Benefits of Using WebQuest!!

The benefits of using webquests with your students :

• Open Communication- Teachers, parents, and students will write to ask thought provoking questions or give helpful suggestions.
• Wise use of time- Quality resources are provided for students.
• Current Information- Webquests provide users with up-to-date information.
• Stimulating Graphics- The colorful, sometimes animated, graphics found on webquests can create excitement.
• Interactive Sites- Students can use webquests to actively manipulate information.
• Various Reading Levels- Students using webquests can find information at their reading level.
• Multiple Intelligences- Webquests use different mediums to reach all types of learners.
• Safety Issues- Webquests provide teacher previewed sites.
  

The benefits of developing your own webquest to use with your students :

• Solidify Knowledge- Teachers solidify their knowledge on the topic by exploring and developing the webquest.
• Curriculum Tie-Ins- Teachers can create specific tie-ins to their own district's curriculum and the state's frameworks.
• Publishing- When students realize that thousands of people from all over the world have the opportunity to read their work that is published on the webquest, the quality of their work improves.
  

Week 9- Instructional Strategies leading to Problem-Solving and Affective Learning.

Problem-solving is the ability to use previously acquired skills and knowledge in a unique way to solve unfamiliar problems. Problems are either well-structured or ill-structured.
According to the readings, learners must possess and apply 3 kinds of knowledge in order to solve problems, i.e. principles, factual knowledge, and cognitive strategies, all of which are necessary in supporting the components of cognitive processing in problem-solving.
These components are problem representation, solution planning, solution implementation, and solution evaluation.

In problem representation, the learner attempts to identify the nature of the problem. A well-defined problem would have an apparent solution while an ill-defined problem may require skilled strategy to determine what the problem really is. Based on these information, the learner can then proceed to planning for a solution to the problem, implementing the plan, and evaluating it later to confirm whether the solution has managed to solve the problem.

Affective learning is also known as attitude learning. There are 3 components to affective learning, namely the cognitive component (knowing how), the behavioural component (engaging in the behaviour), and the affective component (knowing why). An example to illustrate this would be wanting an individual to have a positive attitude towards reading. The cognitive component is already fulfilled as the individual must know how to read before he or she can practice any attitudes about reading.

The behavioural component requires the individual to apply the attitude, i.e. engage in reading. As for the affective component, the provision of a role model, who demonstrates the desired behaviour, is required for its achievement. In this case, a person the individual respects must demonstrate a positive attitude towards reading.

Week 8- Fact and Concept Learning.

Week 8’s lecture was all about fact and concept learning, and how to differentiate between the two.

Fact learning is of course, all about facts. It involves verbal information and 'knowing that' something is the case. There are 3 kinds of fact learning, namely labels and names (pairing of information by mentally making a connecting link between 2 elements), facts and lists (fact: a statement describing a relationship between or among concepts; list: a group of elements that must be remembered together), and organised discourse (learning through the comprehension of an extensive body of information, which must be tied to existing knowledge).

3 activities common to all fact learning are linking (through the use of mnemonics), organising (chunking sets together and establishing relationships among sets), and elaborating (adding on to new information so that it makes sense and is more easily remembered).Concept learning involves the ability to apply knowledge across a variety of instances or circumstances. There are 2 kinds of concepts, concrete (known by their physical characteristics, i.e. 5 senses) and abstract (not perceivable by their appearance).

Unlike facts, concepts have attributes. These are intrinsic, functional and relational. An intrinsic attribute is simply a constant property and is observable. It makes up the property of the concept. A functional attribute relates to how something works or is used. A relational attribute refers to a quality a concept may possess defined in terms of something else. For example, putting others first may be a quality of the concept love.What then is the difference between fact and concept learning? Well, according to the lecture, if it has a definition, it’s a concept. If not, it’s a fact. What’s important, though, I think, is not to learn a concept just by learning its definition, but to also understand and be able to grasp it in any context.

For example, a child who learns the definition of a durian as green and a fruit with a thorny appearance has not learnt the definition well if he is unable to spot a durian in a fruitstall.

Week 7- Writing Goals and Objectives.

This is the week we apply what was taught the past weeks to write learning objectives. The output from the Needs Assessment Models are goals. Basically, goals are broad statements of learning objectives. After going through the 3 Models, the educator needs to pen down specific behavioural/learning/performance objectives so that he/she knows what skills are required to perform the task and thus need to be taught.

Before we begin to write learning objectives, we first need to understand about 'Fuzzies' so that we don't end up writing fuzzy learning objectives. Learning objectives should only include performance and not abstractions.

