Self-directed & lifelong Learning in the Information age: Can PLEs help?

Self-directed and lifelong learning in the information age: Can PLEs help? Nona Muldoon [email_address]

How can lifelong learning be most effectively harnessed as we strive to create more equitable, meaningful and productive futures for ourselves and future generations?

Question addressed ” “ Lifelong Learning Conference 2008

Reviewer’s feedback

Currently learners may/mostly have at their disposal all the technology elements (web services, email discussion lists, web 2.0 applications, wikis, weblogs, bulletin boards etc) and may even be personalising their own learning spaces (I imagine that self-directed learners are indeed doing this), so I am left unclear as to what is required and what this would look like from the institution’s perspective – perhaps it is just another version of an LMS with different functionality, but maybe that is exactly what is needed or is missing.

Reviewer’s feedback

Currently learners may/mostly have at their disposal all the technology elements (web services, email discussion lists, web 2.0 applications, wikis, weblogs, bulletin boards etc) and may even be personalising their own learning spaces (I imagine that self-directed learners are indeed doing this), so I am left unclear as to what is required and what this would look like from the institution’s perspective – perhaps it is just another version of an LMS with different functionality, but maybe that is exactly what is needed or is missing.

“ You can lead the horse to water but you can’t make it drink” ACCT19064 student, Term 1 2008

Central thesis

Information age  learners and learning need holistic support

Integrating principled learning design

Developing skills for life

Harnessing the affordances of technology

Learner preparation  learning with tools rather than learning about those tools

LMS-based tools (Web 1.0)  course administration & delivery metaphor

PLE-based tools (Web 2.0)  lifelong learning metaphor

Central thesis

The idea of PLE recognises that learning is continuing and seeks to provide tools to support that learning. It also recognises the role of the individual in organising their learning… Linked to this is an increasing recognition of the importance of informal learning (Atwell, 2007, p. 2).

Learning in the information age Most Australian universities have adopted a model of formal learning heavily entrenched in LMS. (Jones & Muldoon, 2007)

Technology is seen as the answer…

to many educational problems.

Currently, the question appears to be…

Which LMS?

So what’s wrong with that…

LMS continues to be heavily scrutinised and criticised – e.g. not delivering the transformational promise of ICTs (Candy, 2004)

IS THIS AN EDUCATIONAL QUESTION?

My context

Changing nature of L&T Technology remains the catalyst for change So what are the impacts “… much of this turns out to be fundamentally about enduring educational problems and issues, rather than anything dramatically new and transformational” (Candy, 2004, p. 39)

LMS-based learning (Web 1.0)

Critical lens

Learner control

Self-direction

Lifelong learning

http://flickr.com/photos/isuspecialcollections/2388279294/ Self-directed learning – is a term that recognises factors that facilitate learners taking primary responsibility for their learning… Candy, 1991

LMS practices vs LLL desirables

Teacher directed and controlled

Passive role for learners

Homogenous experience – same design, same content, same experience of the system

‘ I go get web’ model – content is transmitted and consumed

Institutional control of access - course-based learning, ‘contrived’ community

Learner controlled, self-directed

Active engagement – capacity to manage, organise and direct learning

Richer, learner-driven experience – a large array of possibilities involving different systems

‘ Come to me web’ model - content not only transmitted and consumed but also created, re-used, repurposed

Open and ongoing access to resources and learning communities  self-directed and community-based learning

LMS practices vs LLL desirables

Teacher directed and controlled

Passive role for learners

Homogenous experience – same design, same content, same experience of the system

‘ I go get web’ model – content is transmitted and consumed

Institutional control of access - course-based learning, ‘contrived’ community

Learner controlled, self-directed

Active engagement – capacity to manage, organise and direct learning

Richer, learner-driven experience – a large array of possibilities involving different systems

‘ Come to me web’ model - content not only transmitted and consumed but also created, re-used, repurposed

Open and ongoing access to resources and learning communities  self-directed and community-based learning

Practices in LMS-based learning inhibit learner control and self-direction, most of which contradict the desired outcomes for lifelong learning (Downes, 2006; Wilson et al 2006)

Doing old things in the new medium http://flickr.com/photos/isuspecialcollections/2388279294/ http://flickr.com/photos/scosborne/2264512063/ “… existing pedagogy is retained and simply transferred to the new medium, the LMS” (Jones & Muldoon, 2007, p. 451)

“ A university is defined by the quality of its academic conversations not by the technologies that service them…” Diana Laurillard , 1993

Heavily influenced by the telling mode of teaching and teacher-directed learning

‘ Dominating’ rather than ‘liberating’ (Freire, 1972)

Central thesis

NUTR19001 – PLD Example 1 Principled learning design (PLD): *theory of learning guides the design, *aligned curriculum, *integrates authentic learning activities and assessment.

