UNIT II GROUP-BASED COLLABORATIVE

INSTRUCTION & MULTIMEDIA

 

1.    What are key similarities or striking differences between the theories/models in Unit II?  Do the theories/models in Unit II share any common foundations or principles?

The key similarities with the four different theories/models in Unit II are they are all group-based collaborative instruction.  The first item for consideration is the use of real world problems to teach decision-making skills within a content area.  Guided Design Process, Problem-Based Learning (PBL), and Situated Cognition & Cognitive Apprenticeships all do this, and in my opinion, Cooperative Learning can also use real world problems to teach decision-making skills, but to a somewhat lesser extent.  With the use of real world problems, things become less abstract and it doesn’t seem like time is being wasted on information that will never be used.  How many of us sat in a calculus class and said “why am I here – I will NEVER use calculus after I get out of this class?”  I just wanted to point out that in my life, this belief is accurate.  Another similarity is that all four models can be print, web-based, or computerized, although some more so than others.  They also provide the opportunity to practice decision-making skills and intellectual thinking, again, some more so than others.

Cooperative Learning is a bit different in that individualistic goals are not necessarily as compatible to group-based learning as the others due to the model’s design.  I saw a lot of Cooperative Learning theory used as an undergraduate – and there was significant competition in the classes where this theory was utilized.

PBL is a theory that I have little experience with.  As a history major, PBL was not used in either my undergraduate or graduate program, but I can see that it could be a useful model depending on the topic under consideration.  Because this theory requires students to solve authentic, open-ended problems, this is not a theory that is used frequently in the humanities programs with which I have been associated.  I have, however, used PBL in my certificate program here at NCSU.  ECI 716 uses this theory and I must admit, since I had no experience with PBL until a few semesters ago, it was a bit difficult for me to wrap my mind around.

Situated Cognition and Cognitive Apprenticeships would be a bit more useful in my background because most learning occurs naturally through activities, contexts, and cultures, but again, is not something with which I have much experience.  I have also used this theory while a student at NCSU.

 

2.    What are your initial reactions to these learning theories/models?  What are barriers to their use?  What benefits might be expected for those who overcome the barriers?

I think PBL and SC-CA definitely have their uses, but I think they are very topic specific and are geared more toward the math and science fields – fields which I stay away from as much as possible.  Guided Design and Cooperative Learning are easier for me to relate to because I have been exposed to them throughout my educational experiences.  I read and reread PBL and SC-CA because they were pretty foreign and rather abstract to me in my chosen field and career. 

Since PBL was so math/science/medical directed, and SC-CA was so abstract, it was difficult for me to grasp.  I can see students being resistant to these models because they are so different, and I understand why students would initially resist both, but I can also see how they would be extremely useful depending on the field of study.  In one of the readings I remember seeing an outcome where it was believed explaining why PBL was being used would be beneficial and maybe beginning with a smaller, easier problem would help students adjust to these new theories.  We all have a tendency to push back against something new, and I know I would push back against both of these because it would be taking me so far outside my comfort zone.  School is difficult enough without turning how you learn on its head, so an introduction and explanation of PBL and SC-CA would go a long way in helping students wrap their minds around this “new animal.”

 

3.    Would you attempt to use any of the theories/models with the students you are currently teaching or hope to teach in the future?  Why or why not?  Could elements of the theories/models be modified so that they would work with your current/future students?

I use both the Guided Design Process and Cooperative Learning in my career.  Although I use some facets of PBL in my job, I steer much more toward Guided Design and Cooperative Learning because of the type of teaching I do and the students I have assigned to my classes.  PBL and SC-CA would be too much to ask of my students.  That being said, I do use scenario-based training in every synchronous webinar, and I am a big proponent of scenario-based training, but going into the detail with the special computer assists that were frequently mentioned in PBL would be too much to ask of my students since I only have them for a month.  If I had classes that were a semester long, I could see how PBL could be useful, but since I don’t, I use scenarios in a Guided Design Process/Cooperative Learning theory combination.

 

4.    Since we’re taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out these learning theories/models online?  Please spend some time identifying tools and resources for this last point, as this background research should help you complete your projects more efficiently.

I think this would be a great opportunity to use something like VoiceThread.  That may seem an odd choice, but a group VoiceThread account could be quite beneficial when trying to gather information and present it to others because it could be used to show the steps taken to reach the conclusion the group reached.  I also think a LinoIt board could be an interesting method of presentation – students design stickies and then place them in order, either in a timeline formation or in a wheel formation, or depending on the topic, a wheel & spoke formation to show how things interact.  Of course PowerPoint could also be used, as could a blog, a series of Vokis might be different and then there is always elluminate and moodle.  Since I’m not really “up” on all of the different programs/tools/resources available (the USAF severely restricts how clever we can be), so these are some items than I am familiar with that could fit the bill.

 

End of Unit 1 Blog

1.    What are the key similarities or striking differences between the theories/models in a given unit? Do the theories/models in a unit share any common foundations or principles?

