Week TEN

Finally..the last bit of readings..which i taught was really helpful in the project.
The topic's on Webquest. I think that webquest is really like a practice for us to demonstrate what we have learnt so far in this module. I has combined the many lessons we have learned so far. So i taught it is a really enriching experience having to create a webquest. But of course, it may be seem really straightforward to create one and to use exe but.... exe can be nerve wrecking at times! Especially when I can't seem to align my words and had to do them manually through the html format :S

Okay...lets get straight into what I've gleamed through from this week's lesson.

Of course, the technical part...definitions! What is a webquest?

Webquest or the concept of webquest was developed by Dr Bernie Dodge and subsequently, Tom March. It is an inquiry-oriented online tool for learning; A Classroom based lesson in which most or all information that students explore and evaluate comes from the world wide web

It...
- Can be as short as a single class period or as long as a month-long unit
- Usually involve group work
- Builds around resources that are preselected by the teacher; thus user spend time using the information instead or looking for it.
o Is based on inquiry and constructivism

* A well-designed webquest uses the power of the internet and a scaffold learning process to turn research-based theories into dependable learning-centred practices

As mentioned in one of my previous posts, e-learning is classroom equivalent. And a webquest is should i say, a platform to demonstrate e-learning. What I really like about webquests or e-learning as a whole, is the set of benefits it gives.

- Ability to work in teams
- Ability to grapple with ambiguity
- Commitment to lifelong process of learning ((:
- Honoring multiple perspectives and evaluating information before acting on it

And of course, the essential components of a webquest (what makes up a webquest). I believe we'd have known this especially after our encounter with exe...that, a webquest should consist of the following parts, to make it whole.

1. Introduction
Where background info and motivational scenarios (like giving students roles to play) are provided. For instance, to arouse interest and to motivate learners, role-playing (as learned from previous week's lessons) could be adopted. i.e. “You are an underwater research scientist..”

This is also the part which provides an overview of the learning goals to students. We have learned that goals are different from objectives. Goal states are perspectives from learners' point of view. E.g. To appreciate the importance of recycling. Whereas objectives are more specific (i.e. using words like to explain) and is learning by doing.

Goal of this section:
- To make the activity desirable and fun for students
- To engage and excite students through motivational scenarios
- Infusion from other media (posters, models) and guest lecturers adds real world components into the Webquest

(b) Task
Moving on, it's the task section. This is where a formal description of what students will have accomplished by the end of the Webquest. It involves devising an activity for the students to incorporate the information learnt. The task should also be doable and interesting. That meaning, be suitable for its target audience. For instance, if your target audience is nursery children 7-9 year olds, it would not be wise to get them to write an essay. That being said, it is helpful to show learners examples of a finished project/ a mock-up to facilitate understanding of what is required. Not only that, the task should also be visually and aesthetically appealing, inherently important (i.e. global warming), and fun. That being said, this is actually the most difficult and creative aspect of creating a WebQuest. It actually demonstrates your knowledge!

3. Process
Here is a description of the steps learners should go through in accomplishing the task, with links embedded in each step representation by step-by-step demonstration. For instance in our webquests, we have many sub sections included in this process. This facilitates learning and focuses attention of learners. E.g. In my group's webquest on Animal Defense, we have sub sections such as Body parts as defense, Mimicry, Camouflage and Chemical processes.

4. Resources
Here, it consists a list of the resources (bookmarked websites, print resources etc.) that students will need to complete the task. My group did not add this into our webquest as resources are included in the main text in each sub section.

5. Evaluation
Of course, there's practice, there has to be evaluation and feedback. Each Webquest needs a rubric for evaluating students’ work (task). The standards should be fair, clear, consistent and specific to the task set. Mentioned, the rubric will consist 3 main categories: exemplary, acceptable and unacceptable.

6. Conclusion
Finally, wrapping up. This allows for reflection by the students and summation by the educator. It is also used as a way for setting time aside for discussion of possible extensions and application of lesson, and Encourage students to suggest ways of doing things different to improve the lesson.


