My Flexible Learning Blog: 2011

Friday, July 1, 2011

Activity Eleven

How can you include examples of New Zealand's indigenous culture in the design of your eLearning courses?

For starters we can use all aspects of New Zealand’s indigenous culture as examples in learning. In courses where students are creating documents/publications we are able to incorporate cultural aspects into the scenarios that they are using. IT has a lot of project driven learning and we are able to increasingly utilise indigenous cultural projects.

With technology now providing new ways of using augmented reality (the ability to take our existing environments and overlay other environments) we can now move towards creating various cultural experiences within any environment. Last year I worked with a Project Group that was using cell phones to give traditional Pasifika experiences within the Otago Campus environment. This use of technology to give other cultural experiences to what you are use to is very exciting.

In the Professional Practice thread we look at various cultural practices and awareness.

What approaches can you utilise to meet the needs of indigenous learners?

In order to meet the needs of my indigenous learners, I first need to understand their cultural approach to learning. The learning environment needs to meet the following needs:

· Spiritual – The learner will have the conversation with themselves of “can I do this course?”, they need to convince themselves that they can.

· Physical – Do I have the resources. They need to be aware of the resources that are needed and know that all the resources are available.

· Social – Do I have the support. This includes within the educational institution, and within family, community, Church based groups.

· Cognition – Can I cope with the demands/work in this course. Am I “brainy” enough?

As the educator I should see my role as more of a host. Through my support and the support of central services the learner needs to feel positive about all these needs. They need to regularly get confirmation that they can do the course. The required resources should be both recorded and communicated clearly to the learner.

The learner should be encouraged to keep making use of their support networks throughout the course and if needed the Polytech should provide support.

The learner needs regular confirmation of their abilities to complete the course work.

Outline any experiences you have had working with indigenous learners.

What were some of the challenges that you and the learners faced and how did this affect their learning?

Last year as I was working with a Third Year Project group that was primary made up of indigenous learners I struggled within my role as a Capstone Facilitator. I needed to find out how the development was going but there was very little feedback from the group. The standard reply was “fine”.

When I was trying to discuss the next step forward they were not forthcoming with what they knew. As they were the experts about their project my advice was limited by what they could tell me. They agreed with everything I said even though they were the experts. I found out later that they knew that my advice was wrong but never said anything. I was originally annoyed but then realised that they were respecting my authority, even though I was asking them to explain it fully and to help me with the understanding.

I needed to find a different way of them demonstrating what they knew rather then a direct approach of me asking, which was more confrontational. This created a slight “speed wobble” in their process but didn’t cause too may problems. I have now learnt to use more subtle methods of discovering what the learner knows.

Activity Ten

My ideas and strategies for flexible learning fit in with my organisation.

The Otago Polytechnic Strategy Document states that “Otago Polytechnic is a “learner centred organisation” that “inspires and builds capability”” (Strategy 2008 – 2012 Document, Otago Polytechnic). My strategies approach the learners with this vision at the core. Through students having control of their learning and through their utilisation of computers and online resources, they will learn through experiential processes and will be encouraged to record their learning and pass this onto others. This building capacity is very much centralised on the learner.

The Otago Polytechnic Charter states that:

“Our focus is on learner centred learning. We strive to ensure that the quality of our programmes, the way we deliver them, and our management of services and systems are driven by the needs of our learners, their employers and their communities. We strive to provide learners with an environment that challenges, excites and motivates them to gain the qualifications and skills that are sought after by employers.” (Otago Polytechnic Charter 2006-2010, Otago Polytechnic).

Very much the strategies that I have identified will challenge, excite and motivate the learners. They will be encouraged to reflect on their learning and apply it in such a way that they achieve a deeper understanding of the concepts.

Otago Polytechnic Charter 2006-2010, Otago Polytechnic. Retrieved 18 June 2011 from http://www.otagopolytechnic.ac.nz/fileadmin/Corporate/PDFs/About/Otago_Polytechnic_Charter_2006-2010_.pdf

Strategy 2008 – 2012 Document, Otago Polytechnic. Retrieved 20 August 2010 from: http://moodle.op.ac.nz/file.php/66/Strategy_2008-2012.pdf

Activity Nine

How can I be a more sustainable practitioner and what sort of learning and teaching strategies meet my philosophy of sustainability?

