My first blog!!!

Welcome to my blog!




Hello,
Thank you for joining me on my blog. Together we will witness the first tentative steps, of an 'e'literate person(me), into the the amazing world of the internet and ICT's.

I am currently doing a Bachelor of Learning Management and I wish to share my learning journey, discovering the uses of ICT's, as I believe they will be integral to providing an effective learning environment. One that prepares our children for a future that we are hard pressed to even imagine.

Please join me on my journey, as I attempt to connect with a greater community of educators and learners, in an effort to move forward into the future technologically advanced world with more confidence.

Warm regards,
Sharon.

Firstly I'd like to take a look at the theories and concepts that will help guide me though this learning process.

ICT Learning Design Model

Advances in technology are creating a change in the learning styles of many students. ICT's offer us a way to engage our learners without enraging them as ??? so aptly put it. Oliver's design model (1999) offers us a framework to support students learning experiences using ICT's.
Oliver breaks it down into 3 parts requiring us to look at the learning tasks assigned for students, the resources we use to support our learners through their task, and the support mechanisms for learning mangers (Oliver, 1999).

Image from ACU Adams Center for Teaching Excellence

Kearsley and Shneiderman's (1999) 'engagement theory' is another useful framework to support students learning experiences using ICT's. The engagement theory looks specifically at the types of learning tasks. It says that students should not just learn something for the sake of learning it but that they must be given a real scenario for the learning, an authentic reason to engage in the topic. Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999) explain that students need to relate, create and donate, meaning that they need to

-relate to the subject matter and investigate a topi c,
-create something of value and importance to show their understanding of the topic, and
-donate their creation back to the community so others can benefit from it.

By doing this we motivate our students to learn through authentic task because the product is donated back to the real world. The learning pyramid (illustrated below) reiterates that students learn more effectively when they are able to teach others and have an immediate use for what they are producing.

Throughout my e-learning journey I will be looking for links to learning design model and the engagement theory;so that I am not just learning about a tool but also considering effective ways of incorporating them into the classroom using these frameworks.

References

Kearsley, G. & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A Framework for Technology-based Teaching and Learning. Retrieved December 5, 2009 from http://home.sprynet.com~gkearsley/engage.htm

Oliver, R. (1999). Exploring strategies for online teaching and learning. Distance Education, 20(2), 240-254.