You may wonder... How do we sustain learner's attention.
Well, webquests should pass the ARCS filter (to increase students’ willingness to expand effort in their pursuit of learning. Go on by asking the following questions:
1. Does the activity get students’ Attention?
2. Is it Relevant to their needs, interests or motives?
3. Does the task inspire learners’ Confidence in achieving success?
4. Would completing the activity leave students with a sense of Satisfaction?

The best way to achieve attention and relevance is to choose some dimension of a topic that students would find compelling and the create an authentic learning task related to it. For instance, understand your own target group. For elementary school children, do you think they will be interested in the effects of global warming? The element of confidence is address by the scaffolding that prompts students at critical stages of the process. For satisfaction, selection of an authentic task and establishing reliable sources increase the likelihood that students participating in the webquest will experience the full cycle of motivation from A-S

Read on further to understand the different design patterns used in webquests!

Week SEVEN!

Declarative Knowledge

Declarative Knowledge learning involves “knowing that” something is the case. This means for learners to “understand” the content. It is also commonly referred to as “verbal info”. Words such as explain, describe, summarize and list are used to describe declarative knowledge performance. It is also thought as mere rote memorization, uninteresting and unimportant. But it is the substance of much of our thinking and is rarely is it or should it be acquired via “rote learning”. Geographical knowledge, cultural literacy are examples of declarative knowledge
This typed of learning is also strongly tied to other types of learning (which will be discussed later in other weeks).

There are 3 subtypes of declarative knowledge
1. Labels & Names
- AKA Paired Associate Learning
Learning of this category involves pairing of information and it requires learners to make a connecting link (either Propositional OR Image-based) between two elements. E.g. foreign language vocabulary learning, learning names of state capitols. Learning of labels does not necessarily require learning the meaning of the 2 linked ideas but rather learning that one thing links to the other. One thing to note though is that this process of learning gets more difficult as the number of labels to be learned increases OR when similarity between information pairs increases OR when connections between pairs becomes less meaningful. At the same time, when learners do not already possess concepts, it makes the learning of labels much more difficult because they lack meaning.

2. Facts & Lists
This type is fundamentally propositional in nature
- A fact: is a statement that describes a relationship between or among concepts
→ E.g. Ann Richards was the governor of Texas
- A list: is a group of elements that must be remembered together
→ The order of the list may or may not be important

To be remembered, these facts and lists must be made meaningful by integrating them with prior knowledge. The more the isolated a fact is, the more difficult it is to learn. If we remember them, it is generally because it is important info to us. E.g. When you remember you phone number. Once we have some knowledge, it becomes increasingly easy to add to it. As the network or knowledge base becomes larger and more complex, it also becomes easier to add more. This is a result of learning Declarative knowledge (linking, elaborating and organizing)

3. Organized Discourse
This type is also propositional in nature. Whereas facts and lists are discrete, the phenomenon of discourse involves the comprehension of a thread of meaning that runs through an extensive body of information. The archetype of discourse learning is learning through reading a text (typically expository text). For the activity to result in learning, the discourse (which itself is an integrated body of knowledge) must be tied to existing knowledge.

Next, we discuss about the Cognitive Processes in Declarative Knowledge Learning.

1. LINKING
The primary form of representation of our declarative knowledge is theorized to be in propositional networks - A proposition is similar to a sentence.
E.g. Pat gave a large bone to Sarah, a smooth collie – contains 3 proposition
- Pat gave a bone to Sarah
- The bone was large
- Sarah is a smooth collie

The relationship between sentences and propositions is
- Sentences may contain more than one proposition
- Propositions are the ideas, and sentences are what we commonly use to express the ideas
-Propositions may also be expresses as diagrams or illustrations, mathematic expressions, musical notation or other forms of languaging
- A network of proposition is the collection of many propositions linked together in some fashion
- The links that are formed in a propositional network are idiosyncratic to a large extend and are almost as important to the knowledge as the content of the proposition themselves

So I supposed a proposition is a subset of a sentence.

