Reflection overall.
I have learned a lot in this course, and also in my Web Design course over the last few months. A lot about educational theory, but perhaps more importantly, I have learned a lot about the application of theory in a practical context.
Add to this the obvious lessons of anyone who is getting back into study after some time away,like how to better manage time, taking care to address the task in hand, juggling and integrating work assignments with learning tasks, learning how to better write to a tight word limit, referencing etc, and I would say this has been a productive few months in terms of what I have taken out of it.
The theory has been quite copious at certain points in the course. That is, there have been a lot of readingson analysis, design, evaluation, assessment, constructivist and other learning theories, and even the theory of correct APA application.
Perhaps some of the most important things I have learned have been about my own learning. I have learned for example that when I write a paper that starts out at 5700 word (including references)and then reduce it, to meet a word limit, to 2700 words, plus references, the process involved actually helps me to arrange my thoughts more clearly, to see associations I hadn't noticed before and therefore to constructmy knowledge as I procede.
Not that my assignments represent any apex of concise and lucid writing, but they seem to be more meaningfulat the end of the course than they were at the start. Funny enough I really enjoyed the process of reducing,distilling the meaning of my last paper into something meaningful from something that just had a lot of wordsand concepts. Having said that, please don't ask me to reduce and distil, this learning reflection. It is a bit of work doing that.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Nearing the end
Well I have learned a lot from this course so far.
A lot of educational theory.
Before doing this course I had seen lots of examples of attempts to produce student centered learning. While these always seemed to resonate as logical and useful, I really never had a clearly defined learning paradigm to explain them. That I guess is one of the main things that this course has given me (FET5601).
I have often found the actual work of reading, note taking, analysing, associating, and then synthesising new understanding into a comprehensible project/assignment to be a challenge. Even overwhelming at times. This has certainly got me focused and kept me away from hobbies and pastimes. But I would say that it is worth it.
One really beneficial thing that has come out of all this recently have been discussions with my colleagues here are work. I was really impressed with Paul McLeod in his understanding of this material. He had a brief look and one of my assignments and pointed out that I had spelled one of the author's names wrong. Now Paul is a DEd. student so I guess he has done a good deal of reading around the topic of learning design etc. But he actual knows the authors by name and more or less has a handle on their positions on various learning paradigms etc. I thought that was quite impressive. This was also a nice motivation to me. It made me realize that with time these things will no doubt become quite second nature to me. If I keep up the studies.
I am just about to hand in my final project for FET5601. This time I made sure to have a good look at the rubric before passing it in. That is something that I learned from a previous assignment.
A lot of educational theory.
Before doing this course I had seen lots of examples of attempts to produce student centered learning. While these always seemed to resonate as logical and useful, I really never had a clearly defined learning paradigm to explain them. That I guess is one of the main things that this course has given me (FET5601).
I have often found the actual work of reading, note taking, analysing, associating, and then synthesising new understanding into a comprehensible project/assignment to be a challenge. Even overwhelming at times. This has certainly got me focused and kept me away from hobbies and pastimes. But I would say that it is worth it.
One really beneficial thing that has come out of all this recently have been discussions with my colleagues here are work. I was really impressed with Paul McLeod in his understanding of this material. He had a brief look and one of my assignments and pointed out that I had spelled one of the author's names wrong. Now Paul is a DEd. student so I guess he has done a good deal of reading around the topic of learning design etc. But he actual knows the authors by name and more or less has a handle on their positions on various learning paradigms etc. I thought that was quite impressive. This was also a nice motivation to me. It made me realize that with time these things will no doubt become quite second nature to me. If I keep up the studies.
I am just about to hand in my final project for FET5601. This time I made sure to have a good look at the rubric before passing it in. That is something that I learned from a previous assignment.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Some reflection from assignments
I am working on the final project now for FET5601 and have some reflection from various assessments so far which I would like to include here.
Reflection of Analysis
My previous experience with analysis is in systems development. This is much like the ADDIE model so studying this theory of analysis in this project has consolidated that knowledge. I am particularly struck with the need to consider individual student learning and I am confident that combining my experience and new understandings I can improve data gathering and analysis by targeting; learner needs and attributes of the learners, learning tasks and strategies assessment and costs. I have also been impressed with the need to help learners construct their knowledge by providing appropriate learning activities and opportunities for them to reflect on their learning, to revisit and improve.
