eLDes Assignment 2: Design Recommendations …
Facilitate e-Learning -
A training program for continuing studies of e-Learning
Based on:
National Training Information Service (NTIS)
Unit TAADEL501B: Facilitate e-Learning.
Outline of Context
The training program ‘Facilitate e-Learning’ is designed to extend studies of e-Learning into the area of delivery and facilitation for students of the University of Technology (UTS).
As defined by NTIS “e-Learning encompasses a variety of applications and processes which use available electronic media to deliver vocational education and training more flexibly. E-Learning covers any learning that is assisted by information and communication technology (ICT). This mainly includes computer-based online learning, but also covers interactive CD-ROMs, videos, handheld computers, mobile phones, teleconferencing and video conferencing.” (NTIS 2008)
As a program in continuing studies of e-Learning, it is expected that learners have completed studies in e-Learning Experiences and e-Learning Design or equivalent. The program is offered to students in their third year or higher. It is designed to build on their existing knowledge about e-Learning into the field of delivery and facilitation. Therefore, students who are interested in pursuing careers in the field of training and development will benefit from the program as it will develop in them the skill and confidence to deliver training via e-Learning.
Underlying Learning Theory
The design of this program is based on the cognitive approach to learning.
A Cognitive Approach
As explained by Dr Stanton Wortham (2007) the cognitivists studied the process of internal mental representations of which two kinds of processes were emphasized; termed by Piaget, as assimilation and accommodation. What was meant by these terms was that when a learner enters a context, the first thing they do is they try to assimilate the context to their worldview of how the world works (Wortham 2007, p.2). That is, they have these preconceived ideas and thoughts about the world that will influence the way they learn.
“So, the cognitive revolution was about studying these processes of how do people develop these theories of the world, these concepts, these expectations, plans and how is that they change them. Learning is about changing, and learning is about deciding I need a new one. So, from the perspective of a cognitivists educator, if you want to help people learn, you have to help them build new concepts, new theories of the world. In order to help them do that, you’ve got to set up a context where they run into something they haven’t seen quite that way before, and you have to encourage them to think about it in a new way.” (Wortham 2007, p.3)
It is in this approach that the learner is expected to be active in their learning and that the educator takes on a more facilitative role. Therefore, a key feature of this theory which is dependent on the educator is the implementation of advance organisers. “An advance organiser is information that is presented prior to learning and that can be used by the learner to organize and interpret new incoming information” (Mayer 2003). It is generally a basic scaffold upon which the learner can build new knowledge on.
The Cognitive Approach in Facilitate e-Learning
The reason why the cognitive approach has been selected as the underlying learning theory of the design of this program is because of the fact that learners will already have a strong background in e-Learning from pervious study. Furthermore, as it is intended to assist them in building skills and confidence in delivering an e-Learning course, active participation in the way that this program is delivered will provide practical hands-on experience in which they will have significant input in. Thus, the program will be very independently based but will include elements of collaboration so that they learners can gain insight from others.
Storyboard (created using Inspiration)
Integration of technologies
Being an e-Learning oriented program the use of technologies is embedded in all modules. Specific technologies that have been used and the reasons for their integration include:
User-created content - this is “content that is produced at almost all levels of experience found in blogs, photostreams, wikibooks, machinima clips and so on. It is a new form of contribution and an increasing trend towards authorship” (The New Media Consortium 2008, p.6). The program will utilise two forms of user-created content – weblogs and wikis.
Weblogs – weblogs or blogs are “an extension of the personal Website consisting of regular journal-like entries posted on a Webpage for public viewing. Blogs usually contain links to other Websites along with the thoughts, comments, and personality of the blog’s creator” (Learning Circuits 2008). A blog will help the learner track their work and to guide their process of problem-solving and knowledge building. The selected weblog service will be provided by edublogs as it is a well functioning site that exists for the purpose of education.
Wikis - wikis organise and coordinate a groups input. They make it easy for everyone to change what is written on a webpage (Commoncraft 2007). The use of a wiki will facilitate a collaborative learning environment and also minimises the amount of work each individual will have to do in revising e-Learning as the topic will be broken down and allocated out.
Social Networking/Social Sharing – “Social networking are the sites that connect people with their friends, colleagues, or strangers who have a shared interest. Truly engaging social networking offers and opportunity to contribute, share, communicate and collaborate” (The New Media Consortium 2008, p.6). This technology is integrated to foster a collaborative environment and to work through the modules in a different way so as to make learning engaging and to make associations/patterns apparent in cases where the learner may not have realised. The chosen site has been Facebook as the majority of students will already have Facebook accounts. (see http://tdinh86.edublogs.org/2008/06/08/example-of-integrating-technologies/ for an example of this).
Vodcasts - Vodcasts deriving from ‘Video-On-Demand,’ are video files that can be syndicated and streamed online or downloaded onto a portable media player, just like podcasts. As vodcasts utilise a wide range of multimedia and are an engaging technology, it will be used to present a case study about facilitating e-Learning. Integrating this will give insight to the learner from the educator’s experience and will also expose the learner to yet another technology.
Conclusion
The program is based on the cognitive approach to learning and as such endeavours to draw out the experiences and ideas of the learners to bring understanding to new concepts. It also aims to deliver learning in a way that has never been encountered by the learner before so as to give new insights into the content.
References
Commoncraft. (2008) Video: Wikis in Plain English, viewed 02 June 2008, <http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english>
Learning Circuits. (2008) Glossary, viewed 02 June 2008, <http://www.learningcircuits.org/glossary>
Mayer, R. (2003) Learning and Instruction. New Jersey: Pearson Education
National Training Information Service (NTIS). (2008) TAADEL501B: Facilitate e-Learning, viewed 21 May 2008, <http://ntis.gov.au/?/trainingpackage/TAA04/unit/TAADEL501B>
The New Media Consortium. (2007) The 2007 Horizon Report, viewed 29 May 2008, <http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2007_Horizon_Report.pdf>
Wortham, S. (2007) Theories of Learning: Cognitivism, viewed 29 May 2008, <http://www.learning2007.com/p7/stanton-wortham-cognitivism.pdf>
