A conversation on technologically enhanced learning

1. A conversation on technologically enhanced learning John Stinson Ohio University Without Boundaries

2. Some assumptions about learning • Our primary focus is on learning rather than on teaching. • Design of the learning experience starts with the identification of learning outcomes. How we establish learning outcomes and how we validate them is of continuing concern. • There should be consistency among desired learning outcomes, design of the learning experience, and assessment of learning accomplished.

3. Some assumptions about learning • Professional education is directed toward performance, thus knowing isn’t sufficient. We must also be concerned with the ability to apply knowledge, with relevant behavioral skills, and with personal characteristics. • Knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge are most efficiently and effectively learned together.

4. Some assumptions about learning • Learning should be an active process for the learner; passive learning produces (at best) inert knowledge. • Learning starts with a compelling question - problem. It intellectually engages the learner through relevant contextually based inquiry and structured experiences. • Participants cannot learn everything they will “need to know” in school. Thus our most important assignment is to help them become independent learners who can use their experiences to continually develop new knowledge.

5. How are learners changing? • They are growing up utilizing technology and learning through exploration and experimentation. • They expect to try things rather than hear about them. • They tend to learn visually and socially. • Technology is ubiquitous in their life.

6. How is education changing? • Funding problems are creating cost pressures. • Traditional colleges not growing, for profit colleges are growing. • Life span of degrees leads to growth of “maintenance” education. • Faculty roles impacted, unbundling, non-traditional faculty.

7. What are the limitations of the classroom? • Limited by time and space. • Not good environment for content acquisition. • Infrastructure and close personal instruction are expensive.

8. What can technology enable? • Inquiry and research in unlimited digital domains. • Discussion and collaboration - synchronous or asynchronous - from anyplace at anytime. • Interactive multimedia learning experiences that focus on content acquisition, skill in application, or both.

9. What can technology enable? • Access information and acquire content using the medium consistent with learning style - visual, text, aural, multi. • Learning from experience under controlled conditions - through simulation and gaming.

10. How can technology enhance learning? • Education can move from a mass production model to a mass customization model - from one size fits all to individuation. • Learners can listen to and participate in lectures from leaders of the professional world and expert academics, regardless of location.

11. How can technology enhance learning? • Learners can work collaboratively on action learning projects with learners from across the globe, using major digital domains for inquiry and research, receiving tutoring from experts regardless of location. • Learners can be involved in interactive games that concurrently develops knowledge, application, and skill

12. Does it really work? • Program in Course Redesign Sponsored by Pew Trust • 30 experiments on large enrollment introductory courses • Average of 40% cost reduction, range from 20% to 84%. • Improved learning in 20 of 30 cases, NSD in other 10.

13. Results explained • Whole course redesign • Active learning • Computer based learning resources • Mastery learning • On demand help • Alternative staffing http://128.113.35.25/PewGrant.html

14. Thus… • Technology can enable us to not only enhance accessibility and reduce costs - • It can enable us to enhance learning by allowing more individuation, more opportunity to collaborate with others, and more access to resources all without the limitations of time and space.

15. What are we doing? • Our learning model • Examples of application

16. Our action learning model • Task • Designed based on learning outcomes • Learning outcomes - context and content • Process may or may not be facilitated • Inquiry • Research based on questions regarding both context and content • Access to digital domains as well as traditional sources • Access to expertise

17. Our action learning model • Performance • Based on activities and deliverables specified in the task • Reflection • Task performance • Learning outcomes • Facilitated

18. Action learning rationale • Through action learning participants: • develop knowledge in an active, using way rather than in inert form – deeper learning • learn content in the context of its use thus maximizing future recall in similar contexts – longer lasting learning • develop skills as well as knowledge and reinforce appropriate personal characteristics – richer learning • learn how to integrate work and learning and use future work situations as learning opportunities – learning to learn

19. Examples • MBAWB • http://132.235.70.105/mbawb1299/p3.html • MAA • http://www.ouwb.ohiou.edu/maa/community/Default.asp • HIPAA • http://www.ouwb.ohiou.edu/hipaa/ohic-oucom/ • Stand alone classes • Personal

20. At Indiana • LTTS Webquests • http://ltts.indiana.edu/

21. What can you do? • Focus on learning outcomes and individuate learning. • Use facilitated asynchronous collaboration - replace content discussion in classroom. • Use learning modules or web quests to enhance content understanding. • Turn your course up-side down. • Turn your curriculum up-side down.

22. Where am I going now? • The living learning system • A complex realistic “smart” simulation, multimedia, interactive – designed to provide the learner with a platform to develop higher level critical thinking skills, content knowledge, and application competencies. • Designed to be accessed and used by an individual, anytime, any place.

23. The metaphor • Personal coach working with individual to help them develop the competencies necessary to be successful as he/she works through complex situations faced on the job.

24. Parts of the system • The library • The self assessment • The simulation

25. The library • Information on the context business • Content material accessible in several different media • Benchmarks of application of the content • Issues related to the content • Examples or stories related to the content

26. The self assessment • Personal assessment related to the learning outcomes, may be taken at any time • Personal assessment of general skills, personality, orientation

27. The simulation • The learner can assume any one of several organizational roles and function • Consists of a number of dilemmas, decisions, required actions set in a realistic business. • As learner takes an action, he/she receives a response indicating the results of his/her action • Most responses present the need for another action

28. The simulation • The personal coach may actively intervene at any time for reflection or assistance • to help the learner make their learning explicit • to help relate actions taken to content • to point to helpful content/benchmarks • The learner remains in control of the experience • the learner can consult the library at any time • the learner can ask the coach for help • the learner can ask, “What would XXX do?”

29. Change issues - faculty • Discipline focus vs. holistic perspective • "Coveritis” • Input orientation to outcomes orientation • Teaching orientation to learning orientation • Loss of instructor control

30. Change issues -administrative • Faculty governance • The classroom • Class structure • Faculty workload • Academic calendar

31. Designing technologically enhanced learning • Technologically enhancing learning involves more than simply putting courses on-line; it involves rethinking and revising the targeted learning outcomes, the curriculum that will produce those outcomes, the organization and structure of that curriculum, the design and development of learning experiences, and effective delivery of those learning experiences.