Friday, November 20, 2009

MY EXPRIENCE

The development of a lesion plan has provided an experience on the use of flexible electronic learning environment that can be utilized to benefit the learners in a global society. The experience has also broadened my understanding and valuable insights in the Course and the use of technology to support teaching and learning. Such questions like:
What is flexible learning?
How can flexible learning be realized and supported?
What is the starting point towards the realiasatoin of flexible learning?
These and many other questions could be asked?
Flexible learning might provide some of the answers.
According to Collin and Moonen (2001) there is much that can be done and involved in moving from fixed, or less fixed, to more flexible learning. There is need to explore opportunities available in the electronic environment that would advance and promote more flexible learning to learners while embracing the concept of continuous learning. As part of my reflection, flexible learning will be discussed and how technology can enhance learning will also be elaborated.
Flexible learning
This is the learner’s choice of accessing different available learning options to advance their learning. Learners will find ways of learning for example Online learning and other learning media.
Flexibility to time
The learner may choose time when to start the course and the facilitator can determine with the learner on modalities of the training. The learner is reponsibity for the learning environment and requires self monitoring. The learner has a choice of the learning environment for example moodle or Online page. The facilitor/instructor can organize content and assignments that the learner will use.Commuinication and efficiency on the material including feed back is essential in the processes.e.g Online pages and other net works.
Flexible to content
The course work to be flexible in term of programming learning materials and assessment standard to be considered. The learner’s active participation on communication may also contribute in meeting the course requirement in terms of when to begin the course and when to end. The learner/facilitor organize for key events occur, for example examinations some exams could be done an on line net work

Flexibility to instructional approaches and recourses
The facilitator/instructor can shift roles to primary been the designer and moderator of the student form the facilitator. The learner would work/use with materials that are designed by the course provider. Face to face can be arranged depending on the location, other technological facilities can be used.


Flexibility related to delivery and logistics
An electronic environment may be the core system of the net working. The facilitator/instructor can manage the site that is used as a tool for course delivery and content to be communicated through the choosen media. The learners have also an option to choose the course and the mode of access they feel is conducive.

REFLECTION ON TPACK LESSON PLAN ON INQUIRY LEARNING

It was interesting and educative to develop a TPACK lesson that had an inquiry learning perspective. Our group Leonie VanEelen and Yanieke Paalman worked as a team in the development of the lesson plan. Yes, we spiced our lesson plan to make it more under stable and userfriendly.The Inquiry learning is very fundamental to the science knowledge, learners asks question,hypotheze,design experiments, use apparatus,observe,measure,predict,record,and interpreted ,evaluate, perform statically calculation, make inferences and formulate theories or models. In TPACK a flexible teacher would know how to integrate technology that facilitates teaching and learning through networks for example on line learning, web page, and other net work that might provide efficiency and effective learning.

CONTEXT
During our lesson plan development we realised that it was not possible to start with out a context. We started from the approach of taking into account the characteristic of the teacher whom we thought was cardinal in the implementation process. A teacher that integrates knowledge and negotiates the relationship between all components of TPACK was ideal for the lesson plan but we also considered a teacher who had no technological skills and provided some intervention. The teacher’s preparedness before, during and after was of great important to our group if the lesson was to be implemented with minimum difficulties The learners prior knowledge was also considered to be of assistance in an enquiry learning, this would help the teacher to facilitate the lesson effective in an independent learning atmosphere where the learner are active participants.

TPACK
The Tpack lesson plan was a hands-on experience that provided our group with deeper insight on how the interrelatedness of the TPACK component approach had to offer. One had to either start with technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, TechnologicalPedagogical,Knowledge,Technological,Content,Knowledge,and,Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. We thought of how the lesson plan in inquiry lesson would address all the TPACK components, the age of the learners and also the grade level was necessary in the design procedure.Luckly, Leonie and Yanieke used their prior knowledge to come a Topic Tsunami that could be taught in a Geography lesson for the second (2) grade in VWO at secondary school. Pupils’ age ranges from 13 to 14 years. We assumed that pupils in this grade would be familiar with the inquiry approach and work actively independently in the learning process and find answers to their questions. We didn’t think of an investigative lesson that could lead to laboratory investigation but restricted our lesson to what was available in school to suit the TPACK approach. The maximum attended of our ideal planning was twenty and of course, we were also gender sensitive in the class allocation. We discussed and read literature and map up a strategy to come up with an inquiry learning model. The fame work was the bases for the lesson plan.

