A Comparison and Contrast in Online Professional Development

1. A Comparison and Contrast in Online Professional Development lynda.com icouldbe.org Compare and Contrast Presentation by Sazara Johnson and Katrina Joseph

2. Compare & Contrast Chart Table 1: Assumptions Inherent in Objectivism and Constructivism, “Objectivism and Constructivism: Do We Need a New Philosophical Paradigm,” Jonassen, David

3. Reality (real world) Objectivism • External to the knower • Structure determined by entities, properties, and relations • Structure can be modeled • Software Training • Online Library of Training Movies • Learners are professionals seeking to • improve their software skill sets Jonassen: --The important metaphysical position that objectivism makes is that the world is real, that it is structured, and that its structure can be modeled for the learner.

4. Reality (real world)

5. Reality (real world)

6. Reality (real world)

7. Reality (real world)

8. Reality (real world) Constructivism • Determined by the knower • Dependent upon human mental activity • Product of mind • Symbolic procedures construct reality • Structure relies on experiences/interpretations • Soft Skills Training • Online Mentor to Mentee Environment (also Mentor to Mentor) • Learners are junior high and high school students • Some learners must complete the tasks as part of a class assignment • Elizabeth Murphy: • --Student-directed Goals • --Learner Control • --Multiple Perspectives (yl/Sm) • --Alternative Viewpoints

9. Reality (real world)

10. Reality (real world)

11. Reality (real world)

12. Reality (real world)

13. Reality (real world)

14. Reality (real world) Features: Murphy’s Problem-Solving and Case-based Curriculum

15. Mind Objectivism • Processor of symbols • Mirror of nature • Abstract machine for manipulating symbols • Learners view step-by-step procedures narrated by trainers • Learners control the pace of their learning Jonassen: --The epistemology of objectivism holds that the purpose of the mind is to mirror that reality and its structure.

16. Mind Constructivism • Builder of symbols • Perceiver/interpreter of nature • Conceptual system for constructing reality • Learners are guided through a curriculum designed to prepared them • for their chosen profession • Learners must accomplish tasks in order to advance Murphy: AUTHENTIC ACTIVITIES KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION

17. Thought Objectivism • Disembodied: independent of human experience • Governed by external reality • Reflects externalreality • Manipulates abstract symbols • Represents (mirrors) reality • Atomistic: decomposable into “building blocks’ • Algorithmic • Classification - What machines do • Learners mirror the movies using exercise files • A short video at the beginning introduces the learner • to the trainer followed by the instruction

18. Thought Constructivism • Embodied: grows out of bodily experience • Grounded in perception/construction • Grows out of physical and social experience • Imaginative: enables abstract thought • More than representation (mirrors) of reality • Gestalt properties • Relies on ecological structure of conceptual system • Building cognitive models • More than machines are capable of • Learners communicate with mentors who are experts in their fields • Learners ask questions and share experiences • Mentors provide scaffolding Jonassen: THOUGHT --Grows out of physical and social experience --Imaginative: enables abstract thought --Grows out of bodily experience COMPLEX THINKING (Design of CLEs) MURPHY: --Previous Knowledge Constructions --Consideration of Errors

19. Meaning Objectivism • Corresponds to entities and categories in the world • Independent of the understanding of any organism • External to the understander • Meaning has been constructed by the software developers • Learners know they have mastered the software training when • they can perform the same tasks without guidance

20. Meaning Constructivism • Does not rely on correspondence to world • Dependent upon understanding • Determined by understander • Meaning is constructed by the learners • Learners share their thoughts and experiences through email and on discussion boards • Feedback is given by the mentors

21. Symbols Objectivism • Represent reality • Internal representations of external reality (“building blocks”) • Real problems are addressed in each movie • Learners can view a list of all of the movies he/she has viewed • Learners can use the movies for quick reference

22. Symbols Constructivism • Tools for constructing reality • Representations of internal reality • Mentors and mentees post profile pages to introduce themselves (i.e. interests, hobbies, photos) • The online environment is enhanced with a 3D avatar to guide the learner • Learners have access to training movies, email, and discussion boards

23. References Dabbagh, Nada “What is Authentic Learning”September 25, 2007 fromAdvanced Instructional Design Class: Edit 732 Jonassen, David H "Objectivism versus Constructivism: Do we Need a New Philosophical Paradigm?" Educational Technology Research Development 39 (1991) 5-14 Jonassen, David H “Welcome to the Design of Constructivist Learning Environments” Retrieved October 2007 (1-3) Murphy, Elizabeth "Constructivist Checklist" Retrieved September 24,2007 from http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/%7Eelmurphy/emurphy/cle4.html Website: lynda.com – http://www.lynda.com/ Website: icouldbe.org – http://icouldbe.org/