By using a theory driven approach to analysis within an ADDIE framework, my analysis will point to a better fit of learning activities to the students and the course objectives. I expect this could also lead to some recommendations for changes in these objectives to help improve the quality of learning.
Reflections of on my current practice and strategies in design
I use varied strategies depending on the topic and even depending on what I have in hand in terms of pre-developed materials.
As recently as 2 years ago, I was developing blended learning modules complete with discussion forums and on-line readings and using these to support problem based learning tasks. But then I had direct instructions from management to do so.
I am now in a radically different situation with intensive (in terms of content) course outlines and detailed instructional materials provided. These course outlines create the constraint of heavy content loading. It is easy to focus on the content at the expense of the learner. I hope that I don’t do that but there is a temptation to do so.
I want to use a more student centred approach for developing delivery, media and materials that will still cover course requirements. This has been difficult due to some inertia in coming to grips with the new workplace with a different emphasis. I need to be much more self motivated in moving toward student-centred design. I look on this project as an opportunity to develop the theoretical and practical background and confidence necessary to do that.
Conflicts between readings and current practice and links of theory to practice and key concepts
My current practice represents halting steps on the road to constructivist, learner-centred design that would be supported by modern educational theory. Due to previous ignorance of current theory and constraints of time and content, my delivery and course design lacked a learner focus which I now plan to emphasise. For example;
· building learning networks and ecologies, (Seimens, 2005),
· focus on what the student does, not what the teacher does or what the student is (Biggs, 2001)
· trap students into learning with aligned teaching and PBL (Biggs, 2001)
· develop heighted self-awareness in learner and allow for collaborative learning (Reushle et al 1999)
· provide authentic in-context assessment (Boud, 1998)
· develop, borrow and use reusable learning objects (Oliver, 2002)
· use assessment to facilitate learning (Isaacs, 2001)
Each of the above are addressed in the table below under the heading Content learning media and assessment.
Reflection of evaluation
My previous evaluation experience has been pragmatic and organization driven with little consideration (from my point of view) to theory. I have had some experiences in gaining feedback from Program Advisory Committees; I have also participated in developing, distributing and analyzing graduate questionnaires as input into program quality reviews. I have always considered this to be a TQM function and have applied TQM terminology to this.
Through computer systems training I have used the Systems Development Life Cycle (very similar to ADDIE) employing a systems driven approach which considered customers (learners), other stakeholders and systems. Evaluation was formative and summative but was neutral with regards to learning theory. Problems came in the form of missed opportunities to evaluate in a more educationally valid way by integrating educational theory and understanding into evaluation of learning centred design.
I have found the readings to be complementary and to build on my previous practice of evaluation. They have challenged me but more in a need to extend rather than to repudiate previous practice and they have given me good direction for theoretically sound course evaluation in the future.
References
Biggs, J. (2001). The reflective institution: Assuring and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning. Higher Education, 41 (3), 221-238, Retrieved April 14, 2009 from http://springerlink.metapress.com.ezprozy.usq.au/content/m2472106v357t754/fulltext.pdf
Boud, D. (1998). Assessment and learning – unlearning bad habits of assessment. ‘Effective Assessment at University’, Conference,
Isaacs, G. (2001). Assessment for learning, Teaching and Educational Development Institute, The
Oliver, R. (2002). A teaching and learning perspective on learning objects. Retrieved April 14, 2009 from http://elrond.scam.ecu.edu.au/oliver/2002/neodepaper.pdf
Seimens, G. (2005). Learning development cycle: Bridging learning design and modern knowledge needs. Retrieved April 17, 2009, from http://instructor.aviation.ca/content/view/130/71/
Monday, May 4, 2009
Its the Rubric stupid
In FET5601 we have studied a number of topics in the last month including assessment and evaluation. So we touched on criterion referenced assessment.
This of course was quite familiar to me in practice, if not in theory. I have used a lot of criterion referenced rubrics for projects and assignments in Dubai in the last several years.
Thus the irony when I realised that I had totally missed significant criteria on the rubrics of both courses, FET5601 and FET562. Duh.. Talk about feeling dumb.
So.. being one who wants to learn from my mistakes I try to draw some salient lessons from this. The obvious lesson is of course, double check the rubric before submitting any assignment.
