Friday 30 April 2010

Discussion boards / wikis / blogs

Is it me or do we need to overlap these systems and stop thinking of them as totally different animals. I made a quick video to explain.

 http://screenr.com/NgC

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous

Autonomy and motivation - ecclestone

Autonomy is a term that can be read in many different ways within education. Ecclestone identifies a need to separate autonomy as part of c rogers wider democratic liberal humanism, and independence as the more mechanistic process of allowing greater choice for learners in selecting resources and methods. Independence can exist without autonomy in t is case. Carr and kermmis 1986 extend this typology further with;
Procedural [technical]
Personal [related to practice]
Critical Emancipatory

Ecclestone links this with 3 forms of teaching;
Transmission, transaction, transformational

P35 learning autonomy in post 16 education - k. Ecclestone 2002

Autonomy is a term that can be read in many different ways within education. Ecclestone identifies a need to separate autonomy as part of c rogers wider democratic liberal humanism, and independence as the more mechanistic process of allowing greater choice for learners in selecting resources and methods. Independence can exist without autonomy in t is case. Carr and kermmis 1986 extend this typology further with;
Procedural [technical]
Personal [related to practice]
Critical Emancipatory

Ecclestone links this with 3 forms of teaching;
Transmission, transaction, transformational

P35 learning autonomy in post 16 education - k. Ecclestone 2002

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous

Foucault - power as creator of the individual

I'm finding the whole thing slightly confusing, but I guess that's because i'm making assumptions about what I expect from this book. After exploring, in viseral detail the torture, confinement and control societies make for individuals, you get . . .
'we must cease once and for all to describe the effects of power in negative terms; it 'excludes, 'represses' . . . Infact power produces; it produces reality; ....'

So via the production of an object, called an individual, that is only possible via the introduction of norms and the process of measuring individuals against them, do we get the social idea of ourselves. And only the organization of this by the states power has led this process.

I'm finding the whole thing slightly confusing, but I guess that's because i'm making assumptions about what I expect from this book. After exploring, in viseral detail the torture, confinement and control societies make for individuals, you get . . .
'we must cease once and for all to describe the effects of power in negative terms; it 'excludes, 'represses' . . . Infact power produces; it produces reality; ....'

So via the production of an object, called an individual, that is only possible via the introduction of norms and the process of measuring individuals against them, do we get the social idea of ourselves. And only the organization of this by the states power has led this process.

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous

Wednesday 28 April 2010

Foucault - the power of the norm

the normal is an idea with which to measure things against. foucault reveals this ideas after reviewing 18c developments in punishment and reward. 'the marks that once indicated status, privilege and affiliation were increasingly replaced - or at least supplemented - by whole range of degrees of normality . . . Playing a part in classification, hierarchization and distribution of rank.' p 184 discipline and punish

the normal is an idea with which to measure things against. foucault reveals this ideas after reviewing 18c developments in punishment and reward. 'the marks that once indicated status, privilege and affiliation were increasingly replaced - or at least supplemented - by whole range of degrees of normality . . . Playing a part in classification, hierarchization and distribution of rank.' p 184 discipline and punish

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous

Tuesday 27 April 2010

Foucault and learning space design

In exploring the classroom as a design to express power. New groupbased learning spaces challenge this power by direct observation. Not all students can be seen face-on from one position. The students have more control as the see the presentation from there viewpoint but not the lecturer.

In exploring the classroom as a design to express power. New groupbased learning spaces challenge this power by direct observation. Not all students can be seen face-on from one position. The students have more control as the see the presentation from there viewpoint but not the lecturer.

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous

The means of correct training

'Discipline 'makes' indivviduals; it is the specific technique of power that regards individuals both as objects and as instruments of its exercise.' p 170 foucault, discipline and punish.

is this quote connected to the ideas in organizational design in the workplace? If so, is this an outdated vision of work?

'Discipline 'makes' indivviduals; it is the specific technique of power that regards individuals both as objects and as instruments of its exercise.' p 170 foucault, discipline and punish.

is this quote connected to the ideas in organizational design in the workplace? If so, is this an outdated vision of work?

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous

Friday 23 April 2010

Promoting deep learning through teaching and assessment

Entwistle points out that knowledge transformation depends, in part, on the nature of concepts used, be broad enough to link with everyday experience, have accessible language, and metaphorical associations. His research with students on the question 'what do you mean by learning' revealed a journey as students realized that seeking personal meaning was more rewarding.

We are all familiar with deep and surface, and strategic. The opposite to strategic is apathetic. Why is this state ignored in literature. A Deep / strategic approach is related to high levels of academic achievement but only where the assessment procedures emphasize and reward personal understanding.

