Category: EDCI 339-Blog Post

Past blogs:

Topic 1

Topic 2

Topic 3

Reworked blog Post

Evidence of editing.

How can you ensure equitable access to authentic, meaningful & relevant learning environments for all learners in K-12 open and distributed learning contexts? What did you already know, what do you know now based on the course readings and activities, what do you hope to learn?

The environment is integral for cultivating an equitable learning experience that allows for meaningful and relevant learning to occur. Whether it is in a distributed or open learning environment there are techniques like the Universal Design For Learning (UDL), ways to accommodate and promote learning in the Indigenous communities, and considerations for online learning to cultivate an equitable and impactful online experience.

UDL was developed by Cast 20 years ago and is a guide that helps educators be flexible in their presentation of information, how students demonstrate knowledge and are engaged as well as, break the stigma and barriers in accomodations to help students with disabilites and ELL learners (Basham et al., 2018, p.477-478). Through three principles of “Multiple means of engagement, multiple means of action and expression, and multiple means of representation” educators create an environment that allows any student to thrive with “variability being the norm rather than the exception” (Basham et al., 2018, p.480). 

The UDL website has a chart that outlines the nine subsequent guidelines with examples to help guide teachers. UDL can be implemented in a face-to-face or an online environment as online can offer opprotunities to implemnent UDL, such as individualized education (Basham et al., 2018, p.477).

Some online or open learning tools go hand in hand with UDL.  In “both blended and full-time virtual settings” it was found that UDL based practice “improved both learner satisfaction and learning outcomes” (Basham et al. 2018, p.489). There has been research on parts of UDL, but more must be done to prove its entirety. 

In an article by Kral & Schwab (2012), the eight principles to create an effective learning space for Indigenous learners of every age are explored (p.58):  

1. Space young people can control 
2. A space for hangout out and mucking around
3. Space where learners learn 
4. A space to grow into new roles and responsibilities 
5. A space to practice oral and written language 
6. A Space to express self and cultural identity through multimodal forms 
7. A space to develop and engage in enterprise 
8. A space to engage with the world. 

Overall it expressed the need for open learning resources, safe spaces to learn like libraries or cultural centres, providing autonomy over learning, providing schedules ahead of time, guiding enterprise experiences, and bridging the gap between elders and the young through technology, and the arts,  to maintain cultural identity, all while stepping into an often unwelcoming world. By acknowledging and implementing these ideas in an online and, especially, open learning environment, educators will better engage, support, and educate Indigenous communities. 

Finally, Selwyn (2020) explains how in the Covid-19 world educators have to consider data privacy, nurture greater online relationships, cultivate different online setting for different learners, be flexible and asynchronous, have heightened empathy for students, and recognize how taxing online learning is and that it is a new learning experience for students too.  

Sketch note answering question raised by Heather: Extra blog resource

I further hope to understand how to make sure student engagement is still high in a more asynchronous learning style? 

Below is a Padlet explaining further connections.

Optional Activities Summaries: 

Week 1 (Webinar)

Attached is a mind map outlining notes from the webinar, connections to sources and learning outcomes, as well as an audio file describing the connections. I chose to do the webinar because I wanted to connect to my classmates, hear more about human centred learning and privacy in online learning.

Webinar mind map

Week 2 (Padlet) 

Attached is a Screencastify video explaining my experience with Padlet and how I connected it to the course. I chose to do Padlet because I liked the open learning nature of it and the ability to ask peers, instructors and outside educators questions. It felt like a true open education experience.

Week 3 (Slack Conversation) 

Attached is a sketch note and Screencasitfy outlining my experience with Slack. I chose the Slack conversation because I liked the closed forum idea; it was like twitter but only  conversing with peers. Having the ability to share ideas, connect with classmates and explore were just a few of the reasons I chose to explore Slack.

