E-LEARNING IMPLICATIONS FOR ADULT LEARNING
The authors spend time noting and comparing new perspectives between andragogy and pedagogy. The authors compare teaching strategies and personality types. They conclude by defining several rules observed for e-learning in adult education.
Rating: 7/10
The adult learning environment
This article was written by three faculty members of the University of Zambia. The authors discuss the idea of "adult learning" with respect to child learning. The authors spend most of the article outlining the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive aspects of the adult learning environment.
Rating: 5/10
The author, Stefan Hrastinski, is a Professor at the Division of Digital Learning and Director of Research Education at the Department of Learning in Engineering Sciences at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. Hrastinski notes the term "blended learning" originated in the 1990's, but is often over generalized. Hrastinski proposes several blended learning models, blended learning conceptualizations, and proposes recomendations for future research.
Rating: 6/10
Adult Learning Theories
This article provides a short, yet well rounded description of andragogy, SDL, and TL. The author proposes, and concludes, that effective adult education requires a mixture of theories or principles.
Rating: 8/10
Andragogy – Adult Learning Theory (Knowles)
This article provides a brief overview of Knowles Five Assumptions of Adult Learners. These assumptions, and accompanying principles, help provide a baseline for online adult education.
Rating: 5/10
We found using concise videosin multiple ways built online immediacy in positive ways. Students reported, as a whole, that they found video recordings to increase their sense of instructor immediacy and motivation in the online classroom.
The authors discuss the problem of teacher immediacy and presence in online courses. They propose that this problem must be solved as online instruction becomes increasingly popular. The researchers survey multiple students at Weber State University and present their process, results, and communication theory. They conclude that short videos tangibly increase instructor online presence. And, short videos directed at individual students have an even greater positive impact.
Rating: 10/10
Four themes emerged from analyzing three types of data: surveys, interviews, and access log files. These four themes that captured students' experience of VBL included: varying video use frequency, balancing time and level of understanding to achieve learning efficiency, manipulation of video functions to achieve learning efficiency, and reliance upon multiple tools.
The authors of this article question the effectiveness of video-based online learning. The authors/researchers studied multiple undergraduate level online courses. Information was gathered via student surveys and interviews. The researchers present four themes found through the study, which include varying video use frequency, balancing time and level of understanding to achieve learning efficiency, manipulation of video functions to achieve learning efficiency, and reliance upon multiple tools.
Rating: 5/10
but they should be engaging, because this leads to students beingmore motivated to learn and succeed.The possibilities of how students interact with content and with each other are greatly expanded in a hybrid course; just having themread articles online and then meet to discuss themin-class, for example, takes no real advantage of a class format that can otherwise be a transformative experience.
This article, published by the College of DuPage, gives an introduction to hybrid learning environments. The authors outline the benefits of hybrid learning, how to utilize time wisely, the student experience (both in person and online), and how to structure and plan hybrid courses.
Rating: 6/10
The authors present a study focused the differences of blended versus traditional instruction in terms of student performance. The study evaluates 53 undergraduate students enrolled in a "Physical Education in Early Childhood" course. Twenty-nine students were placed in a traditional course and 24 students were placed in a blended "experimental" group. The researchers concluded that "students who attended the course with blended instruction show higher performance."
Rating: 9/10
When incorporating videos into a lesson, it’s important to keep in mind the three key components of cognitive load, elements that impact engagement, and elements that promote active learning.
The author, Cynthia Brame, is the Associate Director of the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching and holds a Ph.D. in Education. In this article Brame recognizes the importance video has become in online and blended instruction. Brame suggests three things to consider when designing and implementing videos, which include cognitive load, non-cognitive elements that impact engagement, and features that promote active learning.
Rating: 7/10
Cognitive Presence “is the extent to which learners are able to construct and confirm meaning through sustained reflection and discourse” (Community of Inquiry, n.d, para. 5). Video is often used as a unidirectional medium with information flowing from the expert or instructor to the learner. To move from transmission of content to construction of knowledge, tools such as Voice Thread (VoiceThread, 2016) support asynchronous conversation in a multimedia format.