In order to be a sustainable practitioner I need to further develop skills in the following areas:-

· Systems thinking

· An understanding of the connected nature of our socio-ecological system

· Critical and creative thinking

· Ability to act as change agent

· Understanding of ethics

· Sense of participation and action

(11808 OT5083 CIT3 & 4 Prog Doc, 2010, Otago Polytechnic)

Often sustainability is seen as something extra or on top of what we do. In order to be a sustainable practitioner I need to see sustainability as part of the systems that I am already within.

Sustainability effects both how learning takes place and what learning takes place. As a sustainable practitioner I need to act sustainability. This includes social, environmental, and economic considerations.

I need to consider how I effect the use of students’ and lecturer’s time. Am I providing options for students to be able to have choices about when they complete course work and assignments? This is about allowing students flexibility in access to materials and assessments and also to equipment and facilities. Am I considering my work load? Can I work smarter and make use of resources etc to reduce work load on myself?

I need to both teach and practice environmental sustainability. I need to decrease the amount of waste that my courses produce. I need to recycle/reuse materials and resources. I need to examine the carbon footprint of my courses. I need to equip the learners to do the same, through both teaching and encouraging deeper thinking and systems thinking.

Economically I need to demonstrate financial sustainability and equip my learners with the skills to do the same. This involves thinking ahead and looking at whether choices made now around my courses’ content are actually viable and cost effective over the long term. Should I be investing now in approaches to learning that may have an initial cost but over time actually save money? How do I balance the financial cost of a decision to other benefits for the learners?

Utilising on-line resources and assessment has assisted me in providing more sustainable programmes. Students use on-line resources in their learning. They receive and submit assignments digitally through Moodle. Assignments are marked using digital marking schedules and the result and feedback are given instantly through Moodle. This hugely reduces the consumption of paper and improves the accessibility to all processes of the learning and assessement.

Students learn about sustainable practices within the IT industry. This includes teaching about re-use of equipment, equipment disposal practices and selecting appropriate equipment. Students are introduced to Best Practice Guidelines and to ethical considerations (NZCS Code of Ethics). The bigger role of the courses, however, are in preparing students for further study and for further personal and professional development as sustainable practitioners. Hence there is a focus on preparing students for collaborative work, problem solving, systems thinking and so on. This is done through encouraging forward thinking and reflection of practices. This is a “work in progress” and one of the strategies for my flexible learning plan is to further use journals to improve this reflection process.

Virtual Machines within the courses allow the students to experience different software and hardware configurations, whilst minimising the amount of equipment required. “In these regards the intention is for sustainability to be seen as part of a new business as usual for computing.”

(11808 OT5083 CIT3 & 4 Prog Doc, 2010, Otago Polytechnic)

11808 OT5083 Certificate in Information Technology Levels 3 & 4 Programme Document, 2010, Otago Polytechnic

Activity Eight

The adult learning theory that I wish to look at is the theory of cognitivist orientation. Merriam & Cafella (1991) describes the orientation in the following context: “Learning involves the reorganisation of experiences in order to make sense of stimuli from the environment”.

One of the strategies that I identified was to use models to help make sense of the concepts that are being presented. This is the idea of creating a metaphoric model to represent what is happening.

This utilises the cognitive features of obtaining perception, insight and meaning, since in IT we are introducing unfamiliar concepts to the learner on a very frequent basis. These concepts often exist in a virtual environment and therefore cannot be observed and often don’t relate to everyday experiences of the learner. Therefore using metaphoric models, to explain “how things work” and to better understand relationships within computer systems, will assist learners to understand.

Metaphors are mainly used for enhancing cognitive processes in learning and provide a way for learners to conceptualise what is being taught. MacCormac (1990) states “To describe the unknown, we must resort to concepts that we know and understand, and that is the essence of a metaphor -- an unusual juxtaposition of the familiar with the unfamiliar.”

One of the concepts I want to apply this strategy to is to model how a traditional office environment demonstrates the processes within a computer system.

