Name:
Course teaching / specialisation
Department / area
|
· Hazel Owen
· Academic Advisor (ICT enhanced learning consultant)
· Centre for Teaching and Learning Innovation, Unitec NZ
|
Which theory exemplifies my beliefs about the nature of knowledge and learning?
|
· Sociocultural theory
|
What are key aspects of that theory?
|
· Recognition of the existence of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
· Scaffolding provides models, examples, & support for development of thinking skills/guided discovery
· Context and cognition are inseparable
· Learners construct knowledge through active engagement with learning activities that are part of real or simulated situations including problems, scenarios
· More advanced peers/teacher provide guidance & initially structure interaction to achieve understanding
· Learners’ prior knowledge underpins & structures learning, which is cumulative, self-regulated & goal-focussed
· Awareness is raised of tools / interactions involved in authentic activities
· As learners move toward greater competence they direct their own learning more
(Vygotsky, 1986)
|
What key problems are learners facing?
|
· Students at Dubai Men’s College (DMC) face problems with their writing (accuracy, appropriacy, originality) and are not achieving Learning Outcomes / not graduating from the programme
· Students have identified three areas they find particularly problematic: ideas, structuring a piece of writing, accuracy
|
What issue(s) is / are there with the programme / unit / activity / learning object(s)?
|
· A lot of paper-based, text rich support (doesn’t cover a range of learning preferences / styles)
· Little authentic production (essays written – often by hand - for the teacher)
· Topics not of interest to the students
· Meta skills often not ‘noticed’ / understood
· Peer critique often superficial / not valued by learners
· Few models / examples
· Rubrics impenetrable to learners
· Vocabulary often learned as a relatively context less list
· Feedback often delayed
|
Can ICT enhance the learning process? How?
|
· Yes / No (underline one)
· Potential for providing support through multimedia (easier to provide models and examples that suit a variety of learning styles / preferences)
· Synchronous communication can speed up feedback
· Asynchronous forums can increase the opportunities for reflection (meta skills / peer critique)
· Easier to share / review / edit publish (production for reason and wide, possibly global audience)
· Simple to preserve versions (focus on process and progression)
· Easy to brainstorm ideas in a synchronous format & preserve discussions (can be collated and redistributed)
|
· Which ICT tool(s) fits with your pedagogical philosophy / approach?
· What activities do you want learners to participate in?
· What pedagogical strategies (support) do you want to include?
· What pedagogical approaches (e.g. collaborative) do you want to use?
|
1) IM (MSN chat) to collaboratively brainstorm ideas for writing – share / build meaning from previous authentic experiences; produce target vocab for authentic purpose. Requires model / discussion of chat etiquette & raising awareness of meta skills / purpose. Also, IM enables immediate feedback & support from peers / teacher.
2) Smartboard activities / online dictionaries / self-check, non-assessed quizzes to introduce target vocabulary – learner individually / in groups assesses progress over time.
3) “How to” examples / models produced as audio & videos in Camtasia and made available as podcasts/vodcasts in WebCT. Used to scaffold tasks & enhance ZPD.
4) LMS course (WebCT) to be accessed individually / in groups & used to host support (examples/models/rubrics/instructions), discussion forums, collated IM, hyperlinks, quizzes, feedback, calendar. Empowers learners by giving an overview of the programme / tools / Learning Outcomes + enables learners to access / share feedback & learning experiences & builds a sense of a learning community.
5) Blogs used to provide a personal profile (builds community / inter-subjectivity) & to reflect on / analyse learning experiences & changes over time / reflect on meta skills. Requires peer examples / discussion of possible approach to blog postings
6) Discussion forum (in WebCT) to host collaborative essays & peer review of other learners’ essays. Provides peer modelling / scaffolding within ZPD; encourages reflection / analysis. Requires models / examples / scaffolded interpretation / discussion of rubrics & giving feedback.
|
What existing resources do you want to adapt?
|
· PowerPoint presentations adapted to video format using Camtasia
· Word documents reproduced as multimedia (with images, audio, video)
· Rubrics interpreted & linked to peer examples of writing
· Vocabulary lists / activities
|
How do you want to measure the achievement of LOs?
|
· Participation in blogs / discussion forums
· Engagement with reflection / analysis tasks
· Short term / long term gains in awareness of structure / vocab / ideas / accuracy
· Number of learners graduating from the programme
|
· What is the estimated time / effort required?
· What are key deadlines?
· What support / training is required?
|
· One person – two weeks of full-time effort
· Four sessions to be run mid-semester two (starting March 2nd 2007)
· Training required on Camtasia & creating/hosting podcasts/vodcasts
|
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.