Under this process, we have the schema theory.
A schema is a cluster of related ideas. E.g. Each of us has a schema of a restaurant: A sequence of events that generally occur in a restaurant, and also the objects and people you would expect to see there. This operation of schemata in cognition is akin to a stage play. Knowledge that an individual possess resides in internal structures which are like play scripts. Although a script specifies characters and events, many particulars vary from performance to performance. The use of a schema involves the instantiation process. This process is the making an instance-based use of a schema is similar to the performance of a play. Memories of instantiated schemata are similar to videos of plays can be viewed as the basis of recollections

Whether we think of the information as propositional networks of schemata, the significance of the relatedness of knowledge in memory is the same. That is to say, to learn declarative knowledge, it must be linked to existing knowledge

Under schema theory, learning is proposed to take play by 3 major events
1. Accretion
- Is the building up of factual learning through memory traces – the residue of experience
2. Tuning
- Takes place as a result of accommodating a structure to new information
3. Restructuring
- Takes place when existing cognitive structures are not sufficient or appropriate for knowledge gained and a new structure must be developed


Just as I have mentioned, for information to be easily learned, recalled and used, new declarative knowledge must be tied to the learners’ existing (i.e. prior) knowledge. Hence, to be stored in long term memory, incoming information must be meaningful. Incoming information can be meaningful when we have some prior knowledge that links to it. In cases, where there is little prior knowledge to link to, learners have to employ artificial links. These links tend to focus on surface similarities such as similar sounds, shapes, and sensory impressions. When a learner is working in an unfamiliar area, then early learning may lean heavily on sound associations, similarity in physical features such as letter sequences or other nonmeaningful sources of connection. When even these trick links cannot be made, one has to resort to sheer rote repetition to get the information to be stored in long term memory

The result of linking is construction of meaning. The heart of the process of learning declarative knowledge is this creation of meaning. In this process, we are constructing meaning and are thus acquiring declarative knowledge. This process takes more time and it takes the learner 10 seconds to encode a new bit of information. The rate of information presentation in rate-controlled media such as television is frequently too fast for learners to process new information and therefore remember it

2. ORGANIZING
Organizing new information is another cognitive activity that facilitates the learning of declarative knowledge. As we receive new information, we actively organize it by clumping/chunking sets together, separately sets from one another, subordinating, and making relationships among sets. It is like organizing the books on a bookself or clothes in a closet. For instance, I'd organize my clothes according to their colors, then further sub-categorize them according to their type (e.g. sleeveless, short sleeves, 1/2 sleeves, 3/4 sleeves, long sleeves...) and even going beyond that to categorize them according to type (casual wear, semi formal, formal, school).

Such organization may simplify the cognitive load of handling and remember masses of data . Organization may add meaning by placing new unfamiliar material into some existing slot. Slots can assist recall by providing a beginning point of recall of the rest of schema OR aid recall by limiting the spread of activation of memory to smaller and more related area. Although organization is something learners do internally, instruction may either provide organization for the learner or help them engage in organization themselves


3. ELABORATING (ELABORATION OF INFORMATION)
When we receive new information, we tend to add to that information; partly so that it makes sense to us and so that the information will be more retrievable. We elaborate by filling in gaps, making inferences, imagining examples etc. This activity of elaboration is more inevitable in learning and thus more important in instruction. Previously, elaboration was thought of as additional info (not really necessary). However, elaboration is a basic process by which links are made within information being received as well as for connecting new info to existing ones. Although humans are well-equipped to engage in elaboration, they do not always do so when needed (e.g. when we "feel" that there is no need). The unmotivated learner OR one who is not skilled in employing need learning strategies OR one with little prior knowledge; may not engage in the mental activity needed to learn declarative knowledge. Hence instructional strategies are needed to encourage learners to perform elaborations required to learn the material

Kay Events supporting this learning
Introduction
- Deploy attention
- Establish instructional purpose
- Arouse interest and motivation
- Preview lesson

Body
- Recall prior knowledge
- Process information
- Focus attention
- Employ learning strategies
- Practice
- Evaluate feedback

Conclusion
- Summarize and review
- Transfer knowledge
- Remotivate and close

Assessment
- Assess performance
- Feedback and remediation

Week 6

This week's readings consist of 4 main categories: TASK Analysis, SKILL Hierarchies, Reading FUZZIES & Learning OUTCOMES.