There is a single behaviour or class of behaviours i.e. something that you can DO to indicate the presence of the performance (NOTE: Covert performance is also counted because another person can directly infer the nature of what you just did. An example is selection. Although it is not visible because the process of selection occurs in your mind, you could point to what you selected and another person would be able to know you've made a selection.)
That particular behaviour or class of behaviours have to be generally agreeable by a reasonable person i.e. if there is room for debate over the behaviour indicative of the performance, then it is considered a Fuzzy.

Sometimes, you get statements like: "Says favourable things about others." and you might dismiss it as a Fuzzy because 'favourable' might appear fuzzy. But in this case, the statement is actually considered a performance because of the word 'say'. You can tell if someone is 'saying' something so it is considered a performance. "Favourable things" is indeed ambiguous but it is a matter of a criterion for acceptable performance and does not negate the fact that 'say' is indeed a performance, according to the readings.

Next, let's talk about the second reading on Task Analysis. Basically, a Job is a collection of Tasks, which is a series of Steps. When writing the Task Analysis, we should use a flowchart of rectangles and diamonds instead of a list. The rationale for doing so is that there will be steps in the list that require decisions and "it is somewhat awkward to show in a list just how the actions resulting from those decisions should be handled." Using a flowchart is better at dealing with the decision points i.e. the diamonds and to depict to the learner/employee the alternatives that he/she can take and what to do subsequently.

The procedure for Task Analysis is straightforward, however, questions like this will be raised "Why do we need to cross out the duplicates when we list the skills required to perform a step?". This is so that we don't have to teach the skill twice since "it makes no sense to teach the same skill once it's learned."

Moving on to the Curricular Map, the important things to note are that the performance objective right at the top is the terminal objective and the ones below it are the enabling objectives i.e. those that are pre-requisite and lead to the attaining of the terminal objective. If a horizontal line is drawn across anywhere in the curricular map, it means that those objectives below the line are assumed to be prior knowledge and so don't have to be taught.

One last point to note is that in writing learning objectives, we should follow the A-B-C-D format: Audience (the learners), Behaviour (what the learners are supposed to DO), Condition (a scenario or context) and Degree (measurement). While the first 3 are essential, Degree can be added only where applicable. This format will help guide us as we write these objectives and hopefully, we can evade being fuzzy with these goal statements!!!!!!!

Cheers!!

Week 6- Domains of Learning.

So, we learnt the 3 domains of learning in Lecture.

1. Cognitive. Cognitive, as the term implies, refers to the knowing and thinking components of learning. It seeks to increase learners’ knowledge through learning concepts and facts, remembering and understanding these knowledge and applying them when required.For example, students are taught the mathematical formulae of finding the areas of a square and rectangle. To solve a mathematical problem on finding the area of a solid made up of a reactangle and square, the student has to combine both the formulae for the square and rectangle to correctly solve the problem.

2. Affective.Affective learning focuses on the learner’s attitudes and feelings. It concentrates on changing the learners’ attitudes.For example, the Singapore government tried to get the local population to understand that Global Warming is a serious problem and that every Singaporean has to do his or her best to save the Earth. There was a campaign and advertisements on television showing people how they could do their part by saving electricity and avoiding usage of plastic bags.Supermarkets too jumped the bandwagon and started charging for plastic bags.All these were efforts made to change Singaporeans' mindset and attitudes. By making Singaporeans participate in such efforts,the government hopes to change the mindset of the population. This is called Affective Learning.

3. Psychomotor.
Psychomotor implies the doing component of learning. It refers to building up the learners’ physical skills.For example, cheerleaders in a team will have to go through hours and hours of practice in order to perfect their steps and ensure that every single step is immaculate and coordinated.

Needs Assessment - Week 5

As we have understood by now, the purpose of a needs assessment is to determine whether there is a need for instruction to be developed.There are 3 circumstances in which needs assessment are to be used.

1. There is a problem. For example, there are a rising number of graduates in Singapore who are experiencing unemployment

.2. There is or may be something new that learners need to learn. For instance, the LTA introduced the must-give-way zones on some roads in which drivers / motorists are to give way to buses from bus bays. This means that drivers need to learn about the new rules.

3. No problem is apparent, but the organization wishes to or is required to engage in evaluation of its learning / training program to see if the goals and reality are congruent.

There are 3 faces of the needs assessment, and they are (A) Problem model, (B) Innovation model and (C) Discrepancy model.

Discrepancy model is used when the cause of problem is related to learning and instructions were given. To quote an example, regular fire drills were conducted for foreign workers to prepare them to evacuate their domitories should there be a situation where there is a fire. However, some of the foreign workers were still unable to follow the instructions given by the employers after repeated number of trials. Discrepancy model may then be used to assess the problem.

