One thing I really like about the eLearning community is its willingness to share resources and I'd like to contribute to that exchange of ideas. Today, I stumbled across a useful publication developed by the The e-Learning Guild. Titled The e-Learning Guild's Handbook of e-Learning Strategy, this e-book contains a collection of articles, tools and approaches for incorporating eLearning into a variety of enviroments and situations. While I'm still wading through it, it has been thought provoking and I wanted to share it with my classmates and peers.
Disclaimer: This book was sponsored by Adobe Systems--think Connect & Captivate--so it's not impartial. However, there's still good information to be had here.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Types of Learning Outcomes
I’ve been conducting research on cognitivism and connectivism for my other online course and ran across an article by Stephen Bostic from Keele University that discussed the various types of learning outcomes. While I’ve understood the guiding influence of learning outcomes for quite a while now, I had never thought of categorizing them by how learning could be demonstrated.
Entitled Instructional Design - Robert Gagné, The Conditions of Learning, this article draws heavily on the work of Gagné and further breaks the types of learning outcomes down by desired skills:
“intellectual skills - concepts are demonstrated by labeling or classifying things,
intellectual skills - rules are applied and principles are demonstrated,
intellectual skills - problem solving allows generating solutions or procedures,
cognitive strategies are used for learning,
verbal information is stated,
motor skills enable physical performance,
attitudes are demonstrated by preferring options.”
While I can’t speak for my fellow students, I found this approach to be both enlightening and absurdly practical. It’s certainly something I’ll keep in mind as I begin to think through future assignments and projects.
Entitled Instructional Design - Robert Gagné, The Conditions of Learning, this article draws heavily on the work of Gagné and further breaks the types of learning outcomes down by desired skills:
“intellectual skills - concepts are demonstrated by labeling or classifying things,
intellectual skills - rules are applied and principles are demonstrated,
intellectual skills - problem solving allows generating solutions or procedures,
cognitive strategies are used for learning,
verbal information is stated,
motor skills enable physical performance,
attitudes are demonstrated by preferring options.”
While I can’t speak for my fellow students, I found this approach to be both enlightening and absurdly practical. It’s certainly something I’ll keep in mind as I begin to think through future assignments and projects.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Slackers R' Us
I admit it -- I'm a posting slacker! However, I promise to post something substantial during the next two days. Thanks for your patience!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Web 2.0 -- Keeping Your Options Open
Fair Warning: This may seem like a strange posting to follow my "Lose the Tools . . ." posting (or more accurately, my online rant). However, I'd like to focus briefly on ways to stay current on technologies that have potential for use in eLearning.
In a previous course, we discussed the merits and possible disadvantages of Web 2.0 tools. While we had a number of debates on the best use of blogs, wikis, del.icio.us tags and other Web 2.0 options, my classmates and I came to the consensus that we need to stay up-to-date with emerging ideas. After all, one or more of these ideas / tools might resonate with a specific set of learners and help us, as instructional designers, support the corresponding learning outcomes.
Yet, as anyone who spends anytime on the web can tell you, things change very quickly. It's hard to stay current and, often, to even know where to begin. While the Go2Web20 directory is not geared towards elearning, it can provide you with a solid place to start your Web 2.0 research.
Just don't become dazzled by your options. Always remember your learners' needs, habits, preferences, technical capabilities . . . and the list goes on . . .
In a previous course, we discussed the merits and possible disadvantages of Web 2.0 tools. While we had a number of debates on the best use of blogs, wikis, del.icio.us tags and other Web 2.0 options, my classmates and I came to the consensus that we need to stay up-to-date with emerging ideas. After all, one or more of these ideas / tools might resonate with a specific set of learners and help us, as instructional designers, support the corresponding learning outcomes.
Yet, as anyone who spends anytime on the web can tell you, things change very quickly. It's hard to stay current and, often, to even know where to begin. While the Go2Web20 directory is not geared towards elearning, it can provide you with a solid place to start your Web 2.0 research.
Just don't become dazzled by your options. Always remember your learners' needs, habits, preferences, technical capabilities . . . and the list goes on . . .
Friday, October 5, 2007
Lose the Tools . . . Or Just the Misguided Attitude?
During the last few weeks, I’ve had several conversations with various individuals about the role of technology-based tools in instructional design. Each of these conversations reached a similar consensus: Tools are just that—tools!
They’re not the main attraction. Instead of getting hung up on the possibilities and limitations of an ever-expanding tool set, we need to focus back in on our learners. What are their needs? What are their challenges? What do they want to learn? What are their motivational characteristics? Is there a specific learning outcome that they need / want to achieve?
Once we’ve answered these questions, then we can go back to our tool set and take a critical look. Is there an existing tool that will help us achieve the established learning outcomes? Are there tools that might be intuitive to our learners? If not, can we “break” the tool and use it in a way it may not have initially been intended?
These questions are mainly rhetorical in nature, but they do raise a point for each of us. In our quest to increase our tool set, let’s not forget our learners. After all, a tool is just a tool until it’s put into the right hands!
They’re not the main attraction. Instead of getting hung up on the possibilities and limitations of an ever-expanding tool set, we need to focus back in on our learners. What are their needs? What are their challenges? What do they want to learn? What are their motivational characteristics? Is there a specific learning outcome that they need / want to achieve?
Once we’ve answered these questions, then we can go back to our tool set and take a critical look. Is there an existing tool that will help us achieve the established learning outcomes? Are there tools that might be intuitive to our learners? If not, can we “break” the tool and use it in a way it may not have initially been intended?
These questions are mainly rhetorical in nature, but they do raise a point for each of us. In our quest to increase our tool set, let’s not forget our learners. After all, a tool is just a tool until it’s put into the right hands!
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