Reflections on Teaching "Reflections on Learning"

Reflections on TeachingReflections on Learning
Punya Mishra, Matthew J. Koehler, *Tae S. Shin, Megan C. Fedor, Andrea P. Francis, Mike DeSchryver, & Anne E. Heintz
Michigan State University
Educational Psychology and Educational Technology
*shintae@msu.edu
msu.edu/~shintae
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Overview
Course Description
Course Objectives
Innovative Aspects
Students’ Learning
Research Findings
Instructors’ Learning
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TE 150: Reflections on Learning
An introductory Educational Psychology course offered fully online at Michigan State University
Course Management System: Moodle
Faculty instructors & teaching assistants
Focuses on:
Processes and Contexts of Learning
Major Learning Theories: Behaviorism, Cognitive, Social-Cognitive, Motivational, Developmental Perspectives
Connections between Learning Theories and Learning Contexts
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Course Overview
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Course Web Site
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Assignments
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Participation
Postings
Grading Criteria
The post uses the vocabulary of the unit.
Discussions
Grading Criteria
Talk about two or more topics Address or cite a specific part of two or more classmates’ post
Introduce new ideas or questions for discussion about the topic
Use a resource beyond those provided in the course, cites it
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Quizzes/Polls
Quizzes
5 items
2 tries
Polls
“What do you think?”
Results
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Book Review
Part I
Summary
Part II
Application
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Interview
Individual Work
Interview
Group Work
Small Groups
Collaborative Writing
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Course Objectives
To ensure all of the learning principles presented would connect with the students in a sound and meaningful way
To move away from a course that privileged learning as what happens with teachers in classrooms towards a course about learning and development in a variety of contexts
To construct an engaging and memorable learning experience for students
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Course Objective 1
To ensure all of the learning principles presented would connect with the students in a sound and meaningful way
The Movie Montage
Interpretations of the educational elements in the movie clips
Module 1 & Module 8
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Course Objective 2
To move away from a course that privileged learning as what happens with teachers in classrooms towards a course about learning and development in a variety of contexts
The Magic Trick
Whack on a side of the head
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Course Objective 3
To construct an engaging and memorable learning experience for students
The Schema Theory Experiments
The Wrestling Match
The Prison Escape
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Innovative Aspects of TE 150
Course Design
Creative Use of Multiple Media Formats
Theoretical and Conceptual Knowledge of the Design of Technology for Teaching
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Course Design
To make TE 150 web site dynamic, easy to use, and capture the excitement and fun that we wanted to convey
Moodle
Discussion Board Setting
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Creative Use of Multiple Media Formats
Video clips, Flash based magic tricks, games, experiments, Wikipedia, & Internet search
YouTube Clip
Witnessing a Car Crash
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Theoretical and Conceptual Knowledge of the Design of Technology for Teaching
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)
Mishra & Koehler (2006)
http://www.tpck.org
A grand design experiment that we seek to improve iteratively with every offering of the course
New Technology
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Students’ Learning
Quiz Scores
Monitoring of students’ learning
Analysis of the Video Montage at the Beginning and End of the Course
Book Review and Interview Assignment
End of Semester Survey Evaluation
Teaching themselves
Multimedia approach to learning
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Research Projects
Facebook vs. Moodle
DeSchryver, M., Mishra, P., Koehler, M., & Francis, A.P. (2009, March). Moodle vs. Facebook: Does using Facebook for Discussions in an Online Course Enhance Perceived Social Presence and Student Interaction? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, Charleston, NC.
Google Docs. vs. Moodle
Gao, F. (2009). Fostering focused online discussions. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.
Student Rationales vs. Instructor Rationales
Shin, T. S. (dissertation proposal approved). The Effects of Providing a Rationale for Learning a Lesson on Students’ Motivation and Learning in Online Learning Environments.
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Facebook vs. Moodle

Two online undergraduate Educational Psychology courses
Both courses hosted in Moodle
Student Discussions:
One course used Moodle forums
One course linked to Facebook group discussion board
Compared frequency/length of student interaction & students’ perceived social presence

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Facebook vs. Moodle

Statistically insignificant differences
No significant differences reported by surveys of social presence, either

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Google Docs vs. Moodle

Two online undergraduate Educational Psychology courses
Both courses hosted in Moodle
Student Discussions:
One course used Moodle forums
One course linked to Google Docs
Compared percentage of text-focused discussion

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Google Docs vs. Moodle

more direct focus on the text in the Google Docs format

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Student vs. Instructor Rationales
Value Aspects of Motivation (Brophy, 2008)
Two Types of Rationales
Student Rationales: a brief testimonial of a former student
Instructor Rationales: a statement by the instructors,
The rationales will be given at the beginnings of six two-week modules
Measures
Motivation: value, interest, self-determination, autonomous regulation
Learning: quiz scores, grades, students’ postings, perceived learning
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Instructors’ Learning
Diversity of students
Non-traditional students, non-education majors, students with special needs, honors students
Multiple instructors with various expertise
Motivation
Carol Dweck’s interview clip
An Excerpt from JereBrophy’s book
Great Potential
2008 MSU-AT&T Instructional Technology Award
Expanding sections (from 2 to 4)
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Thank you!
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