ICT and Learning

1. ICT and Learning

2. “All technology has a human measure; it is impossible to remove the human strand even from the most inhuman of technological devices. They are our creation, however eloquently we try to deny them.” Manguel (1997)

3. Having a Personal Point of View • Many of the mechanisms by which people learn are still unknown to us. • Learning styles research is drawn out of studies about the psychological, social, and physiological dimensions of the educational process. • The aim of learning style research is to find clusters of people who use similar patterns for perceiving and interpreting situations. • We should be able to adjust educational environments to make them more efficient and successful places. • O'Connor (1997)

4. Why Consider Learning Strategies & Styles? • Many teachers tend to rely almost exclusively on sequential, verbal presentations, combined with private reading & writing activities. • We can trace lack of motivation, resistance, misperceptions, failure, and uninspired intellectual work to the fact that many students cannot learn well within the limited orientation provided them in the classroom. • Students learn best when they can address knowledge in ways that they trust. • Technology provides new capabilities to reconstruct learning environments around specific learning styles. • O'Connor (1997)

5. Some Learning Models Curry’sOnion (1983) 1. Instructional & Environmental Preferences (Dunn & Dunn 1978) 2. Social Interaction Models (Perry 1970) 3. Information Processing Models (Kolb 1984) 4. Personality Models (Myers Briggs)

6. Environmental Identification Model

7. Stages of Learning - Perry (1970) Summary of Stages 1. The Authorities know 2. The true Authorities are right, others are frauds 3. There are some uncertainties and the Authorities are working on them to find out the truth. 4. Everyone has the right to their own opinion The Authorities don’t want the right answers. They want us to think in a certain way 5. Everything is relative but not equally valid 6. You have to make your own decisions 7. First commitment 8. Several commitments 9. Believe own values, respect others, be ready to learn

8. Kolb’s learning cycle (Kolb, 1984)

9. Honey and Mumford’s learning cycle and learning styles (Honey and Mumford, 1982)

10. Individual’s Contribution

11. Implications for Teachers • Students will learn better when using preferences in which they're successful • Students will be better learners when they can expand their preferences • When teaching accommodates various preferences, more students will be successful. • Teachers can construct activities that include specific (& multiple) learning preferences • This can be done by adding alternatives, or completing learning cycles that incorporate all styles, or by utilising holistic, complex tasks. • O'Connor (1997)

12. Learning Cycles • Computers can be used to organise activities so that students experience the various stages of learning. • Simulations provide excellent opportunities for teachers to create settings where students are led through critical thinking stages. • Problem-solving (the basis of many games) can encourage students to try to use different "cognitive stages." • Guided Instruction allows for students to submit pieces of a project a step at a time. • In collaborative groups, students use each of the learning stages while working together. • O'Connor (1997)

13. Applying ICT • People first tend to use new technology in the same way they were used to using older technology. • Presentation software, like PowerPoint, can readily add visuals to text. • CD-ROMs offer encyclopaedic collections, programmed instruction, or demonstrations. • Electronic mail and Conferencing can extend discussions beyond the classroom. • Database programs and simulation games can encourage considered thought before taking action. • Adventure games (what if) and interactive learning can stimulate new approaches to complex problems. • O'Connor (1997)

14. Electronic Communication • The chance for students to work with others has been greatly extended - they can share ideas about a project, contact scholars throughout the world and seek and receive help. • Surfing the Net is only the beginning of awareness for students engaged in projects. Analysing what is available and constructing additions and alternatives, and designing editorialised centres, adds more intellectual skills than simple resource gathering. • As websites become more interactive, students can design ongoing research (where visitors participate in responding) or informational sites. • O'Connor (1997)

15. Essentials of effective communications

16. References Curry, L. (1983) 'An organization of learning styles theory and constructs' in Curry, L. (ed), Learning style in continuing education (pp: 115-131) Dalhousie University. Dunn, R., and Dunn, K. (1978). Teaching students through their individual learning styles. Reston, VA: Reston Publishing Co. Honey, P. & Mumford, A (1982) Manual of Learning Styles London: P. Honey Kolb, D.A. (1984) Experiential Learning: experience as the source of learning and development, Prentice-Hall Manguel, A. (1997) “How those plastic stones speak: The Renewed Struggle between the Codex and the Scroll”, Times Literary Supplement, 4th July, page 9. O’Connor, T. (1997) Models of Learning Styles [Online] at http://web.indstate.edu/ctl/styles/ls1.html Visited 06/07/2004 Perry, W. G. (1970) Forms of Intellectual and Ethical Development in the College Years: A Scheme. New York: Holt.