‘In an ever changing and developing world of technologies, what
constitutes e-learning?’ Over the period of the last week six weeks I have constantly
been asking myself this very question. My ideas on this topic have been ever
evolving as I have progressed through this course. According to the Department
of Education and Early Childhood Development (2013) “eLearning refers to the exploration and use of a broad
range of information and communication technologies to provide new learning environments…”
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/curriculum/pages/elearning.aspx
E-learning consists of the use of a variety of technologies including online
based, teaching pedagogy and strategies, along with current curriculum content.
For a learning manager a successful digital pedagogy ensures that students use
ICT’s to become global learners, engaging and exploring all curriculum areas
not only on a national level but international too. To create a successfully
digital pedagogy a learning manager should use the Technical Pedagogical and
Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework as a guide. “…the framework (figure 4) emphasizes
the connections, interactions, affordances and constraints between and among
content, pedagogy and technology.”
(Mishra & Koehler, 2006 p.125) The framework places an important
emphasis on how these three key areas of knowledge need to be used together to
create prosperous technology pedagogy for our 21st century learners.
Image retrieved from Mishra & Koehler, 2006 p.125
Throughout developing my own understanding of e-learning and
how to build and create a fruitful digital pedagogy I explored a number of
online forums. These included sites such as Wiki and Weebly, multimedia tools
resembling Movie Maker and Voki, presentation tools including Prezi and Glogster
and other online technologies relating to animations and simulations. While
investigating how to work these ICT’s and their benefits for classroom learning
it was also important to consider many issues. These include how students can
use these tools collaboratively to construct knowledge in their working
environment, the safety of students using these online tools along with legal
and ethical guidelines and the tools that we as educators can use to help us
develop our own e-learning pedagogy.
According to Tu (2004) “…integrating collaborative learning,
online learning and learning community into an online learning environment is
an effective way to enhance learning”. Having the opportunity to engage with
online tools in a collaborative environment scaffolds the learning journey and
encourages our students to become active learners. Web 2.0 sites such as Wiki,
Collaborize Classroom, Diigo and other online discussion forums and blogs
create Vygotskys ‘Social Constructivist’ where by students are in the zone of
proximal development. The students still have the ability to complete complex
tasks and construction through social interaction and Siemens ‘Connectivism’
approach to learning which focuses more on not what the students know but their
ability to research and find information. These two theories in conjunction
with the correct online spaces, underline learning environments essential not
only to collaborative learning, but the expansion of students’ knowledge in
general. The blog post below talks more about specific online spaces and how
they can be used for online collaborative learning http://elizabeerecqu.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/engagement-task-1-mobile-phone-wiki.htm Harasim (2012, p.169) believes “It is
time for an educational paradigmatic shift to transform learning from didactic
instruction to the collaborative knowledge-building discourse that reflects and
coheres with the twenty-first century Knowledge-Age.”
There is a mass amount of literature out in relation to
student safety online e.g. child safety, privacy, and cyber harassment and
bullying. As future educators it is essential that we understand the importance
of online safety of our students when using these sites as well as legal and
ethical implications. It is common practice in this current age of technology
that at the beginning of each school year / term parents receive permission
forms to be completed to allow students participate in online activities (along
with any media tools such as images and videos). The learning manager must
ensure this form has been returned before give student’s access to sites and
unfortunately for those who have not been given permission must have other
activities to engage with. Schools often place blocks on certain sites and
searches, it is the responsibility of the educator to investigate this and if
not put their own safety procedures in place. It is imperative that the
learning manager educates the learners about what is appropriate and
inappropriate online behaviour. This means we must demonstrate to our students
the correct use of online material i.e. copying of worksheets, adhering to the
10% rule with any resources and following the correct copyright procedures and
acknowledging sources with the use of images etc.
Along with the TPACK framework to create a successfully
e-learning pedagogy, learning managers can also use the Substitution,
Augmentation Modification and Redefinition Model (SAMR). This model supports
learning managers in manipulating, developing and integrating digital tools to
support high levels of learning achievement (Department of Education, Training
and Employment [DETE], 2012). The
learning manager analyses the best technology tools to use for each process
that supports learning. Each one of these processes scaffolds the students
learning journeys from simple substitution activities to complex redefinition
tasks.
SAMR Model
Image retrieved from https://classroomconnections.eq.edu.au/topics/Pages/2013/issue-7/samr-learning-technologies.aspx
These digital pedagogy tools used in conjunction with higher
order thinking processes such as Bloom’s Taxonomy, Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligence's and De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats, guide students to discover and
build their knowledge at an independent level. These techniques not only assist
our students in the concept of e-learning but prepare them to become lifelong
learners in an ever evolving technological society.
In just a short six weeks I have learnt and seen the
benefits of using technology as part of a digital pedagogy and how it can
enhance our students learning, when we select the correct tools. As brilliant
and engaging as these online sites and tools can be the most important thing is
to ensure that our students are safe to use them and these digital tools have an
important purpose in their learning journey.
References:
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
(2013). eLearning. Retrieved from: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/curriculum/pages/elearning.aspx
Department of Education, Training and Employment [DETE]
(2012). SAMR learning technologies. Retrieved from: https://classroomconnections.eq.edu.au/topics/Pages/2013/issue-7/samrlearning-technologies.aspx
Harasim, L. (2012). Learning
Theory and Online Technology. New York: USA. Routledge.
Mishra, P. & Koehler, M.J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical
Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher
Knowledge. Teachers College Record Volume
108, p. 1017–1054. Retrieved from CQUniversity
Course Resources Online (FAHE11001).
Tu, C.H. (2004). Online Collaborative Learning Communities.
Westport: CT. Libraries Unlimited
