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Blog Post 4

Technology and Learning in the 21st century

As we know, in the 21st century, information is everywhere. So how can teachers and facilitators use this to their advantages without their learners being oversaturated with content and opportunities. What tools are available to hoan the incredible potential of online platforms while retaining a relatively focused cue of content?

This is what we will increasingly be dealing with in generations to come… One challenge associated with the creation of databases and information-accessing technology is that many of these resources and platforms were generated under a profit-motivation and therefore can be expensive or come with much limitation. such services/technologies like “Turnitin” offer expedient solutions to universities and online schools where they scan written work and decipher various data from it. A use case that has become popular is that can detect for copywrite infringement ie. It has become a It has been used primarily to identify plagiarism which in turn has students generating work that is focused on avoiding any sort of plagiarism – skewing the importance from what it should truly be about – quality writing and genuine learning.

Of course, we have come a long way through the pandemic to adapt our economic and intellectual interactions to an online format. This has brought many challenges and innovations alike. What is important moving forward is that we collectively hold moral values and standards that are independent of what is dictated under capitalistic intentions alone. What is key is that tools and databases are shared as much as possible with populations who need them for work and their own development. With this comes a social challenge. To move forward innovating and generating resources while bringing along people who aren’t in a position to leverage themselves into learning and productivity

Blog Post – Learning Design – Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning has, unlike many more individual-centered designed styles, an important social aspect to it. Interdependence, and therefore interest and care in regards to others’ processes, development and success, are interwoven with into learning tasks and curriculum. There is a need for students to engage in their own and in others learning because without contextual and social connection, the learning and knowledge is isolated in a silo and will likely be difficult to integrate into real world circumstances and applications.

Within cooperative learning, students become aware that having a role in a given group, project or task is essential. This approach is relevant to the real world. There are studies that reveal the increased propensity for teachers to impart “closed” facts and knowledge to students in ways that limit student engagement (Classrooms, 2018). Attributes and/or benefits of cooperative learning are listed as 5 essentials: Positive Interdependence, Individual Accountability, Group processing, small group and interpersonal skills, Face-to-face promotive interaction. (Classrooms, 2018). It was emphasized that interdependence was the most fundamental of these components as the heart of cooperative learning is indeed to share concern over the learning of others. This promotes independent responsibility over work and tasks by result of having others be invested in the result. 

Cooperative learning is a good way to engage students and has can take many forms. Of of these forms is the format of “Jigsaw Classroom” wherein students are in groups and from there divide work and facets of a work into disciplines where each can take a responsibility for a different discipline. This enables students’ independence as well as accountability because their group depends on them to delve into their area and bring back fruits to share with the group that can be integrated into the group endeavor.

Classrooms, C. L. (2018). Kate Ferguson-Patrick, Wendy Jolliffe. London: Routlege.

Blog Post – Using Instructional Strategies: Behaviourism, Cognitivism and Constructivism

Reference to Chapter 11:

https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/behaviorism_cognitivism_constructivism

Prompt: which teaching strategy would I identify with most strongly, between Behaviourism, Cognitivism and Constructivism.

First, I shall define these approaches:

 Behaviourism is based on a circumstance where the learner is trained to respond to stimulus in a desired way. Thus, the outcome is stipulated by the leader and prior knowledge and context is not seen as relevant.

Cognitivism is seen as more contextual and complex than the type of reproduction of outputs that behaviourism represents. This instruction is predicated on the cognitive processes associated with the learner’s experience. For example, how they store new information or what connections they make when acquiring new information to prior knowledge.

Constructivism views learners as unique citizens of knowledge – where their minds construct their own meaning of the world, as the mind is exposed to environmental stimulus. We will all perceive things slightly differently, despite a momentary identical environment.

I believe up until now, my pedagogy has been very far on the constructivist side of the spectrum, wherein I tried to engage students with content and have them create their own view on it. Having read the article I now see that sometimes I may have implemented that free-type approach prematurely. As mentioned in the article, it may be useful to scaffold learning experiences by starting with more back-and-forth methodology, as represented by the behaviourist style; then working towards self-constructed theory and knowledge. There has to be a baseline of context and competency in order for learners to extend beyond and create something original.

I would try to use all of the instructional theories at appropriate times. Sometimes a more basic approach is necessary and sometimes a cognitive explanation of learning strategies and tools would complement those basic functions. Cognition is vital in all categories in that the awareness of our own styles, strategies and approaches is helpful to make sense of our learning abilities and needs. Sometimes when we don’t know what we need in a given learning opportunity, it can be hard to move forward.