This is in the context of a STEM program at a large university, where they are looking to integrate distance learning into the already existent courses.
In the context of teaching online versions of undergraduate stem courses, the best theory is going to be a cognitive approach, potentially also using some connectivist tools (Bates, 2015; Yilmaz, 2011). As future scientists, it is important for the students to develop the skills to synthesize their own knowledge, to use that knowledge to create a product, and to use the people and resources available to them to gain new knowledge when they need it. Pushing the students to use those skills during the course not only trains them for the future, but demonstrably improves their learning (Bates, 2015; Yilmaz, 2011). Bates, T. (2015). Teaching in a Digital Age. 583. Yilmaz, K. (2011). The Cognitive Perspective on Learning: Its Theoretical Underpinnings and Implications for Classroom Practices. Clearing House, 84(5), 204. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2011.568989
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Explain how theory can inform policy in a DE organization by citing the readings and your own professional experience.
Theory can and should inform policy so that the students learn the most possible and get the most for their effort and money, as well as ensure that instructors produce the most positive effects for their efforts. As discussed in Bates 2015 ch 11.3, developing an online version of a course is an excellent time to carefully consider how you want to teach and what theories should be applied. Not to mention, which theory you ascribe to is very much going to dictate how you design your course. For example, if you have an objectivism approach, your course is going to be a very facts-based course, where the students simply receive the information and then get tested via quizzes and tests (Vrasidas, 2000). However, if you are more of a constructivism teacher, you are going to use discussions and group learning techniques to encourage the students to construct their own knowledge (Vrasidas, 2000). Vrasidas, Charalambos. “CONSTRUCTIVISM VERSUS OBJECTIVISM: IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERACTION, COURSE DESIGN, AND EVALUATION IN DISTANCE EDUCATION.,” 2000, 15. Bates, Tony. “Teaching in a Digital Age.” ch 11.3 2015, 583.Then select at least two stakeholders within the organization whose “theories” may be in conflict and propose ways to reconcile their competing interests. Different professors might have different ideas on the best theories to use to teach their particular courses, which can be problematic when trying to interface with technologists, who might want to develop a more generalized format and technology for all of the instructors to use (Otte, 2019). In addition, instructors may be resistant to changing their strategies to address the needs seen by the leadership of the program, especially since evolution and change is very needed when developing a distance learning program (Otte, 2019). These issues can be addressed by working to build a community within the organization, where the goals and strategies are clearly communicated and discussed between all of the stake-holders. Otte, George. “ONLINE LEARNING: NEW MODELS FOR LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION.” Online Learning 10, no. 2 (March 19, 2019). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v10i2.1761. Reply to Thread The closest I think I have come to my own theory is a two step model, where actual academic courses and education should use the constructivist model and tools, but it should also equip the students to use connectivist learning in the modern knowledge economy and job market.
Once in the professional setting, connectivism seems to be very active, with the need to get access to knowledge when and where you need it by accessing it online and talking to experts or peers in the field. As information and technology constantly evolves in today's modern world, the individual's knowledge needs are also constantly changing, and therefore students need to be able to grow their knowledge base independently. They also need a strong knowledge foundation on which to build, however, and that is where constructivist teaching in the academic world comes into play, where instructors can help the students keep on track on what is factually true and real, as well as how to discern truth from fiction when they are seeking knowledge on their own. Connectivism is newish. It seems almost like an extension of constructivism, except it doesn't include a strong role for the instructor other than to teach the students how to get access to new information.
Connectivism informed the development of MOOCs in that MOOCs were originally completely connectivist in concept, where the information was put out there but it was up to the students to glean it and put it all together, as well as work together and communicate to synthesize it into new information systems (Bates 2015). xMOOCs are here to stay in that they are very much used in a lot of contexts, especially in corporate training and certification courses (NIH and Johns Hopkins use them extensively for required yearly trainings). But they honestly seem to have limited use in formal education scenarios unless they are expanded to include more instructor support, as well as adapted to include more learning theories than just behaviorist. Bates, Tony. “Teaching in a Digital Age.” Ch. 5. 2015., 583. Abney, Alexandra K., Laurel A. Cook, Alexa K. Fox, and Jennifer Stevens. “Intercollegiate Social Media Education Ecosystem.” Journal of Marketing Education 41, no. 3 (December 2019): 254–69. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475318786026.
