Learner Readiness for Online Learning

• Technical
• Teacher Strategies
• Learner Success Strategies recommended in Orientations to Blackboard
• Learning Skills
  • Depth of Learning
  • Learning Styles
  • Learning Stages

 

 

Technical

• use of computers
• use of the network
• use of software applications
• use of email to exchange documents
• use of online discussion

Time Management

Learning Skills

• Learning Style
• Learning Stage

Teacher strategies

• survey to identify learner skills and attitudes
• presentation of materials: consistency and chunking
  recognize the difficulties students may have reading and learning on line
• design to recognize learning styles/stages
  technical instruction about use of groups will not help if the learner doesn't recognize any use for discussion.

Success Strategies recommended in the Orientation to Blackboard

at http://elearning.algonquincollege.com/blackboard/OrientationtoBB.pdf

6 Strategies for Success

1. Plan specific hours during with you will do your online course. It’s just a line on your timetable now – set aside a specific time during which you will do your online work.

2. Visit your online course regularly. Teachers will expect you to check in and read announcements three or four times a week.

3. Don’t fall behind. Algonquin’s experience shows that people who stay on top of their online learning – they visit their courses regularly and get their assignments done – are successful, even if they have little computer experience at the start of the course.

4. Study with a Buddy. Study with other people in your program or find people in other programs who are in your course and work with them on your online course.

5. Participate. If you have questions or issues, contact your teacher immediately by email or through the Discussion Board (Your teacher will tell you how she or he prefers to get messages.)

6. Visit the Online Learning Centre. The Online Learning Centre (C204 Woodroffe or in the Resource Centre on your campus) provides help with technical issues, learning strategies, learning new computer skills, a place to meet other online learners.

Learning Skills

Assessments of elearner readiness include specific technical and time-management skills as well as consideration of the depth of the learning, learning styles and learning stage.

• Questions of deep and shallow learning
  • Stephen Draper, November 1997 http://staff.psy.gla.ac.uk/~steve/3theories.html
  • Adult Development: Implications for Adult Education. Overview. ERIC Digest No. 41. http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed259211.html
  • David A Smith, Thinking about Learning, Learning about Thinking http://www.math.duke.edu/~das/essays/thinking/thinking.html
• Learning Style
  • Center for Teaching and Learning at Indiana State University,  Learning Styles Home Page http://web.indstate.edu/ctl/styles/ls1.html 
  • Terry O'Connor Using Learning Styles to Adapt Technology for Higher Education http://web.indstate.edu/ctl/styles/learning.html
  • Susan Montgomery, The Use of Design in a "Kolb-Perry Learning Spiral" to Improve Engineering Education http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~smontgom/Kolb-Perry-1.html
• Learning Stages -- Perry

  • William J. Rapaport, William Perry's Scheme of Intellectual and Ethical Development Journey along the 9 "Perry" positions (as modified by Belenky et al.) http://www.cs.buffalo.edu/~rapaport/perry.positions.html

  • Steve Draper, Aspects of a learner's views at 3 different points on the Perry spectrum. http://www.psy.gla.ac.uk/~steve/courses/perry.html

 

	Student in position A	Student in position B	Student in position C
Student Role	Passive acceptor	Realises that some responsibility rests with the student. But what? And how?	Sees student as source of knowledge or is confident of finding it. Debater, making own decisions. Wants to explore contexts; seeks interconnections.
Lecturer's Role	Authority, giving facts and know-how	Authority, where there are controversies, wants guidance as to which the lecturer favours.	One authority among others. Values views of peers. Teacher as facilitator or gateway.
View of knowledge	Factual; black and white; clear objectives; non-controversial; exceptions unwelcome.	Admits 'black-and-white' approach not always appropriate. Sees no way to choose between alternative views. Feels insecure with these uncertainties.	A matter of competing views or theories, with different supports. Evidence, not just conclusions, an important part of knowledge. Enjoys creativity, scholarly work.
View of exams	Regurgitation of 'facts'. Exams are objective. Hard work will be rewarded.	Quantity is more important than quality in demonstrating maximum knowledge.	Quality is more important than quantity. Wants room to express own ideas, views.
Student confidence depends upon:	The teacher	Little confidence, high uncertainty.	The student her/himself

 

 

Adult Development: Implications for Adult Education. Overview. ERIC Digest No. 41. http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed259211.html

 

Merriam (1984) proposes that adult educators consider the following as among the most effective instructional techniques for use with adult learners: contract learning, experiential learning, portfolios, and self-pacing. Merriam also suggests that teachers strive to make learning experiences as meaningful as possible for individual learners and that they attempt to refrain from the stereotypical role of authority figure and transmitter of knowledge, functioning instead as a role model or resource person.

 

David A Smith, Thinking about Learning, Learning about Thinking http://www.math.duke.edu/~das/essays/thinking/thinking.html

"In fact, it is important for a learner to develop a repertoire of learning styles, and it is important for teachers to encourage that development."

"1. stop making test scores the dominant part of their course grades, and
 2. stop giving tests that can be passed by using coping skills in place of understanding. "