Task Analysis

I believe everyone knows what is a task. The simplest simplest definition can be that it is like a job/assignment given to you and it consist of steps. For instead, "Mother asked me bake for tomorrow's party". And since a task consists of steps, there should be a beginning, a middle and an ending (the outcome). One step leads to other, finally achieving the task. In the example given above, I have to decide on what to bake, determine what ingredients will be needed, bring them out etc...and finally, put the cookies into the oven and I'll get freshly baked cookies.So that summarizes what is a task.

But what is task analysis? When I read the title, I supposed it meant analyzing the task. Lets see if I am right. Firstly, before we start the task analysis, we'll need to do the following

1. Drafting a Task List
o To make a list of all the task that make up the job
o E.g. paper work, socializing, interaction
o Begin each task listing with a “doing word” such as clean, assemble, interact
o This is a way to tell whether the item described is a task or just a subject matter

2. Task Detailing
After listing the tasks, list the steps and decisions involved in performing each of the tasks on the list

Each task should answer the following:
(a) When is the task performed (what triggers he initiation of the task)
(b) How is the task performed (what are the steps followed and the decisions made while performing the task)
(c) How would you know when you are done (when the task has been satisfactory completed?)

There are 2 methods that you can go about doing a task analysis:
Method one: List and Method Two: Flowchart.
The latter is a better method as it makes it easier to read for the planner also also clearly shows the alternatives to be followed when decisions are involved. Not only that, it also reveals where information is still missing. There are however 2 requirements to construct a flowchart. Using a Rectangle (to depict actions) & a Diamond (to depict decisions).

Personally, I'd choose method 2 because I'm kind of a lenthgy writer. I prefer things to be spelt out/planned out clearly. It allows me to make mistakes or miss out important details. But of course, it is also time consuming to make one that is so detailed. Sometimes, the lazy worm in me takes over, and I'll do a list instead. A list is the most basic requirement which i believe everyone has experience constructing one. For girls who bake, the recipe is akin to a list!

And of course, after you have got the components you’ll need; you’ll still need to brainstorm about the skills needed. This includes going through each step in your analysis and think about the skills needed to complete each step. This can be demonstrated through the same example mentioned about. E.g. in the step of preparing the cookie, the skills involved will be sifting the flour, weighing the butter, sugar, vanilla essence and whisking the batter etc. Thus, not only do you need to list your steps out, you’ll also need to derive the skills needed at each step to ensure that you do not miss out important details that need to be covered.


Skills Hierarchies

Just as I have mentioned, we will need to derive the skills required at each step. So next, we'll zoom into skills hierarchies. By the word "hierarchy", we know that it represents a relationship; relationships between skills. Some skills need to be taught before others, whereas some are mutually exclusive. The following considerations will help one to construct the skill hierarchy:

1. What should I teach first?
2. What should be the sequence of modules thereafter?
3. Are there skills that must be learned before other skills can be attempted?
4. Are there sequencing options that can be left to the learner?

One important point to note would be the phrasing of your skills hierarchy. Use words like can, should, to denote ability. E.g. Learners can construct a mindmap on their own.

As I have just mentioned, there are 2 types of skill teaching.
1. When one skill has to be learned/taught before another
- This can be illustrated with the baking example. To be able to weigh the correct quantity of flour needed; you need to know how to read the weighing scale first, before you can weigh the correct quantity need.
- Another example can be; you must learn to crawl before you can learn to walk.
- For this type of skills, it will be represented in the hierarchy as a bottom up structure; with the first skill branching to the second subsequent skill from the bottom

2. When it doesn't matter which skill is being taught first
- E.g. You can bake cookies and sell the product. These 2 skills are mutually exclusive. baking and selling. You do not need to know how to bake before you can sell, vice versa.
- Such skills are represented by having the two skills side by side, branching up to a common point.

