivism and online learning as highly compatable and in fact intend to tie the two in the curriculum I hope to build. It is especially good for the skill building bits. I think that group functions and discussion boards are great because students push each others knowledge further, while the tutor steers and poses questions. However, the social aspect of face to face may be wanting if the entire curriculum is online. perhaps that says something of people like me who want the people contact at least a bit of the time to discuss and problem solve and clarify etc.
Also the internet is a constructivist experience in that one follows where the interst goes and where the deficits in knowledge is. Investigating sights and links and documents and websites is a knowledge seeking experience.
2. About the seven principles of successful higher education
This was an interesting and simple article full of truth from my perspective. They do ground what higher education is trying to achieve for students and what students are trying to gain from higher education. Online learning adds a slightly different angle, but I think all 7 principles stand.
The only principle that I feel somewhat worried about is the second one, contact between course participants and teachers. As a tutor, I would need to be constantly aware of this as there is a tendency to dive into online learning activities and make it a solo learning experience I think.
Here goes on the 7 principles:
1.Contact between faculty and students: I think that this is necessary for both teacher and student to remain motivated and committed to the course material. I definitely become despondent when students are and sometime just bide time until it's over. Just being honest over here! So I think that friendly and prompt emails, posted online office hours, and the cyber cafe; course questions that are open to connect teacher and student are good.
2. Reciprocity between students to assist learning between in easier in undergard where they are quite driven to interact with each other. In post grad its and time factor and people take more responsibility for their solo learning journey. They also have less time to interact. So the group functions and discussion boards promote student interactions and learning exchanges.
3.Active learner. Students are not empty vessels awaiting cargo. Online course are driven by the student. Assessment tasks that ask for an integration of learning and get the student to pay attention to how their knowledge has improved are good. For this I like the blog which is basically a place to record ones knowledge and skill acquisition!
4.Prompt feedback and also enough feedback. students deserve careful and adequate feedback so that they can see what hey have missed and what they succeeded in learning. Assignments must be marked quickly. Quizes are a good quick self check and could be built into courses at certain points.
5. Time: clear expectation of minimum time required: the learning contract and clear info in course orientation help here. Some leniency needed as both undergard and post grad due to other work responsibilities etc. So mark reduction but not removing opportunities for marks within reason.
6.Communication of expectations for student to aspire higher. A good well designed course should inspire. Posting examples might help. Using past students as co-tutors also helps when they post and expend points on discussion boards.
7.Respect and account for diverse learning styles and talents. This is accounted with the different learning styles and approaches to curriculum that we have done with group work etc.
