End of the Course Blog

The second part of the course was highly challenging, rewarding, and educational. A lot of new material was covered that was new and insightful. In unit six, we discussed the various learning theories that an online learner maybe faced with in their education. Behaviorism is a theory that suggests the learner retains information through positive or negative reinforcement they receive based on their behavior in the classroom. Cognitivism is a theory in which the learner is perceived as a processor of information, much like the processor of a computer. New facts come into the learner, processed, and then displayed via the various testing tools. The constructivism theory is where the learner builds on previously acquired knowledge, couples it with the newly acquired knowledge to build a new base of information. Design-based research learning theory brings together didactic and practical applications for the student that allows the student to generate new and refine information. Finally, the humanism theory is where the student is the focus and the teacher is basically a facilitator. The student is highly independent and pursues knowledge that is of value to them.

In terms of these theories and an online learner, many of these can be intertwined depending on the class. For a class that has didactic and practical components in it, such as electrical schematic wiring, all of the aforementioned theories can be applied throughout the course. But the key to using all of them is that the teacher should have an idea of their intended student audience when developing the course. For example a humanism approach would not be a practical theory for a student who has never worked with electricity. For a brand new student with no knowledge base at all in electricity, humanism would probably be a devastating learning experience. But I have seen students with previous hands-on experience in electricity allowed to approach the practical portion with the humanism method. Again, it is important to get a general idea of who the students are and their background.

The instructional strategies discussed in this section were behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. The goal of behaviorism instruction is to try to get the correct response from the student through either positive or negative reinforcement. In the online environment, this can be attained by giving the student information that is needed to be learned and give different types of tests that reflects the students understanding of the material. Cognitivism instruction goals are to develop a learning situation for the student that encourages them to acquire as many different learning strategies as possible and assemble them into a structuralized format. Constructivism goals are to build upon the students knowledge base and applying it in a practical situation. All three of these can be easily applied to the online environment. In some cases they also can be intertwined within a course to expose the student to a variety of strategies. This is also good for the student who may have a difficult time in one or more of these strategies.

Instructional strategies were also discussed and explored in an online environment. Learning contracts provide a clear explanation of what is expected of the student as face-to-face is almost impossible. Lecturing is used frequently as information is given and downloaded by the student, notes can be taken, and all information can be revisited. Discussions are favored by students as interaction takes place and enhances critical thinking. Self-directed learning is accomplished by using a variety of tools that the instructor provides such as libraries, video tapes, research, etc ... Mentorship allows for much interaction that is mutually agreed upon between the mentor and the student and builds on the student's knowledge base. Small group work allows students to share ideas and concepts, collaborate, and express their views individually. Project strategy can be accomplished in groups or individually. A project is assigned and the methods can vary to create it, thus allowing the students to be resourceful and creative. Collaborative learning is much like small group except that the students help each other learn the material and come to a consensus in the learning objectives. Case study can be done individually or in groups. It draws on the student's past experiences and involves researching subject matter that will be needed for the future, either in school or in the workplace. Forum is an easy method of collaboration and learning because it can be set up and moderated. The subject matter is researched and presented for discussion. Questions can be asked and conclusions can be drawn.

We went on to learn the seven Principles of Education (Good Practice) and how to achieve them. The first one, encouraging contact between the student and faculty, can be achieved by setting a time aside to allow a face-to-face conversation. The second principle, developing reciprocity, can be accomplished by a brief online introduction by each student and share two scholastic hardships they had and how the worked them out. Encourage active listening, the third one, by having the students interview two people in the field of study to inquire what the job is about and how they overcome issues. In giving students feedback, which is the fourth principle, this can be done by getting back to the students within a 24-48 hour time period and possibly allowing a rewrite of an assignment with corrective measures to take. The fifth one is emphasizing time-on-task which means that didactic portion can be juxtaposed with the practical or hands-on portion of the class. It is very important that not only quantity but quality is expressed to the student thus raising the bar, demanding high expectations, the sixth principle. Finally respecting the student's diversity and diverse ways of learning is paramount in gaining a mutual trust and respect from both sides of the learning axis, the last education principle.

There are several technologies that are available to the student that serve as a buttress to implement the Good Practices. One is our WebCt that has been used up to this point. Another is social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. I was able to create a class using what I have learned here so far on Facebook to teach other potential facilitators for a religious education program. I have also attended educational webinars on LinkedIn that were beneficial for me in the pursuance of my goals.

Instructional strategies were also explored. The top-down model is one in which the teacher delivers the information with expectations from the student that motivates them to attain the material and apply it. The Blend Model goes from direct to social and enables the student to work independently to develop critical thinking skills and to think outside of the box. Social Model allows for the material to be negotiated between the student and the teacher. The student in a group on a project to draw on each others knowledge and apply it in a practical situation, being responsible for each others kerning as well as their own. Blend Model allows the student to design a project using a variety of mediums, allowing for creativity. The Bottom Up Model is student centered and is a team approach to high-level problem-solving that involves extensive research and extensive use of technology.

Some of the more popular web-based technologies used in on line instruction today are streaming audio and visual, push technologies, audio chat, and hand-held wireless technologies such as the iPad, to name a few. Large files can be compressed into small ones thus eliminating the need for books. Lectures can be 'streamed ' live or prerecorded for later viewing. Push technologies can be configured to view as educational adjuncts for subject matter relevant to the topic such as current news or breakthroughs in medicine or technology.

Finally, Web 2.0 technologies have emerged as some of the newest advances in online education. Microblogging from sites such as Twitter allow the teacher to send a brief text with link attached to it that will provide information that the student could use for an upcoming project. The student may also use this to pass on the same kind of information that he or she finds while perusing the internet first to the instructor and with their permission, to the other students. Diigo is an excellent resource technology that allows the teacher to add content to information that is gathered from the 'net,' save it, and share it with the students. It also allows the student to do the same either to share or to keep for themselves.

Although challenging at times overall I found this course enjoyable and to say the least, eye-opening. Kind of like children at Christmas time; a lot of cool toys that are fun and exciting to play with (use) once they figure out how to build them and use them!