Innovation model is used when the cause of problem is related to learning but no instructions were given. For example, e – learning was incorporated into schools located in the rural villages with the aim of improving the learning performances of the students.Students were provided with computers and CD-ROMS that they could utilise.However, as the students did not have prior training on how to use these foreign technologies, their results did not improve.Hence, the innovation model is useful in this case to assess the learning problem.

Lastly, when the cause of the problem is not related to learning or instruction, but past instructions were given, we should then adopt other solutions. For example, there is an increase in the number of children in singapore who are supposed to be in primary one but are not schooling, although there is a rule that makes it mandatory for children to go to school. Reasons could be that the parents of these children are unaware of the law, the children are unable to go to school as they are helping to supplement their family's income or their parents are simply to poor to send them to school. Thus, other solutions may then be required to solve the problem.

Week 4-Learning Design Authoring and Technology Integration.

Learning designs as we've learnt,can be at the level of a subject, or subject components.
A learning design can be considered the framework which supports the learning experiences of a student.
A learning design comprises the following key elements:

Tasks that learners are required to do.
Resources that support learners to conduct the task.
Support mechanisms that exist from a teacher implementing it.

Representing learning activities: The learning activities are represented by a series of rectangles, arranged vertically. These activities represent the learner’s "journey". Each rectangle has a description of what the learners are required to do or produce. Activities that are assessable are distinguished with an asterisk (*).

Representing learning resources: Learning resources are represented by triangles to the left of the activity sequence. An arrow from a resource (triangle) to an activity (square) indicates that resources are available to the student when doing the activity. An arrow from an activity (square) to a resource (triangle) indicates that a resource is produced during the activity and becomes a resource for others to use later.

Representing learning supports: The learning supports are represented by circles to the right of the activity sequence. An arrow from a "circle" to a "square" indicates that support strategies are being used to assist the students in their learning.

Representing different combinations of activities, resources and supports: Resources and supports can be specific to an activity, they can be introduced before beginning an activity or when an activity is complete, or they may be available for the entire duration of the learning experience.

To represent this graphically, the following convention is suggested:

• If learning resources or supports are limited to particular activities, their availability is represented with a horizontal arrow to the specific activity for which they are available.


• If a learning resource or support is available for multiple activities then the resource triangle and/or support circle is drawn once (where it is firstly introduced to the students) and a vertical arrow indicates the resource and/or support is available for period of time.


• If students produce artefacts from a learning activity that are used as resources for subsequent activities, an arrow is drawn from the activity to the resource.

Below is an illustration of a learning setting in a classroom

As much as I agree that Learning designs can aid in providing a very effective visual as it clearly list the intended outcomes and the tasks and resources and support systems required to achieve our desired outcomes, it is incumbent that we be highly critical, analytical and meticulous when we try and produce one. Because of the rigid nature of a Learning design, once it has been finalised, it is difficult to make further changes to it.Moreover, it is expensive to produce.

In order to produce a foolproof learning design, the instructor has to go through all areas of planning and thinking thoroughly in his mind and this will undeniably take up a large amount of time and effort.However, if done successfully, the learning design can prove to be a very effective method for the planning of a wholesome learning experience and aid the instructor tremendously in achieving the desired outcomes.

3 Theories we talked about in class.

During lecture, Mr Alfred showed us videos and explained to us about the 3 theories, Behaviorism,Cognitivism and SocioCultural Approach.It is mandatory that we understand these approaches as they still form the foundation of learning.Furthermore, a good understanding of the theories will help further enhance learning through appropriate changes in pedagogy.I also feel that it is highly interesting to apply these social psychology theories into today's modern world of E-learning.

Behaviorism

Behaviorism is described as a developmental theory that measures observable behaviors produced by a learner’s response to stimuli. Responses to stimuli can be reinforced with positive or negative feedback to condition desired behaviors. Punishment is sometimes used in eliminating or reducing incorrect actions, followed by clarifying desired actions. Educational effects of behaviorism are key in developing basic skills and foundations of understanding in all subject areas and in classroom management. According to behaviorism, knowing is giving the correct response when exposed to a particular stimulus. The behaviorist is not concerned with how or why knowledge is obtained, but rather if the correct response is given.

