This document discusses using cognitive apprenticeship to meet the diverse needs of online learners. It describes different types of online learners (e.g. perfect, social, experienced) and their needs. Cognitive apprenticeship involves modeling, coaching, scaffolding and other techniques to engage learners in authentic experiences and build a community of practice. The goal is to help learners become competent, lifelong learners prepared for professional communities after graduation.

1. SiED EnPED 2014 • Dr. Vanessa Dennen • Florida State University 1
MEETING ONLINE
LEARNERS’ NEEDS
THROUGH COGNITIVE
APPRENTICESHIP
Dr. Vanessa Dennen
Associate Professor
Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies
Florida State University, USA

2. SiED EnPED 2014 • Dr. Vanessa Dennen • Florida State University 2
Overview
• Learner needs and possible solutions
• Types of online learners
• Using cognitive apprenticeship to meet learner needs

3. SiED EnPED 2014 • Dr. Vanessa Dennen • Florida State University 3
I may teach the same
course year after year,
but I never teach the
same class.

4. SiED EnPED 2014 • Dr. Vanessa Dennen • Florida State University 4
WHAT DO YOU NEED
RIGHT NOW?
Sleep
Coffee
Food
A good laugh
More money
A date

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WHAT DO YOU NEED
FROM THIS CLASS?
Knowledge of topic
An “A”
3 credit hours

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WHAT DO YOU NEED
FROM SCHOOL?
A degree
A good job

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Roles of the Online Instructor
Managerial
• Running the
course
Pedagogical
• Teaching the
content
Social
• Fostering
relationships
Technological
• Supporting
CMC
(Berge, 1995; Bonk, Kirkley, Hara & Dennen, 2001)

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Online Student Needs
Managerial
• Follow the
course plan
Pedagogical
• Learn the
content
Social
• Feel a
connection
Technological
• Use the
course
technology
In class:
In general:
Advising
Career Preparation
Financial Aid
Friends
IT Access
Library Access
Study Skills

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Who’s in your class?
Perfect
Paula
Social
Sam
Experienced
Ellen
Eager
Edgar
Newbie
Ned
Needy
Nancy
Overloaded
Owen
Absent
Alison

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Perfect Paula
• Profile characteristics:
• Well-prepared for both the course content and online learning
• Devotes sufficient time to her studies
• Self-regulates effectively
• Unique needs:
• Typically none, but if they arise she is
proactive about finding a timely solution.
• Challenges:
• None! We love having Paula in class.

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Social Sam
• Profile characteristics:
• High level of energy / high degree of socialization
• Willing to engage in course activities
• Unique needs:
• Attention!
• Challenges:
• Sometimes big on talk but short on
substance
• Keeping him from taking over the
conversation

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Experienced Ellen
• Profile characteristics:
• Has a lot of course-related experience
• High degree of self-efficacy
• Unique needs:
• May not be able to map course content
onto her experiences
• May need affirmation of her experience
• Challenges:
• Keeping her engaged and challenged
• Helping her see alternate points of view
• Keeping her from spreading
misconceptions

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Eager Edgar
• Profile characteristics:
• Enthusiastic about course
• May appear more experienced than he is
• Unique needs:
• Attention
• Challenges:
• Keeping him focused and engaged

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Newbie Ned
• Profile characteristics:
• New to online learning
• May lack confidence, technology skills
• Unique needs:
• Learning how to be an online student
• Challenges:
• Keeping him from feeling overwhelmed

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Needy Nancy
• Profile characteristics:
• Worried about whether she is doing things correctly
• Unique needs:
• Affirmation
• Challenges:
• If she doesn’t get affirmation, she may
tune out or become negative about the
course

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Overloaded Owen
• Profile characteristics:
• Struggles to make school a priority
• May perform work at the minimum level
• Always has a (real) excuse
• Unique needs:
• Flexibility
• Assistance with time management
• Challenges:
• Helping him figure out how school fits
in with other commitments and interests
• Counseling him to make wise decisions

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Absent Alison
• Profile characteristics:
• Often invisible
• Turns in assignments late, if at all
• Unique needs:
• Reasons to attend or interact
• Challenges:
• Getting her to communicate
• Determining WHY she is absent
• Changing her concept of online classes

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Another Need:
Self-regulation Technology
self-efficacy
Lifelong
Learning
Skills
Metacognitive
strategies Networking

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Ideal Progression for Learners
Learning in
class Graduating
Participating in
a professional
community of
practice

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Target: Community of Practice
Mutual engagement
Joint enterprise Shared repertoire
Community of Practice
(Wenger, 1998)

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Cognitive Apprenticeship Model
Model • learners observe expert
Coach • learners receive expert guidance
Scaffold • learners perform with support
Articulate • learners explicate their knowledge
Reflect • learners analyze their own performance
Explore • learners own and extend knowledge
(Collins, Brown & Newman, 1998)

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Types of Learning in a Cognitive
Apprenticeship
Managerial
Pedagogical
Content Knowledge
Expertise is:
Distributed
Domain-specific
Social
Technological

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How to Not Foster
Cognitive Apprenticeship
• Mini-case 1
• Passive learning + didactic techniques
• Mini-case 2
• Heavy instructor intervention
• Instructor-student communication dyads

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Operationalizing Cognitive Apprenticeship
in an Online Class
Modeling
Coaching
Scaffolding
Articulation
Reflection
Exploration
• Foster peer engagement
• Let more experienced students help less
experienced ones
• Encourage collaborative exploration

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Matching Up Learners
Perfect
Paula
Social
Sam
Experienced
Ellen
Eager
Edgar
Newbie
Ned
Needy
Nancy
Overloaded
Owen
Absent
Alison

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Goals of Using Cognitive Apprenticeship
• Focus on content
Learning • Authentic experiences
• Build intersubjectivity
Community • Draw upon distributed cognition
• “Own” content and related
experiences
• Prepare for workplace learning
Independence

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Providing Rewards
• Badges
• Personal attention
• Communication
• Showcase / highlights
• Assign responsibilities

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Summary
• Learners needs extend beyond content and pedagogy
• Cognitive apprenticeship can be used to meet learners’
within-class needs across areas
• Collaboration and community are necessary to foster
cognitive apprenticeship in a class setting
• End goal: Produce professionals who are competent
lifelong learners

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Questions?
Contact Information:
Dr. Vanessa Dennen
Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies
Florida State University
vdennen@fsu.edu
@vdennen
http://slideshare.net/vanessadennen

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References
• Berge, Z. L. (1995). Facilitating computer conferencing:
Recommendations from the field. Educational Technology, 35
(1), 22-30.
• Bonk, C. J., Kirkley, J. R., Hara, N., & Dennen, V. P. (2001).
Finding the instructor in post-secondary online learning:
Pedagogical, social, managerial, and technological locations. In
J. Stephenson (Ed.), Teaching and learning online: New
pedagogies for new technologies (pp. 76-97). London: Kogan
Page.
• Collins, A., Brown, J. S., & Newman, S. E. (1998). Cognitive
apprenticeship: Teaching the craft of reading, writing, and
mathematics. In L. B. Resnick (Ed.), Knowing, Learning, and
Instruction: Essays in Honor of Robert Glaser (pp. 453-494).
Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning,
meaning, and identity. Cambridge, England: Cambridge
University Press.