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Reflecting about the scholarshipof teaching and learning whendesigning a PBL online courseabout social mediaAnn-Louise Davidson PhD [email protected]
Nadia Naffi [email protected]
ContexteLearning is a 50 billion dollar industry thatpromises to:
reach broad audiences
reduce cognitive load (self-paced eLearning)
save money (50% less costly than instructor-led training)
save the environment (90% less energy than traditional courses)
grow
Online learning is growing in Canadian universities
1 million online course registrations (Bates 2012; Contact North 2012)
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Very early into the century, we realized that eLearning, like all types of learning, had its merits and its pitfalls.
ADDIE
The biggest criticism ofeLearning is that it tends tovalue step-by-step structuredinstruction and leaves verylittle space for the learner.
Give us the content and we’ll design it
Give us the content and we’ll design it
Course designContent
Experience
Design the learner experienceand they will find
the content
An acknowledgement of the base of experience oflearnersAn emphasis on students taking responsibility for
their own learningA crossing of boundaries between disciplinesAn intertwining of theory and practiceA focus on the processes of knowledge
acquisition rather than the products of suchprocessesA change in staff role from that of instructor to that
of facilitatorA change in focus from staff assessment of
outcomes of learning to student self- and peerassessmentA focus on communication and interpersonal skills
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PBL Characteristics
In a typical online learning experience, students use theInternet to go through well-defined sequences of instructionto complete learning activities and reach learning objectives(Ally, 2008).
Whereas, when adopting an online problem based learning(PBL) approach, students are the ones who are mappingtheir learning experience and constructing their ownknowledge (Savin-Baden, 2006; Duncan, Smith, & Cook,2013).
Typical Online Learning Experience vs. Online Problem-Based Learning Experience
The purpose of this course is to examine the foundations andevolution of digital communications technologies. Studentswill explore the shift from analogue to digital technologies;identify the range of digital communications technologiescurrently in use, analyze the impact of these technologies oncommerce, the professions, education and society in general.Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the social andenvironmental impact of digital technologies, including issuesof equity and digital divide.
Digital Communicaton Technologies:Course description
Digital Communicaton Technologies:Competency
Exploit digital communication technologies to solve problems in a social learning perspective
How Do We Proceed?
12 weeks = How many problems?
Is this...1 problem per week? (problems around topics)1 problem per x weeks? (problems around units)Problems presented at the beginning and students
have 12 weeks to solve them?
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Pedagogical space
Pedagogical competencies
Pedagogical competencies
Desjardins, 2001, 2005
Novice Expert
Model 1 PBL for
EpistemologicalCompetence
Model IIPBL for Professional
Action
Model IIIPBL for
InterdisciplinaryUnderstanding
Model IVPBL for
TransdisciplinaryLearning
Model VPBL for CriticalContestability
Knowledge Propositional Practical andperformative
Propositional,performative and practical
The examining and testingout of given knowledge
and frameworks
Contingent, contextualand constructed
LearningThe use and managementof a propositional body of
knowledge to solve ormanage a problem
The outcome-focused acquisitionof knowledge andskills for the work
place
The synthesis ofknowledge with skills
across disciplineboundaries
Critical though anddecentring oneself fromdisciplines in order to
understand them
A flexible entity thatinvolves interrogation of
frameworks
Problemscenario
Limited solutions alreadyknown and are designed
to promote cognitiveunderstanding
Focused on a real-lifesituation that
requires an effectivepractical resolution
Acquiring knowledge tobe able to do, therefore
centred aroundknowledge with action
Characterized by resolvingand managing dillemnas
Multidimentional, offeringstudents options foralternative ways ofknowing and being
Students
Receivers of knowledgewho acquire and
understand propositionalknowledge through
problem-solving
Pragmatists inductedto professional
cultures who canundertake practical
action
Integrators acrossboundaries
Independent thinkers whotake up a critical stance
towards learning
Explorers of underlyingstructures and belief
systems
FacilitatorA guide to obtaining the
solution and tounderstanding the correctpropositional knowledge
A demonstrator ofskills and a guide to
“best practice”
A coordinator ofknowledge and skillacquisition across
boundaries or both
An orchestrator ofopportunities for learning
(in its widest sense)
A commentator, achallenger, a decoder ofcultures, disciplines and
traditions
Assessment
The testing of a body ofknowledge to ensure
students have developedepistemological
competence
The testing of skillsand competenciesfor the work place
supported by a bodyof knowledge
The examination of skillsand knowledge in a
context that may havebeen learned out of
context
The opportunity todemonstrate an integratedunderstanding of skills andpersonal and propositional
knowledge acrossdisciplines
Open-ended and flexible
Savin-Baden, 2000, p.126
PBL Models
Online Problem-Based Learning Experience
Pre-discussion of acomplex, ill-structuredproblem (i.e.,brainstorm) in thetutorial group meeting.
Formulation oflearning issues inthe tutorial groupmeeting
Individual self-directed learning(SDL) activities
Sharing and criticallyevaluating theliterature findings inthe subsequenttutorial groupmeeting
Loyens, Kirschner, & Paas, 2012, p.404 with modifications
1
Students arepresented with anill-structuredproblem throughweb-based materialincluding text,videos, andsimulations (Savin-Baden, 2006).