Of course you'll need to refer to the skills from your task analyses to construct this skills hierarchy. Consider the pairs of skills and question their relationship. Do they belong to skill type 1 or 2. Then draft you hierarchy accordingly and most importantly, nothing is good enough unless you realize it. So test your hierarchy and adjust accordingly.


Recognizing Fuzzies/Goal Analysis
And of course, it is not enough to just be able to construct your skill hierarchy from your task analysis. You'll need to recognize abstractions from your task analysis. This will be the stage of Goal Analysis. However, before that, we'll need to be able to distinguish an abstraction from one that is not. This is called the Fuzzy Watching Practice. Akin to Star Watching; Fuzzy Watching Practice when we try to recognize an abstraction. Just like during star watching, you determine what type of stars are there etc. Examples of abstractions can be attitudes or general concepts such as patriotism, love. To distinguish an abstraction from a performance, I think the "Hey dad test" is a good one. For e.g. "Hey dad let me show you that I can "ride a bicycle"..Riding a bicycle is a direct behavior and is thus not an abstraction.

here's the definitions needed...
1. WHAT IS A GOAL?
- A statement describing a broad or abstract intent, state or condition.
- A goal analysis is useful when a goal exists that is important to achieve or to improve for the better

2. WHAT IS A PERFORMANCE?
- An activity that is directly visible or audible or directly assessable.
- An invisible or internal activity can be considered a performance if it is directly assessable. Thus a single behavior will indicate the presence of the performance.

Outcomes of Learning
Finally, after constructing your skill hierarchy, task analysis and recognizing abstractions (goal analysis), you will need to determine the outcomes you will achieve. These are classified into 4 categories.

1. Verbal Skills
From the word, verbal, we take its literal meaning as being saying. Thus once a skill is taught, you should be able to state/say it. However, mere stating is not enough and true learning will only be shown through demonstration of understanding what is taught. i.e. meaningful feedback. For example; being able recite the lyrics of a song or listing the steps to take your temperature.

2. Intellectual Skills
This is the demonstration of Knowing HOW - to demonstrate. E.g. applying what you have learned in math, you display intellectual skills by being able to do substractions and additions. It shows your ability to realize what you have been taught; to carry out these actions instead of mere stating them.

3. Cognitive Strategies
This involves the operations of the mind. How your mind works to guide your process of learning, remembering and thinking.

4. Attitudes
The affective domain - Feelings. I believe that everything involves this domain. We all know that emotions affect human performances. Attitudes can be classified into a few main categories. They can be attitudes preferred in social interactions (e.g. racial tolerance) OR attitudes of positive preferences (e.g. like listening to rnb) OR attitudes pertaining to citizenship (e.g. love for a country). At the same time, attitudes are related to values. Because you value thriftiness, you will develop the attitude of saving. But while values are more general in nature, attitudes are more specifically oriented toward particular preferences.

5. Motor Skills
These are the skills learned in connection with common activities.


Yup. Pretty lengthy and dense reflection.
I'll leave it for now ((:

Assignment THREE (edited)

The last of the assignments..

Number THREE.
my group decided upon the cab-drivers case study.
did some editing after Mr Low's comments.
Not too sure it's good thought.. but..

here is it.

*click on it to view larger image*

Under the problem model, the problem discussed is in relation to bad driving habits and bad conduct of the cab drivers. For a record, cab drivers receive four times more traffic bookings or warnings than car drivers. The offenses committed include speeding, cutting across lanes dangerously, sudden braking and changing of lanes, overcharging/touting and being rude to customers.

This problem is backed with statistics provided by the cab companies. For instance, Comfort cab itself has sacked 17 of its drivers and issued 900 warning letters in 2008. Tibs on the other hand, has issued nine warning letters to their drivers. Companies have also sent their drivers to road safety courses and Comfort has sent about 150 of its accident-prone drivers whereas Tibs has sent 20 of its drivers on a "pay-for-their-own" basis as an additional deterrent.

