Week #7: Reflective Synopsis
The first six weeks of “ICT’s for
Learning Design” have been both challenging and rewarding. We have covered A LOT of content, starting
with an introduction to neurology, neuroplasticity and how the brain learns. We
then moved on to learning theories, Bloom’s taxonomy, the TPACK framework and
finally the SAMR model. This theoretical
base was the groundwork required to give the next few weeks of investigation
into four groups of ICT tools a scaffold and purpose.
In this synopsis I
will give you a brief look into each of the four groups of
technologies investigated in this course, and how each of them can be used to
transform, facilitate, support and enhance learning. I will do this by presenting my SAMR model
applications for each group and linking them to learning theory.
Behaviourism
Behaviourism is characterised by the
use of strict, repetitive learning tools, which reinforce target behaviours as
they occur. It is best for low-level
content knowledge, such as formulae, names of countries, etc. In looking back
over my SAMR model suggestions for activities for each of the groups of tools,
I was struck by how the Substitution level and occasionally Augmentation level
were most reflective of Behaviourism learning theory. I suggest that this is because Behaviourism
is almost all about memorising; however, ICT’s transform/facilitate/support and
enhance this form of learning by proving a medium that engages students by
being new and exciting.
Cognitivism
When learning via a cognitivist
approach, the learner first detects new information using their senses, whether
it be visual, auditory, or by touch. This information becomes sensory memory. However,
if not used straight away and hence deemed important, it is not stored, and so
is lost. If it does get used and identified as important, it will become
short-term memory, and with reinforcement, long-term memory. My SAMR tables
show that Cognitivism is employed at all levels from Augmentation up. This is because once at the Augmentation
level there is a higher level of stimulation and student interaction. As the
senses become active and the student becomes engaged in the activities,
information passes through the RAS, through the Amygdala and into the PFC. This
process ensures that information, process and understanding become part of the
students long term memory.
Social Constructivism
Learning is social. It is often
scaffolded by people who know more than us.
Sure, that might be a teacher or our mum and dad, but often its that
smart kid in the class, or the student that sits beside us and takes the time
to explain something again because the teacher is busy elsewhere in the
classroom. This is all Social Constructivism at play. In my SAMR tables, Social
Constructivism only begins to appear at the Modification and Redefinition
stages of the model where ICTs are employed in non-traditional activities in
the classroom that get them working with each other, but also with learners
physically outside their classroom.
Connectivism
“It is no longer
possible to know everything, it is more important to identify how and where to
find knowledge than it is to know.” – George Siemens.
I am an engineer. I remember very little factual content of my
undergraduate degree. Anything I need to know I remember because I use it
everyday, and the things I don’t use and cant remember, I find. I use Google (a lot), I pull out my
university textbooks or notes, I find scholarly articles and I call and ask the
senior engineers in the company. Sometimes
I even take the “phone a friend” option and do just that, phone a friend from
uni who I know can help me. High school classrooms should be similar to
university in this respect. This is Connectivism.
Like with Social Constructivism,
Connectivism only appears in my SAMR activities once at the Modification and
Redefinition. This is because in the
traditional classroom where ICTs are not present, Connectivism learning was
limited to the knowledge base of the social networks and resources physically
surrounding the learner. Introduce the Internet,
and tools such as those in the four groups covered in this course, and the
possible sources of information available to a learner become limitless. This just would not be possible without ICT.
We can achieve much better outcomes for our learner’s lives if we use most of the short time we have with them to model and scaffold higher order thinking skills, and then teach them how to find the facts and support for further learning. This means spending the bulk of our contact time with our students "teaching above the line", using ICT tools that are in the Modification and Redefinition phases of SAMR, and using these to support Cognitivism, Social Contructivism and Connectivism learning theories in practice. There is a place for Substitution, Augmentation and Behavourism, but let's just keep it for the bare basics!! And last but not least - keep it safe, keep it private, and keep it supervised.
- Isabel -
References:
Prezi Accessed:
06/04/15. Retrieved From:
Technology Integration, SAMR, and Differentiation Accessed: 09/03/15. Retrieved From:
TPACK, SAMR and Blooms Accessed: 09/03/15. Retrieved From:
A Brief
Overview of Learning Theory. Accessed 13/03/15. Retrieved from: https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=15608