Slack sketch note

Week 4 (Twitter Chat) 

Attached is a fictional podcast where I talk about Twitter and my experience. I chose to do the Twitter chat because I wanted to see what Twitter was like, how a hosted conversation worked and how other outside sources/people could be part of the thread

 

Sources for new blog post

Basham, J.D., Blackorby, J., Stahl, S. & Zhang, L. (2018) Universal Design for Learning Because Students are (the) Variable. In R. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 477-507). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org

First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC). (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2020, from http://www.fnesc.ca/

Kral, I. & Schwab, R.G. (2012). Chapter 4: Design Principles for Indigenous Learning Spaces. Safe Learning Spaces. Youth, Literacy and New Media in Remote Indigenous Australia. ANU Press. http://doi.org/10.22459/LS.08.2012 Retrieved from:   http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p197731/pdf/ch041.pdf

Selwyn. N. (2020). Online learning: Rethinking teachers’ ‘digital competence’ in light of COVID-19.[Weblog]. Retrieved from: https://lens.monash.edu/@education/2020/04/30/1380217/online-learning-rethinking-teachers-digital-competence-in-light-of-covid-19

Regan, P., & Jesse, J. (2019). Ethical challenges of edtech, big data and personalized learning: Twenty-first century student sorting and tracking. Ethics and Information Technology, 21(3), 167-179. DOI: 10.1007/s10676-018-9492-2 

Sources 

Barbour, M & Labonte, R. (2018) An Overview of eLearning Organizations and Practices in Canada. In R. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 600-616). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

Brendtro, L., Freado, M., James, A., & Admin. (n.d.). Reclaiming Youth at Risk. Retrieved July 28, 2020, from https://reclaimingyouthatrisk.org/

First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC). (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2020, from http://www.fnesc.ca/

Garrett Dickers, A. (2018) Social Interaction in K-12 Online Learning. In R. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 509-522 ). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

Healthbleep.com.(2012, February 10). 1 15 The 3 As of motivation Alan McLean Learning and teaching

. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm66HF5Vz5I

Mularella. (2014, September 27). Using Padelt as a Formative Assessment Tool [Web log post]. Retrieved July 25, 2020, from https://spsedtech.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/padlet/#:~:text=Padlet%20(formerly%20known%20as%20Wallwisher,%2C%20photos%2C%20and%20even%20video!

Norman, S. (2018, March 12). 15 Ways To Use Twitter In Education (For Students And Teachers Alike). Retrieved July 27, 2020, from https://elearningindustry.com/15-ways-twitter-in-education-students-teachers

Principles of the Circle of Courage–Source: Used with permission. From Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future by Larry Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, and Steve Van Bockern (pgs. 137-138). Copyright 1990 and 2002 by Solution Tree (formerly National Educational Service), 304 West Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47404, 800-733-6786, www.solution-tree.com.

Regan, P., & Jesse, J. (2019). Ethical challenges of edtech, big data and personalized learning: Twenty-first century student sorting and tracking. Ethics and Information Technology, 21(3), 167-179. DOI: 10.1007/s10676-018-9492-2 

Roberts, V. , Blomgren, C. Ishmael, K. & Graham, L. (2018) Open Educational Practices in K-12 Online and Blended Learning Environments. In R. Ferdig & K.Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 527–544). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

 

How can you ensure equitable access to authentic, meaningful & relevant learning environments for all learners in K-12 open and distributed learning contexts? What did you already know, what do you know now based on the course readings and activities, what do you hope to learn?

The environment is integral for cultivating an equitable learning experience that allows for meaningful and relevant learning to occur. Whether it is in a distributed or open learning environment there are techniques like the Universal Design For Learning (UDL), ways to accommodate and promote learning in the Indigenous communities, and considerations for online learning to cultivate an equitable and impactful online experience. 

UDL was developed by Cast 20 years ago and is a ”… framework for guiding educational practice that-(A) provides flexibility” in information presentation, “in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways, students are engaged; and (B) reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports, and challenges, and maintains high achievement expectations for all students including students with disabilities” and ELL students (Basham et al., 2018, p.477-478). Through three principles of “Multiple means of engagement, multiple means of action and expression and multiple means of representation” educators create an environment that allows any student to thrive in their environment with “variability being the norm rather than the exception” (Basham et al., 2018, p.480). The UDL website has a chart that outlines the nine subsequent guidelines with examples to help guide teachers. UDL can be implemented in a face-to-face or an online environment as online “offers unique affordances for supporting and extending UDL aligned implementation practices” (Basham et al., 2018, p.477). Some tools allow for individualized education that goes hand in hand with online or open learning networks. In “both blended and full-time virtual settings” it was found that UDL based practice “improved both learner satisfaction and learning outcomes” (Basham et al. 2018, p.489). There has been research on parts of UDL, but more must be done to prove its entirety. 