In this next round of assignments my natural knee-jerk reaction is to include points from the rubric in my response explicitly and to make the assignment a 'response to the rubric'. This of course is safer than ignoring the rubric but could lead to a rather stilted response. It would affect the structure and perhaps not is a good way.
The other lesson to consider is how to make sure my students don't miss parts of the rubric. In the past I have handed out the rubric as the assignment definition. i.e. the assignment was the rubric.
I am reflecting on this at the moment. This is a graduate level course, we are supposed to be able to research, gather information and synthesis it into something informative useful and original. This requires some creativity which can not be confined to the structure implied by following a rubric unflinchingly.
The more I consider this, the more I recognise a weakness I have in scholarly writing. This has always been a bit of an achilles heal for me. I am pretty good at researching information. But I tend to be in to much of a hurry to put the words to paper without a careful consideration of interrelations of new ideas, theories, previous practice, and understanding, constucting a new whole which is greater than the sum of the parts. This is after all in the end the purpose of enquiry and review.
I beleive a weakness can become a strength when the focus for change is there. This is the point of this post and will exercise my mind for some time.
So what can I do?
This of course was quite familiar to me in practice, if not in theory. I have used a lot of criterion referenced rubrics for projects and assignments in Dubai in the last several years.
Thus the irony when I realised that I had totally missed significant criteria on the rubrics of both courses, FET5601 and FET562. Duh.. Talk about feeling dumb.
So.. being one who wants to learn from my mistakes I try to draw some salient lessons from this. The obvious lesson is of course, double check the rubric before submitting any assignment.
In this next round of assignments my natural knee-jerk reaction is to include points from the rubric in my response explicitly and to make the assignment a 'response to the rubric'. This of course is safer than ignoring the rubric but could lead to a rather stilted response. It would affect the structure and perhaps not is a good way.
The other lesson to consider is how to make sure my students don't miss parts of the rubric. In the past I have handed out the rubric as the assignment definition. i.e. the assignment was the rubric.
I am reflecting on this at the moment. This is a graduate level course, we are supposed to be able to research, gather information and synthesis it into something informative useful and original. This requires some creativity which can not be confined to the structure implied by following a rubric unflinchingly.
The more I consider this, the more I recognise a weakness I have in scholarly writing. This has always been a bit of an achilles heal for me. I am pretty good at researching information. But I tend to be in to much of a hurry to put the words to paper without a careful consideration of interrelations of new ideas, theories, previous practice, and understanding, constucting a new whole which is greater than the sum of the parts. This is after all in the end the purpose of enquiry and review.
I beleive a weakness can become a strength when the focus for change is there. This is the point of this post and will exercise my mind for some time.
So what can I do?
- always double check and consider the rubric before submitting any assignment
- look for ways integrate the rubric into a whole
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Resting and learning
I am starting a one week holiday this afternoon sometime.
I had to push really hard but I have got right up to date with my assignments readings etc. I am getting a real affirmation of the benefits of staying on track.
At the same time I am enjoying the refreshing nature of having a break. I only went to the gym twice this week. it was five times last week. I just physically needed that rest.
not much time to discuss. More later.
I had to push really hard but I have got right up to date with my assignments readings etc. I am getting a real affirmation of the benefits of staying on track.
At the same time I am enjoying the refreshing nature of having a break. I only went to the gym twice this week. it was five times last week. I just physically needed that rest.
not much time to discuss. More later.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Metacognition, technology and learning
This last week or so have been pretty hard going with the learning in these courses. I have done a lot of reading in 5601 but it is really hard to put it all together and synthesize something meaningful out of them to post something meaningful for the starter wrapper exercise.
I have been taking a little bit of luxury I feel in taking a little extra time to ponder and consider what I have been learning. I have also been thinking about a lot of changes I could and even need to make to my teaching and to my design and materials choices.
Two days ago I didn't even know what metacognition meant, now here I am pondering it. I am going to ponder a bit more on how to put the new ideas I have encountered into practice, in particular with my assignment, then I will do the starter wrapper thing, then I'll come back to this again. Hopefully this can all be done in the next couple of days.
I have felt this week that I have really been bootstrapping, as in starting from scratch a lot. This is probably a lot to do with hitting a wall physically. I took a 4 day break from my exercise routine, (2 extra days after the weekend cos I don't exercise on weekends anyways). This was hard to deal with and I do think that the physical and cognitive interrelate quite a bit.