Group synchronous andasynchronousdiscussions are fosteredin a wide variety of Web2.0 environments suchas chat rooms,discussion boards,forums, wikis and blog.These Web 2.0environments are eitherbuilt within learningmanagement systems,such as Blackboard, orin exterior Internetplatforms, such asWikispaces or Blogger(Duncan et al., 2013;Loyens et al., 2012).
Synchronous tutorialsare held in web-conferencingenvironments, suchas Adobe Connect.
Synchronous tutorialsare held in web-conferencingenvironments, suchas Adobe Connect.
PBL
Clas
sical
Mod
elO
nlin
e PB
L
2 3 4
DiscussionaboutProject
TeamBuilding
ProjectPart 1
PeerFeedback
InstructorFormativeFeedback
ProjectPart 1Revision
ProjectPart 2
PeerFeedback
InstructorFormativeFeedback
ProjectPart 2Revision
ProjectPart 3
PeerFeedback
InstructorFormativeFeedback
ProjectPart 3Revision
InstructorSummativeFeedback
ProjectDone withAll Parts
TeamEvaluation
TeamEvaluation
PBL Project & Feedback Loops
DiscussionaboutProject
TeamBuilding
ProjectPart 1
Needs assessment:identification of troubleareas andcompetencies to bedeveloped
ProjectPart 1Revision
ProjectPart 2
ProjectPart 2Revision
ProjectPart 3
ProjectPart 3Revision
InstructorSummativeFeedback
ProjectDone withAll Parts
TeamEvaluation
TeamEvaluation
PBL Project Phases
Evaluation: creation of formative andsummative instruments
Learning material:production of learningprogram material
Online Interactions: 4 Possibilities
11:16 AM 08:26 PM
Same Place
Different Place
Synchronous Asynchronous
Course structure
12 modules1.Problem-based learning
videos posted onYouTube
2.One hour of compulsorysynchronous grouptutorial activities in AdobeConnect (for any timezone)
3.One hour devoted toasynchronous onlineactivities such as forumdiscussions, self-directedlearning activities, etc.
Technologies usedGoogle DocsPreziFacebookLinkedInTwitterInstagramRedditYouTubeAdobe ConnectBlackBoardWikispacesSkypeEmailDropbox
Designed for the mobile learningculture anywhere, anytime, through any device
Three overarching PBL Scenarios
Students will solve these problems through interacting in social mediaand reading about concepts and principles of digital communicationtechnologies.
Commerce: Someone has abusiness that is going down thedrain. The competition is high andthe competitors are tackling themarket from all perspectives.They have a strong onlinepresence and their publicity istargeted directly towards thecustomer.
Education: Someone who has a languageschool is trying to expand his/her businessbeyond the brick and mortar school. The issue isthat he/she needs to change the pedagogy andneeds to make decisions regarding thetechnologies through which this will happen.
Professions: Someone who is new toCanada needs to find employment.He/she has a wealth of experience inhis/her country of origin, but the jobmarket here in Canada is different.Licenses and accreditations are not thesame, people search for jobs online andmuch of the job market is invisible.
Week 1: IntroductionWeek 2: Breaking traditional communication modelsWeek 3: Environments, netiquette and PBL scenariosWeek 4: Online presence and online identity managementWeek 5: Networking yourselfWeek 6: CommerceWeek 7: Liberal professionsWeek 8: EducationWeek 9: Aggregate, filter, connectWeek 10: Working in collaboration (group work and CoPs)Week 11: SocietyWeek 12: Synthesis of the course and presentation of the model
Harry! That’s me! I’m
Harry. I need to get my
business online and I
don’t know how. If I can
do it for Harry, I can do
it for myself. Or vice
versa.
I realized I was Ricardo
and I really wanted to
solve his problem.
I associated a lot with
Mary. Not that I had a
language school or
anything like that. But I
am going through a
transition. At my school,
I have to use technologies
and I really don’t know
where to start. It was
nice to see someone else
had the same problem. I
liked having the help of
my classmates to solve
her problem.
Reflective analysis
Instructor #1Planning: designing the learner experience, finding
relevant/authentic problems, finding a way to design a coursein collaboration with another instructor
Doing: providing feedback without correcting content, facilitatingdiscussions, encouraging social media interactions, managinggroup work
Challenges: student knowledge, group work, managingtensions without being present
Benefits: development of relevant 21st century skills, increasedcreativity
Reflective analysisInstructor #2Planning: designing a course with no content, designing
assignments for students coming from different backgroundsand taking the course for different reasons
Doing: being present on social media platforms, participating tostudents’ discussions, being available for questions and forformative feedback on different platforms
Challenges: facilitating discussion in tutorials instead oflecturing, encouraging students to participate in discussions,dealing with outsiders and left behind students
Benefits: teaching within a growing community, having newknowledge continuously pushed towards you, reflecting on thisnew knowledge and using it
Conclusion
Was it worth the trouble? Absolutely!
Would we do it again? Yes!
Did the students benefit from the experience? The aredemanding more!
What would we do differently?
Assignments: simplifying steps
Feedback loop: providing templates for students
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