Conceptions of teaching 1. 'Some colleagues talk about the importance of covering the syllabus and ensuring that students acquire the correct information and ideas; these are teacher-focused/content-orientated.'
2. Teachers that focus on student activity
3. Student focused and learning orientated

Entwistle points out that knowledge transformation depends, in part, on the nature of concepts used, be broad enough to link with everyday experience, have accessible language, and metaphorical associations. His research with students on the question 'what do you mean by learning' revealed a journey as students realized that seeking personal meaning was more rewarding.

We are all familiar with deep and surface, and strategic. The opposite to strategic is apathetic. Why is this state ignored in literature. A Deep / strategic approach is related to high levels of academic achievement but only where the assessment procedures emphasize and reward personal understanding.

Conceptions of teaching 1. 'Some colleagues talk about the importance of covering the syllabus and ensuring that students acquire the correct information and ideas; these are teacher-focused/content-orientated.'
2. Teachers that focus on student activity
3. Student focused and learning orientated

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous

Thursday 22 April 2010

the most engaging online content - ever - in the world

Sorry, there isn’t any here, but here is a few picking from a review of webquest literature

Allan and steel, the quest for deeper learning. 2007 BJET

This is a close look at the knowledge pooling activity what takes place as one of the standard parts of webquests.

Introduction – pooling – roles – task – where to look – getting together – share and review

Yes webquests are said to be the constructivist nivarna, but they could equally promote surface learning and knowledge reproduction. To stop this, try a what do you know section at the beginning, to get the learners to pool and plan the activity, and can act as a bench mark to the learning.

Conclusions

There is evidence of synthesis and higher order thinking in the results. But it’s a fine line, careful thought is needed

Webquests can they improve critical thinking – 2002 Kimberly et al computers in schools

Compare webquests with weinstein’s 2002 critical thinking framework

Conclusion

Yes it can but design is important

Webquest learning as perceived by H. E. Learners zheng et al ‘techtrends’

What is in the literature

Critical thinking

·         Examing problems from different view points

·         Challenging each other

Knowledge application

Social skills

Scaffolded learning

In addition

Constructivit problem solving

Social interaction

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous

Commitment Compliance and comfort zones

This is the title of a paper in assessment in education by k, eccleston in 2007

Here’s a summary

We know what ‘learning autonomy’ is and that it’s important but its v hard to implement

Formative assessment it beneficial in vocational courses to boost learning confidence, plus others.

A topology of motivation

Yes, we have ideas of ‘intrinsic’ and ‘extrinsic’. German researchers have expanded this to include self-determination and personal agency. This links old ideas of effort, luck ability and difficulty of task to a sense of agency or locus of control.

Motivation is also affected by social environment and influences.

Amotivated learners

·         Lack direction for motivation

·         Apathetic

·         Hard to change

·         A need for external motivation to get moving again

External

·         Need rewards or reinforcements

·         Reviews of progress, deadlines

·         Should not be seen as bad, and sometimes needed to move out of low points

Introjected/internalised

·         Learner is reliant on a strong exernal, but internalised structure or process

·         Tasks are broken down into small steps with very direct learning outcomes

·         But it is not self-determining

·         Inititally empowering, Can straight jacket learning

Identified

·         Maybe seen as a burden by learner

·         But is connected by learning with moving to a desired outcome

Intrinsic

·         Enjoyment of learning

·         Sometimes it is there when teachers don’t realise

·         Learning is highly self-determined and independant of external contingencies

Interested

·         Learner assigns value and personal meaning to content or activity

·         Links with maslow’s self-actualisation’

·         ‘becoming-somebody’

Movement between states is v changeable and personal. But what can help?

·         Student autonomy

·         Support for competence

·         Social relations

·         Relevance of content

Quality of teaching and learning design

Teachers interest

Topology of autonomy – this is more difficult

·         Personal – technical – procedural – critical

How do these to systems work together?

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous

Friday 16 April 2010

Interesting methodology for measuring learning space design

Measuring the effect on teaching practice of room design has many complexities. Here is a very useful method described in this paper. A set of teaching and learning activities are defined. Classroom observations record at intervals, the position and activity of the teacher. The maps and lengths and sequences of activities can then be compared. They are further explored in interviews. Martin's conclusions are that rooms do influence, but most strongly in a negative way. The strongest of these being for student-centred teachers in teacher centric classrooms.
S h martin. The classroom environment and its effects on the practice of teachers

Measuring the effect on teaching practice of room design has many complexities. Here is a very useful method described in this paper. A set of teaching and learning activities are defined. Classroom observations record at intervals, the position and activity of the teacher. The maps and lengths and sequences of activities can then be compared. They are further explored in interviews. Martin's conclusions are that rooms do influence, but most strongly in a negative way. The strongest of these being for student-centred teachers in teacher centric classrooms.
S h martin. The classroom environment and its effects on the practice of teachers

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous

Thursday 15 April 2010

Physical classroom design - research

Room use is influenced by;
Culture - of the subject, of the institution and beyond Social - including the teaching and learning dynamic, and the pedagogy
physical design - including any technology [digital or otherwise]. - [adapted from horne-martin 2004]

A paper by p.woolner et al 2007l, reviewed imperical evidence behind physical design research in the area. They did this for the schools for future initiative.

