E Learning Reflective Synopsis

eLearning Quotes to Inspire You from SHIFT eLearning

E-learning is the utilisation of digital technology to engage and enhance the learning experiences of twenty first century learners. The use of digital tools enables teachers to create effective individualised learning opportunities for their students whilst simultaneously equipping learners with essential information communication and technology (ICT) skills (Queensland Government Department of Education, Training and Employment 2008). The last six weeks have been a significant learning journey that has consisted of educational experiences that were centred on applying theory to guide our learning in how to effectively utilise, create and integrate a multitude of digital tools into the learning experiences of our current and future students.

We commenced our journey with learning the key theoretical foundations of ‘E-learning’ which has derived from ‘learning’ theories. Once we developed a deeper understanding of learning theory we then expanded our knowledge of digital pedagogy. Through deepening our knowledge in the underpinning design principles of E-Learning, the following core concepts became apparent throughout the learning journey.

·         The importance of working legally, safely and ethically when engaging with ICT in any context

·         The absolute necessity of implementing learning experiences that reflect effective digital
       pedagogy and appropriate scaffolding.

·         The benefits for learners when constructing knowledge through collaborative learning
       environments

·         The increased level of engagement of students when learning through a multitude of interactive digital technologies

After engaging in the course materials, it became apparent that in order to initiate my E-Learning experiences in the classroom the learners would need to be informed and develop an understanding of working legally, safely and ethically specifically in the area of ICT in order to harmlessly participate in the lessons.

ICT’s are unquestionably beneficial in enhancing the learning experience; however, they unfortunately present significant dangers to students. Therefore, it is essential students become informed of the risks, advised and initiated into appropriate ICT usage and monitored correctly.

Some of the potential risks involved are students undertaking research online can become deliberately or inadvertently exposed to inappropriate material such as pornography, racism, violence and other offensive material. In addition, many technologies in particular social media’s become a medium for bullying and are an avenue of access to public persons which can create riskful situations that potentially lead to both socio-emotional and or physical harm.   

The risks involved also pertain to academia as students and learning managers can potentially violate copyright infringements.  Teachers and students must be informed of the appropriate acknowledgement of sources and legality of downloading and uploading material online. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that I as a future Educators must be well informed in online conduct and transition this knowledge and skill set of working legally, safely and ethically to my students.

I can use the following Queensland Education website to ensure that I model and teach safe, legal and ethical ITC practices: http://education.qld.gov.au/web/schools/riskman.html.

 In addition, I can use the following Link as it provides an outline of Queensland education student ITC expectations categorised by year groups which is inclusive of operating safely, ethically and legally:  http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/documents/enabling-learners/pdf/student-ict-expectations.pdf  

Through completing the series of engagement activities it soon became apparent that designing these activities upon the principles of digital pedagogy was absolutely essential for quality learning experiences. TPACK is an essential framework that articulates the essential elements of an effective E-Learning experience.  I will need to design a lesson having exceptional knowledge of the content being studied; having knowledge of ICT tools and productive pedagogy then its subsequent implementation. Therefore the ability to teach the required knowledge and skill sets whilst selecting and using technology effectively to enhance the experience. Through analysing and modelling the digital tools from weeks 1-6 we were able to gain insight into the most effective tools to use to enrich the learning experience. Furthermore,  I was able to become skilled in a variety of ITC's that I can use to cater for all learning needs and learning styles of my students which is apart of practicing productive pedagogy. An outline of TPACK can be found on the following link: http://www.tpck.org/

 

 In addition, The Blooms Taxonomy Framework also proved to be an essential framework when designing a lesson plan. The Bloom’s taxonomy framework guides the learning managers understanding of the levels of thinking students are experiencing. It develops the pedagogy of the learning manager as it provides strategies or key verbs to identify and or implement in order to support and then enhance our student’s level of understanding. Bloom's Digital Taxonomy provides a guide indicating what ICT''s will be most appropriate for certain levels of understanding which is a fantastic tool to compare with my own analysis of the digital tools we covered from weeks 1-6 which will essentially guide me in choosing the most effective ICT's for certain learning experiences.

Effective digital pedagogy reflects the appropriate use of scaffolding as it enhances e-learning activities. Scaffolding is important as it provides a framework within which learners are able to explore concepts and subsequently, construct meaning. These frameworks can then be transitioned into any learning experience. Scaffolding tools that were explored in E-learning were Debono’s Six thinking Hats, PMI charts, concept Mapping and SWOT analysis. Examples of these can be found throughout my blog as I used them as a tool to scaffold my analysis for each engagement activity: http://e-learningactive.blogspot.com.au/.