The cause of the problem (bad driving habits of cabbies) is due to ineffective learning. This is reflected clearly in the first part of the case whereby evidence shows that there is a persisting problem of repeated offenses. This resulted in an increased in number of punishments/deterrents. For instance as mentioned above, increase in number of termination of contracts and issuing of warning letters by cab companies.

As a form of deterrent, most companies have demerit systems, bonus reduction, reduction of rental rebates, fines in place as part of their measures to curb the problem. Some companies even go to the extent of having employees pay for their own refresher courses as a form of further deterrence. These measures made use of the concept of Behaviorism whereby the "educator" (i.e. employer/taxi company) punishes the "learner" (i.e. employee/taxi drivers) for making mistakes and to further deter them from committing the same mistakes. At the same time, companies also provide additional driver refresher courses and road safety courses, as a way of reinforcing the necessary rules and requirements drivers should abide to.

However, despite the presence of existing instructions, trainings and education offered by the respective taxi companies, the problem of bad driving habits continue to persist. Here, it reveals the Disruptive Model. Yes, the problem can be solved by instructing or educating but there remains a gap that renders these existing instructions and education ineffective. The goal of the instructional system is supposed to reduce the rate cab drivers are committing offenses. However, despite the presence of education and instruction, the goal is still not achieved effectively. In this case, there is a disparity such that the amount of instruction/education given is not proportionate to the improvement of the situation. Thus, it can be seen that the situation continues to persist/worsen with drivers not learning the rules, thereby resulting in a discrepancy. This gap is an instructional need, and can be used for the design and development of instruction.

In an attempt to achieve the goal and to bridge the gap, we have come up with the following objectives.

Learning objectives:

(1) "While discharging his/her duty, the taxi driver values and espouses the lives of commuters and other road users”

(Enabling objectives)
- When driving, taxi drivers drive within the speed limit and observe traffic safety rules.

- When changing lanes, taxi drivers indicate his/her intention by giving out signals.


Behavioral objectives:

(1) “While servicing as a driver, taxi drivers practice courtesy to other road users and conforms to traffic rules"

(Enabling objectives)
- When picking up passengers, taxi drivers indicate his/her intention by turning on the hazard light

- When switching lanes, taxi drivers indicate his/her intention by turning on the indicator light.


(2) “While discharging his/her duty, taxi drivers practice courtesy and friendliness to commuters who board the taxi".

(Enabling objectives)
- When passengers board the taxi, the taxi driver greets the passenger with a smile.

- When passengers alight from the taxi, the taxi driver bids the passenger farewell.


Performance objectives:

(1) "When discharging his/her duty, the taxi driver recognizes the dangers of reckless driving and their dire consequences".

(Enabling objectives)
- The taxi driver stays within the speed limit of the road.

- The taxi driver gives way to other motorists.

- When picking up passengers, the taxi driver slows down the vehicle early.


Last but not least, additional recommendations should be given to strike equilibrium between recommendations and deterrents. Other than deterrents/punishments, educators can reward drivers who have a clean record. This gives them a sense of ownership and attachment which will help boost their confidence and improve learning abilities. Besides, there can also be additional courses on service conduct and educating the commuters. Educating the commuters is as important as educating the drivers. Both have to play a part.

Assignment THREE

The last of the assignments..

Number THREE.
here is it. my group decided upon the cab-drivers case study:

*click on it to view larger image*

Under the problem model, the problem discussed is in relation to bad driving habits and bad conduct of the cab drivers. For a record, cab drivers receive four times more traffic bookings or warnings than car drivers. The offenses committed include speeding, cutting across lanes dangerously, sudden braking and changing of lanes, overcharging/touting and being rude to customers.