This allows me to explore the existing knowledge of the learners of a traditional office environment. What do we normally find in an office environment; a chair, a desk, a filing cabinet, a person, in/out trays, files. Then we are able to explore the processes that they already know about within the traditional office environment. If a person wants to process some files then the person needs to get the files from the filing cabinet and lay the files out on the desk. The person can then process the files while they are logically arranged on the desk and make the necessary adjustments. The files are then arranged back into the filing cabinet for future use.

By saying that a CPU is like a person, computer files are like files, RAM is like a desk, hard drive is like a filing cabinet we can then gain an understanding of how a computer system works. If a CPU wants to process some files then the CPU needs to get the files from the hard drive and lay the files out in the RAM. The CPU can then process the files while they are logically arranged in the RAM and make the necessary adjustments. The files are then arranged back into the hard drive for future use.

We have therefore taken a concept that the learners already knew about and used that concept to explain an abstract concept which is new to the learners. We can then continue to utilise the model to examine the processes more deeply on a one by one basis. This helps to put the learning in context. We can later on use the “in/out trays” to introduce input/output devices, and further utilise the metaphor to help explain some computer upgrade issues.

Provided that the students have enough prior knowledge to be able to apply the metaphoric model then it is a useful way to learn new concepts, especially the abstract concepts that we present in IT.

MacCormac, E. (1990) A Cognitive Theory of Metaphor. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Merriam, S. and Caffarella (1991, 1998) Learning in Adulthood. A comprehensive guide, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Activity Seven

OECD (2007) defines Open Education Resources as "digitised materials offered freely and openly for educators, students and self-learners to use and reuse for teaching, learning and research."

When it comes to open education practices it is about the sharing of education with others so that everyone benefits and knowledge is not kept as a precious commodity but rather shared and re-shared time and time again so that everyone benefits.

With the increase of on-line social media we see a lot of “ad-hoc” sharing without much thought of who desires access to what. The challenge of OER is to look at ways in which knowledge can be freely shared in a manner which is accessible and reliable. The types of materials that can be shared on-line are only limited by the technology and investment of individuals and organisations time to produce the needed materials.

One large part to this is “buy in” and to that end Otago Polytechnic signed the “Cape Town Open Education Declaration” in 2008. This confirmed both the management and staffs’ desire to be part of this education practice.

One strategy I can use is to take one of my fore mentioned strategies of creating video of some of my lesson activities and make it more widely available. This not only gives my students easier access to the material but hopefully encourages others to do the same and increases the materials available to all.

Open Education is not just limited to individuals doing their own searching on-line, but also provides excellent resources to be used in both off-line and on-line class environments.

We find advantages to being part of the Cisco Academy Programme that freely provides very high quality material to our students for no cost. The encouragement for academy members to create and share their own resources allows a variety of choices when conducting classes. This concept of freely sharing resources is one that benefits more and more people the more it is embraced.

We need to invest short term time and energy into creating these resources for long term gain, through the ability to re-use resources and through the huge gains of being able to share resources internationally.

OECD (2007), Giving Knowledge for Free: The Emergence of Open Educational Resources, OECD Publishing.
doi: 10.1787/9789264032125-en

Activity Six

After talking to my peers about my plan they gave the following feedback:

· I should be careful about how much I try to do at once. It is important that I plan the implementations of my strategies well.

· Create a timeline of what is needed for each strategy so that I can make sure I have what is needed in advance. E.g. When I am videoing classes make sure that I have a video camera and tripod organised.

· It is possible to integrate some assessment across courses. Can we create an integrated assessment event between the Internet course and the Computer Essentials course through the use of Google Docs. How would this work?

· I need to consider the goals of using the journal. What are my expectations of the students. Am I only assessing the reflection contained within the journal or am I assessing the quality of the journal entries. Once again could this be a combined assessment with the Professional Practice course with both the reflection and the quality of the journal record being assessed.

· When considering using models to teach learning I need to balance the practicality of different options with the learning that is taking place. I have to make sure I don’t get carried away with the “coolness” of the learning event when there might be another option that is easier for both myself and the learners, which still promotes just as much learning.

