Learning objects are resources, usually digital and web-based, that can be used and re-used to support learning.

According to Wikipedia, learning objects offer a new conceptualization of the learning process: rather than the traditional “several hour chunk”, they provide smaller, self-contained, re-usable units of learning.

They will typically have a number of different components, which range from descriptive data to information about rights and educational level. At their core, however, will be instructional content, practice, and assessment. A key issue is the use of metadata.  Learning object design raises issues of portability, and of the object’s relation to a broader learning management system.  In my organization, learning objects are the instructor-led events, online tutorials, materials, tests, etc that are in our LMS.  They are items that are either offered separately to learners or combined into a curriculum (also a learning object).

Adapting a definition from the Wisconsin Online Resource Center, Robert J. Beck suggests that learning objects have the following key characteristics:

• Learning objects are a new way of thinking about learning content. Traditionally, content comes in a several hour chunk. Learning objects are much smaller units of learning, typically ranging from 2 minutes to 15 minutes.
• Are self-contained – each learning object can be taken independently
• Are reusable – a single learning object may be used in multiple contexts for multiple purposes
• Can be aggregated – learning objects can be grouped into larger collections of content, including traditional course structures
• Are tagged with metadata – every learning object has descriptive information allowing it to be easily found by a search

Great resources:

http://www.explorethelor.org/

http://www.learning-objects.net/

http://www.reusability.org/read/

1. Learning activities must provide multiple representations of content.

2. Instructional materials should avoid oversimplifying the content domain and support context-dependent knowledge.

3. Instruction should be case-based and emphasize knowledge construction, not transmission of information.

4. Knowledge sources should be highly interconnected rather than compartmentalized.

Here are some good resources I found regarding CFT:

• http://www.cogflextheory.org
• http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Class_Websites/761_Spring_04/Assets/course_docs/ID_Theory_Reps_Sp04/spiro-Nicikel.pdf -  (great quick and easy resource for info)
• http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1979033 (Ustream video on CFT)

So um yeah…still a little uncertain on how in the world to actually design a course using CFT.  Should it be all online or can it be mixed?  Does the content have to be all interactive?  I’m really stumped looking at things from a instructional design standpoint.  Now where can I find a Cognitive Flexibility Theory for Dummies book?  Cuz I really need it…

CBR is the process of solving new problems based on the solutions of similar past problems.  It has four steps:

1.  Retrieve – When given a target problem, the students retrieve cases from memory that are relevant to solving it. A case consists of a problem, its solution, and, typically, annotations about how the solution was derived.  For example, a student is given a case and they need to go through their memory to see if they have any prior experiences similar to the case presented.

2.  Reuse – Students map the solution from the previous case to the target problem which may involve adapting the solution as needed to fit the new situation.

3.  Revise – After having mapped the previous solution to the target situation, students test the new solution in the real world (or a simulation) and, if necessary, revise.

4.  Retain -After the solution has been successfully adapted to the target problem, the experience is “locked” into the students’ memory.

Take a look at the video below presented as a film murder mystery allegory on artificial intelligence.

Additional resources to help explain the theory:

http://videolectures.net/ijcai09_rubin_acbrthp/

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.15.9093&rep=rep1&type=pdf

(1) intrinsically motivating activities

(2) emphasis on higher-order learning

(3) technology-based scaffolds for learning

(4) cognitive scaffolds for learning

(5) professional development and support for teaching at-risk students

(6) effective connections to home and the community

As I read over the information regarding the MOST methodology, I struggled with how this could be put into action.  It seems like it would be difficult to incorporate the ability to rearrange video clips in web-based instruction.  Looking at some of the resources presented during this week’s lesson, I still don’t see how this could be implemented and be effective.  I can more so see this being used in grades 6 and up where the students are better able to use technology as part of the model.  Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a good model to encourage reading, writing, interpreting, etc but I’m struggling with how to use this with web-based classes.

1. Challenge
2. Initial Thoughts
3. Perspectives and Resources
4. Assessment
5. Wrap-Up

The steps are logical and clearly define what should be done throughout the process. From looking at the format for the modules, they would be great for online training. The STAR Legacy modules are great for the development of online training for specific workplace roles and tasks.  The various places I could see it applied is for training staff from everything to customer service to sales or even online learning for writers (such as online writing workshops). The possibilities are truly endless!

Here are some additional resources that I found that really helped explain the model:

http://www.valdosta.edu/coe/minutes/Attachments/01_STAR_legacy_model.pdf

http://activism.beatingdebt.org/StarLegacy.htm (Looks to be a prior module from another semester)

http://carbon.ucdenver.edu/~bwilson/WebQuest/

Here are some great resources that I found for Anchored Instruction online:

http://calteach.ucsc.edu/aboutus/documents/AnchoredInstruction.pdf

http://www.answers.com/topic/instructional-design-anchored-instruction

http://www.emtech.net/learning_theories.htm#Anchored1

Now off to reminisce in those carefree days..  For those that are 80s babies (or have 80s babies), check out the vid below of the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? game.