This problem is backed with statistics provided by the cab companies. For instance, Comfort cab itself has sacked 17 of its drivers and issued 900 warning letters in 2008. Tibs on the other hand, has issued nine warning letters to their drivers. Companies have also sent their drivers to road safety courses and Comfort has sent about 150 of its accident-prone drivers whereas Tibs has sent 20 of its drivers on a "pay-for-their-own" basis as an additional deterrent.

The cause of the problem (bad driving habits of cabbies) is due to ineffective learning. This is reflected clearly in the first part of the case whereby evidence shows that there is a persisting problem of repeated offenses. This resulted in an increased in number of punishments/deterrents. For instance as mentioned above, increase in number of termination of contracts and issuing of warning letters by cab companies.

As a form of deterrent, most companies have demerit systems, bonus reduction, reduction of rental rebates, fines in place as part of their measures to curb the problem. Some companies even go to the extent of having employees pay for their own refresher courses as a form of further deterrence. These measures made use of the concept of Behaviorism whereby the "educator" (i.e. employer/taxi company) punishes the "learner" (i.e. employee/taxi drivers) for making mistakes and to further deter them from committing the same mistakes. At the same time, companies also provide additional driver refresher courses and road safety courses, as a way of reinforcing the necessary rules and requirements drivers should abide to.

However, despite the presence of existing instructions, trainings and education offered by the respective taxi companies, the problem of bad driving habits continue to persist. Here, it reveals the Disruptive Model. Yes, the problem can be solved by instructing or educating but there remains a gap that renders these existing instructions and education ineffective. The goal of the instructional system is supposed to reduce the rate cab drivers are committing offenses. However, despite the presence of education and instruction, the goal is still not achieved effectively. In this case, there is a disparity such that the amount of instruction/education given is not proportionate to the improvement of the situation. Thus, it can be seen that the situation continues to persist/worsen with drivers not learning the rules, thereby resulting in a discrepancy. This gap is an instructional need, and can be used for the design and development of instruction.

In an attempt to achieve the goal and to bridge the gap, we have come up with the following learning/behavioral objectives. Firstly, under "superordinate relationship", there are two objectives. The learning objective is “Drivers need to learn the dangers of driving recklessly and to know that the consequences of reckless driving can be dire (e.g. accidents)”. This objective is deemed most important, as it is the basis for the actions of drivers. While the behavioral objective being “Drivers recognize the dangers of their bad driving habits and stop driving recklessly”. Having drivers be aware and carry out this behavior would then solve the problem and thus achieve the goal statement. Secondly, in "coordinate relationships", there is the learning objective “Drivers have to learn to value the precious lives and safety of passengers and others” and behavioral objective “Drivers conform to traffic rules by not cutting lanes, braking suddenly etc”. Thirdly, the behavioral objective “Drivers treat their customers better by being more polite, courteous and friendlier” is listed under "subordinate relationship" as safety is seen to be more important than good service.

Last but not least, additional recommendations should be given to strike equilibrium between recommendations and deterrents. Other than deterrents/punishments, educators can reward drivers who have a clean record. This gives them a sense of ownership and attachment which will help boost their confidence and improve learning abilities. Besides, there can also be additional courses on service conduct and educating the commuters. Educating the commuters is as important as educating the drivers. Both have to play a part.

Tutorial TWO (week 6)

hellohello!
here's what we did in class for week 6...
Learning design (adjusted)

*click on it to view larger image*

Week FOUR

Hello Hello!
Sorry for this outdated post…
here’s my reflection for Lecture 3 and the readings.

I thought the lecture was pretty concise, covering 4 main points (3W,1H). I just summarize them.
Basically they are…

WHAT is Learning Design?
We can tell from the two words that it meant designing learning experiences, which involves a sequence of activities and interactions. It is an alternative to Instructional Design (ID: which I’ll touch on below) and is implement with the use of ICT. Thereby creating a platform for learning process to take place through interactions. 3 important elements have to be present when designing a learning experience:

▲ Resources: which is a source of supply, support or aid to the learners, one that they can rely on to drawn help from. (e.g. e-books, websites)

❍ Support

❑ Tasks: a piece of work assigned to the learner (e.g. to learn how to bake a cheesecake.)

