dinsdag 28 september 2010

Preparation for pedagogies session

As a preparation for the session about pedagogies I have found an interesting article. In this article the pedagogical approach ‘discovery learning’ is mentioned. The title of the article is: ‘The effects of discovery learning and expository instruction on the acquisition of definitional and intuitive knowledge’, written by Swaak, De Jong and Van Joolingen (2004).

In the article the differences between discovery learning (in a simulation) and expository instruction (in a hypertext learning environment), both with the same domain content, was measured. These kinds of learning were linked to the acquisition of definitional and intuitive knowledge. Working in a simulation and with the hypertext learning environment both leaded to learning improvement. It was found that the hypertext group performed better on a definitional knowledge test. On an intuitive knowledge test the hypertext group scored better than the simulation group on the correctness of the items but not on the time needed to answer items. On an explanation test there was no difference between the two groups.

I think this article is relevant for the pedagogies session because it is about the effects of two pedagogical approaches, discovery learning and expository instruction. Moreover, the pedagogical approaches were supported by technology. I think it is important that investigators measure the effects of pedagogical approaches with the support of technology, because this combination becomes more and more the way of learning nowadays. In that case we have to know whether it is right or not what we are doing..


Reference
Swaak, J., De Jong, T, & Van Joolingen, W.R. (2004). The effects of discovery learning and expository instruction on the acquisition of definitional and intuitive knowledge. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 20(4), 225-234.

zaterdag 25 september 2010

Flexibility in Education

Nowadays flexibility is a popular concept in education. What does flexibility actually mean? Collis and Moonen (2001) call flexibility ‘a movement away from a situation in which key decisions about learning dimensions are made in advance by the instructor or institution, toward a situation where the learner has a range of options from which to choose with respect to these key dimensions’. When we talk about these ‘key dimensions’, we talk about five different kinds of flexibility. These five kinds of flexibility will be discussed (Collis & Moonen, 2001).

1.   Flexibility related to time
This kind of flexibility focuses on different aspects of time. The starting and finishing time of a course is an example, but you can also think about the flexibility for submitting assignments and interacting within the course. Another example of flexibility related to time is the tempo or pace of studying (Collis & Moonen, 2001). Some advantages of these flexibilities is that a motivated student can classify his/her own time, the student has more freedom and you can determine your own pace of studying. So a predictable disadvantage is the possibility that students who are not motivated won’t do anything. It also will costs a lot of work to manage all the individual ‘programs’, because everybody has a different pace.
The moments of assessment can also be flexible (Collis & Moonen, 2001). In this way students can decide by themselves when they want to make an assessment, but in way of logistic aspects it can become unmanageable, because of the different schedules and the availability of classrooms.

2.   Flexibility related to content
The content of learning can also be flexible or fixed. An example is the topics of a course. It is possible that students can pick their own favorite topics for a specific course. Another example is the sequence of different parts of a course, this could also be fixed or very flexible. Next to that, the orientation of the course can be fixed or flexible. It is possible that students can decide whether the course is totally theoretical or practical or a combination of them. Some last examples about flexibility related to content are assessment standard and completion requirements (Collis & Moonen, 2001).
When the learners has flexibility in choosing their own content he will probably only pick out the topics that he likes. Thus it is possible that a student never learns some main topics. Flexibility related to context has also to do with motivation. For a very motivated student it can be good to choose their own content, because this student knows exactly what he/she needs. A student who is not that motivated will have problems with choosing the important topics, probably he/she will choose the nicest topics.

3.   Flexibility related to entry requirements
If you talk about flexibility related to entry requirements, you can think about the different conditions that there can be for participation in a course or a whole study program (Collis & Moonen, 2001).
When we think about a course it is possible that you have to complete one or more other courses to participate. An advantage is that all the students have the same prior knowledge about the content, so it is easier for the instructor to create lessons. A disadvantage is that it could be that you will get very small classes. When it is hard to complete course A to participate course B, the class at course B can be very small. It is also possible that there are conditions for participation in a study program. In that case there will be a ‘selection process’, what will lead to a study with only the ‘best’ students. A disadvantage is that you have to disappoint students who are not allowed to join the study program.

4.   Flexibility related to instructional approach and resources
The pedagogy and the resources can be fixed or flexible. A well-known example is the social organization of the learning process. This can be face-to-face, in a group, individual, etc. Another example is the language to be used during the course. This depends on the nationality of the students. Do they all speak English? Or do you need some different teachers who can speak different languages. Some other kinds of flexibility related to the instructional approach and resources are the instructional organization of learning and the learning resources (Collis & Moonen, 2001).
An advantage of flexibility in the social organization of learning is that you can choose what fits you the best, face-to-face, group or individual work. The organization must not be too flexible, because when students can do whatever the like, it will probably mess up. For every student it is important to have social contact, so when a student only want to do individual work it won’t be good. The flexibility in learning resources is growing nowadays. You have a lot of possibilities in learning resources. In order to this course you can think about technology. Maybe it is better if there is a part fixed, like a real instructor and face-to-face lessons. When the student can decide everything about the resources, he/she can stay at home and surf on the internet whole day long.

5.   Flexibility related to delivery and logistics
This kind of flexibility is about logistics aspects like time and place. Many times people associate flexibility with learning on distance, but as you have discovered now, it is not. Many people think about the time and place where contact with instructor and other students occurs. This can be flexible or fixed. Another example is the types of help. How do you communicate? How do you use technology to communicate? This kind of flexibility is also about the location (Collis & Moonen, 2001).
A huge advantage of distance learning is that you can learn wherever you are. There are a lot of online learning environments, like Blackboard. In this way face-to-face contact is not necessary, the student can do everything from out of home. The student has more freedom in this case, but it can also be a disadvantage that there is no face-to-face contact. To communicate by technology is not that personal. In a physical conversation it’s easier to explain what you mean.

I think flexibility in education can be a good thing, but you should watch it. The motivation of students is an important aspect in flexibility. If someone is really motivated in studying, he or she can handle the flexibility, but if you are not that motivated the flexibility can be misused. The use of technology in education can improve the flexibility and I think it is a good thing, but never throw the face-to-face contact away. I think personal contact with your co-students and teacher is an important aspect of studying..

Collis, B., & Moonen, J. (2001). Flexible learning in a digital world: Experiences and expectations. London: Kogan Page.

donderdag 23 september 2010

Pedagogies for Flexible Learning supporterd by Technology

Hello everybody,

I created this weblog for a specific course in the mastertrack CIMA (Curriculum, Instruction and Media Applications). The name of the cours is 'Pedagogies for Flexible Learning supporterd by Technology', given by Petra Fisser. In this course I hope to learn more about the specific elements 'pedagogies', 'flexible learning', 'technology' and the relation between these interesting elements. So, in this way I think of questions like: how can you use technology for flexible learning? How do different pedagogies relate to flexible learning? And what possibilities do we have to combine these elements? I think this course is important for me because the themes (like flexible learning and using technology) that are discussed in this course are very populair and important in education at the moment. In the next few weeks I will share my experiences during this course with you...

Thomas Tijhuis