When thinking about the strengths of my plan, I realise that I am not “reinventing the wheel” but I am taking concepts and ideas that have been formulating in my head for a while. The advantage of taking the time to discuss the ideas with my peers is that I can get opinions from their experiences as well. The plan is taking good development that has happened in the past and further improving. I am therefore able to take lessons from past successes and build upon them.

One of the gaps that exist is that I have not directly talked much about the factors that have stimulated change. I have indirectly referenced them but it would be better to more clearly identify them. Apart from that the plan is advancing along nicely.

My goals is more about finding some time to actually get what I have done so far onto a blog as I am running out of time.

Activity Five

After talking to colleagues and exploring a variety of flexible learning strategies through the readings / resources available on the Flexible Learning blog, I have come up with the following four flexible learning strategies for my context:

Strategy One

Consider using an asynchronous method of recording synchronous teaching so that students can return to aspects of learning and are able to review concepts to allow for better understanding. An example would be to video the interactive whiteboard sessions in the Level 4 Certificate so that students can revisit concepts at a later date.

Strategy Two

The use of a journal to provide reflection. In the Computer Essentials course, that the Level 4 Certificate students complete, there is an on-going issue of how to allow the students to demonstrate a deeper appreciation of what is happening with a practical hardware or software lab. They currently complete a job sheet that outlines what they did in the lab and answer a number of questions but don’t necessary provide the amount of reflection that is needed to demonstrate understanding. Getting the students to complete a journal that reflects on WHY things happened the way they did would be more beneficial. The journal can become a growing portfolio of understanding.

Strategy Three

Utilise more on-line and off-line peer-to-peer learning. I have the need to create a group assignment for a course that incorporates both group and individual assessment. One strategy that I like is to utilise a tool such as Google Docs, to have a collaborative assignment that grows over time as the students’ knowledge grows but still has the ability to indicate individual participation. The use of the logs that Google Docs creates allow for assessment of the process as well as the end result.

Strategy Four

Using simulated models to better explain concepts that students are trying to learn. I currently use both on-line simulation and white board models to help explain concepts but I would like to explore other in-class based modelling of concepts. I have seen foam rubber used to explain the encapsulation of computer network packets and would like to experiment with similar modelling to help explain the concepts of computer internals. This could also be videoed and used as asynchronous learning at a later date.

Activity Four

“Universal Design for Learning” is described by (Gravel) as providing “more ways to access; more ways to participate, more ways to demonstrate learning. Resulting in more equitable access to the general education curriculum for ALL learners”. Gravel continues to provide three learning guidelines for universal design. I have used these three guidelines to describe an example of inclusive teaching in my professional context.

The example is using an online curriculum for a second year degree class that has a mix of practical with highly conceptual theory content. It is a computer networking class where the physical networking is just the “tip of the ice berg” and most of the concepts that the students are learning are never naturally observed and therefore occur “behind the scenes”.

We use a mix of an on-line curriculum, class lectures, and practical hands-on labs.

1. Provide Multiple Means of Representation

All concepts are covered in the on-line curriculum. The material is delivered in a split screen layout where text is used on the left hand side of the screen to explain the concepts, while on the right hand side of the screen diagrams and animations are used to explain the concepts in a visual and often audible format. Through the use of “zoom” the learner can increase or decrease the display to a useable format.

A built in glossary and in-line links allows students to further enquire about concepts as they are presented.

2. Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression

Throughout the on-line curriculum there are interactive exercises that require the students to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways. These include matching concepts with definitions, identifying correct responses, and correctly responding to a scenario using a simulation environment. These provide the learner with a number of different options/methods in order to apply the learning and also promotes problem solving.

The interactive activities give the learner feedback on the success of the activity and the simulation environment identifies the requirements that have been met by the learner and what still needs to be completed in order to meet the requirements of the scenario.

The use of navigation buttons and a quick access index allows the learner to quickly access relevant information as well as review information as many times as needed.

3. Provide Multiple Means of Engagement

As well as all the choices that are provided by the on-line curriculum, the concepts are also discussed through interactive lectures as well as often demonstrated within practical labs. These practical labs include the use of the use of real equipment, simulation environments, and monitoring tools. Different learners place emphasis on different means of engagement and it is often interesting to hear the differing opinions on what is most useful and what we should do more of.

