Category: edci 339 blogs

How can teachers find, build & share resources and content to support Develop an awareness of the potential of Human-Centered Learning in Online and Open K-12 Learning Contexts learners in K-12 online & open digital contexts? What did I already know, what do I know now based on the course readings and activities, what do I hope to learn?

Topic one of this course gave me a better understanding of what human-centered learning is and the importance of it. Verena takes some key points from our readings, which break down what human-centered learning is. I found this helpful, as I initially wasn’t exactly sure what the term meant. For example, communication, relationship and connection building, extending definitions around “success”, creating relevancy to learning, etc. are all important aspects of human-centered learning. So, how can teachers find, build and share resources and content to support human-centered learning in an online and open context?

Photo retrieved from Unsplash by Markus Winkler

The readings from topic four provide examples and information related to open education resources and the importance of it. Kimmons (2015) defines open education resources (OER) as “educational materials that are in the public domain or introduced with an open license” (p. 40, 2018). Roberts and Noble’s article (2020) indicated that from their research around OER that there was a lack of awareness around the concept, but that people do understand the importance of collaborating and sharing. In theory, OER sounds easy, but copyright and restrictions can potentially make OER somewhat limited. That is why Roberts and Noble (2020) suggest creating digital content on platforms that allow the option to have material open for learners to use. When creating your own material, you can ensure that it is relevant to the students. That would be an example of how to build and share OER. Another example in terms of building OER came from Wiley and Hilton’s article (2018) and the example they gave was students in a course giving future students “deeper explanations of concepts, study guides for exams, tutorial videos that provide scaffolding and support to learners who benefit from having the material presented from a different perspective or in a different medium” (p. 138, 2018). This example reminds me of the importance of UDL and how all students learn differently, so by receiving information from a different perspective this could potentially help students. It also is a way that promotes communication, as well as building connections and relationships. With this example, they also address the fact that students cannot be required to share their work, “however, faculty can espouse the benefits of openness and appropriately advocate for students to license their works under a Creative Commons License” (p. 144, Wiley and Hilton, 2018). This website helped me understand what Creative Commons License is.

In terms of teachers finding resources (open or not), I believe creating connections within your community will help with this. Connecting with others, using the library and the Internet are also good examples.

Roberts and Noble (2020) explain that to develop knowledge, people should be given the opportunity to have access to the “same learning opportunities regardless to geography, culture or technology” (p. 7, 2020). OER can be created in a way that would achieve this and bring many other positives for learners and educators. I will continue to research OER as I continue on my pathway of becoming a teacher and look forward to see what will come out of it over time. I believe that by collaborating with others, using platforms (ex. Twitter) and the resources provided to us it will help support learning.

References:

Kimmons, R. (2015). OER quality and adaptation in K-12: Comparing teacher evaluations of copyright-restricted, open, and open/adapted textbooks. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. 16(5), 39–57. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v16i5.2341

Roberts, V. (2020). Topic 1. Retrieved from https://edtechuvic.ca/vroberts/2020/07/05/topic-1-july-6-9-introductions-privacy-and-human-centred-learning/

Roberts, V. & Noble, S. (2020). Developing a Creative Commons Mindset: The Practical Aspects of OER from a K-12 Alberta School District Perspective. [Weblog]. Retrieved from http://verenaroberts.ucalgaryblogs.ca/2020/06/25/deve loping-a-creative-commons-mindset-the-practical-aspe cts-of-oer-from-an-k-12-alberta-school-district-perspect ive/

Wiley, D. & Hilton, J. (2018). Defining OER-enabled Pedagogy. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 19(4). http://dx.doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v19i4.3601

How would you describe the historical and theoretical trends in k-12 open and distributed learning? What did you already know, what do you know now based on the course readings and activities, what do you hope to learn?

Roberts et al (2018) article “Open Educational Practices in K-12 Online and Blended Learning Environments” discusses and reviews open learning practices and blended environments by considering the pedagogical foundations of open learning practices. This article was interesting to read and provided me with a better insight on what exactly open education actually is!

The article explained that open learning “cannot be inclusive only with distance learning”, which I needed clarification on (Roberts et al, 2018). The authors further explain that open learning is not a learning theory, instead it can be seen as a teaching and learning method where “learners identify and locate learning opportunities for themselves as well as create learning opportunities for others (Coffey et al, 2006 as cited in Roberts et al, 2018).  These definitions helped solidify my understanding on the subject.

As I was reading Roberts et al (2018) article, the discussion on how learners should have access to learning choices regarding time, place, medium and content (Lewis, 1994 as cited in Roberts et al, 2018) reminded me of the UDL guidelines and their importance. I also saw an alignment between Dewey’s (1938) theory being that there should be groups of people “learning from and with each other” (Roberts et al, 2018) to what we are taught in this program about the importance of collaboration. I believe that there are many positives to allowing collaboration within education.  Roberts et al (2018) explain the view of scholars who “argue that knowledge should be free and open to use and re-use; collaboration should be easier, not harder; individuals should receive credit for contributing to education and research” and that ideas and concepts should be explained in methods that involve more than “presentation of a printed textbook” (Roberts et al, pg. 530, 2018).

It makes sense to hear that due to the geography of Canada, online and blended learning is present in Canada today, however I did not realize that the first correspondence school in BC opened in 1919 and that Canada “continues to have one of the highest per capita student enrolment in e-learning courses and programs (Barbour and Labonte, 2015 as cited in Barbour and Labonte, 2018). I find it surprising that 101 years later from when distanced learning began, there still has been little research conducted, as we learned from our topic readings.

I hope to learn about the research that is conducted after COVID-19, as this pandemic has caused a scenario where children, teenagers and adults had to resort to learning in online environments (asynchronous and synchronous) and I believe there will be an increased focus on researching online learning environments and its impacts on learning. It will also be interesting to see if a company like CANeLearn will begin to have more of a presence going forward (I hadn’t heard of this company prior to our readings), as Barbour and Labonte (2018) feel that there needs to be an investment in Canadian-based research and that CANeLearn could be used as a tool in providing research, support and communicating with local practitioners, rather than just academic journals.

References:

Roberts, V. , Blomgren, C. Ishmael, K. & Graham, L. (2018) Open Educational Practices in K-12 Online and Blended Learning Environments. In R. Ferdig & K.Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 527–544). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

Barbour, M & Labonte, R. (2018) An Overview of
eLearning Organizations and Practices in Canada. In
R. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research
on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 600-616).
Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

Dikkers (2018) article “Social Interaction in K-12 Online Learning” brings up many interesting topics related to online and open learning spaces. One topic discussed is the foundational Transactional Distance Theory, which proposes the idea that distance is connected more with pedagogical decisions than the actual physical distance between the teacher and their students (Dikkers, 2018). With my own experience of taking online courses recently, I believe this to be true. That being said, what works for my learning style may not work for others. Building a meaningful connection with students in the online environment will vary from student to student. This is true in both open and online learning.

In order for teachers to effectively build safe relationships in both open and online learning spaces, pedagogical decisions are crucial. Dikkers’ (2018) article explains that when focusing on engagement with content and peers it does not lose social interaction and connections in online spaces. We have learned throughout the Education Program how important it is to build connections and bring a sense of community within students to make them feel comfortable with their learning environment. This is confirmed in Dikkers’ research as well and she also explains that by building these connections, students are able to focus better on “their learning [rather] than the online modality within which they are learning” (Dikkers, 2018, p. 512). I believe that building meaningful connections with students leads to building safe relationships. Finding a way to do this online may be more challenging than face to face, however, we have the technology tools available to help facilitate this. Zoom calls with their teachers and their class regularly, opportunities to give and receive feedback from peers and teachers, creating assignments that require collaboration or interacting with peers are all examples of ways to build safe relationships and motivate students.

Photo by John Schnobrich – Unsplash

With so many different technology tools available, it is important to consider the needs of all students and try and create a learning environment that encourages meaningful learning and connections. This week’s topic has also highlighted the importance of privacy concerns. Regan and Jesse (2019) discuss how many programs used at the K-12 level raise ethical concerns in regards to privacy. I myself find the thought of using technology programs in my future classroom somewhat overwhelming, as I want to ensure that student safety and privacy is top priority.

Photo byJoshua Hoehne on Unsplash

Overall, I will continue to ensure that FIPPA guidelines are being followed and have an open mindset towards online education. Although I have had my doubts about the ability to develop strong social interaction and connections through online learning tools, the articles in our readings make it clear that it is still possible to achieve these goals in the online and open learning environment.  Given the current uncertainty in the world, and with the future of full time in classroom learning somewhat in flux for at least the near future, ensuring that we as educators use all methods possible to maximize social interaction and connections while in the online educational environment will be crucial.

References:

Garrett Dickers, A. (2018) Social Interaction in K-12 Online Learning. In R. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 509-522 ). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

Regan, P., & Jesse, J. (2019). Ethical challenges of edtech, big data and personalized learning: Twenty-first century student sorting and tracking. Ethics and Information Technology, 21(3), 167-179. DOI: 10.1007/s10676-018-9492-2