In terms of the concept of learning, the process tends to be passive with regard to the behaviorist theory. The learner uses low level processing skills to understand material and the material is often isolated from real-world contexts or situations. Little responsibility is placed on the learner concerning his/her own education.Typical classroom instruction consistent with the behaviorist theory includes; classroom management, rote memorization, and drill and practice. One example that could be used to show behaviorism would be using a token system to reinforce positive academic performance and student behavior in a classroom. A classroom application of using drill and practice includes computer software, such as Math Blaster’s or any other software. These types of software provide positive and negative reinforcements for answering math problems correctly or incorrectly. A final example highlighting the behaviorist theory is rote memorization. Rote memorization may include memorizing addition or multiplication facts or memorizing state capitals.

Strengths : The learner is focused on a clear goal and can respond automatically to the cues of that goal.

Weaknesses: The learner may find themselves in a situation where the stimulus for the correct response does not occur, therefore the learner cannot respond.

Cognitivism

The cognitivist paradigm essentially argues that the “black box” of the mind should be opened and understood. The learner is viewed as an information processor. The cognitivist revolution replaced behaviorism in 1960s as the dominant paradigm. Cognitivism focuses on the inner mental activities – opening the “black box” of the human mind is valuable and necessary for understanding how people learn. Mental processes such as thinking, memory, knowing, and problem-solving need to be explored. Knowledge can be seen as schema or symbolic mental constructions. Learning is defined as change in a learner’s schemata.

Contrary to the behaviorism theory, the theory of Cognitivism states that people are not “programmed animals” that merely respond to environmental stimuli; people are rational beings that require active participation in order to learn, and whose actions are a consequence of thinking. Changes in behavior are observed, but only as an indication of what is occurring in the learner’s head. Cognitivism uses the metaphor of the mind as computer: information comes in, is being processed, and leads to certain outcomes. An example would be the different ways in which people react to their surroundings or to different problems because we each have a different set of thinking.This set of thinking might also change after we recieve other inputs.

Strengths: The goal is to train learners to do a task the same way to enable consistency, it may be important do an exact routine to avoid problems.

Weaknesses: The way learner learned to accomplish a task, may not be the best way, or suited to the learner or the situation.

SocioCultural Approach

Socioculturalism differs from the other 2 theories as firstly, the unit of analysis is not the individual organism or the individual learner but a whole system of things. Socioculturalism deals with social interaction and cultural understanding. People are equipped with tools like language and are able to learn through the interaction with their environment and other people as well as through collaboration, therefore in a way, people interact with a whole system of things, rather than just educator and learner. Examples of socioculturalism would be an organization which consists of general workers and managers who understand the organisation's core values and are working towards a common goal and basically any other sort of environment which requires teamwork.
Strengths: The learner is better able to deal with real life situations, and may better apply their existing knowledge to dynamic situation.

Weaknesses: In a situation where conformity is essential divergent thinking and action may cause problems.

As Learning is complex and multi-dimensional, I feel that these three theories have to be interwoven to gain a clearer and more in-depth picture of our environment.As there are multiple realities and the environment is made up of a multitude of elements and real-life situations present themselves differently all the time,I feel that to fully understand life, our environment and its complxities,all theories should be applied together and that no one theory can exist on its own.

The three blogs I viewed are :

http://leeweining.blogspot.com/
http://iheartnm3204.blogspot.com/
http://sandeepbhandal.blogspot.com/

The blog that I commented on is :

http://sandeepbhandal.blogspot.com/

E-Learning to Me.

My stance on e-learning is that it is beneficial to the growing number of technologically-savvy people around the world.Because E-Learning is networked, learners and teachers are able to consistently update, store,retrieve and distribute learning materials in a smooth fashion. E-learning in my opinion makes learning fun and very interactive as students are able to share their views and perspectives with people from various other countries and this, adds an element of fun and depth in their learning journey.
E-learning is also undeniably a cost-effective way to deliver instructions and information.Now,with only a simple click of a button, information can be disseminated in seconds to people living a hundred miles away via electronic mail. I also like the fact that E-learning is very flexible and can take place at our own convenient timing.I personally find this my favorite part about E-learning as being a rather nocturnal creature, I like reading materials and learning in the late evenings and because E-learning is 24/7, I can learn about anything and take my time to go through the thousands (and more) learning materials readily available on the internet.
The fact that you can build online communities also makes E-learning more appealing because by reinstating the group identity, people tend to feel more motivated and encouraged to keep learning , contribute and share ideas. The online community can thus operate like a family and people are more inclined to share their knowledge.
That said, I am looking forward to this journey of E-Learning and hoping that I'll learn many useful things..I mean you never know when your knowledge of things can come in really handy..though I have to admit attending 8am lectures is quite a challenge!My friends call me Dinosaur because I'm not exactly the most technologically-savvy person around but of course, aI am looking forward to learn and expand my knowledge on E-learning.So a Big Cheers to that!
=)