In an article by Kral & Schwab (2012), the eight principles to create an effective learning space for Indigenous learners of every age are explored (p.58):  

1. Space young people can control 
2. A space for hangout out and mucking around
3. Space where learners learn 
4. A space to grow into new roles and responsibilities 
5. A space to practice oral and written language 
6. A Space to express self and cultural identity through multimodal forms 
7. A space to develop and engage in enterprise 
8. A space to engage with the world. 

Overall it expressed the need for open learning resources, safe spaces to learn like libraries or cultural centers, providing autonomy over learning, providing schedules ahead of time, guiding enterprise experiences, and bridging the gap between elders and the young through technology and the arts to maintain cultural identity all while stepping into an often unwelcoming world. By acknowledging and implementing these ideas in an online and, especially, open learning environment, educators will better engage, support, and educate Indigenous communities. 

Finally, Selwyn (2020) explains how in the Covid-19 world educators have to consider data privacy, nurture greater online relationships, cultivate different online setting for different learners, be flexible and asynchronous, have heightened empathy for students, and recognize how taxing online learning is and that it is a new learning experience for students too.  

I hope to understand how to make sure student engagement is still high in a more asynchronous learning style?

 

Resources

Basham, J.D., Blackorby, J., Stahl, S. & Zhang, L. (2018) Universal Design for Learning Because Students are (the) Variable. In R. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 477-507). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

Kral, I. & Schwab, R.G. (2012). Chapter 4: Design Principles for Indigenous Learning Spaces. Safe Learning Spaces. Youth, Literacy and New Media in Remote Indigenous Australia. ANU Press. http://doi.org/10.22459/LS.08.2012 Retrieved from:   http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p197731/pdf/ch041.pdf

Selwyn. N. (2020). Online learning: Rethinking teachers’ ‘digital competence’ in light of COVID-19.[Weblog]. Retrieved from: https://lens.monash.edu/@education/2020/04/30/1380217/online-learning-rethinking-teachers-digital-competence-in-light-of-covid-19

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org

 

Q: How would you describe the historical and theoretical trends in k-12 open and distributed learning? What did you already know, what do you know now based on the course readings and activities, what do you hope to learn?

 

What did I already Know? 

Before reading this week’s articles I was only familiar with open learning. I knew the 60s civil rights movement changed education to become more collaborative, to break down classroom walls, and there was a momentary shift that called for student led learning.

This idea was supported by Roberts et. al when stating, “originally, OEP was known as opening learning, a movement based on the belief that learners have barriers imposed on them due to a closed learning environment” ( Roberts et. al., 2018, p.528). 

What do I know now based on the readings? 

Open education was first introduced in Canada by Paquette who fought for liberty, choice, and freedom in education and the role of the teacher to be the guide not the imparter of knowledge (Roberts et. al., 2018, p.529). He stated that the three key elements of open pedagogy are “the physical layout of the classroom, the learning activities, and the teacher intervention” (Roberts et. al., 2018, p.529). His ideas were supported by the likes of Dewey who emphasized the building of learning environments and learning “from and with eachother”; Vygotsky who “described learning as being shaped by sociocultural factors”; and Friere who spoke about informal learning and mutual meaning-making (Roberts et. al., 2018, p.528).  

 

With the introduction of the computer in the 1980s, open learning stressed collaboration and freedom to “retain, reuse, revise, remix and redistribute” (the 5 Rs) in a digital space (Roberts et. al., 2018, p.528). Open learning “became a term to describe flexible learning or asynchronous learning” and paved

the way for other ways of technology-based teaching (Roberts et. al., 2018, p.529).