My highlights from this weeks metacognition, my understanding of my own learning and knowing of my knowing are as follows: Assessment should be much more than just a normative (bad) or even just a summative thing (necessary) but should also be formative and when it needs to be summative it should be mixed. I suppose the aha in this is that there really are great opportunities for learning from assessment feedback and it really is a shame to miss these. But then consider pure formative assessment (practice assessments, comparison to exemplars etc) these really have a powerful opportunity for learning.
Seimens learning domains I mentioned in my previous post, these seem to almost have a requirement for technology in order to reach domains of; accretion, emergence and aquisition. I can also see a strong link between new technologies and developing learning ecologies, especially considering asynchonous discussion forums.
Biggs discussion of quality was very reminiscent of TQM but bring this into the education realm. I liked the prospective / retrosspective dialectic, this was very TQM like. the levels of teaching and learning model I found to be quite enlightening and I can see the benefit of focussing more on level 3 what the student does.
Reushle et. al I think will be quite useful and practical when designing and building onn-line learning modules. Crowe et al made a good point for peer assessment which i think I can use with a mix of PBL and discussion forums in my project. I will definitely also be using Critirion referenced assessment.
I have been taking a little bit of luxury I feel in taking a little extra time to ponder and consider what I have been learning. I have also been thinking about a lot of changes I could and even need to make to my teaching and to my design and materials choices.
Two days ago I didn't even know what metacognition meant, now here I am pondering it. I am going to ponder a bit more on how to put the new ideas I have encountered into practice, in particular with my assignment, then I will do the starter wrapper thing, then I'll come back to this again. Hopefully this can all be done in the next couple of days.
I have felt this week that I have really been bootstrapping, as in starting from scratch a lot. This is probably a lot to do with hitting a wall physically. I took a 4 day break from my exercise routine, (2 extra days after the weekend cos I don't exercise on weekends anyways). This was hard to deal with and I do think that the physical and cognitive interrelate quite a bit.
My highlights from this weeks metacognition, my understanding of my own learning and knowing of my knowing are as follows: Assessment should be much more than just a normative (bad) or even just a summative thing (necessary) but should also be formative and when it needs to be summative it should be mixed. I suppose the aha in this is that there really are great opportunities for learning from assessment feedback and it really is a shame to miss these. But then consider pure formative assessment (practice assessments, comparison to exemplars etc) these really have a powerful opportunity for learning.
Seimens learning domains I mentioned in my previous post, these seem to almost have a requirement for technology in order to reach domains of; accretion, emergence and aquisition. I can also see a strong link between new technologies and developing learning ecologies, especially considering asynchonous discussion forums.
Biggs discussion of quality was very reminiscent of TQM but bring this into the education realm. I liked the prospective / retrosspective dialectic, this was very TQM like. the levels of teaching and learning model I found to be quite enlightening and I can see the benefit of focussing more on level 3 what the student does.
Reushle et. al I think will be quite useful and practical when designing and building onn-line learning modules. Crowe et al made a good point for peer assessment which i think I can use with a mix of PBL and discussion forums in my project. I will definitely also be using Critirion referenced assessment.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Aha Design
Yes I am well into design now.
I have just submitted (2 days ago) my analysis discussion for 5601 and started doing the readings on Design.
I have also just about finished my Web site Design Critique for 5621.
It was a long hard weekend. I wish I could say that all of this has its own reward and it is totally compensates for the fact that I haven't even sat on a motorcycle all weekend but the truth is I feel kind of deprived at the moment.
However I have had some learning.
5601..
I have just finished reading a long article by Seimens (2005) Learning development cycle: Bridging learning design and modern knowledge needs. The learning module notes promised that the design phase is where the real fun would start in the course. I guess I could say that I agree. Reading this article I had numerous aha moments as I was able to connect with the theory in terms of my own teaching and learning experiences.
The Learning Development Cycles and its 4 domains; Transmission, Accretion, Aquisition, and Emergence all rang so true to me in considering my own experiences. Funnily enough a lot of the theory was directly related to web communities like Dubai4x4, thumpertalk etc. These sites provide informal models for Aquisition and to a lesser extems Emergency, Accretion and even Transmission. I can see that revisiting this material will be very helpful for me when I go to design tools to aid in blended learning modules such as the project I have planned for FET5601.
