Theoretical perspective (as part of constructing courses)

Audrey Campbell


National Certificate in Animal Care






Aims

To improve the already flexible delivery program, by enhancing written materials with video and discussion forums via a blog.

To address learner’s feedback regarding lack of visual demonstration for several important procedures which are currently shown only in diagram form.

To enhance the range of information available to learners; taking into account VARK learning styles, in relation to practical aspects of caring for dogs unit, such as restraining a dog, lifting and handling, and basic care procedures such as claw clipping.

To providing information in a form that can be accessed anywhere asynchronously.


Theory behind it all

The restructuring of this unit fits into the connectivist theory of learning dubbed "a learning theory for the digital age” which utilises several Principles

Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.

Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.

Learning may reside in non-human appliances.

Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known

Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.

Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.

Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.

Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision. Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age

The objective of providing additional visual information for this part of the unit is to ensure learners are able to demonstrates competence in carrying out the tasks required to complete the unit; but more so, that the learner feels confident in carrying out what's required because the tasks will be in context for the learner as the videos will show appropriately dressed veterinary nurses in uniform performing the tasks. Linking videos to social networking sites will allow a range of opinions to be developed and raise new ideas, hopefully stimulating learners to want to know more, and being available on-line will allow learners to access the material as needed allowing them to take control over their learning.

Learners can have positive concepts of how they are performing when in control of the methods of learning, which Bandura, Schwartzer (1992) termed academic self efficacy, in particular that an individual learner’s belief that he or she can control what they learn, how they interact and how they perform, encourages learners to engage in and complete course-specific tasks. If we as teachers feed those positive concepts, through social networking and asynchronous content, for example, learners will have a positive experience and want to achieve more.

I liken Bandura’s concept to motivational speakers that say if you think positive then you will succeed a bit like Winston Churchill who said “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

I envision it will be a bit difficult to measure a learner’s confidence (as it’s more of an internal feeling not easily quantifiable, currently we measure efficiency rather than confidence) but we may see more learners completing individual units, and the courses, and draw inference to confidence.

So what about the learners?

The veterinary nursing school already has a good grounding in using alternative methods of delivery; we have used on-line teaching for some time and have developed a good understanding of using tools like Moodle, Exe and Elluminate. These tools are useful to some levels of students, but as with most on-line content, some computer experience is needed and the confidence to ask for help without looking stupid is required. OP has a good I T support network available until early evening, but many distance learners need help 24/7. I know from personal experience how frustrating not having the computer knowledge can be when desperate to complete something. The school is also forging ahead with embedding literacy and numeracy within our course notes, and more recently into the multi-media arena, I envisage the use of learner and tutor videos will help, with embedding literacy in particular, as the content will include explanations and verbal instructions relating to the written course notes.

One very useful aspect of the school is the diversity of learners and courses, there is access to many learners who have completed previous, similar and higher level courses, as well as different disciplines, companion animal nursing, and rural animal technology (large/production animal); we are now starting to use learner video and photographic evidence as material for current learners, I find this an exciting prospect which I think will help to further conceptualise the information for current learners, and as a by-product show them they can succeed (back to Bandura).

So what about our industry? (I still think of myself as a nurse first and lecturer second)

We are governed by many industry and government regulations in what we can teach, mainly aimed at what the industry needs; after all nurses need to be providing what employers need or they won’t find jobs, and our school’s reputation would be diminished, but there is no constraints on what we can enhance for prospective nurses over and above the set curriculum. If we don’t keep up with current trends and information then learners will not have the skills to meet industry needs, the industry will also feel less confident in our ability as a provider to equip nurses to think as well as do. So learners passing courses are great for the school success rates, and the industry, but I feel the use of social networking (as one tool in our toolbox) will allow us to keep information current, get nurses in touch with each other and new developments around the world, grow nurses confidence, enhance the nursing profession as a whole and allow Otago to maintain its standing in the veterinary nurse education field.

