wesleyp's blog

The article “Smart People or Smart Contexts” echos some of the previous arguments that we’ve covered earlier in the semester; explaining that learning limitations exist when traditional teaching methods separate the student from the material with the only connection between the two  coming from the teacher attempting to “transfer knowledge into the head of the learner.” Students learn more effectively when they are put in control or in hands on situations.

My favorite quote from the article is “Talent development is a process that involves doing, not acquiring.”  If a student is learning how to drive, you can only teach them so much without letting them get behind the wheel and learn for themselves. We all know that no matter how much time is spent in the classroom learning how to drive, it is the hands on, driving with the instructor experience that proves to be the most beneficial. When I’m behind the wheel and my mother starts be a back-seat driver, she always lets me know how many years she’s been driving; not how much time she has spent in the classroom or how much time she has spent reading about driving.

The article also states that talent and the ability to learn is not held within an individual, but in the interaction and environment that is being utilized. I find this interesting because it is stating that the ability to learn by anyone is only as strong as the learning environment that has been created for the students. For the most part, I can agree with this argument. Throughout college, I have seen students take advantage of tutoring sessions and group studying techniques that enriched their ability to comprehend materials from the most difficult courses. This allowed them to get the A’s and B’s while other students failed. They weren’t just naturally “smarter”, they just sought out the learning environments that helped them beyond what the instructor provided.

I just finished using XMIND for the first time, and that software will most definitely come in handy for future web design projects! There are a hundred occasions I could have used that for in the past few years, but I’m glad I was finally introduced to it.

I just finished a rough, rough concept map for a paper I’ll be writing in LRND6010. My topic of choice is Digital Learning > Online Training for Franchisees. I am hoping to be able to tie my passion for screen printing, and business in general, with digital learning in a business environment. I hope to some day own a screen printing company that will franchise out across the US, and what better time than now to start planning for it! My goal is to tailor a handful of my masters projects in with my business idea, so I can knock out my degree and business plan without doing the same work twice! I think that being able train future franchisees in digital environments will both train them more effectively and create more resources for them to learn; along with potentially saving thousands of dollars in expenses for the company.

I’m anxious to see how this first research project goes so I can revise my ideas until they are good enough for a thesis or final project.

Since I didn’t get a chance to write a reflection DURING week 4, I am dedicating this post to reflecting on a project I spent a nice chuck of my time working on in week 4.

So far this semester, I’ve spent plenty of time reading, summarizing, analyzing and interacting with my classmates and instructors. This was the first week that I dug in and did some actual research. I spend some time early on dreading the research, mostly due to bad experiences in undergrad, but I was pleasantly surprised both with what I learned and how my first screen cast turned out.

I didn’t realize how “boring” or as Terry nicely put it, “serious,” my screen cast was until after I turned it in (: I was a little bummed, but optimistic that I can be a little more “lively” in future screen casts. Some of my classmates did an excellent job being animated and even lightening up the information they were presenting with a joke.

In the end, I’m glad I spent some time researching Malcolm Knowles, and I am excited and optimistic about future screen casting projects.

Knowles_Final

Please follow the link below to view Breanna & I’s very first Prezi creation! It is a summary of the “Knowing Knowledge” article by George Siemens, followed by a couple questions to head up the discussion.

Knowing Knowledge – George Siemens

After years of enjoying short weeks and holidays as an undergrad, I’ve come to realize that in the real world it actually just means you have fewer days to do the same amount of work (:

I really enjoyed the Elluminate sessions that I got to take part in this past week, and the peer to peer discussions were great. It felt like it was a traditional class full of students interacting and not so much like a completely digital environment where most of the students have not met face to face. As hard as it is to believe, I think I am even more excited about the next synchronous meeting that will be taking place in Second Life!

I poked around in Second Life this past summer socially, but I am excited to see it from an educational point of view.

1) After reading and reflecting on your own ideas concerning e-learning, how would you define your own personal philosophical orientation, and how does it affect your e-learning? Is it a “purist” acceptance of one of the philosophies outlined in the reading or is it a conglomeration of several?