5621
The Web Design assignment that I just finished was a lot of work. One of the main learning points for me actually relates back to the other course. That is, the importance of networks and ecology in some learning. A large part of that assignment was to post to the web thoughts on the design of a group of 3 web sites according to (in my case, web standards). Posting publically does put some pressure on one to prepare properly, it also provides opportunities to learn unexpectedly and to develop social skills. The need to rely on others for part of the learning was underlined here.. In LDC theory I guess that would be seen as nodes in a network and ecology.
I have just submitted (2 days ago) my analysis discussion for 5601 and started doing the readings on Design.
I have also just about finished my Web site Design Critique for 5621.
It was a long hard weekend. I wish I could say that all of this has its own reward and it is totally compensates for the fact that I haven't even sat on a motorcycle all weekend but the truth is I feel kind of deprived at the moment.
However I have had some learning.
5601..
I have just finished reading a long article by Seimens (2005) Learning development cycle: Bridging learning design and modern knowledge needs. The learning module notes promised that the design phase is where the real fun would start in the course. I guess I could say that I agree. Reading this article I had numerous aha moments as I was able to connect with the theory in terms of my own teaching and learning experiences.
The Learning Development Cycles and its 4 domains; Transmission, Accretion, Aquisition, and Emergence all rang so true to me in considering my own experiences. Funnily enough a lot of the theory was directly related to web communities like Dubai4x4, thumpertalk etc. These sites provide informal models for Aquisition and to a lesser extems Emergency, Accretion and even Transmission. I can see that revisiting this material will be very helpful for me when I go to design tools to aid in blended learning modules such as the project I have planned for FET5601.
5621
The Web Design assignment that I just finished was a lot of work. One of the main learning points for me actually relates back to the other course. That is, the importance of networks and ecology in some learning. A large part of that assignment was to post to the web thoughts on the design of a group of 3 web sites according to (in my case, web standards). Posting publically does put some pressure on one to prepare properly, it also provides opportunities to learn unexpectedly and to develop social skills. The need to rely on others for part of the learning was underlined here.. In LDC theory I guess that would be seen as nodes in a network and ecology.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Assessment Fatigue
Assignment fatique.. assessment fever..
This week has been hard studying and working.It is coming to the end of our 'Semester' at wrok so we have a lot of assessment issues to work through at work.I need to prepare an exam etc.
On top of that there have been assessments in both 5601 and 5621.One problem that I have with assessments is that I tend to focus on them and then there is a possibility of getting behind in other tasks.I am finding this to be the case right now. Treading water fast as I can to stay afloat would be a great analogy.
Sure it is all character building etc. But it is also down right frustrating as you feel that even with your best efforts you are forced into an expedient posture in order to meet dedlines.On the other hand it is just not possible to achieve learning without some prioritizing and that usually requires a little bit of stress.
In the spectroscopy course I am doing, we had a pop quiz dropped on us without notice. I think that is something I won't do with my students because that really annoyed me. Taking an assessment for which I had no warning and thus made no preparation..I was pretty much fuming, though I didn't say anything..
So with web design and learning design I need to go on line and say something erudite, learned and referenced on the respective topics.The only problem is that also requires preparation.Going to need to get into a lot of reading before I can feel confident to do that..Not a big bike riding weekend I am thinking..
This week has been hard studying and working.It is coming to the end of our 'Semester' at wrok so we have a lot of assessment issues to work through at work.I need to prepare an exam etc.
On top of that there have been assessments in both 5601 and 5621.One problem that I have with assessments is that I tend to focus on them and then there is a possibility of getting behind in other tasks.I am finding this to be the case right now. Treading water fast as I can to stay afloat would be a great analogy.
Sure it is all character building etc. But it is also down right frustrating as you feel that even with your best efforts you are forced into an expedient posture in order to meet dedlines.On the other hand it is just not possible to achieve learning without some prioritizing and that usually requires a little bit of stress.
In the spectroscopy course I am doing, we had a pop quiz dropped on us without notice. I think that is something I won't do with my students because that really annoyed me. Taking an assessment for which I had no warning and thus made no preparation..I was pretty much fuming, though I didn't say anything..
So with web design and learning design I need to go on line and say something erudite, learned and referenced on the respective topics.The only problem is that also requires preparation.Going to need to get into a lot of reading before I can feel confident to do that..Not a big bike riding weekend I am thinking..
