Learning Design Framework

Engagement Theory

This theory is a technology-based learning and teaching framework. It uses a constructivist approach to teaching and learning and emphasizes collaborative teamwork where students are involved in creating projects that are relevant to real world contexts. The 3 components of the Engagement theory  Relate, Create and Donate assist in the development of cognitive processes which are important to developing interpersonal relationships at home, school and work later on.

Educational Benefits

• suitable for most learning abilities
• technology-based/ problem based
• focus is on collaborative teamwork
• all students have the opportunity to succeed in learning
• authentic learning context enhances student motivation and satisfaction
• develops communication, planning, management and social skills 
• develops cognitive processes; decision making, creating, problem solving, reasoning and evaluation.

Digital tools such as emailing, webconferencing, blogs, wikis and chat programs all require collaborative efforts to source and process information. This course Managing e-learning requires students to build websites, follow blogs and post comments, highlighting the fundamental idea behind the Engagement Theory that students engage in learning activities that are creative, meaningful and authentic.


References
Kearsely, G ., Schneiderman, B. Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning, Retrieved July 19, 2010, from:
http://home.sprynet.com/%7Egkearsley/engage.htm

McInerney, D., & McInerney, V. (2006). Educational Psychology, Constructed Learning, French Forest, NSW, Australia: Pearson

Blogs

Setting up a blogspot
How I envy all of you digital natives out there. My experience so far is that I am way too slow at getting my thoughts creatively organised into a blog that I am happy to publish, however, I am enjoying the experience of this new online learning environment and I can see how students could engage positively with learning tasks this way. 

So, what is a blog? A blog is like a journal or a diary only it is created using the internet. Setting up a blog can be done by signing up to a website such as www.blogger.com

Blogs allow people to share different types of information for various purposes. Personal blogs might include sharing photos of holidays or weddings. Other blogs focus on specific topics such as music, art, environmental issues or current affairs.
Although blogs are usually written in a quick informal style bloggers aim their writing at a target audience.

Educational benefits:

• interesting and fun way for students and teachers to communicate and collaborate with each other.
  
• promotes an interactive approach to learning more so than the traditional chalk and talk method.
• engages students positively in learning tasks.
• valuable reflective learning tool
• blogs can be edited to include new learnings.

 Classroom use:

• exchange knowledge, expertise and experiences; to share ideas, stories, music and art.
• for personal use as an online diary or journal.
• for educational purposes for teachers and students.

 Challenges: 

• safety and security of personal information and identity
  
• school policies and procedures for blogging should be adhered to.
• parental consent should be obtained.
• students need to be trained in issues regarding access, privacy, security and netiquette.
• content in blogs may not be factual and should be recognised as the opinion of the student.

The link below addresses the following topics of interest about blogging for educational purposes it also feaatures some examples of student blogs.

• educational value of blogs
• classroom and teacher applications

http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/weblogs/

References

Crie, M. (2006). Using Blogs to Integrate Technology in the Classroom. New York, America: Glencoe/ McGraw-Hill. 
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47

Teachers First Home. (2007). Blog Basics for the Classroom. Retrieved August 17, 2010, from:
http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/blog/blogbasics.cfm

Concept Maps

Creating a concept map: 
This example of a concept map was created using the online website http://bubbl.us/
I found this to be time consuming but effective for organising information simplistically.

The concept of how mind maps work is explained in

Tony Buzan's mind mapping video where he refers to concept maps as a thinking tool which reflect externally what goes on in our heads and, how thinking and memory can be enhanced by using imagination and association with words, pictures and branches. For visual learners concept maps would enhance most students' abilities to absorb and retain new information. Concept maps elaborate new learnings by chunking and linking information in a simplistic way and are are considered to be an invaluable tool for teaching.  This chunking provides students with the ability to understand and make links between different pieces of information and to remember that information more effectively. It also enables students to access and clarify their understandings more efficiently. (McInerney & McInerney, 2006)

Benefits:

• facilitates learning and recall
• clarifies similarities between concepts

Classroom uses:

• for comparison activities
• generalisation/principle patterns 
• cause-effect patterns
• organisational patterns
  

Challenges:

• students require indepth training before skills are developed proficiently
• concept relationships can be oversimplified and important information can be left out.

References
Marzano, R. J., & Pickering, D. J. (1997). Dimensions of Learning, Teacher's Manual.
(2nd ed)Aurora, Colorado: McRel.

McInerney, D.M., & McInerney, V. (2006). Educational Psychology, Construct Learning.(4th ed) French Forest, NSW, Australia: Pearson.