I define my own philosophical orientation on e-learning to be a conglomeration; a mix and match if you will. To evolve, adapt and learn, I find it virtually impossible to choose one learning philosophy. One of the most important things to know about technology is that is it always changing and improving; and we need to do the same. If there are complimentary philosophies for learning, we should be open to using them. While I do agree that it is important to find something that works and to continue using it, but one should always be on the lookout for alternatives that can be added to your “bag of tricks.”

I would say I would work best in an environment that combines progressive, humanist and analytical.

I prefer the progressive philosophy because it involves experimentation and problem solving. This keeps students engaged and feeling  involved in their own learning; not just being taught with the masses like the liberal/perennial approach. Next, I like the humanist approach, as it focuses on interaction and cooperation with others for self growth and self evaluation. Finally – I find certain parts of the analytical philosophy useful as it focuses on lifelong education although I do disagree with the separation of society and education.

2) What latest trends in e-learning or social networking do you think are more damaging to e-learning in the long run, if any?

I think integrating social networking in digital learning environments is very powerful, but the “damaging” part could be drawing the line between social and educational / professional use. We’ve all heard how it is important it is to monitor what kind of images we post of ourselves on Facebook, and to clean up the language of our status updates, but I think there is much more to be conscious of . If we are connecting with our classmates in these digital networks like Facebook and Twitter for class – we are also opening up our personal lives at the same time.  All of a sudden our classmates, who are potentially strangers, have access to our friends, contact information, interests, and even our locations via status updates. 99% of the time this information could be completely harmless, but it might present the question: “Should we have separate accounts on social networks for our “social” and “educational” lives.

Granted, most sites have “lists” and “limited profiles” that we can take advantage of, but not everyone knows how to take advantage of that. Some users are just now joining these networks to meet class requirements. The last thing I want to do is offend a classmate or professional contact by joining a group or making a comment that may offend them. I find myself being very careful trying to separate the two uses, but I am finding it difficult with most of my social networking experience being for social purposes.

Describe an online learning module that was most beneficial to me.

As a web designer and ecommerce developer, I have learned a lot from using tutorials and training modules for open source content management systems like Magento and Joomla. Their communities offer a blend of videos, forums, PDFs, screen shots and even flash tutorials to help you learn and develop your own web site. They have support to contact if you can’t find an answer through any of the other mediums, and the professional relationships that can be built through interacting with other users are very valuable.

Describe an online learning module that was NOT beneficial to me.

When I was employed as a sales rep for Dell, we had monthly training sessions; and they had their own digital platform that was so painful to sit through. The powerpoint slides didn’t match the audio, voting polls never added up to the right number of participants, and it was too easy for the listeners to deactivate listen-only and interrupt the presenter. The worst part was – to take official attendance, we had to call in to a 1-800 number and listen to the entire meeting through our personal cell phones.

What makes a good online learning experience?

If the learning experience is synchronous and in presentation format, it should be to the point, and the images compliment the slides. If there is a lot of information to be processed; the presenter should accompany the presentation with a PDF with the in-depth information because with an over-load of text, one can easily be distracted. If the purpose is educational; I think learning modules should be interactive and not too linear. The user should be able to jump around between topics, as I feel it helps them stay engaged. Also – a search feature is so important for quickly accessing information.

-Wesley Parsell

DNA From the Beginning (Type: Simulation, Format: Shockwave)