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Reflective Log 22 March 2009
5621
Last week was v busy in terms of my ‘Educational Theory’ learning. Besides the penny dropping on the structure of the course, materials, media etc modeling modern learning theories, I also got a good taste of cooperative learning.
As I started to read some of the theory of learning design I began to recognize portions of that theory being reflected in the 5621 course materials. Not explicitly but implicitly in the choice of media structure of materials and learning activities. That was kind of a sweet nugget.
During the week I also went on 2 ‘Teaching and Learning’ professional development activities; one on cooperative learning and one on using journals for reflective learning. Both of these PDs had homework given. “We are supposed to try them out in the classroom’ So I am going to do that too. That should be good for reflection.
I also had two meetings to discuss these courses specifically. One with Cheri to discuss different tools I might use in the course. The other with Holly and Wilf to discuss this course. I found these meetings very useful. It is good to have short meetings to discuss these things. We give each other some good ideas and also good to bounce our ideas off someone. Sort of group constructivist learning?
I also started a PD with Dr. Zaid Said on spectroscopy. It was interesting to reflect in practice during this PD to see the things that worked for me in that learning situation also. Definitely it is good to have a variety of learning activities as different learners benefit from different approaches.
On a related topic, Grace is doing lots of learning at the moment, she completed a Basic Life Support class last week and is doing the Advanced Cardiac Life Support course next week and in the meantime all the while doing an IELTs course. So there are plenty of opportunities to reflect on learning.
I have been putting some thought into the project assignment. This was giving me a real headache. But I got a really good tip from Holly which was to read ahead and skim the later units of 5601. I have done that last night and I agree this was a great idea. I now have an idea of a project.
I want to build some learning activities in CH1011 that will be a more modern type of learning. Including groupwork, some on-line discussion and reflection. As the students are really not familiar with this, their experience is more objectivist and behaviorist, I am going to take a measured approach. I am thinking about the review of CH1010 module for CH1011 with special attention to the mathematics. This is an area we have identified in Mike Conn’s project as needing development. It is also something that we have some freedom to develop as apposed to the credit courses which are defined in Newfoundland. I think I can use survey-monkey to help with analysis among other things..
5621
Well I finally finished the assignment 1 on Thursday night. This was nice since the deadline was Friday (or was is Saturday) whatever. I had expected that I might have to spend most of Friday working on it, especially since I had some little bits of code that were holding me up, specifically applying styles with CSS but inside the XHTML code. The problem being that the example in the notes was not complete (had an unterminated style string). But hey I solved it simply by applying logic to the problem. The notes did say that all code strings need to terminate. So I just made up what I thought would be the appropriate termination symbols and it worked. I was so pleased that I got up on Thursday and rode for 3 hours hard in the desert.. Now that I call rewards for learning..
I would definitely say that I am getting to the point in both these courses where learning is starting to have its own rewards. In terms of aha moments and that sweet feeling of being able to see more clearly something that now transparent was recently opaque.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Reflective Log 5601 16 March 2009
More Eureka moments here.
Hey I think I might actually be learning something here...
For the last couple of days I have been trying to settle on a project topic for the course and also get my head around the actual requirements for the project proposal (Assignment 1) and the project itself.
So I have read the required readings for module one and turned my attention to the assignment exemplars that are provide online for download. This I have found to be a treasure trove and I have been mining that particular gold mine today.
The exemplar project proposals I have found are quite varied in approach and to a certain extent even in depth. This I have found comforting as it puts me a bit more at ease that my own offering will be acceptable. But the biggest benefit from the exemplars I am finding is that I am learning as much about and from the structure of the learning materials and process as I am from the theory. Sharon Watson has citied Biggs in referring to ‘aligned teaching’ where all aspects of the learning unit promote rather than hinder learning. Reading Watson’s project, in her discussion of design principles, learning activities and content sequencing, she citied several studies into learning methods such as ‘on-line socialisation’, acclimatization, formative reflection scaffolding learning engagement and asynchronous discussion (Salmon & Giles, 1997, Lawless 2005, Thorpe 1995, Seimans, 2005. Coincidentally all of these methods rang a bell of familiarity with me as they are employed in the design of this unit and the other unit (FET5621) that I am studying this semester. This realization was both comforting and informative to me. Comforting, in that it was obvious that USQ is practicing what it preaches in terms of Designing Learning modules and instructive as I realized that I was learning how to design learning not just from the assessment items and reading but from the very process that has been set up through the course structure..