When commencing the course I initially only reflected on the digital pedagogy used in our e-learning experiences however, as the weeks continued and I had the experience of my first placement I began to link pedagogy with designing e-learning activities specific to my teaching context. Therefore, when we were required to model ‘digital tools 3 & 4’ I wanted to create something that I could potentially use in the classroom to engage my students and reflected the principles of productive pedagogy. TPACK, Blooms Taxonomy and the Australian Curriculum were the key guiding principles for the design of my interactive PowerPoint. Please refer to the following link if you would like to view my interactive PowerPoint: http://e-learningactive.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/digital-tools-reflection-4.html

 

In this activity I soon realised I should have incorporated specific scaffolding as I have presented what to do as opposed to how to do it. The presentation provided me with some more in-depth knowledge about scaffolding which I will use as a guide to enhance the learning of my students: http://info.psu.edu.sa/pscw/PSCW/psutl2011/workshops/5.pdf The following link provides some Ideas that I could incorporate into my lessons to assist with scaffolding the learning of my students and require them to expand upon their learning: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/scaffolding-lessons-six-strategies-rebecca-alber
  

The learning theories of Constructivism and Connectivism are the foundations of E-learning engagement activities however; elements of both Behaviourism and Cognitivism can be incorporated. Constructivism is stated as ‘how meanings and understandings grow out of social encounters’ (Learning and Teaching, 2012). Essentially the use of the Wiki and blog required us to assume responsibility and actively participate in the discussions, constructing our knowledge from each other as opposed sitting in a lecture and absorbing the information. Siemens (2005) conveys the principles of Connectivism through the analogy of a piping system; ‘The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe’. This analogy articulates the importance of acquiring the skills to obtain knowledge as opposed to knowledge itself, as in the twenty first century knowledge is forever evolving. The Wiki engagement activity and the process of blogging exemplifies the Connectivism theory as we needed to develop and apply our critical literacy skills in order to establish an adequate resource base, and then share our knowledge in a wider context. It is evident that E-Learning activities that are based upon these theories create a platform where effective pedagogy can be implemented. Please refer to my blog posts to gain further insight into the learning theories:  http://e-learningactive.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/constructivism.html

When implemented effectively online collaboration has significant benefits such as those ascertained in the research of Johnson (2009) cited in the works of Laal & Ghodsi (2011):

1. Higher achievement and greater productivity
2. More caring, supportive, and committed relationships
3. Greater psychological health, social competence and self esteem

These key success indicators of collaborative construction of knowledge immediately became evident through the experience of week ones engagement activity; Debono’s Six Thinking Hat Wiki. The digital tools of the Blog, Websites and Wiki were explored week one. The most beneficial for online collaboration is the Wiki to ensure the advantages of online collaboration are experienced. The experience of connecting with others and collaborating online enables students to gain a sense of familiarity with the skills and process of online collaboration, including the need to work safely, ethically and legally. A significant benefit of online collaboration is students are able to consider beyond their immediate context and deepen their understanding.

Furthermore, the newly formed peer relationships provide the opportunity for students to enhance their sense of comfort and increase their confidence with collaborative communication. It became evident that after the Wiki engagement activity and a couple of weeks into blogging the sense of comfort and confidence was transitioned into our face to face learning experience as in week three there was a greater level of contribution in class discussions. I will definitely use online collaboration tools in the classroom and out of the classroom (homework) especially as a strategy to build the confidence of those students who do not like to participate in class discussions. A task such as this will enable a student to contribute to discussions without feeling the pressure of speaking openly aloud therefore rather than being disadvantaged by lack of confidence; students will have a more positive and therefore effective learning experience.

This journey has proven to be significantly insightful as I have certainly developed my understanding of what e-learning entails and what it does not – simply using a computer.

It has been interesting to undertake this journey whilst completing my placement as it has given me tremendous insight into the difficulties teachers face simply because they refuse to embrace digital pedagogy. In the twenty first century it is essential that we as future learning managers design lessons based on learning theory, the frameworks of TPACK and Bloom’s taxonomy and engage our learners through a multitude of digital learning experiences.

  

References:

Queensland Government Department of Education, Training and Employment. (2008). Smart Classroom Bytes: E-Learning for Smart Classrooms. August Publication retrieved from   http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/documents/strategy/pdf/scbyte-elearning.pdf

Siemens, G. (2005). A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. Retrieved August 19, 2013, From http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Learning and Teaching. (March 2012). Constructivist Theory. Retrieved August 19, 2013, From http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/constructivism.htm

Laal, M & Ghodsi, SM. (2011). Benefits of Collaborative Learning.  Journal of Social and Behavioural Sciences 31. Retrieved 19 August, 2013, From http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042811030205