The author, Kendra Grant, is the Director of Professional Development and Learning for Quillsoft in Toronto Canada. Grant helps business succeed in education design and support. In this article Grant discusses how quickly the learning environment has changed through technological development. Grant explores the RAT Model, which guides instructors in the "use of technology to help transform instructional practice." Grant then examines the Community of Inquiry model, which seeks to create meaningful instruction through social, cognitive and teaching presence. Grant concludes by providing general principles for creating a positive video presence.
Rating: 8/10
Multimedia principle. Providing words with pictures, images, or other graphics enhances learning relative to materials that include only words. While this principle pertains to texts with pictures, it also applies to videos, which include audio and video components.2. Modality principle. When combining visual and verbal materials, it is more effective to use audio than it is to use written text. Videos may be more effective when they present video in conjunction with audio narration as opposed to written text in the video.3. Contiguity principle. Multimedia materials are more effective when words and pictures/images/graphics occur in close proximity relative to when they do not occur in close proximity.4. Redundancy principle. Eliminating redundancy enhances the effectiveness of multimedia. For example, text may be redundant with audio narration, and such redundant text should be eliminated.5. Coherence principle. Adding flashy but unnecessary illustrations to multimedia can be distracting, reducing coherence and thereby reducing learning.6. Personalization principle. Using a conversational style (e.g., in narration) can be more beneficial relative to a more formal presentation style.
This article compiles research into educational videos with respect to SDL (although SDL is never mentioned directly). The authors discuss the impact of educational videos, student engagement, the role of critical thinking and knowledge development, and effective design and presentation.
Rating: 8/10
Considering that one of the most significant factors of online course quality is instructor presence and interpersonal interaction,4 one of the benefits video can offer is creating faculty presence in an online environment. In the interviews, students cited faculty presence as a key factor related to their engagement and perceived learning from videos. Humor and wit were described positively. Participants also mentioned the benefits of adding personable context to a subject; for instance, faculty members giving examples from their professional experiences about subject material. As one student explained, "The reading is very didactic or academic, but the videos are very real-case scenarios. The instructor narrates: 'How do you take that academic learning into the real world? What does that mean when you're looking at these financial statements?'" Another participant offered: "[The videos] are better than just reading the material because it has more of that human element."
Melanie Hibbert, the Director of Instructional Media & Technology and Media Center at Barnard College in New York City, writes about what is necessary for good online instructional videos. Hibbert discusses media at Columbia University, methods for creating videos, an what analytics tell us. She concludes by describing the importance of instructor presence more so than the production quality of videos.
Rating: 9/10
Knowles, Holton, and Swanson emphasize that “adults resent and resist situations in which they feel others are imposing their wills on them.” (1998, 65) In spite of their need for autonomy, previous schooling has made them dependent learners. It is the job of the adult educator to move adult students away from their old habits and into new patterns of learning where they become self-directed, taking responsibility for their own learning and the direction it takes. Technology is a perfect path for the facilitation of self-direction. The ultimate ability of initiatives such as web-based learning to be non-linear allows an adult to follow the path that most appropriately reflects their need to learn. It becomes extremely important for those who are designing technology-based adult learning to use all of the capabilities of the technology including branching, the ability to skip sections a student already understands, and multiple forms of presentation of material which can assist people with various learning styles. All of these can be used to permit studentsto follow a path of learning that most appropriately suits them.
The author, Delores Fidishun, is the Head Librarian at Penn State Abington College and holds a doctorate in education. This article proposes that just adding technology to instruction is not enough. It must be intentional. Fidishun summarizes six assumptions of andragogy which include the learner's need to know, the learner's self-concept, the role of the learner's experience, a student's readiness to learn, the student's orientation to learning, and the student's motivation to learn.
Rating: 7/10
Creating an Effective Online InstructorPresence
This article was published by the Community College Research Center Teacher's College at Columbia University in New York City. The article examines what an effective online instructor looks like. The authors discuss how research indicates online instructors "make minimal use of interactive technologies." They then outline how instructors can use lectures, homework assignments, discussion boards, chat sessions, and lab activities in an interactive online course.
Rating: 8/10
15 Fall Scenarios
The authors, Edward J. Maloney and Joshua Kim, wrote a total of 15 articles describing various scenarios for the university learning environment during COVID-19. This article summarizes each of these more detailed plans including "normal" and moving the Fall term to the Spring. They also describe various learning models including HyFlex, modularity, virtual, and remote.
