Technology Transience and Pedagogical “Permanence”

Week 2: This week’s focus was on Technology Transience, teacher development in a CMC environment and communication. Technological innovation is quickly outpacing pedagogical innovation and in some ways is providing the illusion of transformation in educational practices, when in fact quite often old pedagogical practices are simply being reskinned into digital environments. Quinton highlighted this […]

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Reflecting on Constructivism and Online Learning

What does the constructivist perspective mean to me and my thinking about teaching and learning in an online context, now? How has my thinking changed and why? The readings and discussions in this course have allowed me to reflect further on constructivism and its implications for designing learning experiences and assessments. In Week 2, Sawyer’s […]

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Digital Learning – Ersatz?

Week 10 – Other Perspectives / Influencers Summary: This week we discussed the concepts of situated cognition and legitimate peripheral participation. In reviewing the readings this week, I took the opportunity to reflect on the value of cases and digital simulation in Medical Education. My learning activity for this course focuses on the use of […]

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Accountability and Interdependence

Week 9 : Asynchronous Discussions Summary: The focus this week was on reflecting on how the structure and design of asynchronous discussions in an online learning environment can impact the resulting learning experience. This week was really interesting because it highlighted the importance of careful design when creating cooperative or collaborative learning activities. The activity […]

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Constructivist Learning Environments

Week 8 – Instructional Design – Theory/Applied Summary: This week we discussed the epistemological assumptions implicit in the design of learning environments and the characteristics of constructivist learning environments. “Aside from a few notable exceptions, the design of most online learning environments is structured around the traditional instructional delivery model…” Quinton, 2010, p. 327 The […]

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Silent Learners

Week 7 Theme: Inclusion & Universal Design Summary: This week we explored accessibility and accommodation for different types of learning and learners. The idea from this week that I was most intrigued with was lurking and how participation in learning could be invisible yet still successful. This topic actually touched upon all three of the […]

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Assessment & Enculturation

Week 6 Theme: Assessment, Reflection, Participation The focus of this week was on assessment, but in thinking of assessment, I revisited some of my key assumptions regarding knowledge.  Understanding knowledge as something that occurs between people, makes me think that in some ways it is an act of perpetually attempting to reach consensus (notes 1447, […]

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Education as Enculturation

Week 5 Theme – Online Learning Discussions – Applied This week I revisited one of my guiding questions from the start of the course and considered themes from these questions in executing the design for my asynchronous discussion activity.  The first of my questions focused on interactivity in asynchronous learning materials.  Vrasidas discussed different types […]

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Teacher Presence & Cognitive Presence

Week 4 Theme – Community of Inquiry Framework/Social Presence The Community of Inquiry Framework is not a new concept for me; however, the readings and discussion this week gave me the opportunity to consider this framework from a new perspective: educational development.  The component of the COI framework that was of immediate interest to me […]

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A Brief Look at Learning Theories

Week 3 – Historical Influencers and Looking More Deeply at the Various Aspects of Online Learning The resounding idea for me this week is Bruner’s statement that “Knowledge is a process, not a product” (1966; qtd in Smith, 2002). I was unfamiliar with Bruner and his concept of a spiral curriculum until the readings this […]

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