Want to Build Better E-Learning Courses? Think Beer » The Rapid eLearning Blog

Want to Build Better E-Learning Courses? Think Beer » The Rapid eLearning Blog

I felt for a colleague today, just started a new job full of enthusiasm and ready to transform the training at his college. He has recruited a couple of very knowledgeable learning technologists so its all systems go. Only to be told to transform the training to level 1. Talk about restricting capability and stifling creativity. There must be some room for some creativity.
My suggestion, produce some level 1 stuff then,  ''Show them what you could have had'', I wish them luck and hope they don't jump ship yet, the wheels can sometimes turn slowly. 

Rapid eLearning Blog

They could also approach using the beer metaphor it may go down better but then again they are probably larger drinkers anyway.

H800-11B: Week 3b: What it means to learn – metaphors and practices: A2: On two metaphors for learning – reading Sfard

H800-11B: Week 3b: What it means to learn – metaphors and practices: A2: On two metaphors for learning – reading Sfard:

How Sfard defines the acquisition and participation metaphors.
The idea that learning is the process of acquisition; taking the learning however it is presented to you and making it your own. Taking ownership and moving forward with your new found knowledge ready to continue the journey. 'The knowledge is considered a commodity it can be applied , transferred and shared with others' (Sfard 1998).

Learning is not not just about states it involves activity and participation, 'Learning a subject is now conceived as a process of becoming a member of a certain community' (Sfard 1998). Learners may well be the the newcomers and potential reformers of the practice it is very much up to the teachers to preserve its continuity. What we acquire we store in our minds and by participating and sharing we consolidate learning, giving further authority to the learning, enrichment and depth. 

How she distinguishes between them
The two metaphors are seen as the parts and the overall learning the sum of the parts, they are seen as integral to the learning. It is difficult to separate the, 'Act of acquisition is tantamount to the act of becoming a participant'  (Sfard 1998).

The significance of Table 1 and the difference between questions of what learning is versus how learning happens. It interesting how the two metaphors are linked succinctly within a table making it clear where the comparisons blend. separating in a table almost implies they can be treated as separate metaphors but on closer scrutiny both are clearly related.

Table 1 (Sfard 1998) 

Note that Sfard sees social theories of learning drawing on both acquisitive as well as participatory models of learning. There cannot be one without the other when considering the advantages of each it is clear that one metaphor can draw out the weaknesses of the second. We have in fact represented a patchwork of metaphors (Sfard 1998)

Reference

Sfard, A. (1998) ‘On two metaphors for learning and the dangers of choosing just one’,Educational Researcher, vol.27, no.2, pp.4–13; also available online athttp://libezproxy.open.ac.uk/login?url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/1176193 (last accessed 21 February 2011).

What do institutions say/reveal…

http://www.firstcollege.co.uk
I was intrigued with this example it caught my eye.
First College is an online school, the website is not too impressive but there is a certain feeling  that leaps out at you as you explore.

Why is it called "First College" when it's a high school or secondary school?
We train a strongly collegiate style of studying so that the student learns to take responsibility for their own work and deadlines. It means the transfer to later qualifications, University, or (self) employment is much easier as a result. (First College 2011)

If you look at the school how we teach page it is clear that group work is an essential part, well it would need to be teenagers growing up without interaction with fellow teenagers would raise a few eyebrows.

http://www.firstcollege.co.uk/online_teaching.html
To Quote
There is a strong emphasis on the school as a learning community, not just a bundle of tutored subjects.

In order to study efficiently students need to learn
~ how to work in groups,
~ how to mix with others from different backgrounds,
~ how to get help from teachers, and
~ how to both get help from and give it to other students. (First College 2011)

OK I get it further more the school goes on to emphasise the importance of group work and the way it deals with differentiation online.

An extremely important, vital part of online learning is the facility to carry on private conversations alongside a class. This means a teacher can without the rest of the class seeing it, give extra help to a struggling student, support or rebuke a misbehaving one, or give a high flyer some extra challenge. An online teacher must be able to handle up to six conversations at once!

Practical experiments and real life projects, the use of games, quizzes, and recommended interactive software keeps things lively! There are also self-test quizzes and sometimes timed tests set by the teacher to check no one has got lost on the way!

Students are encouraged to get to know each other and help each other learn, both in general, and by creating group projects (First College 2011).

I found this quite interesting there is certainly an emphasis on group work and clear acknowledgement that it is a necessity,  but I would like to see it in action.

First College(2011) Online School for the 21st Century [Online] Available from : http://www.firstcollege.co.uk/index.html Accessed 15 February 2011

Habits and Habitats: Introducing the IDEA

I want a wall, where can I fit one in my classroom. Just been sidetracked by a tweet and took time out to view this. It goes on a bit but you'll get the idea fairly quickly. A flexible learning space and a wall for learners to share ideas. Sounds great !!
Want to learn more than
http://www.ryanbretag.com/blog/?p=2024

Education is changing

LearnCentral: "The Tower and the Cloud:"

Michael Wesch video. Produced as a contribution to the EDUCAUSE book, The Tower and the Cloud: Higher Education in the Age of Cloud Computing.

Well worth a look it certainly gets you thinking about the way education is /should be changing.