1. Ease of use and navigation.
   For a non-technical person, I find the navigation to be pretty straight-forward. The categories run vertically down the right hand side, and the “in-depth” information runs horizontally across the bottom pertaining to the topic that is currently selected.
2. Cognitive load.
   I like the way the content is written, as most of it is not common sense, but it is not too technical or advanced to understand. The organization of the information into steps also helps the user take in bits of information at a time.
3. Knowledge space and information presentation.
   The module is set so that the links and information flow, and each topic is presented step by step; or a user can skip around to what they choose to learn about next.
4. Media integration.
   The multimedia is good overall as it all loads quickly, and the animations are short and effective. Some of the video clips have low audio quality the presenters are a little dull.
5. Aesthetics.
   The text is readable and the images are sized well, but I think they overall layout could be improved. I think that users are used navigation down the left hand size, and slides with multiple images scroll left to right instead of being thumbnails that re-size when clicked. The background and text colors used could also be improved.
6. Overall functionality.
   I think that all of the information and functionality is there, but it could use some updating visually. The layout is usable, but I think it could be better if the navigation was moved to the left. I also think that more engaging video clips would help, as I had a hard time giving them my full attention. Finally – at a glance, the white and blue theme works, but after spending more than a few minutes working with the module, it could use a new background color. I think white is tough to look at for long periods of time.

MecMovies (Type: Tutorial, Format: Flash)

1. Ease of use and navigation.
   This module’s navigation is easy to use. Some categories have a “more movies” button that sort of hides the additional movies at first glance. I like that the categories are on the left hand side, and the content being reviewed is “center-stage.” The arrows between slides are useful, but a little hidden until you get the hang of the flow.
2. Cognitive load.
   Most of the content is written in a pretty non-technical manner so it is easy to understand; but some slides do contain a lot of numbers and symbols that make that information a little overwhelming and confusing. Also, with 9 chapters and multiple movies in each, the module as a whole covers a lot, and the amount of time given to complete this module is an important factor in understanding the overall cognitive load.
3. Knowledge space and information presentation.
   Like mentioned above, if taken chapter by chapter over a period of time, the information seems to be spaced and presented well. The module as a whole, however, seems like a lot to digest if moving from beginning to end.
4. Media integration.
   The animations are very useful and compliment the text. The load time between movies isn’t bad on a high speed connection, but using dial up or a lower end DSL connection may be a different story. The graphics are technical drawings, but useful in understanding the text.
5. Aesthetics.
   The background color chosen is great, as it is not white, and it is easy on the eyes. The movies and slides flow nicely within the module, and it was designed similar to a clean webpage, so it felt “familiar.”
6. Overall functionality.
   I feel that this module does what it was designed to do. It breaks up the information into more manageable pieces, and it incorporates animations and graphics to increase the comprehension. It is a lot of information beginning to end, and it would nice if it included a glossary or anchors to allow for a quick review of certain topics.

Neuroscience for Kids (Type: Collection, Format: HTML/text)

1. Ease of use and navigation.
   This page has lots of information, but it is presented in a fun and easy to use way. The links are straightforward, and the navigation is consistent. I like how the anchors jump down to more in-depth categories.
2. Cognitive load.
   There is a ton of information available, but it is organized in a manner that keeps you engaged. The information is broken down, and it uses examples and comparisons that almost anyone can follow.
3. Knowledge space and information presentation.
   The presentation of information is great, and you know what you are getting with each link or topic that you choose. It is much better than having a breakdown of chapters like the last module.
4. Media integration.
   The media is targeted appropriately; towards kids. The imagery is helpful and relevant.
5. Aesthetics.
   Keeping the target audience in mind, the aesthetics are pretty good. Black text on a white background isn’t the best for lots of reading, but it seems to work with this module.
6. Overall functionality.
   Overall, I would consider this a great module. The links are useful, the layout is easy, and the information is great. I also love that it has a search option that the previously reviewed modules lack. It is a feature that hadn’t even crossed my mind until I saw it utilized in this module.

As I am starting to really dig into my master’s courses, I can’t help but feel digitally disorganized for the first time in my file. From the blogs to the tweets, I am hopelessly searching for a way to organize all of the information that is circulating in my courses and life right now.

As I was telling one of my classmates today, my first instinct is to do what I was trained to do as an undergrad… print everything! I am fighting the urge, as I know there is a way to organize and filter everything in a manner that works best for me.

On a positive note – I do love the way that the courses are structured around peer interaction, and I am searching for a method to not only improve my work based on their reviews, but also capture and store their review so I can understand the evolution of my work and all of the twists and turns along the way.