Have you ever completed a test or a task and you can't wait to hear some feedback? I know I have completed a few courses or tried to cook something fancy and the feedback it almost as important as the work you have completed. For most learners they want to know they are on the right track.
In blended learning environments teachers can provide face to face or online feedback. More and more students expect feedback as soon as possible. Online quizzes are great for providing feedback instantly however they can also be disheartening and impersonal if you keep getting things wrong.
Whilst there is much evidence that online quizzes and tests
can be beneficial for some learners this can be more of a hindrance than a
help. For some trade students they have little access or desire to use
technology apart from their mobile phones. Many dislike using their laptops and
tablets because they are slow to use them and often get frustrated when things
don’t work out. However this is not always the case. Two weeks ago a build a
blended course for Carpentry students to practice their measurements and calculations.
Many found this very helpful and the instant feedback certainly made a huge
impact on them.
Blended environments means assessments can be flexible
In the past students have completed their written
assessments via a Moodle quiz. More often than not
there have been issues with
the connection to the internet and trade students like to work their calculations
out with their hands (pen and paper). They are kinaesthetic learners and so
sometimes an online assessment has to be redone because they failed only to
pass when they were given a written assessment. In recent times I have used
Google Forms to create online quizzes and then used Flubaroo to grade them. The
students and teachers love it however they have not yet used this method for
formal assessments.
Whilst rubrics can be helpful when marking assessments and
providing feedback it ultimately seeks a judgement that is not always helpful.
For the most part students near clear guidelines for what is expected however
students are very much looking at outcomes in new ways than in more traditional
ways. Entrepreneurial assessments may have broader assessment outcomes than say
a spelling test. Modern learners have much more access to learning networks and
learning that allows autonomy can more greatly beneficial to building
confidence in learning that can’t always be measured on a rubric.
Use plain English please
Education jargon can be a stumbling block for learners. When
providing feedback it is important that the feedback in plain English so that
the reader doesn’t have to try and work their way through complex educational
terms that don’t really tell them what they need to know. Giving video feedback
and aural feedback can also help learners who don’t like to read.
Teachers have forever been Instructional Designers. As teachers we know that the learning space influences so many things about learning. The design of the room, learning material, assessment items, feedback etc. greatly influence how the learner might feel about the subject that is taught or whether or not their curiosity might be stirred. McIntosh (2010) suggests that there needs to be real synergistic design with classroom and blended spaces so that learning moves freely between the two spaces. Collaboration
Collaboration is a skill that can be developed in face to face learning and in virtual or blended environments. Communication is at the heart of learning. There can be no doubt that collaborative environments will not work for everyone but in an information society it will be so important for our students to understand that the traditional frameworks of our societies have been changed because of social media and knowledge networking have given access to more information, experts and groups of people than any other time in history. Reingold (2008) saw that the internet has disrupted the way we connect and communicate and our students are part of a connected world and connected communities.
Students in a modern learning environment need to be ‘participatory learners’ much like Sieman's view of the concierge, deeply involved in the process and virtual classrooms begins to address this concept
but also aligns with Rheingold’s view that human interaction is still an
important part of learning. It seems as though some learners are happy to be in
a space where the connection is somewhat distant (blog, social media, texting)
from an actual face to face interaction with a physical human however
technology is really pushing for meaningful connectedness and virtual or
holographic learning may be a norm in the future.
Students as innovators
In designing and developing blended learning courses Blooms Taxonomy can be so useful. It's important in face to face and blended learning to develop all thinking skills. It's easy to get excited by shiny apps and fun games but students need to explore ideas not just in creative ways but really develop critical thinking skills that include thinking outside the box. George Couros's (2015) book 'The Innovator's Mindset' really helps to see that if you aren't an innovative teacher than how can you expect your students to be innovative. Syliva Duckworth's image is on my wall above my computer and is a daily reminder to be the best that I can be.
It seems for some that there is no doubt that blended technology is working.
U.S. Department of Education’s (2010) “Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies,” “Students in online conditions performed modestly better, on average, than those learning the same material through traditional face-to-face instruction” (p. xiv) and, notably, “Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction” (p. xv).
However in the Vocation and training sector in NSW, Australia this is by far the same case. In some cases as little as 7% of students complete online courses and there are few skilled teachers with experience to use blended technology well. Below is an except from a piece I wrote a few years ago addressing the complexities of online learning.
I don’t know about you but I have come to realise that I
take the internet for granted. I get all excited by new technology and gadgets
and this might stem from a fascination in Star Trek over the last twenty years.
Star Trek looked to a future when information, communication, education and
life where all intertwined and lived in harmony with each other. Trends in
educational developments can’t only been seen in the hardware or software that
will be developed but in education theory that drives change and understanding
about how and why we learn.
Pedagogy in a digital age
There was a shift in the 1990s from the internet being a suppository of
knowledge to a place where crowd wisdom could be harnessed and used for work,
learning or pleasure. (Surowiecki, Canole, G., 2012.p.49) Once technology afforded new ways of
accessing knowledge and information it was a game changer for education.
