Lesson 4 Discussion Reflections

Happy holidays.  I hope all you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

As usual here are my reflections for our Lesson 4 discussions to share with you and to help you conclude our discussions.

 

My reflections include:

Online Accelerated Learning; SNA Performance; Each Key Questions Reflection

 

Online Accelerated Learning

We had active and interesting discussion on online accelerated learning. Many of you applied your "professional" knowledge to analyze it while some used personal experiences to reflect.  It is important for us to approach any discussion topic from both "professional" knowledge and personal experiences.  I like to remind us that it is more than "I like/dislike it" nor "It works or doesn't work for me." 

When it comes to "instructional design"

• You design the instructions for instructors, students, not for your own learning.
• You may design it and not teach it. This is very common in higher education.
• You may not be the content expert. You provide instructional design support to teachers and faculties who are the content experts.
• Online accelerated learning is a trend. It doesn't mean it is the best way to teach/learn. Personally, we may or may not like to learn or to teach this way.  However, we need to know how to design it to meet instructors', students', and institutions' needs.
• What learning theory, pedagogy/frameworks, and design models/constructs you may use to design for online accelerated learning?  Instructivist? Constructivist? Or Connectivist pedagogy?
• When there is so much content to cover in online accelerated instructions, would Connectivist pedagogy be more effective since George Siemen's Connectivism focuses on the ability of "connecting" to right people, and meaningful content with effective technologies.

 

Here are my reflections on each of key discussion topic to share with you and wrap up the lesson 4 discussions.

 

SNA Performance

Q: Chih, I posted many responses and wonder my SNA performances was not as high as I wished, particularly PageRank (Prestigious Role)?

A: The number of postings may not necessarily correlate with SNA performance. Three ways to improve:

• Apply Inquiry Learning Model
• Post responses early in each posting period
• Make sure to respond to the questions raised by classmates & me.

 

Each Key Questions Reflection

L4-KEY-1-ML: Instructor's Reflection: Mobilizing Content

Thanks for the great insights on ML.  I like that you apply additional literature to support your argument.  More specific, I like that you apply different aspects to examine ML, such as devices/technology, content, and interaction aspects.  You also brought an important learning psychology concept in distance learning, transactional distance: "The transactional distance-divide being the physical and psychological distance between the instructor and students present within online learning."

 

It is very important to examine ML from learning psychology aspect.

On mobilizing content, we know content tends to be for more formal learning. When we deliver content through mobile technology and context, there are a few questions perhaps we should ask us:

 

1. Because accessing the content outside of the traditional room, or indoor, the ML with mobile content would be more "informal." Agree or disagree.
2. If delivering mobile content is vital, what need to do is to put "all content" on mobile. Right way to do?
3. If putting everything on mobile, aren't we there already since almost all content is online currently.

 

These questions are not easy to answer but I would like you continue challenging yourselves with these questions.

 

L4-KEY-2-AR: Instructor's Reflection: Reality in Us; Virtual outside of Us

AR probably is more foreign to many of us. Many may argue it is harder for us to integrate it into our design and teaching.  In a way, it may be hard but it is critical for us to set good philosophy for AR.

 

Could we see AR is a bridge to collect reality and virtuality and to enhance reality?

One of my doctoral students made an interesting claim: Virtuality is not hard to understand while reality is harder to grasp. In fact, reality is "our" senses.  We need to be mindful to senses everything around us.  Everything is our mind is reality while everything outside of us is virtuality.

 

What do you think?

 

Additional Reading:
VR and AR: The Ethical Challenges Ahead

 

 

L4-KEY-3-QR-Instructor's Reflection

QR is around us everywhere if we pay attention.  QR often is integrated with mobile learning.  Can we see QR is type of AR?! If we agree, QR is a bridge between reality and virtuality?

 

I encourage us to think how we can use QR integration to enhance other technologies, such as mobile technologies, RSS, or aggregation?

 

L4-KEY-4-App: Instructor's Reflection

I know many of us have never thought about designing mobile apps.  I think it is very critical for educators to design them, regardless we may actually do it or not. By designing mobile apps to support our designs and teaching would support us to understand mobile learning differently.  In addition, we may other potentials in mobile learning, particularly the tasks can be done with mobile apps and devices while non-mobile technology can't.

 

I really encourage you to design mobile apps.  It is not as hard as you think.

If you would like to help ETC to design ETC mobile apps, please let me know.

L4-KEY-5-Accelerated-Instructor's Reflection: Not about Content?!

While designing online accelerated instructions, educators focus on "content."

 

Content is critical but I think effective pedagogy is even more critical for online accelerated instructions rather than just seeing online accelerated instructions as convenience for completing courses faster.

 

While financial and marketing advantages for institutions are no-doubt involved in the origins of the implementation of the accelerated instructions, pedagogical rationale supporting the online accelerated instructions is ultimately critical to ensure students to have positive learning and educators preparing effective online instructions.

 

While designing online accelerated instructions, do we just press regular semester instructions into accelerated instructions? If we do this, are we just focusing on "content?"

 

What pedagogy is more effective for online accelerated instructions (Instructivist, Constructivist, or Connectivist)?

 

Do online accelerated instructions regular the learners' different skills, such as self-regulated learning skills?

 

We will revisit online accelerated from SRL and pedagogy aspects in Lesson 8 discussion.  After reading your postings, I think it would be even better for us to deepen our understanding on online accelerated learning and SRL skills.