Learning | It's About Learning

Alarmist reaction to Alberta’s Discovery Learning model

Dwayne Harapnuik — March 4, 2014 — Leave a comment

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/02/28/does-discovery-learning-prepare-alberta-students-for-the-21st-century-or-will-it-toss-out-a-top-tier-education-system/

Does ‘discovery learning’ prepare Alberta students for the 21st century or will it toss out a top tier education system? | National Post via kwout

My first reaction after reading this National Post article is that the reporter is playing the sensationalism card. My second reaction was frustration. These types of polemics are frustrating because the average reader will not be fully aware of what discovery or inquiry based learning really are. If the reader simply relies upon the content of the article it would appear that Alberta students will be left on their own to not only figure out how to learn but what to learn.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Constructivist models like discovery and inquiry-based learning, if well implemented, will provide a structure for openness which addresses the critics main concern that students need a structure. The best way to understand a structure for openness is to consider Apple products. On the surface they are elegantly simple and easy to use but to achieve the elegance and simplicity the structure and programming underneath are extremely completed. Similarly inquiry-based learning environments require a very well thought out structure that underlies the openness and freedom.

Furthermore inquiry-based learning by its design has built in scaffolding and additional supports that enable the learner to discover, explore and inquire in a supported fashion. So this alarmist notion that students are “left on their own” to learn is just typical reaction from a concerned but uniformed source. The key to the success of inquiry-based learning is the implementation and paradoxically how it is structured.

When I was at ACU we developed on a Gates Foundation funded research initiative called the Mobile Enhanced Inquiry Based Learning (MEIBL) project in which we used mobile technology as the tool to provide the scaffolding that is necessary for inquiry based learning in introductory undergraduate chemistry and biology classes. Videos of lab lectures, procedures, access to databases of information and much more were available to students on their mobile devices which provided a scaffold and helped them gain experience with scientific discovery process. Because of the scaffolding enabled by the mobile devices the instructor had more time to work with students in a mentorship role which enabled the students to go much deeper into their studies and explore subjects in ways they could not do in a traditional drill and grill classroom. The students “did science” rather than just “learn about science” and when combined with the additional time the instructor had to mentor the leaner their success and grades revealed that this approached worked as well and often better then traditional classes.

Bottom line — if inquiry based learning is done right it is great. However, if it isn’t then the critics are may be right. Time will tell how well it is implemented in Alberta.

In Learning discovery, inquiry-based learning

What We can Learn from MOOCs

Dwayne Harapnuik — February 5, 2014 — Leave a comment

Despite erroneously suggesting that MOOCs were invented in 2013 Anant Agarwal, the President of edX — Harvard’s and MIT’s collaborative MOOC venture and the instructor of the first edX course on circuits and electronics, points to some key aspects of the edX courses which contribute to student achievement. These include:

Active Learning – Lessons are interleaved sequences of videos and interactive exercises.
Self Pacing – Students can hit the pause button or even rewind the professor.
Instant Feedback – Students can try to apply answers. If they get it wrong, they can get instant feedback. They can try it again and try it again until they great it right, and this really becomes much more engaging.
Gamification – You can engage students much like they design with Legos…the learners are building a circuit with Lego-like ease. And this can also be graded by the computer.
Peer Learning – Students answer each others questions in the online forums and the Prof confirms the right answer. Students are learning from each other and that they are learning by teaching.

A well designed online course that provides the opportunity for active learning, self pacing, instant feedback and peer interaction can contribute toward student achievement and success. As we can see from John Hattie’s examples below of Teaching Effects several of the edX effects make the the top fo Hattie’s list:

Rather ask if online learning is working perhaps we should be asking if we are getting these same effects in our traditional classrooms.

In elearning, Online Learning, Video - Wednesday Watchlist active learning, feedback, formative assessment, MOOCs

Hackschooling Makes Me Happy

Dwayne Harapnuik — January 15, 2014 — Leave a comment

In 21st century learning, Learning hack, home education, homeschool

10 Super Powers of the World’s Greatest Instructional Designer

Dwayne Harapnuik — January 13, 2014 — Leave a comment

Source: SHIFT’s eLearning Blog

Thanks to Michelle Kearns my fellow Instructional Development Consultant at British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Learning & Teaching Centre for passing on this excellent infographic and link to the corresponding website.

In Infographic, Learning ID, instructional design