Goal-based scenarios With GBS, teachers first identify a specific set of skills that they want to teach and then create a task, activity, or goal with that task included – one that the student will find interesting or motivational.  ( Basically using smoke and mirrors to lure the student in!  LOL)  The instructor chooses the content that the students will be given, which gears it  toward mastery learning.  Goal-based scenarios often take the form of multimedia learning environments in which students undertake authentic roles.  This could be in the form of a website, a hands-in project, or a simulation on the computer.  By having the learners actually put themselves in the scenario being presented, it allows the learners to further analyze the issues almost in 3D rather than just the standard “flat”, short answer assessments or teaching strategy.  This learning theory really fits for those with a kinesthetic learning style – meaning that they learn by doing.  For me, I still get excited about doing simulations for class.

Advantages of using goal-based scenarios:

(Source:  http://cuip.uchicago.edu/~cac/talks/Goal-based%20scenarios%20for.ppt)

I ran across this list of steps while doing research on GBS:

When creating a GBS, a designer goes through these six steps:

1. Identify a set of target skills

2. Develop Missions which require the target skills

3. Choose a Focus

4. Create a Cover Story which envelops the Mission

5. Plan the Operations

6. Build learning environments to support the target skills

(Source: http://www.bestteachersinstitute.org/id23.html)

Situated cognition is a theory of instruction that suggests learning is naturally tied to authentic activity, context, andculture (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989). It is moredifficult to learn from un-natural activities. For example,learning your first language or a foreign language byimmersion is widely held to be easier than learninglanguages from textbooks and vocabulary lists.

1. Observation
2. Coaching
3. Scaffolding
4. Modeling
5. Fading
6. Reflection

In an article by Carl Bereiter, “Situated Cognition and How to Overcome It”, the author talks about a weakness with situated cognition – problems of transfer.  What this means is that you learn more and more based upon the situation but will the knowledge you gain be applicable to other situations.  The example that the author used was that of a store clerk:  In your first job as a store clerk, you will begin by learning many things that are applicable to store clerking in general—how to address customers, ring up sales, bag purchases, watch for shoplifters, and so on. But as the weeks go on, your skills will become more and more specific to the particular store and its merchandize, clientele, management, physical layout, staff, and so on.  The author states that advanced stages of situated learning may, in fact, begin to yield negative transfer, as habits are acquired that will need to be overcome in a new situation.

Characteristics of PBL are:

• Learning is driven by challenging, open-ended problems.
• Students work in small collaborative groups.
• Teachers take on the role as “facilitators” of learning.

The role of the instructor/facilitator is to be there to guide the students in their learning rather than to provide their knowledge.  When I think of PBL, I basically think of students being placed into groups and then presented a problem that they have to solve.   I have worked in groups like this throughout college where the professor provided us with a problem that we need to work through and solve prior to the end of the semester.  According to research I found, PBL is used in medical facilities worldwide to teach new medical students.  During a semester at NCSU, a group I was in worked on such a collaborative project.  A software called Heartwise was used to teach first aid to nurses and other medical professionals.  One thing that I am having difficulty with is determining which subjects would be better suited to having PBL as an instructional method.  I can see the sciences – Biology, Chemistry, etc, English, but not sure how it can be implemented into Math, Social Studies, etc.  I believe it takes a bit of creativity to utilize this method in other subject areas.

The link below shows a video of a project-based learning example used and the students’ reaction to the learning style.

PBL Overview

(Courtesy of www.edutopia.org)

• is based on the premise that learning is best achieved interactively rather than through a one-way transmission process.
• has a key assumption that students working in groups will learn from and teach one another.
• is completed of two different types of teaching sequences – transfer-of-knowledge (TK) and collaborative sequences (CS).

With transfer-of-knowledge (TK) sequences, teachers dominates the discussion but participants are active in the discussion.  When I think of this particular training pattern, I think of a typical classroom setting where the teacher controls the flow of discussion in the classroom.  Haller’s article states that “students’ conversational turns were generally discrete from one another and pupils rarely interrupted one another or the teacher”.   Basically I think of it like those road construction detours that we see oh so often in Charlotte…one lane of the road is closed with the traffic being controlled by the DOT traffic flagger.  Once enough cars have passed, the traffic flagger then reverses the sign to let the other side of traffic get through.  In this analogy, one lane of traffic is the teacher/instructor and the other are the students.

In the second sequence presented about collaborative learning, we learn about the collaborative teaching sequence.  With collaborative sequences:

• roles that are predominantly symmetrical.
• participant turns tended to overlap considerably and simultaneous speech was common.
• several questions could be put on the table at a given times with responses being temprorily held in suspension.
• more than one student sometimes responded to a question at once.
• the dialogue is generally fragmented

I think of this as being a free-for-all where discussion could potentially be all over the place and may lead to some confusion.

As I’m thinking about collaborative learning, I try to decide in what situations/subjects this would be most appropriate.  Could you use collaborative learning in more hands-on type of learning – for example, chemistry, drafting, computer applications, etc.  I could see using collaborative learning methods when the class is a lecture-based course, if anything.  I would love to hear from others as to which areas they feel collaborative learning is best suited.