The kind of task assigned, the flow of activities to emulate prescribed instructional strategies for different kinds of learning content is vital when designing a learning experience. Learning is not a linear process, but rather it works in an iterative circle. It requires refinement overtime.

WHY design learning?
With the emerging nature of learning, the pace it revolutionize and changes, there is an increased need to improve/revise learning design to better suit the present context. At the same time it is an improvement over ID. Due to the few shortcomings of ID such as its rigidity, inflexibility and time lag, learning design is developed. However, it does not replace ID entirely but instead, incorporated several elements of ID to make it more viable. Most importantly, design learning places the onus of learning onto the learner, allowing them to learn independently instead of just spoon-feeding.

How to design learning?
- Review the current course structure.
- Analyze the course.
- Comparison of teaching techniques.
- Compare course formats.
- Specify final course format.
- Not a linear process.
- Outlining the overall learning activity and associated learning outcomes.
- Listing potential mini activities.
- Outline contextual details in terms of resource and constraints.
- Map mini-activities to potential tools and resources.

WHAT is effective design?
Basically the new method of e-learning concentrates on articulating, developing, sequencing and iterating learning activities and tasks to help learners achieve desired learning outcomes. Hence, as “educators”, we should have the flexibility to alter learning activities and tasks to achieve the best possible learning effect. We need to realize that there is no 100% flawless and perfect learning design but we can optimize one’s learning experience by modifying and adapting to the related context. After all, we need to consider the different learning context, abilities of learners etc before fine-tuning our learning design.

In additional..
That we as educators, need to cater to learners’ needs. We should provide motivating and stimulating environments to maintain learner’s interest, and allowing them to work beyond their comfort zones→ develop skills knowledge and understanding. At the same time, giving learners the liberty of choosing the types of tasks they wish to engage in. As mentioned above, for effectiveness to be maximized, we need to be flexible. Having said that, flexibility in making the learners feel empowered and attachment over their learning experiences. Only when the learners are utilized with sound learning designs, can they create meaningful learning experiences and deliver greater beneficial outcomes.

There is a need to strike a balance when design learning. Moderation is the word. It’s like cooking; adding to much salt makes the dish salty; too much consideration to nutrition, makes it boring and unappetizing. Same thing, if we are too concerned over the resources/tools used, we’ll end up getting too carried away and neglect the other important aspects. Hence it is definitely important to strike an equilibrium.

From the readings, we understand the 4 main types of designs.
(1) Rule-based
- Learners are expected a apply a set of standard procedures to achieve an outcome.
- E.g. math algorithm problems where learners are expected to “abide by the rules”, follow a standard formula in order to achieve the end result.

(2) Incident-based
- The interaction between the learner and events.
- Similar to a consequential thought process.
- Learners participate in activities that require them to reflect and think about their actions/next step with regard to an event.
- E.g. many times during exams, to test our understanding and knowledge, we are given real life scenarios to apply the concepts that we are taught in during curriculum time.

(3) Strategy-based
- Using strategic planning by providing learners with sample tasks, answers, examples etc.

(4) Role-based
- Through the assumption of roles applied to real-life settings (role-playing), learners acquire skills and understanding.
- E.g. in the previous modules I took before, such as NM2219, we were supposed to assume the role of a PR practitioner and were given a scenario where we are supposed to act upon based on our understanding to public relations and crisis management. Through this, indirectly we are learning the skills/knowledge.

Yup. That’s pretty much what’s from the lecture and readings. Though pretty comprehensible, I still have my doubts. In one of the readings, the author mentioned, constructivists and cognitivists, where the former pedagogical focus is task-oriented, is oriented to designs and discovery and learn by building on their own mental structures when interacting with an environment, whereas, the latter’s pedagogical focus is on processing, and transmission of information through communication, explanation etc.

They seemed so familiar! Pretty confused by these 2 concepts actually. But all in all, this topic about the design methods, types and all is comprehensible. I’m sure it will help me design learning better in future ((: