# Task 1 - Introduction

Edited by Enda O Reilly, 3/2/2012 9:35 PM

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Who are the learners and what do they bring to the learning experience
The Post Graduate students involved in this activity are from a range of teaching/training backgrounds. They are motivated and self directed learners, who have a range of learning and thinking styles. They recognise there is a gap between what they want to get out of the learning experience and their current state of knowledge, skill, and enthusiasm. In attempting to address this gap, prior to the commencement of the activity the e-moderator will used a variety of techniques to assess their learning needs. When the students needs have been identified, the learning outcomes or goals will be aligned to reflect those needs.
Their motives for learning are varied but have a number of common threads running through them. Students want to be able to design pedagogically sound resources based on learning theories and also to obtain the necessary skills and knowledge to adapt to this new "Digital Natives" world of learning.
The prior experience of learning of the majority of students in the group is that of a traditional face to face environment. A minority have completed or taken part in online learning prior to the module.
Their social and interpersonal skills should be at a level where they are willing to engage in a new type of learning experience. They graduated from an educational system where in most cases face-to-face lectures were the norm and as a result should feel comfortable with the idea of working on collaborative projects in a face-to-face setting. This particular e-activity which will be completed at the end of the learning theories modules, will help students develop their existing skills by using the Collaborative Learning Model approach, which will ease students into a new online learning experience.
Students will have varying levels of ICT competence and a pre-activity assessment of ICT skills will be carried out by the e-moderator.
Activity Summary

This is a roleplaying-based activity intended to enable learners to deepen their knowledge and understanding of learning theories. It does this by imagining how would the most notable learning theorists engage with Facebook, blogs and other Web 2.0 tools. Learners are placed in the shoes of the theorists and maintain fictional web-presences for the theorists, engaging with one another in an online debate. The activity is thus an example of a collaborative learning model where several people learn, or attempt to learn, together and is strongly learner centred.

A closed facebook group will keep the facebook pages contained. This is created by the e-moderator, who ensures that each student has a character and a page set up. Every student will be connected within the closed facebook group, and they will create personal timelines on their facebook profiles. They will also create links to areas of interests, a delicious account and a blog. Every student comments and asks questions to the other students. The purpose of the exercise is to learn from each other and at the end write a comparative reflection about the three schools of thought.
What is meant by a learning experience in this context?
Through collaboration online students gain an insight into web 2.0 technology and how it can enhance group discussion and individual reflection. As the student assumes the indenti f y of a learning theorist they gain a deeper understanding of the ideas and theories of the theorist as they explain and defend their theory while questioning the other theorists. Feedback from the e-moderator which is relevant, timely and frequent, will keep the discussion on-topic and sustain activity
Students will learn the social aspect of learning because they are part of a group. They will have individual and group accountability for producing the Facebook page. The students will learn from the positive support of and for the group. They will learn critical analysis skills by exploring online resources and evaluating the relevance of them and then constructing their own meaning or interpretation for inclusion on their Facebook page.
Activity Aim
This activity aims to encourage the student to gain a deeper understanding of the Behaviourism, Cognitivitism and Constructivism learning theories through assuming the identity of an influential theorist and engaging in debate and discussion with other theorists. By using Face Book as the medium for the discussion the activity aims to introduce the student to the web 2.0 technology incorporated into Face Book such as Wikis (groups), Blogs (notes) and Micro Blogging (status updates)
Activity Learning Outcomes
The specific learning outcomes for the learners are as follows:

- Learners should be able to describe in detail the central ideas of the main theorists of Behaviourism, Cognitivism and Constructivism;

- Learers should be able to compare and contrast the different theoretical stances;

- Learners should be able to outline the shortcomings and limitations of these theories;

- Learners should be able to reflect on the implications of these theories for their own teaching practice.

- Learners should be able to use selected Web2.0 technologies in their teaching practice.

Relationship with other learning activities on this module
The activity will be completed at the end of the face-to-face lectures on the Learning Theories module. Students will have been introduced to the various learning styles during this initial stage of the module and the online activity will reinforce learning to-date and expand on the collaborative element of the course. This introduction to a development of a virtual community of practice will reinforce learning to-date in the face-to-face learning theories module and prepare students for further online work during the course of the programme.
Activity timing
It is proposed the activity will take place over a 21 day period and has been designed to provide time and space to think through issues, identify how the impact on existing knowledge gained and make plans for future developments in other modules. The activity will commence with a structured two hour online lecture provided by the e-moderator and thereafter a similar one hour online lecture will be provide one day per week over the duration of the activity. The formal lecture will be followed on each occasion by a question and answer session on the progress of the activity to-date in a virtual chat room lasting for around one hour. The e-moderator will also make themselves available at specific times during the week for support and discussion.
It is expected that the student will be required to spend a total of 50 hours on the activity with a breakdown as follows:

- Induction and online lectures 3 hours of lectures should be sufficient to orient and upskill learners to a sufficient degree to enable them to successfully engage with the collaborative online learning model at the heart of this activity.
- Collaboration online 27 hours
- Independent study 20 hours
- Total 50 hours

Where do I anticipate they may have problems?
Students are coming from a range of academic backgrounds and have acquired various levels of ICT, social and interpersonal skills. We envisage the following ICT problems as a result of the pre-online activity questionnaire and our past experiences:

- Accessing the course management system e.g. poor broadband connections, browser and audio problems

- Navigating the course management system or VLE

- Using facebook and setting up a blog

As previously stated, students social and interpersonal skills should be a level where they are comfortable about moving into this new learning environment. However, problems will arise and have traditional included:

- Lack of confidence due to (i) a basic level of ICT competence and (ii) unclear guidelines from the e-moderator

- Time element i.e.combining work, family and study

- Socialisation in an online setting where the participants are getting to know each other and are unfamiliar with the characteristics and qualities of other students

Why and how would technology help?
Students have completed an element of collaborative learning on the module prior to this e-activity. Technology will further enhance the learning by:

- F acilitat ing collaborati on on a fun group learning project

- Allow students to collaborate online at a suitable time

- Facilitat ing different learning styles

- F acilitat ing reflection using a blog

- F acilitat ing e-moderator feedback and scaffolding

- Increasing accessibility for students as Facebook is available on smart phones

- Encouraging those students to contribute in a virtual setting who are perhaps are uncomfortable contributing to discussions in a face-to-face classroom

Participant roles
Students will work individually to create their profile on Facebook and will engage in discussion with other students
The e-moderator will ensure that students link to each others face book pages
Learning environment (tools and resources)
(i) What resources are available?

- Guideline to student of the activity and time line

- Pre-activity induction questionnaire to be completed all learners, which provides the course co-ordinators with information in relation to the technical skills of the learner

- Module reading list (do we have to provide a reading list for this activity or just state that it should be part of the planning process??)

- Recommended "Web links"

- Reflective prompts

(ii) What technologies are available?

- Email

- Wikis

- Facebook

- Blogs

- Course management systems e.g. Blackboard which facilitate virtual discussions, texting, archiving of discussion activities for students who missed a lecture or discussion. Students will have been introduced to the Course management system at the commencement of the face-to-face lectures and will be familiar with its operation.

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Assessment and feedback

If this activity is to be assessed we suggest that the e-moderator assess the learner on the following key criteria:

1) Contribution to the Facebook, development and maintenance of a blog:

- Learner’s contribution to Facebook will be imperative for the successsful of the colaberative learning model. A rubric suitable for the specific learning environment will be used to assess effectiveness of learner participation in online discussions and the learners' involvement during the activity. It should inlcude sections for promptness and initiative, delivery, relevance, expression, and contribution to the learning community.

2) Reflective Report:

- This report should include a summary of participant’s gains and contributions from online interaction in terms of their personal learning. The learners should show evidence of undderstanding of the learning models and bring in evidence of external reading and personal practice/experience.