Learning Outcome 1 Participate in a collaborative enquiry to define and describe key nutrition terms using a range of reliable sources “ What an awesome way to understand complex definitions in a simple way. “ Written feedback from a student during the course orientation: NUTR19001 - PLD Example 1

Learning activity

Develop a course wiki

Learning tasks

Locate reliable sources of information to define and describe “assigned” and “free” key nutrition terms

Develop and maintain wiki homepages for “assigned” and “free” nutrition terms

Contribute to the development of the group’s theme wiki

Assessment Item 1 (Project 1)

Individual

Produce two wiki homepages (25 words per term)

Write a 200-words themed discussion for the theme wiki homepage

As a group member

Post discussion to the theme wiki homepage

Maintain the theme wiki by linking terms in the discussion to respective “assigned” and “free” term homepages

If a Wiki Master

Manage the development of the group’s theme wiki.

Prepare a report synthesising the essence of the theme homepage from the Wiki Master’s perspective

Challenges, educational questions

“ Waste of time, I spent more time worrying about what a wiki page was? Why make a wiki page, according to most lecturers you can't reference from them anyway!”

NUTR19001 student, Term 2 2007

“ The functionality [of Blackboard] for this course is as it is for others great. However, it would be good to have the blog incorporated directly into the site...even if [it] is a link.”

OCHS13007 student, Term 1 2008

The interaction with the team and online videos [Machinimas] during the course. The Hind and Co scenario made the course more life like and made a tough subject interesting.

ACCT19064 student, Term 1 2008

EQ # 1 How can we help teachers align their practice with the information age mindset, and would they need their own learning space?

OCHS13007 – PLD Example 2

OCHS13007 – PLD Example 2 Blogging is the means to an end… not an end in itself  aids in managing portfolio Develop skills for life  learning with vs learning about the tool for lifelong learning

OCHS13007 – PLD Example 2 “ All the assessment is real world stuff, this helps a lot because we can actually use these assessment pieces as documents to further our chance of obtaining a job. ” OCHS13007 student, Term 1 2008 “ The assessment prepares for practicum, and engages you in reflection upon practicum and when finished. ” OCHS13007 student, Term 1 2008

The interaction with the team and online videos [Machinimas] during the course. The Hind and Co scenario made the course more life like and made a tough subject interesting.

The interaction with the team and online videos [Machinimas] during the course. The Hird and Co scenario made the course more life like and made a tough subject interesting.

EQ # 2 How can we personalise the student learning space, and provide access beyond university experience?

ACCT19064 – PLD Example 3

ACCT19064 – PLD Example 3 Affordances of technology  LMS + other technologies  used as a catalyst within which authentic learning, and support mechanisms were mediated

Second Life - Machinimas

ACCT19064 – PLD Example 3 “ The concept is right. I work in an accounting firm, and the course is relevant to what happens in a real accounting firm, and the situations we are face with. In that regard, it is much better than the old course content. ” ACCT19064 student, Term 1 2008 “ The fact that I learned and retained subject matter as a result of the structure of the course. I can’t say the same for other subjects. A lot of this has really sunk in. ” ACCT19064 student, Term 1 2008

The interaction with the team and online videos [Machinimas] during the course. The Hird and Co scenario made the course more life like and made a tough subject interesting.

“ The interaction with the team and online videos [Machinimas] during the course. The Hird and Co scenario made the course more life like and made a tough subject interesting.”

EQ # 3 How might we facilitate immersive authentic learning and create a learning community that extends beyond students’ classroom experience?

Can the idea of PLEs help?

“ The interaction with the team and online videos [Machinimas] during the course. The Hird and Co scenario made the course more life like and made a tough subject interesting.

Personal Learning Environments The idea of PLE recognises that learning is continuing and seeks to provide tools to support that learning (Atwell, 2007)

Can the idea of PLEs help?

“ The interaction with the team and online videos [Machinimas] during the course. The Hird and Co scenario made the course more life like and made a tough subject interesting.

EQ # 3 How might we facilitate immersive authentic learning and create a learning community that extends beyond students’ classroom experience? EQ # 2 How can we personalise the student learning space, and provide access beyond university experience? EQ # 1 How can we help teachers align their practice with the information age mindset, and will they need their own lifelong learning space?

Conclusion

Learner preparation is the key

LMS (Web 1.0) course administration & delivery metaphor

PLE (Web 2.0) lifelong learning metaphor

Learners need to learn with tools for lifelong learning

Web 2.0 and PLE can help to mediate the critical elements of holistic support for learners and learning

Deliver the transformational promise of ICTs during and beyond university experience

“ The outlook of those we teach has changed, and thus the way in which we teach must change... The challenge will be for educators and higher education institutions to incorporate the information age mindset of today’s learners into our programs so as to create communities of lifelong learners. ” Jason Frand (2000, p. 5)