We started from the perspective knowledge of PK and ended with TPCK because other parts other easily come together. later, after another discussing we thought PK was the most logical to describe one of the circles( CK or TK)and other parts of TPAK would include information about CK or TK.We choose CK.In our opinion TK is used to support delivering specific content in a specific pedagogical way to learners.
Model for inquiry learning:
1. Knowledge Attack
2. Create hypothesis
3. Gather information
4. Construct new knowledge (shifting, sorting, synthesize, draw conclusion)
5. Report (discuss & reflect)
6. Integration
In the inquiry process learners ask questions, formulate hypothesis. Gather information, construct new knowledge and report their finding which is later integrated as new knowledge. Teacher uses the TPACK approach to support learning. The figure below shows the interaction between the teacher and the students in an inquiry TPACK learning lesson.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

INQUIRY LEARNING

Before our Reflection:
It’s worth saying that inquiry learning is a supportive tool in a world where knowledge is constantly changing. There is so much to learn and so much to do. Well, i like these words,” Tell me and I forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand." The last part of this statement is the essence of inquiry-based learning. The concept emphasizes learner centeredness, the teacher acts as a guide or facilitator in the monitoring of learners activities. The content assumes great important but as a means not an end in itself. Inquiry learning involves a process of exploring the natural or the material world that leads to the formulation of questions, discovery and experimentation for new understanding. (as cited by Jong (2006).learners learn through all kind of methods to solve related concepts and discover their own findings or meanings.
For modern education, the skills and the ability to continue learning should be the most important outcomes. Lock`s.(1967)suggests that, to teach “all that is knowable” should not be the only aim of education but that it should also aim to infuse students with “a love and esteem of knowledge” that provides them with the means and the mental attitude to inspire them with the dynamic of what we today would – a little clumsily – call life-long learning.
Cited by Hutchings.B.(2006) http://www.campus.master.ac.uk

Sunday, October 18, 2009

THE ADDED VALUE OF THE TPACK MODEL


Educational technology has much to present to discourse in terms of technology integration at numerous levels; theorical, pedagogical and methodogical.A theoretical framework for educational technology structure by Shulman( 1986 ) in the formulation of Technological, Pedagogical Approaches, Content and Knowledge(TPACK)has a lot to offer in the flexible learning environment(as from the above diagram). This approach promotes the integrating of technology into pedagogy thus the combination of TPk,TCP and CPK leading to Technological,Pedagogical Approaches and Content Knowledge.It also attempts to confine some of the essential qualities of teacher knowledge required for technology integration in teaching, while addressing the composite, to be found in the nature of knowledge.Intergration of technology require understanding and negotiating the relation between all the the component.A teaher should understand the process of how to intergrate TPK,TCP and CPKT in teaching/learning.This process or relationship can reveal which teaching method is most appropiate for the content and how content can be restructed for better tranfer of information.consequently, widening participation of learners and at the same time enhance learning through flexible of provision. I believe, that the concept is in line with the promotion of flexible blended learning that suppots approaches to student learner centredness.

A combination of the approach (TPACK) can enhance teaching/learning depending on how a particicular topic might be presented. Carefully, application of the concept can promote flexible learning hence responding to some of the problems of teaching and learning. Some technologies are neither impartial nor balanced.Nevertheless, particular technologies may have their own propensities, potentials, affordances, and constraints that make them more suitable for certain tasks than others. For example, the use of email to communicate can be affordable that is asynchronous communication and easy storage of exchanges. Email does not afford synchronous communication in the way that a phone call, a face-to-face conversation, or instant messaging does. Nor does email afford the conveyance of subtleties of tone, intent, or mood possible with face-to-face communication.Another example is Enquiry learning. A teacher who knows how to integrate (TPACK) could help learners through the provision of networking learning, conferences, web search, e.learning,on line learning and other mode for better transfer of information.Well,in conclusion- Lock`s.(1967)suggests that, to teach “all that is knowable” should not be the only aim of education but that it should also aim to infuse students with “a love and esteem of knowledge” that provides them with the means and the mental attitude to inspire them with the dynamic of what we today would – a little clumsily – call life-long learning.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