There is a mixture of class based and off-site learning that the learners need to complete. In some cases the learners can decide whether they complete some of the learning in the class room environment or off-site. The structures and support is in place for the learners but they are required to manage a lot of their learning, especially the on-line curriculum material.

The use of chapter quizzes to give learners feedback on their progress helps the learner to review what they know and if need be revisit concepts.

In order to access the environment that I have created for them the learners need to have access to a computer (we do provide this through afterhour’s access, if they don’t have a computer at home), and need to be able to attend classes (at this stage it is more an accreditation issue and if someone really could not attend due to accessibility issues then it is possible to provide them with a remote option through on-line resources and visitation).

The physical equipment is attached to the wall and on free standing racks and most people can easily reach the equipment. For those that cannot we provide steps so that they can reach. If we had someone in a wheel chair then we can adjust the racks so that all the required equipment is easily accessible.

I have an open door policy when I am in my office and therefore the learners can knock on my door and discuss any issues they may have. Alternatively they can email me if they are off-site.

The simulation environments provide both on-site and off-site alternatives to using the physical equipment.

Zondiros (2008) defines the following:

· "Access" means finding ways of 'bypassing' barriers to learning

· “Social exclusion” as "a complex and multi-dimensional process. It involves the lack or denial of resources, rights, goods and services, and the inability to participate in the normal relationships and activities, available to the majority of people in a society, whether in economic, social, cultural or political arenas. It affects both the quality of life of individuals and the equity and cohesion of society as a whole."

· “inequality” refers to: "inequality of opportunity" which is the lack or limited access to important social institutions (with education among the most important ones), "inequality of condition" which means that some people are disadvantaged from the outset because of one or more of the above mentioned structural features / circumstances into which they are born, and "inequality of outcome" which means that whatever the circumstances contributing to inequality, people end up unequal because there is insufficient compensation to remove the effects causing inequality in society. On the reverse, equality of outcome means that everyone should end up equal regardless of his or her particular circumstances.

In regards to my professional context I have decided to apply the following definitions:

· Access is finding ways of ‘bypassing’ barriers to learning (Same as Zondiros)

· Inclusivity is having the needed resources (these can include class environments, technology, lecturer and other human resources, learning materials, social support, other institutional support) as well as being able to participate in all activities that are available to other students.

· Diversity is allowing the expression of individuality while still being part of a larger multicultural / varying socioeconomic group of learners.

· Equity is allowing a learner to have the same education opportunities as other learners regardless of culture, socioeconomic differences, or other life situations.

Gravel, J., Ralabate, P. (n.d.) Universal Design for Learning: A framework for access and equity. Retrieved 19th May 2011 from http://www.slideshare.net/NCUDL/udl-a-framework-for-access-and-equity

Zondiros, Dimitris (2008). Online, distance education and globalisation: Its impact on educational access, inequality and exclusion. The European Journal of Open and Distance Learning (EURODL)

Activity Three

I talked to two colleagues and asked them the following questions and got the following responses:-

How do you incorporate flexibility in your teaching?

Colleague One

· Vary delivering styles

· Handouts which I go over with my students

· Demonstrate concepts on Whiteboard

· Use tools such as Visualiser

· Hands-on learning exercises

· Use narrative teaching

· Use of Moodle

· Use of on-line research

Coleague Two

· On-line material

· Activities that can be done in or out of class

· Many ways of communicating with lecturers and other students: Moodle, Facebook, Twitter, email, phone, face to face.

Who are your students?

Colleague One

· Mainly young males, handful of mature students, smattering of females and a large percentage of socially challenged students.

Colleague Two

· The people enrolled in my course.

When designing courses how do you consider time, delivery and logistics, entry requirements, content and instructional approaches and resources?

Colleague One

· Aim at middle of the class. Extension for faster students. Recognise and provide peer support for weaker members of the class.

· More material then time but make sure that the core is always covered.

· Provide sequential step by step instruction.

