Hawkins- On Intelligence

For the reading this week, please refer to the short introduction at:
www.wix.com/robbanister/On_Intelligence for a brief overview and a few questions to think about as you read through chapters 2 & 3.

Smart People or Smart Contexts?

In response to Erica and Dave's question from "Smart People or Smart Contexts?"

What effect does technology and other tools have on the learning environment? 

I believe technology can have either a positive OR a negative impact on a person's learning environment. It really depends upon a learner's style and what role technology does or does not play in their ability to succeed in the classroom. I know from recent personal experience that too much of a good thing can be detrimental to learning. What I mean by this is with all of the channels available to receive information, it can be at times, overwhelming to process it all to the point of retention. As much as I love the many ways by which we can gather and assimilate data, I sometimes long for a simpler, less saturated sponge of information to choose from. No doubt, many of you in this course are very comfortable navigating your way through the high seas of informational technology while I, at times, feel like the fish out of water, just wanting to have a good reference book to gather my material from. The article referenced one situation where a student took a course that  "required a great deal of group work, self-regulation, and creativity…." The students' performance was not good mainly because this was a "technology rich curriculum" which she was not suited for. As this was not a good match to her learning style, performance suffered and she could be considered by some to have "low ability."  After the teacher made adjustments to the program to address the students' issues, performance improved. I see this very scenario nearly every day in the workplace. Employees struggling to perform well at their jobs even though they are skilled when something as simple as a new project or even a better means of training could make all the difference between success and failure. Employers as well as educators, need to be on the lookout for signs that point to a mismatch in learning styles and the environment they are placed in. I think when we see this kind of forward thinking going on, we will then see a marked difference in achievement in business as well as education.

Knowing Knowledge

After reading through George Siemen's "Knowing Knowledge", I have to say it was a hard read for me. Firstly, I am not an educator by trade, and honestly, I am still trying to understand what  connectivism really is, and after reading this, I believe I have a much better grip on it. Rather than evaluate or summarize Siemen's work, I'd like to share a few things from it that caught my attention:

"Our pre-conceived structures of interpreting knowledge sometimes interfere with new knowledge."

Many times, we fail to receive the message because we can't get out of our own way. We've already processed the data,  passed judgement, and moved on failing to really learn anything new. 

"The fault of many schools, universities, and companies is the unwillingness to listen to the voices of those closest to change pressures and emerging methods."

So, we have people connected to what is needed for positive change and the methods to make it so. Yet much of the time our organizations fail to recognize either by choice or lack of vision, to create an environment where quality learning is possible. Although this ideology is not limited to education, let me focus on it a moment in order to answer Sue, our facilitator's question "Do you believe the educational system is broken." While I do not think the system itself is neccesarily broken, I do believe that perhaps the "brick and mortar" way of doing things is outdated and becoming less and less effective as a means of creating the environment needed to facilitate meaningful learning. Without these types of environments, are students really participating in the learning process or are they merely fulfilling the requirements of the system only to be ill-prepared for what comes after.

Thoughts on Montessori

I must confess, while I have seen schools that bear her name, I knew very little about Maria Montessori. Montessori was quite an innovator early in her life when she attended a technical school because she wanted to be an engineer. The school was all male. She later graduated from the University of Rome La Sapienza Medical School to become one of Italy's first female doctors. It was then that she became interested in how to educate those that were considered uneducable or what would be considered today, those with learning disabilities. After several of her 8 year old students passed the state examinations for reading and writing with above average scores, she focused her attention on the potential of "normal" (Olaf) children. It was through these observations that Montessori understood that the teacher was not the central focus of education, but rather the individual and the environment in which they learn. This type of individualized learning is what we now call The Montessori Method and there are nearly 20,000 Montessori schools worldwide.  Upon reading through the English translation of Montessori's text, I was particularly interested in Chapter 6- How The Lessons Should Be Given. Of focus is that the lessons are individual, simple, and objective, perhaps much like our own online coursework. 

For further reading, I found the Montessori Website of interest. Basically, this is a blog containing posts from those involved in the Montessori program.

e-Learning Philosophies of Technology & Teaching

In Heather Kanuka's article, "Understanding e-Learning Techologies-in-Practice Through Philosophies-in-Practice" we are initially asked "Why is understanding our Philosophies important?" It IS important that we know the why and how of what it is we believe the role of technology plays in education. Kanuka continues in her introduction by stating "many educators’ philosophies are often unrecognized and rarely expressed." 

I sometimes wonder, are educators simply using technology for the sake of using technology, or do they have a clearly defined plan to understand why it should be used. Draper,Elias, and Merriam seem to reinforce this idea when they said "too often educators are concerned with what to do with e-learning technologies without examining sufficiently why they should do it"  So, these technology and teaching philosophies are important, something I have not really thought too much about. I would say I have pretty much viewed the use of technology in e-learning with a "can't see the forest for the trees" mentality at times myself. 

