Assignment one.

Assignment One

During the last three weeks I have been introduced to a vast array of information that is all focused on one outcome, I.e.  To provide me an opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills required to be able to design learning with learning technologies. Aside from the subject matter itself, this experience is nothing new for a student to be faced with. What has been new for me is the approach taken to the teaching of this subject. I found I am placed in a learning environment where I am, in part, formulating or constructing my own knowledge and understanding based on my experiences (Brandon, A. F. All, A. C. 2010). Constructivism.

In this paper, I am going to synthesis what I have learned about Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the above mentioned learning environment. I will summarise my own experiences participating in the various activities I.e. Blog posts, Wiki posts, setting up internet sites, participating in forums etc. and in the process, I will discuss any interplay between the activities I have participated in and what underpinning learning theories support each activity. Finally, I am going to review how this learning journey has influenced my view of effective teaching and what I believe influences valuable pedagogy.

The first area I wanted to visit is an important concept of Constructivism Learning theory- scaffolding, which is referred to and represented across the pedagogical frameworks of this subject. There seem to be many definitions of scaffolding in the educational sense. However some key themes are centred on assistance given to a learner so the learner can develop skills or knowledge in an area that they could not do independently but can then build upon. (Nancy, F. Fisher, D 2010)

Though there is some debate about exactly what can be claimed as being scaffolding, one simple example is the introduction outlined in this paper. Here, I have provided to the reader some background information to the subject, followed by a framework of what they can expect to read in the paragraphs to come. I have outlined my intended synthesis and summaries and finally, my intended aims to touch on teaching and pedagogy. To view this in a classroom context, a teacher providing an outline of the lesson to come, what is to be covered and the learning outcomes being aimed for, is a form of scaffolding.

Constructivism learning theory in this course is however not just scaffolding. It is the students seeking out peers for social discourse in group discussions, or the interactions between people and society in terms of shared experiences. I am specifically referring to this subject’s discussion forums, wiki profiles, learning theories wiki, blogging etc. All of these scaffolds required either direct contact with peers (chatting in forums, networking for a wiki partner, participating in web conferencing) or indirect contact (reading peer profiles and peer entries on wikis, blogs and forums).

However, for an introvert such as myself who may not have interacted in any forums via any form of discourse, but participated silently in the background by reviewing entries into wikis, following forums, assessing blogs etc. it is hard to believe that Constructivism is working alone. For example, during the process of developing my wiki profile, what I did first was follow the linked instructions provided in week one readings. This I did alone and for good reason. My ego was not prepared to face up to my complete ignorance of ICT, fearing the penalties of being an ICT immigrant. Therefore by avoiding any forums for advice or comment, I also avoided the perceived ‘consequences’.

Where this may seem trivial, mostly on my part, a theory stands up to explain my behaviour. Basic operant conditioning would suggest that because my ICT skills have been developed at a minimalist level in the workforce, often attracting cynical collegial discourse, I have negative experiences using ICT (Mergel. B 1998) Behaviourism

So there I was, silently in the back of the class, keeping to myself but taking everything in and I managed to set up my wiki successfully. I then went on to complete all other ICT elements of this subject by observing others through forums and wiki entries and as each exercise was undertaken with less anxiety and more confidence, my blog postings became more confident and almost boastful (Not quite). Behaviourism explains that each positive experience lead to my willingness to undertake more learning of the ICT processes. So by the time I was ready to complete the Learning theories Wiki exercise, I was able to navigate to the Wiki page and provide the posting with less negative experiences and maybe even some positive ones.

Whist scaffolding has supported my learning to date (posted instructions, video link, readings, discussion forums) I would ask the question, “Has any part of this ‘new learning’ been committed to long term memory”? Well I think it is getting there. As my basic ICT knowledge grows, I am able to develop a schema, thereby placing what I am learning into a relevant or meaningful contextual framework where I can retrieve it, build on it, change it, analyse it or delete it as required. (Ridgeway, C. L. 2006) That framework, by the way is of a classroom, and more importantly, of me teaching ICT in that classroom.

In summary, Constructivism, Behaviourism and Cognitivism learning theories, can all be identified within the frameworks of this subject. As a student participating in interactive activities supported by scaffolding I have become further engaged in this subject and as the lecturer models all ICT usage that a teacher would use when teaching ICT, I experience further demonstration of an effective pedagogical framework.

My own interpretations of this subject matter will no doubt be further influenced by what occurs in a classroom. I have been influenced by what I have learned about learning styles, learning theories, scaffolding techniques and the usage of wikis, blogs, web pages, SWOT, PMI, Blooms Taxonomy, Debono’s Hats and other critical analysis tools. However, any of these techniques in isolation will not allow a glimmer of good pedagogy. It is through a balanced, flexible companionship of these learning utensils that a good pedagogical framework can begin and once developed, true student engagement can occur and further influence the framework’s future horizons.

References:

Brandon, A. F., All, A.C (2010). Constructivism Theory Analysis and Application to Curricula.  Retrieved from http://pubget.com/paper/20455364

Mergel, B. (1998) Instructional Design & Learning Theory. Educational Communications and Technology University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm#The%20Basics%20of%20Behaviorism

Nancy, F., & Fisher, D. (2010) Identifying Instructional Moves

During Guided Learning. The Reading Teacher, 64 (2).

Ridgeway, C. L. (2006) Linking Social Structure and Interpersonal Behavior:

A Theoretical Perspective on Cultural Schemas and Social Relations. Social Psychology Quarterly, 69 (1), 5–16