Highlights include;
The are some obvious basics you need, lighting temperature, air quality, noise reduction that are backed up by research.

Cost benefits - as there is little evidence, would money be better spent elsewhere. The conclusion is 'yes' unless users are involved.

Colour - there is no clear evidence, but the suggestion is made use of colour behind the teacher to aid concentration. Colour is also highly visible, and is noticed by students [as in my own research] therefore it is suggested that this could make an impact on student conception of room quality [maxwell 2000]. Nice quote from student 'a giant magnolia prison' [burke, grosvener [2003] sundstrom [1987] warns claims are always over optimistic for affect of colour.

'wow' factor - there are no longitutinal studies, but there are fears over initial enthusiasm draining away.

Displaying student work - increased feelings of ownership, involvement leading to improved motivation [killeen et al 2003]

Change for change sake - can be stimulating [gump 1987]. Rivlin and wolfe 1985 say its rare that anyone moves furniture in the classroom or aeven the home.

User centred design - builds ownership. But this needs to be at a deep level and at different stages

Architectural determinism - warnings that there is an over estimation of affect design has on human activity. Brennan et al work on open plan offices 2002. [Horne 1999] humans resort to coping with environments if they have no involvement in design.

Room use is influenced by;
Culture - of the subject, of the institution and beyond Social - including the teaching and learning dynamic, and the pedagogy
physical design - including any technology [digital or otherwise]. - [adapted from horne-martin 2004]

A paper by p.woolner et al 2007l, reviewed imperical evidence behind physical design research in the area. They did this for the schools for future initiative.

Highlights include;
The are some obvious basics you need, lighting temperature, air quality, noise reduction that are backed up by research.

Cost benefits - as there is little evidence, would money be better spent elsewhere. The conclusion is 'yes' unless users are involved.

Colour - there is no clear evidence, but the suggestion is made use of colour behind the teacher to aid concentration. Colour is also highly visible, and is noticed by students [as in my own research] therefore it is suggested that this could make an impact on student conception of room quality [maxwell 2000]. Nice quote from student 'a giant magnolia prison' [burke, grosvener [2003] sundstrom [1987] warns claims are always over optimistic for affect of colour.

'wow' factor - there are no longitutinal studies, but there are fears over initial enthusiasm draining away.

Displaying student work - increased feelings of ownership, involvement leading to improved motivation [killeen et al 2003]

Change for change sake - can be stimulating [gump 1987]. Rivlin and wolfe 1985 say its rare that anyone moves furniture in the classroom or aeven the home.

User centred design - builds ownership. But this needs to be at a deep level and at different stages

Architectural determinism - warnings that there is an over estimation of affect design has on human activity. Brennan et al work on open plan offices 2002. [Horne 1999] humans resort to coping with environments if they have no involvement in design.

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous

Wednesday 14 April 2010

Jisc roundtable - reported in guardian

This discussion appears to touched on many issues facing HEIs. It's general focus was collaboration. New technology inevitably appears. The arguments against say 'yes, it matters but people still need to talk f-2-f'. The usual example in open uni do all the tech stuff, but still run f-2-f activities. [I wonder what the truth is behind this perception ?] they seemed to have missed the point again. So much of this precious time is used in information transmission, and little on thinking and discussion. The sector is hung up on the idea that people come together just to listen. There is more than enough sources of information available to allow people to access it. What's needed is space to do something with this knowledge. And this is where f-2-f comes into it's own. Guardian education section p6-7 13 april 2010

This discussion appears to touched on many issues facing HEIs. It's general focus was collaboration. New technology inevitably appears. The arguments against say 'yes, it matters but people still need to talk f-2-f'. The usual example in open uni do all the tech stuff, but still run f-2-f activities. [I wonder what the truth is behind this perception ?] they seemed to have missed the point again. So much of this precious time is used in information transmission, and little on thinking and discussion. The sector is hung up on the idea that people come together just to listen. There is more than enough sources of information available to allow people to access it. What's needed is space to do something with this knowledge. And this is where f-2-f comes into it's own. Guardian education section p6-7 13 april 2010

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous

Tuesday 13 April 2010

Cheap brain wave headsets in kids toys

Mattel have developed a toy that uses a brain wave headset to operate it. The toy is fairly crude, and the idea isn't new, but it did make me interested in this technology.

Mattel have developed a toy that uses a brain wave headset to operate it. The toy is fairly crude, and the idea isn't new, but it did make me interested in this technology.

Posted via email from abstractrabbit's posterous