SUMMARY/REFLECTION ON FLEXIBLE LEARNING PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES AND TECHNOLOGY

Having read several blogs, believe me there’re all nice and unique. Neil and Caroline and others have written some interesting items which are educative and reflective. My conclusion is that, flexible learning has a number of layers of meaning. Basically, this means that learning can be at outsized from the time and place dependencies of traditional learning environments and can be accessible at all stages of a learner's life.flexible learning can be supported by reducing barriers to access and opening new opportunities that will enable learners to participate in new technologies thus promotion of learners control on their time,content,entry requirement, instructional approaches, delivery and logistics.
From a pedagogical point of view, a set of strategies for learning and teacher is of great importance towards the delivery of information and technologies. There are a number of teaching methodogies that can promote learning and these include, problem based learning, collaborative learning, work based learning, enquiry learning and experiential learning. learners can work on with the support of e.g. forums, discourse, group discussion, or online course materials,multimedia,CD_ROMs,websites,videos,tapes and print materials.
lasty, Factors that hinder flexibility to be revised for better implementation and technology to be made effective to allow flexibility learning.Pedagogical approaches should aim to strategically support the implementation of technology that provides opportunities to end user to incorporate in the design process of learner’s flexible needs. The learners can benefit more if the pedagogies approaches are tailored to suit the technology to be applied.

Monday, October 5, 2009

PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES AND COURSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

Pedagogical approaches and Course Management Syestems
In the face of technological increase and the advancement towards flexible learning the pedagogical approaches are seemly becoming of use.Dunkin, (1987,p.319 )states that, Pedagogy is "the art and science of teaching," the knowledge and skills that practitioners of the line of work employ in performing their duties of facilitating desired learning in others. The method of teaching can enhance the acquisition of knowledge and skills if appropriately administer. Merrits.J(2003)stiputes that,course management system(CMS) is a tool that allows an instructor to post information on web and manupulate the tool without knowing the computer language.An instructor is provided with set of tools and framework that allows the relatively easy creation of on line courses and content for learners.
The following are five kinds of pedagogical approaches that can be used with the support of technology(CMS)
1. Problem based learning
Learners use information resources (all media types) and instructional materials (all media types)as sources of information. The resources do not teach, but rather maintain the learners inquiry orpresentation. This does not work against any kind of instructional resource. It provides motivation for using the resource. Therefore, the domain specific problem-solving should be a skill to be learned thus a simulation which confronts the learner with problem situations within that domain might be appropriate. If proficient letter writing is required for some larger context; certainly a drill and practice program is one option that might be present.http://www.indiana.edu/pulications/journals

Technology(CMS) that supports the pedagogy
Learning through modules, discussion, simulations on line, writing critiquing, debate is a popular way of using Web technology within education. Gilbert and Moore (1998) make it clear that interaction is of
great importance within education, and discussion and debate involve peer interaction.

2. Collaborative learning
Collaborative learning cover a extensive subject of approach with wide variability in the quantity of in class or out-of-class time built around group work. Collaborative activities can option from classroom discussions interspersed with short lectures, through entire class periods, to study on research teams that last a whole term or year. Van der Veen (2001a) notes that, group-based collaborative learning is “the series of activities in which learners work together as a group to complete the task. Others prefer a more spontaneous agenda developing out of student interests or questions. In some collaborative learning settings, the students’ task is to create a clearly delineate product; in others, the task is not to produce a product, but rather to participate in approcess, an exercise of responding.
http:// learningcommons.evergreen.edu/edf/colla.pdf
Technology(CMS) that supports the pedagogy
Web supported environments for work based learning will focus on communication approaches ,such as forums, group discussions, use of chat rooms, workshops and sharing of documents on the websites. Forums for discussion new opportunities be done on the web.

