Instructional Designer. Patchwork Academic.
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 […]
Continue ReadingWeek 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 […]
Continue ReadingWeek 2 – Intro to Constructivism and Online Learning Discussion I think my biggest revelation this week note was understanding that before instructional techniques can change, the goals of education need to change, and that these goals are ultimately defined via our assessment tools. If we don’t change the definition of success, than Sawyer’s argument […]
Continue ReadingWeek 1 What does the constructivist perspective mean to me and my thinking about teaching and learning in an online context? [include references] I understand constructivism to mean that knowledge and identity are continually reconstructed through social interaction. I particularly like the way that Neil Mercer frames it as ‘interthinking’, or the process through which […]
Continue ReadingAt the beginning of this course, we were given a list of adjectives and asked to choose the 5 essential characteristics for a learning experience. I chose well-written, user-driven, story-driven, interactive and engaging. My team also emphasized the importance of accessibility. Looking back on the list and reflecting on the past 7 weeks, I honestly […]
Continue ReadingThis week I wanted to return to the idea of data-driven learning design from earlier in the course. We are in the process of designing a Learner Dashboard at work (which will hopefully be developed and added to our LMS). For months, this Learner Dashboard was discussed in the abstract as the ultimate tool for […]
Continue ReadingI’ve run into a few situations this week where the importance of establishing a collective understanding was particularly important. I think we often make assumptions about certain knowledge being a definite. This issue actually came up again earlier in the week during a curriculum development meeting. For months, our team has been debating our approach […]
Continue ReadingAs a web developer and ed tech specialist, I love the power that technology can bring to redefining learning. But I think we can sometimes lose track of the “why” and focus too much on the tools. It seems like too often when we talk about learning today the conversation tends to start and end […]
Continue Reading“There isn’t anyone you couldn’t love once you’ve heard their story. ” I think it’s so important for us as learner developers to humanize learning. Stories make learners care. They can also take abstract learning and ground it in the real which helps learners empathize. When I first considered the role of storytelling in education, my […]
Continue ReadingThis assignment was a great way to reframe how I think about learning experiences. I’m not sure that learning can be as clearly delineated as Plaut’s Framework would like us to believe, but looking at each component: Strategy, Requirements, Structure, Interaction, Sensory can make it easier to find the gaps. Click the image above to […]
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