Next generation of Distance Education

There is a definite need to evolve distance education to the next level because of all the new technology that has emerged.  The learning is always going to change and evolve with respect to the technology at hand.  When you first started out with distance education, you probably just had the interactions via email, and then it evolved to text messages/chat rooms, and now we can actually hold group discussions on SKYPE where everyone can see one another. 

Dr. Simonson states that “instruction for distance education should not be equal to the instruction in a face to face setting but the learning outcome should be equivalence” (Simonson, 2010).  Again – this comes down to what the learner is actually there to gain- in an online setting, the learner is predominantly responsible for their learning, because the teacher is not constantly there to observe and make sure you are doing your work.  If you don’t do it, then it’s on you.  You will reap what you sow!

References:
Ally, M. (2008). Foundations of educational theory for online learning. In Anderson, T. (2^nd ed.), The theory and practice of online learning (pp. 15-44). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.
Anderson, T. (Ed.). (2008). The theory and practice of online learning. (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.
Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). The role and responsibility of the learner in the online classroom. Retrieved from http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/03_24.pdf
Simonson, M (2010). Equivalency theory. Laureate Education, Inc. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4715750&Survey=1&47=6964410&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

New Technologies

When I first entered the teaching profession, I realized that we were still conducting our education by using chalk and board, or a similar tool; ie white board, dry erase, over head projector with wipe away sheets.  All of this, when I was in school, was extremely boring to me.  I was a visual learner, and I liked to ‘see’ whatever point the teacher was trying to make.  I applied this to my department at school and became a lead teacher for introducing and using technology with the curriculum.  Soon the school started using me to further train other teachers in incorporating technology with their curriculum.  From this incorporation, we went from using power point lessons, to smart boards, to interactive response technology (IRT). 

Teachers from my department walked in on several instances where I was using the IRT in my class and asked for a demonstration.  They were intrigued by the classroom management this device provided, and the immediate response to gauge subject understanding.  My supervisor also asked for a demo to better understand the use of the device.  I created a lesson plan for the teachers and implemented the demo on them.  Some of them were excited, but most of them were afraid of using the technology because it seemed overwhelming.  The people built a wall around them and used every excuse in the book not to use the technology.  I slowly worked, one-on-one with each teacher that showed resistance but really wanted to try the device.  Over the course of the year, I have gotten through to most of the teachers who are starting to realize the capabilities of the IRT.  I guess it was the working one on one that really broke through to the teachers because they really wanted a proper “guidance.”


ARCS model home

http://onlignment.com/2009/09/using-john-kellers-arcs-model-to-motivate-online-learners/

Connectivism

The network hasn't changed the way I learn.  I have gotten better at networking and using one group to another. I have realized that everything is interconnected and interwoven one way or another.  The tools that I absolutely LOVE, are the social networking sites such as Facebook, and sites that facilitate higher order thinking: Blogs!  These two sites have so much potential for learning new material, it's unbelievable.  If I want to share some new knowledge with others, all I have to do is log into Facebook, and post it online for everyone in my network to view.  Same thing with blogs-- if I have something to share with people, all I do is just log on, post, and tag the words people are interested in.  Networking these days is the key to getting ahead personally, academically, and professionally.  If you don't have the proper networks set in place, you will be going nowhere fast!

http://www.rileyguide.com/network.html

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_01.htm

Module 3

The following link is a video of Howard Rheingold discussing the natural instinct of people to seek groups and collaborate. Technology provides tools for collaboration across time and space, as exemplified in Wikipedia.

Howard Reingold on Collaboration

Do you believe that humans have a basic instinct to “interact and work as a group,” as Rheingold proposed in his discussion of the evolution of Wikipedia as a collectively developed encyclopedia? How can technology facilitate collaboration among learners based on constructivist principles?

I believe that humans do have a basic instinct to interact & work as a group.  It's a survival instinct, just like the human foragers.  Group dynamics yield better gains, so when pre-historic mammals needed to be brought down for food/fur, groups worked together to complete this task.  An individual could not accomplish hunting and killing a mammoth.  Now throw technology into the mix, and you get the online learning communities such as online schools where the interactions are all done on the community boards and discussions take place where everyone responds to the initial discussion question.  This furthers the intellectual interaction amongst peers and allows for collaboration amongst people from all over the world!

Learning Theory

I really enjoyed what Bill Kerr states in his blog regarding the _isms is that "these _isms do not stand still.  They evolve, ..."  I couldn't agree with him more, because look at the direction education is heading in.  Granted I feel we are moving at a much slower pace than we should actually be moving at, at least we are incorporating real life technology to further enhance education.  We are moving away from the understanding of "how" a student learns, or "how" we as educators need to instruct.  Our philosophy on teaching is constantly evolving too, and that with the help of trial and error- seeing what we do in our class and how the students respond.  We are fortunate enough to evolve with our students, and those who do not evolve with their students, definitely get left behind.  Just as Karl Kapp states so eloquently in his blog: "The issue many forget is that “learning” is not one thing…it is a multi-layered word that tends to get treated as if it were just one thing…and it’s not. It is multi-facetted and that is why developing new models for “learning” is so difficult…there are too many levels for one school of thought or one model to do it all."

So in order for us to teach and learn and teach and learn, we need to constantly evolve by educating ourselves and staying with the trends our students are in.  If we cannot relate to them or use what they use every day, we are not going to succeed in educating them or get through to them.

Module 1

What are your beliefs about how people learn best? What is the purpose of learning theory in educational technology?

I believe people now a days are learning best via the resources they have at hand.  Our current population learns best from multiple tools that utilize the student's auditory, tactile, and visual stimuli.  The current generation is using more and more technology resources as they grow-- for example; the students are using cell phones at an earlier age.  The majority of students are using social websites such as myspace, facebook, and twitter to communicate. 

Learning theory in educational technology is helping to guide the way technology is starting to play an integral role in education.  TNLI Teacher's Network Leadership Institute is starting to play a key role in getting teachers involved in policy making in education.  Scholars such as John Dewey, and educational psychologists Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner propose that "children actively construct knowledge and this construction of knowledge happens in a social context."  These social contexts are starting to come out via the internet, phones, and gaming technologies.


https://sites.google.com/a/boisestate.edu/edtechtheories/caron_brennaman

http://www.teachersnetwork.org/tnli/