Rating: 7/10
In his groundbreaking work in the 1950’s and 60’s Dr. Knowles determined that learning in adults was most effective when the environment included factors of:• Respect• Safety• Immediacy• Relevance• EngagementIn other words adults learn best when they feel that they are being respected, their prior experience is acknowledged and respected, they feel safe in the environment, can see the immediate applicability of the learning to something that is relevant to their lives, and engaged in the learning process - are learning by doing. Dr. Knowles research further showed that adults remember:• 20% of what they hear.• 40% of what they see and hear.• 80% of that they do!
The author gives a short introduction to the concept of effective adult learning followed by some generalizations (highlighted). They then describe "12 Principles for Effective Adult Teaching & Learning." Finally, the author follows up with multiple practical ideas educators can use to reinforce adult learning.
Rating: 7/10
Studying these articles on ubiquitous learning, the following six elements could be identified: (a) Permanency in a u-learning environment implies for instance that the work is recorded continuously and saved until deleted (b) Accessibility implies anytime, anywhere availability of the learning environment (c) Immediacy implies learning environments with immediate access to information (d) Interactivity implies that the learning environment supports both synchronous and a-synchronous interaction with experts, teachers or peers (e) Situating of instructional activities implies that the learning is embedded in real life situations. (f) Adaptability implies access to the right information, at the right time, right place and right way.
This article seeks to identify "elements of self-directed learning that should be integrated into a ubiquitous learning environment." The authors outline five elements of a ubiquitous learning environment that support SDL. These include learner control, self-regulating learning strategies, reflection, interaction with the social world and interaction with the physical world. The authors identify multiple elements of a ubiquitous SDL learning environment.
Rating: 7/10
Online learning, blended learning, flipped learning, hybrid learning, flexible learning, open learning and distance education are all terms that are often used inter-changeably, but there are significant differences in meaning. More importantly, these forms of education, once considered somewhat esoteric and out of the mainstream of conventional education, are increasingly taking on greater significance and in some cases becoming mainstream themselves. As teachers and instructors become more familiar and confident with online learning and new technologies, there will be more innovative methods developing all the time.
The author, Anthony Bates, holds a BA in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration. He holds over 40 years of teaching experience. In this chapter he proposes online learning is a mode of delivery versus a teaching method. In this chapter Bates compares teaching delivery methods, defines which mode students need, and weighs in on the choice between face-to-face and online teaching.
Rating: 10/10
10 Characteristics Of A Highly Effective Learning Environment
The author, Terry Heick, is the founder and director of TeachThought.com and holds an MA in Teaching. In this article Heick elaborates on the following 10 characteristics of a highly effective learning environment: Students ask more questions than teachers Questions are valued over answers Ideas come from divergent sources A variety of learning models are used Classroom learning 'empties' into a connected community Learning is personalized by a variety of criteria Assessment is persistent, authentic, transparent, and never punitive Criteria for success is diverse, transparent, and co-created with students and families Learning habits are constantly modeled Constant and creative opportunities for practice and growth
Rating: 8/10
Good instructional design is based on the industry-standard Instructional System Design (ISD) model. The ISD model comprises five stages—analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation—and is a systems approach to instructional design in that it views “human organizations and activities as systems in which inputs, outputs, processes (throughputs), and feedback and control elements are the salient features.”
This article discusses visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles and the importance of communicating in ways that appeal each style. It then outlines what this means for the Instructional System Design (ISD) model. The author concludes by outlining learning outcomes, organization, interactive instruction, and content versus connection versus application. The author proposes that "good instructional design is based on the industry-standard Instructional System Design (ISD) model" (p 5).
Rating: 7/10
HyFlex courses can be deceptively difficult to do well. The technology and the curriculum must align, and the technology needs to work consistently for everyone, which requires testing and possibly new installations or upgrades. The learning must be equivalent for all students, guaranteeing that no student is at a disadvantage due to the learning pathway chosen. Instructors must be comfortable and effective with asynchronous teaching; those who are not can easily underestimate the amount of effort and interaction necessary to engage with online students.
This article was published by EDUCAUSE, a well respected non-profit organization whose mission is "to advance higher education through the use of information technology." The article provides a well rounded view of the HyFlex asynchronous learning environment. The author discusses what HyFlex is, its significance, the downsides, where asynchronous learning is going, and the implications for teaching and learning.
Rating: 6/10