Use the readers of this week to discuss the differences between e-learning resources and e-learning experiences and highlight your own developing view of learning design and issues and tools you feel are important in the design of learning activities and/or experiences.
I am enjoying the eLearning experience, although I miss the face-to-face classroom teaching environment like many of my peers. As stated in the video on engaging and motivating students, teacher presence is more than a Zoom meeting or lecture. The learning and teaching space is where I excel at teaching, and I miss that space and a one-to-one social relationship with my learners.
Sure, Bates (2019) acknowledges how the physical learning space impacts learning in the classroom and as learning transitions to the online environment, the learning space includes the virtual space. But, it is NOT the same. As posited by Hammond (2015), as an educator, it is vital to make the face-to-face learning experience for learners as close as possible in an online environment.
Elearning resources and elearning experiences strengthen learners’ ability to learn autonomously, but learners cannot become autonomous without appropriate support. The autonomous learning process must be scaffolded for learners to shift from dependency or helplessness to autonomy (Hammond, 2015). This support can be in the way of both resource and experience in the form of a negotiated syllabus (Clark, 1991), whereby learners have the autonomy to adapt assignments, materials, and content to their learning needs. As a result, learners might be allowed a degree of choice and self-expression unavailable in most existing syllabus types.
Tony Bates has a blog site with ‘resources’ associated with online learning and distance education; ‘resources’ he has found valuable and interesting; ‘resources’ meant for students, faculty, academic administrators and policymakers; and ‘resources’ chosen for their relevance and value for teaching well with technology. The resources adopt the concept of Open Educational Resources (OER), which are free teaching and learning materials licensed to allow for revision and reuse. They include fully self-contained textbooks such as videos, quizzes, learning modules, and more. This is a site I will frequent soon.
I will be adopting the principles of universal design in my course because I have read enough comments like “the ideals of universal design have profoundly impacted instruction, policy, and infrastructure in course architecture and design” (Brown et al., 2017, p. 1) to convince me of its value in education. But my ideas for designing learning activities and related meaningful learning experiences will be basic. They include, 1) clear objectives and realistic expectations, 2) follow a fully involved learner-centred approach, 3) address my learner’s emotions such as attention and motivation using pictures and stories, 4) use interactivity like games, videos, and animations, 5) use imagination presenting real-world benefits due to learning, 6) ask for feedback and constantly assess my learners, 7) but most importantly, have fun while learning!
Laurie
Bates, T. (2020). Online learning and distance education resources.
Brown, K., David, R. & Smallman, S., (2017). Adopting the principles of universal design into International and Global Studies’ programs and curriculum. Journal of International & Global Studies, 9(1), pp. 77-92. https://search-ebscohost-com.libraryservices.yorkvilleu.ca/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=url,cookie,ip,uid&db=a9h&AN=127821471
Clark, D. F. (1991). The negotiated syllabus: What is it, and is it likely to work. Applied Linguistics, 12(1), 13-28.
https://academic.oup.com/applij/article-abstract/12/1/13/244634
COFAonlineUNSW. (2011, January 19). Engaging and motivating students [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvJuzE-g7OM
Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigour among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin.
On Task Teaching 