     When comparing PSI (aka the Keller Plan) and the A-T Method, one cannot help but see today’s web-based instruction at infancy.  PSI was developed in the 1960s and is geared more for higher education.  PSI reminds me of military training – learn, rehearse/remediate, test, and move on to the next area of instruction.  Learn the next area, rehearse/remediate, test, and then retest on the first area to ensure the skill is still there.  Move on to the third area where you learn, rehearse/remediate, test, and then retest on areas one and two, etc.  There is significant teacher or proctor to student time which makes PSI expensive and is generally not conducive to teaching large groups of students. 

     The session 3 lecture states that A-T was developed in 1961 and was “designed to help students lacking prerequisite skills to keep up with their classes.”  A-T would be extremely beneficial for ESL and/or special needs students, or students with lower level reading and/or comprehension skills.  A-T students also have significant teacher to student time, but the teacher is “virtual” while a proctor is provided to assist with questions.  I actually had a class while working on my bachelor degree that used a lot of the A-T Method principles.

     Both PSI and A-T allow for significant self-paced studies, allow for more efficient time management than traditional classes, can be extremely beneficial for certain students – allowing for an increase in learning outcomes, and rely heavily on technology – allowing the instructors to better manage their class load.

 

2.    What are your initial reactions to these learning theories/models?  What are barriers to their use?  What benefits might be expected for those who overcome the barriers?
 

     As an adult educator, I can clearly see some benefits to both the PSI and A-T Methods.  One I mentioned earlier – the personal time these models provide.  For child or adult learners with anxiety issues – the stress level of learning, testing, peer to peer interaction, etc., must be significantly reduced.  Because PSI is geared more for children, I can see that some children could be embarrassed or harassed for attending a class with alternative methods and they could be opened up for ridicule or even bullying to some degree for being “different.”  For adults returning to school for a GED or degree seeking adults who have been out of school for several years, A-T might have a positive impact as they get their feet wet in the academic realm again.  Of course the expense inherent with low student to teacher ratios makes both of these learning models difficult for schools to provide as government funds are decreased while tuition costs continue to significantly outpace standard cost of living allowances.

 

3.    Would you attempt to use any of these theories/models with the students you are currently teaching or hope to teach in the future?  Why or why not?  Could elements of the theories/models be modified so that they would work with your current/future students?
 

     I already do use the A-T Method via the use of audio files (podcasts) and video files embedded in the blended e-learning course I teach.  We offer audio or video lectures for every section of the three modules and then provide written transcripts for every lecture so students can either listen to and/or read a lecture or they can watch and/or read a lecture (depending on the lecture).  Many of our students will follow along with the transcripts while listening to the audio and video presentations.  We offer these options to try to appeal to the greatest number of student learning styles because even if educators do not believe in the theory of learning styles, many students do.  When I begin my weekly webinars, we begin in a big group room where I do the "lecture" and then we go into breakout rooms of not more than 10 students each where each group works on a scenario specific to their group.  We return to the main room where the "group leader" then presents the group answer to the scenario to the entire class, we discuss it as a class, and move through the scenarios until all have been presented, discussed, etc.  This method allows everybody to benefit from the work of the class, while only having to work on one scenario each week.  This keeps our webinar times down to 90 minutes/week instead of a minimum of 2 hours.
 

Another reason to try to utilize PSI and A-T is because despite the technology curve and the age of technology wizards in today’s world, many adults are returning to school for a variety of reasons and  not everybody is a technology wiz, so these methods might help alleviate some anxiety for returning adults.  I have found that the learning curve is tough enough based on the material being taught – adding in a technology learning curve is just overwhelming for some students, which results in a significant level of PSI on my part to facilitate students completing the course as quickly and painlessly as possible.  I believe this is one of the reasons why our end of course feedback rocks!

 

4.    Since we’re talking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out these learning theories/models online?  Please spend some time identifying tools and resources for this last point, as this background research should help you complete your projects more efficiently.
 

     Well, the first one I think of is Blackboard because that is what I use for my job.  Obviously along that same vein are Moodle, Sakai and a variety of Google sites.  Then there other options out there like WordPress and VoiceThread which are extremely user-friendly, a variety of Wikis might help, and then there are much more difficult programs to learn like Second Life. 
 

The biggest issue to me along this track is the ability of the student to learn the program while also learning the material being taught in the course.  Just because we have the technology does not mean we should always use it.  Take stakeholder and student capabilities into consideration when designing your course.

 

 

Falling Down the Rabbit Hole

Well, I'm really clueless here, so I hope everybody doesn't get too annoyed by the constant questions I'm going to be asking.  I look forward to working with you, but not sure you'll all be too thrilled to be working with me!  I wish everybody in ECI 517 a fantabulous semester!!!!  ~Melissa

Melissa Thorpe - Lost in Translation

This is a first - and a blogger trial run.