More Eureka moments here.
Hey I think I might actually be learning something here...
For the last couple of days I have been trying to settle on a project topic for the course and also get my head around the actual requirements for the project proposal (Assignment 1) and the project itself.
So I have read the required readings for module one and turned my attention to the assignment exemplars that are provide online for download. This I have found to be a treasure trove and I have been mining that particular gold mine today.
The exemplar project proposals I have found are quite varied in approach and to a certain extent even in depth. This I have found comforting as it puts me a bit more at ease that my own offering will be acceptable. But the biggest benefit from the exemplars I am finding is that I am learning as much about and from the structure of the learning materials and process as I am from the theory. Sharon Watson has citied Biggs in referring to ‘aligned teaching’ where all aspects of the learning unit promote rather than hinder learning. Reading Watson’s project, in her discussion of design principles, learning activities and content sequencing, she citied several studies into learning methods such as ‘on-line socialisation’, acclimatization, formative reflection scaffolding learning engagement and asynchronous discussion (Salmon & Giles, 1997, Lawless 2005, Thorpe 1995, Seimans, 2005. Coincidentally all of these methods rang a bell of familiarity with me as they are employed in the design of this unit and the other unit (FET5621) that I am studying this semester. This realization was both comforting and informative to me. Comforting, in that it was obvious that USQ is practicing what it preaches in terms of Designing Learning modules and instructive as I realized that I was learning how to design learning not just from the assessment items and reading but from the very process that has been set up through the course structure..
Saturday, March 14, 2009
FET5601 Reflective Journal
Saturday afternoon here in beautiful Doha.
I have been studying my Master of Education at USQ for 2 weeks now including 2 weekends. Oh yes I remember weekends. Times when I used to spend a lot of time riding motorbikes, cleaning and servicing motorbikes. The last 2 weekends have been spent studying.
In FET5601, Learning Design for Flexible Contexts, we have been learning about reflecting in and on practice as per Schon, teaching in the knowledge society as per Laurillard, constructivism and constructionism as per Dougiamas, and models for Instructional Design as per McGriff and Seimans.
One of the main problems with study for me has been/is balancing the study with family duties. Speaking of which, it seems I have to go and get some dinner for folks. Back later..
Back a couple of hours and later and soon I will be going to bed..
Work, eat, sleep, study... who could ask for more.. Just pay me and give me some time in there to ride my bikes and I am happy as Larry..
Back to 5601..
So we are currently talking about flexible learning. I was thinking student centered, blended learning etc. Basically in terms purely of eduspeak, you know, the words you use in a staff meeting so they all know you have been doing your homework.. meaningless but socially important.. But then I read some ideas from Anita and Derek talking about teaching classes with varied abilities and using Moodle respectively and the idea came to me like a flash. That is it. There is my project for 5601. I will do some blended learning in my Chemistry class.. Or at least prepare a module allowing for that..
Back to reading now.. always plenty of that..
I have been studying my Master of Education at USQ for 2 weeks now including 2 weekends. Oh yes I remember weekends. Times when I used to spend a lot of time riding motorbikes, cleaning and servicing motorbikes. The last 2 weekends have been spent studying.
In FET5601, Learning Design for Flexible Contexts, we have been learning about reflecting in and on practice as per Schon, teaching in the knowledge society as per Laurillard, constructivism and constructionism as per Dougiamas, and models for Instructional Design as per McGriff and Seimans.
One of the main problems with study for me has been/is balancing the study with family duties. Speaking of which, it seems I have to go and get some dinner for folks. Back later..
Back a couple of hours and later and soon I will be going to bed..
Work, eat, sleep, study... who could ask for more.. Just pay me and give me some time in there to ride my bikes and I am happy as Larry..
Back to 5601..
So we are currently talking about flexible learning. I was thinking student centered, blended learning etc. Basically in terms purely of eduspeak, you know, the words you use in a staff meeting so they all know you have been doing your homework.. meaningless but socially important.. But then I read some ideas from Anita and Derek talking about teaching classes with varied abilities and using Moodle respectively and the idea came to me like a flash. That is it. There is my project for 5601. I will do some blended learning in my Chemistry class.. Or at least prepare a module allowing for that..
Back to reading now.. always plenty of that..
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