 

 

 

In 2008 the idea of open learning was further clarified through the eight principles of Open Learning ( Roberts et. al., 2018, p.529): 

1. Learner-centerdness
2. lifelong learning
3. flexibility in learning
4. removal of barriers to access
5. recognition of prior learning experiences and current competencies
6. learner support
7. expectations of success
8. cost-effectiveness

Then in 2015 Hegarty defined OEP as a “process that occurs…when participants engage in open and collaborative networks, communities, and openly shared repositories of information in a structured way to create their own culture of learning” (Roberts et. al., 2018, p.530). Teachers and students, through the 5 Rs, build a community or “culture of learning” that is founded on continued learning, collaboration, and integration of technology. My main takeaway is that open education proponents believe that “every learner deserves access to learning choices regarding time, place, medium, and content”, pioneered the idea of a more collaborative environment between teacher and student, and this bled into technology-led learning when it came to the scene (Roberts et. al., 2018, p.530)

Through technology innovation and its adoption in education, other types of learning have come about, for instance, online learning or e-learning. In BC, many e-learning type ideas fall under the category of distributed learning. Many of these terms have multiple definitions, depending on the province that is being discussed, making it hard to nail down the true differences in these ways of teaching. Therefore, the history of distributed learning is quite convoluted and dense. Distributed learning seems to be a less extreme version of open learning as it encompasses different ways of utilizing technology that do not necessarily push privacy and copyright laws. 

The first virtual school in Canada was the Avon Maitland Distance Education Centre in Ontario in 1994 with its first official class in 1997, with many following in its footsteps (Barbour, M & Labonte, R.,2018 p.603). Canda, having the highest per capita E-learning enrollments, and being the first country to use online learning, were pioneers in the field of online learning (Barbour & Labonte, 2018 p.603). Despite this, funding, undefined authority and lack of unification in the E-learning arena have stunted its growth (Barbour, M & Labonte, R., 2018 p.607-611). 

 What I want to know? 

Can blended learning be done all in a brick-and-mortar school but half of the learning be done in-front of a teacher and half in-front of a computer? 

Sources

Barbour, M & Labonte, R. (2018) An Overview of
eLearning Organizations and Practices in Canada. In
R. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research
on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 600-616).
Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

Roberts, V. , Blomgren, C. Ishmael, K. & Graham, L. (2018) Open Educational Practices in K-12 Online and Blended Learning Environments. In R. Ferdig & K.Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 527–544). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.

As stated in the “Social Interactions in K-12 Learning” Chapter of The Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning by Garret Dikkers, “affective association (how students and teachers show emotion online), community cohesion (seeing the class as a community), instructor involvement (how the teacher shows involvement in student learning), interaction intensity (what ways and how often students interact), knowledge and experience (ways students share their prior knowledge and experiences with course content)” are the five aspects that guide meaning making in an open and online setting (p.513). Instructor involvement is stressed as the most important aspect that guides “meaning-making” (p. 512). As a student myself I have found this to be true. When I can have a connection with a teacher, feel comfortable asking questions, and feel understood and heard I am much more willing to take risks in my learning and to reach out for help. Having a teacher that is intimately involved with the learning that takes place transforms a learning experience, especially in an online setting. Providing opportunities for “connection to others in a learning space can contribute to satisfaction, enjoyment, and greater learning” (Garret Dikkers, 2018, p. 512). Collaborative experience help to stimulate learner-learner interactions and learner-instructor interactions, which help to create a sense of community when online.

Both Constructivism and Social Development Theory stress the importance of social interaction in learning and the benefits of collaboration (Garret Dikker, 2018, p.509). By creating discussion boards, web conferences, encouraging social networking, and providing curated, purposeful lessons, educators help to build relationships in an online setting (Garret Dikker, 2018, p. 515). It is important to note, in all of these examples, the “importance of mitigating risk, psychological safely, appropriate teacher-student interaction and protection of privacy” should always be considered (Garret Dikker, 2018, p. 516). 

 

As an educator selecting the mediums that fit your pedagogy, staying within the FIPPA guidelines, and the acceptable use policy of your school are things that are of great importance. Online schooling does not have to mean a loss of student-teacher relationships or peer relationships. Pedagogy has to be adapted and be more purposeful to ensure that this integral part of meaning-making is not lost.  

 

Before the readings, I was in the mindset that online schooling, as the only mode of learning, would not be able to provide the same standard of education, but the readings this week proved that it is possible through a more purposeful curation of resources and tools. My one outstanding question is, how can these ideas be adapted to younger students who are too young to be on social networks and require more hands-on help and guidance when using online tools?

 

 

 

Citations

Garrett Dikkers, A. (2018) Social Interaction in K-12 Online Learning. In R. Ferdig & K. Kennedy (Eds.), Handbook of research on K-12 online and blended learning (pp. 509-522 ). Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press.