· On-line as well as handout instructions

Colleague Two

· Use time available, balance new material and practical application

· For delivery use PowerPoint, demonstration and written activities

· For entry requirements I assume students are at level appropriate for the course

· Try to have as much supported discovery learning as possible

· Design courses to fit the resources that we have

Activity Two

I enjoyed the class on “What is Flexible Learning” and below is my answers to the four questions on Flexible Learning:

What does the term Flexible Learning mean to me?

The term “Flexible Learning” is really about having a multidimensional approach to facilitating learning. This does not exclude more traditional methods of teaching, but is really about being equipped with a variety of teaching methods and resources that can be used where and when is convenient for the stakeholders of the learning.

It is also about the environment and structures that surround the learning and how convenient and efficient they are for the stakeholders of the learning. The stakeholders include the educational institution, the associated government departments, the learners, the industry, the surrounding communities (including cultural), the learning facilitators, and related family groups.

It is about utilising the best pedagogical approaches for the various situations and fully considering all the stakeholders.

Flexible does not necessary mean regularly varying the learning, but it is more of having the right “course for the horse”, to reverse an old saying. I’m not saying all our learners are old nags.

Why is it necessary to use a more flexible approach in my work?

Because everything keeps changing. The industry changes, the environments change, the learners and their situations change, the structures of society change, the governments requirements change, the resources available to us change, collective understanding of learning changes, my hair colour changes, nothing remains the same. Some of these changes happen gradually over time, while other changes can happen over a day or even a learning session. We need to be able to adjust to these changes when we are facilitating learning.

A lot of these changes are exciting. The methods and tools that I can now use when facilitating learning, I would never have thought I would have at my disposal ten years ago.

The most important aspect of needing to have a flexible approach is the needs of the learners. They must be central in the learning and yet they never naturally stay there. It takes effort and flexibility to keep them there.

What do I need to explore to help this happen?

The short answer is everything. From a programme managers point of few it is about the first contact with possible learners, the structures in place to support learners to begin learning, the ongoing support structures in place for learners, the design of the programme and courses, the structure of the learning environments (this includes outside contact time), the involvement and support of the various stakeholders, financing resources, facilitators having access to professional development, support and communication networks, feedback from stakeholders, evaluation, change processes. To name a few.

From a learning facilitators point of few it is about having access to more resources, the appropriate application of those resources, learning more “best practices”, networking with other facilitators (broadening my horizons), obtaining better understanding of the learners I have, training, better time management, building support networks, being a learner, thinking creatively, methods of releasing and regaining control, not being set in my ways, not being set in new ways, listening to other stakeholders. To name a few.

It is about being open to change but balancing all the stakeholders’ needs.

What goals do I have for using Flexible Learning in my work?

I want a lot more of the learners saying “but that would mean......”. The ability to take in what they are learning and start applying it beyond my instruction.

I want to have bystanders wanting to become part of the learning environments that I facilitate because they look interesting and exciting.

I want to stand back and watch groups of learners forgetting about Facebook and Youtube as they are so engrossed in the task they are doing.

I want more application / learning by doing, rather than me talking (even though I do like the sound of my own voice, it has a deep sensual quality).

I want to be better equipped to offer what is needed, where it is needed, when it is needed, in the way it is needed.

I want, my want, to line with what my stakeholders want, but for it to be achievable.

I want to be part of changing peoples life’s for the better through their whole learning experience.

Activity One

Welcome to my blog. I have been teaching in IT for nearly 17 years and over that time I have taught in different environments and interacted with a huge range of learners. For the last four years I have been teaching in the IT School at Otago Polytechnic and I feel very blessed to work where I do.

My teaching philosophy already includes aspects of flexible learning, as I quickly discovered that a “one hat fits all” approach to teaching does not work and therefore I have to adjust my teaching practices to meet the learners’ and industry needs.

I am married with three wonderful children. My oldest is sixteen years old and is about to go on a school trip to Japan (is avoiding the danger zones). I also have a thirteen year old daughter and a nine year old son. I love the outdoors and try to go camping in all sorts of wonderful places.

I am hoping that through this course I will broaden the range of tools at my disposal, as well as obtain a deeper knowledge of flexible learning. The IT industry is constantly changing and I realise that I need to adapt my teaching to meet these changes and to better assist the learners.

I look forward to all I will be learning on this course.