TECHNOLOGY PHILOSOPHY

Of the three technology philosophies discussed, I really believe I fall into a somewhat hybrid of Uses Determinism and Social Determinism. While I agree that technology is a tool and delivers instruction, I do not necessarily agree that student achievement is not influenced. I know from my own experience, that much of what I retain, is greatly in part, due to the means in which it was delivered. I may not care for the material, but if it is presented in a way that I connect with, the odds are greater that I will retain that data. The Social Determinism viewpoint is that technology is socially embedded into our lives. For the most part, I believe that this is true, especially when you consider how pervasive social networking is. There always seems to be new and better ways to connect with one another and make the world an even smaller place.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Kanuka presents six teaching philosophies. Of those, I most relate to the Progressive and Humanist. Both philosophies focus on the personal and individual growth while also being able to collaborate with peers.

Holly Grimm's website  on this reading does a great job of presenting these Technology/Teaching Philosophies and she asks us " What experiences have you had that shape the way you view education" After thinking about this for a bit, I was struck by how much change I have seen in my life, not only in education, but in the overall technologies that have evolved since I was a young student many years ago. My children quite often like to jokingly ask if I used stone tablets to read when I was in school. I am struck as I sit here composing my thoughts on a laptop that only a few year back (in my mind) that this "taken for granted" way of communicating, creating, and learning, was unimaginable when you consider computer access to everyone was impossible let alone something you could hold in your hands. Conversely, I also find that while have enjoyed the many opportunities that technology has provided (such as online learning) at times, it can be a bit of "information overload." To sum up this thought, being able to connect to the world easily, has really had a profound impact on my views on education. Were it not for the availbility of e-Learning, I, along with many others would possibly never have the opportunity to further their education on many levels……and I find that exciting.

LRND6700- Evaluating Multimedia

In evaluating the three modules for the LRND6700 course, I attempted to synthesize the pedagogies discussed in our readings for the week to determine if these are effective tools for learning. I particularly focused on Merlot's evaluation standards while gong through the three learning modules:

• Content validity

• Potential effectiveness as a teaching tool.

• Ease of use.

Module 1: Classic Genetics

This module presented 75 experiments explaining the key concepts of DNA.

Each experiment was self contained in it's own screen with header links to concepts, animation, a gallery, video, bio, problems, and links. Each "experiment" contained an easy to follow layout that was consistent throughout the entire module. All material was well-centered without the need to scroll other than to access to additional experiments that did not fall within the confines of a single screen view. I especially liked the animation as it was not overly done to detract from the relevant material being presented. At the end of each experiment was a multiple- choice problem that provided immediate feedback. The overall ease of us combined with a consistent, easy to follow interface was compelling enough to want to investigate this module further, and I believe it to have the potential to be very effective in a teaching environment.

Module 2: MecMovies

MecMovies (Mechanics of Materials) contains 15 chapters of animation and user feedback problems. This module is tech heavy in the type of information that it includes. The viewer is lead through a series of object lessons on materials and the effects of stress on them. throughout the module, the learner is presented with problems and calculations to solve before being able to proceed to the next animation Of note on the animations is the use of a "loading" animation to let the viewer know that information is forthcoming. Layout is relatively intuitive, although I found the screens with multiple videos (animations) a bit crowded. As the previous module, the use of immediate feedback combined with a good layout makes for a potentially effective learning tool.

Module 3: Neuroscience For Kids

This example seemed more like a website to me than a learning module. There is a LOT of information to process while looking through what is presented. Firstly, the graphical layout felt a bit primitive especially in comparison to the two previous modules. On a positive note, there is quite a bit of relevant information presented along with classroom activities. Other than perhaps the ease of use, this module also could be a potentially effective learning tool.

To summarize by presenting a list of important criteria when evaluation learning modules,

clear, easy to navigate interfaces are crucial in that it draws the learner into the experience and gets their attention. Next, modules must contain relevant information to the subject material being presented. Too much unnecessary data can be distracting and cause the learner to abandon proceeding into other parts of the presentation or lesson. Finally, learning modules need to be effective. Whether by the use of immediate feedback interfaces or by the interesting means by which the information is presented, there should be a measurable way of determining if these tools are getting the intended results.

Thoughts on....FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL THEORY FOR ONLINE LEARNING

In Mohamed Ally's article "FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL THEORY FOR ONLINE LEARNING," we are presented with four viewpoints for online learning: 


1. Behaviorist, sees the "mind as a black box" and leaning can be measured or quantified.
2. Cognitivist, sees learning as a process of memory and reflection.
3. Constructivists, are active learners that "process information through the senses to create knowledge."
4. Connectivists collaborate in a "networked" environment.


Much of this article delves into how all of these types of learning effect how we assimilate or process information in an online learning environment and discuss whether or not the available technologies are simply a means to an end or actually influence learning outcomes. For me, the vehicle plays a big part in how I learn and retain information. Just this past week, watching a streaming video of a speaker presenting their viewpoint on education, made a memorable impact on my thought process. His delivery was nearly as important as his content. I know I would not have retained the same information by reading the presentation in text or audio only media.


I suppose my past experiences in education could best be described as a mixture of all of these types of learning design with the exception of the Connectivist viewpoint as I've only had a few online learning experiences thus far. I much prefer Cognitivist- Constructivist combination in my style of learning. I, like many people, am a very visual person who at times, likes the "wow" factor in a presentation that leads me to that reflective place where I can process the information in a meaningful way.