References

Bandura, A., & Schwarzer, R. (1992). Exercise of personal agency through the self-efficacy mechanism. Hemisphere Publishing Corp. Retrieved from http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&an=1992-97719-001&loginpage=login.asp&site=ehost

Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, Vol. 2 No. 1, Jan 2005

VARK learning styles http://www.vark-learn.com/english/index.asp

More information

See more of Bandura’s ideas at http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Self-efficacy#Self_Efficacy_in_the_Classroom

Treading Softly On Learners Dreams

‘Connectivism is the notion that knowledge is distributed across a network of connections, and therefore that learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks’

http://darcymoore.net/2009/09/18/connectivism-connective-knowledge-cck09/


Darcy suggests that tertiary learners make sense of their surroundings, and by default the course content, through social interactions, and that the tutor’s role is often one of change agent, helping the learner make the jump from the world of high school, where teaching is linear (study this – take this exam – gain this qualification), to the tertiary setting where they will be expected to have a degree of independent thought and action. Rather like Sir Ken Robinson’s metaphor of a car production line, each learner has an engine, four wheels and a gearbox, give it a little petrol (job to do) and it will go from a to b in roughly a straight line without much thought, but give the same learner a jumble of parts and the ability to make connections with other like minded learners through media such as the internet and hey presto, the car parts now become an organic thing, basically anything the learners can envisage.

See Darcy’s simple but very useful presentation on connectivism:

http://ginag2.vodspot.tv/watch/2544655-connectivism-in-plain-english

And Sir Ken Robinson’s full (and funny) take on moving education from linear to organic:

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/865


Zone of proximal development (ZDP) Vygotsky

‘The distance between the actual developmental level... and the level of potential development [facilitated] through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers’.

Vygotsky suggests the role of education is to provide learners with experiences which are within their ZPD, thereby encouraging and advancing their individual learning, for example students need to try out tasks that are not too easy for them to avoid boredom, but the tasks must not be too hard, to avoid frustration (basically stretch the learner a little without frightening them to death).

Pitching the instruction at the right level seems to be critical for learner success and what can be a better leveler than a group of peers (learners doing the same course, or previous learners who have completed their study).

Vygotsky’s work is based around the constructivist theories that suggest learners are in charge of their own learning with the help of facilitators, and that using tools such as reciprocal questioning, (where learners work together asking and answering their own questions), jigsaw Classroom, (where learners become "experts" on one aspect of a joint project and teach it to the others in their group), and structured controversies (where learners work together debating a particular controversy) the learner works at their own level within a safe environment with mutual support from his or her peers.

I suggest that this is already available to the techno-savvy generation; they already communicate well, give and receive instant feedback via their peers (try facebook for instant reactions!), collaborate on anything and everything (Wiki, twitter, blogs and podcasts to name just a few) and are more ‘expert’ on the whole multi-dimensional social networking than I could ever be.

Perhaps it’s time for me to recognise that sometimes the learner is in fact the teacher in this relationship.

Learn more about Vygotsky’s theories:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Vygotsky

Tread Softley On My Dreams

I have just spent the most enthralled 17 minutes of my teaching career. I was looking for a bit more information on how connectivism can be used to help a range of students, hoping, I guess, that something would come up and slap me in the face, making everything seem easy. I am so surprised to have found this while I was trolling through blogs and wikis, a lecturer I have never heard of who, just by watching his video, has changed my way of thinking entirely.

He makes a great reference ( about 8 minutes in for those in a hurry) to how we 'oldies' (over 25) take a wrist watch for granted as a means to tell the time, because we are conditioned to do it, after all we were made before the digital age and wouldn't have a clue what time it was without a watch; but how his daughter wouldn't be seen dead with a 'single function device' like our watch. 'Newbies' (under 25) obviously want multi-function, fast and instant access to time data, and their ipod, iphone, web browser, podcast and every other electronic gizmo world allows them to dispence with a watch. So if their ipod, iphone, web browser, podcast and every other electronic gizmo world can allow them to dispense with a watch, then why not allow them to dispense with lectures in favour of multi-media.

This appears to be the fundamentals of connectivism, the lecturer is no longer a 'lecturer' but an agent for change, maybe the way forward is to teach the skills necessary for the learner to find out how to use his or her ipod, iphone, web browser, podcast and every other electronic gizmo, and research the world for themselves.

Have a listen to this guy and see what you think.

Sir Ken Robinson

PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORK

I have been looking for an easy to understand and easily related work on Connectivism. the roots of which appear to be based on social networking rather than me as a lecturer doing the 'know it all teacher' and the student the passive recipient, and here it is. Have a look at this short video and it will show you how easy it seems to connect with others, I expect it isn't quite this simple but imagine if it was. I really like the idea that lecturers no longer lecture but inspire, I can think of a few people in my life that have inspired me to do something better than I thought I could. I would love a student of mine to think of me that way.
Watch and learn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwM4ieFOotA