3. Work based learning
Workplace learning - in its fully developed form - implies carrying out training needs analysis (ideally for individuals, or - as a second-best- for groups) and the development from that training needs analysis of individual development plans. If the organisation carries out an organisational skills needs analysis and an organisational development plan, then employee development can meaningfully be aligned with organisational development. It should be emphasised the workplace learning is ideally not about the short-term correction of job-performance problems. The real benefits come aligning workers' skills development with organisational goals and achieving a sustainable learning organisation and a continuous improvement culture. http://dpi.wi.gov/cte/work%20base.htm
Technology(CSM) that supports the pedagogy
The focus will be on communication approaches, group discussions, debate,social discourse, net working conferences workshops, web searching and sharing of documents on the websites.

4. Enquiry learning
Is a learner centered approach that emphasizes higher order skills. It may take several forms, including analysis, problem solving, discovery and creative activities both in class and the class room and the community. Most importantly, in inquiry learning students are responsible for processing the data they are working with in to reach their own conclusion. Lock`s.(1967)suggests that, to teach “all that is knowable” should not be the only aim of education but that it should also aim to infuse students with “a love and esteem of knowledge” that provides them with the means and the mental attitude to inspire them with the dynamic of what we today would – a little clumsily – call life-long learning.
Cited by Hutchings.B.(2006)p2&3 http://www.campus.master.ac.uk/

Technology(CMS) that supports the pedagogy
When learners can make choices with regards to their learning route as well as their place and pace of learning (King 1993; Parsloe, 1986;).It can through web searching, net working conferences, discussions and on screen video. self-study can sometimes be provided to individual learner and will focus on reading literature and other educational materials. Assessment can be self-organized via Web-based tests. Communication with other students, and/or instructors is limited. Courses can be delivered to learners in pre-packaged forms (Pickles, 2001).

5. Experiential learning
Experiential learning therefore involves a, 'direct encounter with the phenomena being studied rather than merely thinking about the encounter, or only considering the possibility of doing something about it.' (Borzak 1981: 9 quoted in Brookfield 1983). Experiential learning is learning through reflection on doing, which is often contrasted with rote or didactic learning.This sort of learning is sponsored by an institution and might be used on training programmes for professions such as social work and teaching or in field study programmes such as those for social administration or geography courses.
Page reference: Smith, M. K. (2001) 'David A. Kolb on experiential learning', the encyclopedia of informal education, http://www.infed.org/b-explrn.htm.

Technology(CMS) that supports the pedagogy
Learning through video screen, net working conferences, web searching and sharing of documents on the websites. Site visits that supports experiential learning can be of great help to the learners..

Conclusion:
This assay has identified some of the pedagogical approaches that can be used with the support of technology. The pedagogies are important in the formulation of objectives and the mode of technology the learners will seek to use. The pedagogical approaches should aim to strategically support the implementation of technology that provides opportunities to end user to incorporate in the design process of learner’s flexible needs.The learners can benefit more if the pedagogies approaches are tailored to suit the technology to be applied. This may bring engaging and rewarding results.
References: Hutchings.B.(2006)p2&3 http://www.campus.master.ac.uk/:
Smith, M. K. (2001) 'David A. Kolb on experiential learning', the encyclopedia informal education, http://www.infed.org/b-explrn.htm.
Merits,John.(2003).Course Management System,institution wesleyan University
http://www.infed.org/b-explrn.htm
http://dpi.wi.gov/cte/work%20base.htm
http:// learningcommons.evergreen.edu/edf/colla.pdf
http://www.indiana.edu/pulications/journals

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Pedagogies for flexible learning supported by technology

Adult learning
As life patterns become more complex and less predictable with increased job changes, greater geographical and social mobility and more frequent family changes, adults need ever greater skills and knowledge to remain successful, fulfilled and independent.
Moreover, a rapidly ageing and dependent population will lead to a steep rise in the numbers of people who are socially and economically excluded, unless they can gain greater skills to control and give quality to their own lives. Failure to tackle these issues will waste talent and create an ever greater health and welfare burden on families and the taxpayer.

Chair of the Inquiry, Sir David Watson, said:
"Our goal is to set an agenda for lifelong learning that will make sense for the next quarter-century. We set out to assist our society in moving past fixing things (often with unintended consequences) to realising the genuine personal, social and economic benefits of lifelong learning

EAEA News 2009-09-17