This article discusses an intercollegiate collaboration to develop a learning environment that used a social media education ecosystem to teach marketing. The thought was to take advantage of digital environments and communications technologies that the students were already familiar with to encourage student engagement and critical thinking and prepare them for the modern job market. The article spent time discussing different social media platforms and their possible utility in marketing education before introducing the structure of the experiment, including the intercollegiate collaboration, deliverables and grading, community engagement, and student response. They then detailed how they were able to analyze the data using Twitter analytics and student surveys. Results showed favorable outcomes, with improvements in general learning and student experience perception as well as increased student participation. Learning satisfaction, ease of use, and usage intentions also showed positive feedback. Linguistics analysis of the Twitter feeds also showed an objective improvement in understanding and educated language usage. This is an interesting model to consider in the world of higher science education. Scientists are increasingly under pressure to have a social media presence professionally and politically, and utilizing this model may improve that part of their skill-set as well as encourage learning. This may be accomplished by using a similar model as described in this article to teach science and biology and also integrate social issues into the student’s learning, allowing social media discussions to bring different perspectives on scientific issues to light. Topics such as eugenics, vaccines, genomics, public health, and ELSI (Ethical Legal and Social Implications) issues should all be a bigger part of scientific training if we expect society to take science more seriously again. A social media learning environment would not only be an excellent model to discuss and collaboratively learn these issue, but would also help students to develop the skills to discuss these issues on the platforms they are most likely to encounter them. In the context of distance under-graduate education...
Constructivism: strengths:
Strengths:
Koohang, Alex, Liz Riley, Terry Smith, and Jeanne Schreurs. “E-Learning and Constructivism: From Theory to Application,” n.d., 19. Harasim, L. Learning Theory and Online Technologies. Online Collaborative Learning Theory (2012). There are two main types of rubrics, holistic and analytic, each with their own pros and cons.
Holistic rubrics are best for when the teacher is looking for the student to have gotten the overall idea and to ensure that the overall quality is high. The advantage to this is that it looks more at a student's understanding of a subject, their ability to reason through the content, as well as that it is usually faster and easier for the teacher to work through. The disadvantage is that it is not as thorough a grading system and doesn't address some of the more technical aspects of the subject, potentially leaving some student errors uncorrected. Analytic rubrics are very good for more technical assignments where the details are very important. They provide specific feedback to the student and help them identify weaknesses. The disadvantage is it's easy to miss the forest for the trees, leaving the student's thought processes neglected, and that it can take multiple read-throughs on the part of the teacher to finish grading. A behaviorist learning experience is going to be more likely to use an analytic rubric, providing very specific feedback to give positive or negative rewards for getting specific truths correct. A cognitivist, meanwhile, is going to be more concerned with how the student is integrating the new knowledge into their minds, and is going to want to use a more holistic rubric to be able to analyze the student's reasoning and thought processes. Mertler, Craig A. (2001). Designing Scoring Rubrics for your Classroom. Peirce, W. (2006). Designing Rubrics for Assessing Higher Order Thinking. Behaviorist:
Strengths:
Strengths
Behaviorism (Melissa Standridge, University of Georgia). Yilmaz, Kaya. “The Cognitive Perspective on Learning: Its Theoretical Underpinnings and Implications for Classroom Practices.” Clearing House 84, no. 5 (September 2011): 204. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2011.568989. One of the first things I have learned during one of my first classes, is that the landscape of education is drastically changing with modern times.
The needs of students now not only lie in content, but also in learning the skills necessary to become life-long learners as modern careers are increasingly dependent on knowledge and change. In his book "Teaching in a Digital Age", Tony Bates writes that the skills students need to learn in a knowledge society include communication skills (including social and multi media skills), independent learning, ethics and responsibility, teamwork and flexibility, thinking skills, digital skills, and knowledge management skills. If educators are truly invested in the future success of their students, they are going to need to start reformatting their classes to teach these skills in addition to sharing the content they have already mastered in communicating. I am so excited to officially begin this journey into the world of online teaching and education!
This journey actually began many years ago, when I helped to develop an online version of a class I had TA'ed for in graduate school at Johns Hopkins. This was a unique opportunity, as the course, a two week camp graduate introduction to biomedical sciences and anatomy, was already formatted to be a very interacting and active learning environment. As I worked to convert this unique course into an online format, I had to get very creative to develop and utilize online resources that allowed the students to continue to learn in a collaborative and working group manner while working from all over the world! This experience got me so excited about the developing world of distance education: a world where a student in Maryland, USA could work with a student in China and a homeschooler in New York to build a group project and learn together! As I finished my Ph.D. and moved on into my research post-doctoral fellowship at NIH, my hunger to teach on the college level and my excitement at the growing world of online learning only grew. I switched to a combination post-doc, where I could continue finishing my research goals while also training in Science Education and Outreach with the NIH's National Human Genomics Research Institute's Education and Community Involvement Branch. With the new world of mandatory distance education during the Covid 19 crisis, my goals have solidified, and with the wonderful support of my mentor at NIH, I am now whole-heartedly pursuing a Masters in Distance Education and E-learning. |
The purpose of this pageThese posts are my original work from the discussion forums for the OMDE610 course, as a way to easily reference back to all of the valuable information I learned. ArchivesCategories |