“We are now at a point where we must educate our children in what no one knew
yesterday, and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet.” Margaret
Mead(1980)
There are many beliefs that currently underpin education pedagogy that predate
the digital age, (Heppell,1999,p.20) so the challenge for education
specialists is to consider how fixed knowledge can be included in a learning
environment where new networks,collaborations, connections and innovation are
driving learning experiences that are afforded to students in the new digital
environment. (Brown ,S.,2012)When creating learning experiences pedagogy
and assessment cannot remain fixed on information gathering and regurgitation
of knowledge based on fixed predetermined tests but rather to the broader
experience where learning is relevant and meaningful. Starkey suggests that we
are moving from ‘knowledge based’ learning to ‘critical thinking’ based
learning and this shift will allow for more connectedness when it comes to the
learning environment. (2011, p.19)Students will seek to gain autonomy and the
ability to be masters of their own learning through experimentation and
meaningful dialogue. (Ravenscroft, 2011,p.46,Haesler, 2015)These learning experiences come about through
networks, connections and collaboration.(Bereiter,2002, Gilbert 2005, Simens, 2004), p.21, Ford, 2008,p.77)
Whilst these new learning opportunities may be useful Ken Robinson (2012) goes
as far as suggesting that passion and desire to learn are fundamental when we
are learning and Dillon adds that curiosity is key to engage in learning. (Dillon, 2012)
Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution!
Ford suggests three ways in which teachers can develop
different pedagogy modes in order to engage with students in the learning
environment. (2008, p.77)A cognitive view of learning considers that
learners construct and build upon their own internal knowledge structures and
representation to engage with new learning opportunities. In contrast he also
suggests a humanistic view where the goal of learning is
self-actualisation and fulfillment in the learning experience comes from both
cognitive and affective levels. Lastly he considers a socially/situated
perspective where learning becomes interactive and is between people and
real world contexts. When the possibility of these theories are combined with
positive learning experiences through structured experimental learning then
these theories are useful in supporting the development of learners’ process
capabilities. (Levy, 2003, p.303.)Knowledge gathering and use therefore
becomes intrinsically woven into the students learning experience.
Ford’s theories may align with modern pedagogies about
the changing nature of knowledge gathering and interaction however Doring adds that the learning experiences afforded in
the process speaks to one of the core values of teaching which have not changed
, “Education is a fundamentally conversational business.”(1999, 18%) Once
knowledge is acquired (in whatever mode it has originated) it then transcends
into further application or concept understanding by the learner that may lead
to a connection with others and engagement beyond the knowledge itself.
(Doring, 1999).Whilst constructivist theory may align with modern approaches to
learning it is not new and whilst the use of technology can be incorporated
into this view it is by no means only dependent on the use of technology for
this engagement to occur. (Imel, 2001,18%) Quality teaching engages knowledge and
dialogue in such a way that the teacher and the learner feel safe in the
learning environment and they curiously explore knowledge and critically
evaluate and reflect on this information to achieve mastery of a skill or
concept. (Mayes, 2000, 18%)
Blended Learning With new developments in pedagogy come new opportunities for delivery,
engagement, assessment and skill development. Understanding the digital
environment is vital to understanding learning in a digital age. There is an
expectation by digital natives that technology will be woven into all
aspects of their lives and that includes learning and education. (Bauman, 2005, p.30)
Therefore in the face to face learning environment there is an expectation that
blended learning will be part of the learning experience. (van de Ven, 2014) Blended learning might simply supplement
course work and reading of online articles however it can also include
simulations and collaborative experiences that may occur in more than one
place. (Bonk, Kim andZeng. 2006, p.92) Technology enabled learning
is only as good as the learning principles that underpin it so planning and
preparation are key before implementation.(GlobalEducation Leader’s Program, 2013,29%) With the
opportunity for learners to access the internet learning becomes an everywhere
and anytime activity and global connectivity soon draws learners from a
know-how and know-what activity to one that is supplemented by know-where. (Siemens,
2004.)Learner engagement is at the forefront of curriculum development and
including blended learning opportunities will be essentially important to
building confidence in learners who are living in a digital age. These
opportunities will allow learners to be more creative and innovative than ever
before and Craft concludes that learners can “extend ideas or
hypothesise using imagination in order to achieve alternative and innovative
outcomes.”(2003,p. 115)
“Blended learning is both simple and complex. At its simplest blended learning
is the thoughtful integration of classroom face to face learning experiences
with online learning experiences.”(Kanuta, Heater og Garrison, Randy, D. 2004.) Without teachers who are skilled in blended environments classrooms will continue to use technology as an information repository. Failing to give students collaborative tools and confidence using technology will not equip them to live in an information society of the future and much needs to be done in the area of critical thinking in relation to how students are engaging with technology for learning. References:
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