PSYC 3800 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Virtual Learning Environment, Massively Multiplayer Online Game, Personalized Learning
22 Aug 2016
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CHAPTER 10
The Learning Sciences
What are the learning sciences
learning sciences = interdisciplinary field of psychology, sociology, anthropology, neuroscience, computer science, education
and any other fields that study learning
Basic assumptions of the learning sciences
experts have deep conceptual knowledge
learning comes from the learner
schools must create effective learning environments
prior knowledge is key
reflection is necessary to develop deep conceptual knowledge
Embodied cognition = cognition develops from interactions between humans and their environment
i.e. what develops cognitively depends on our sensorimotor experience with the world
we can mentally represent and manipulate symbols not present in real-time
.: thinking is constructive
remember that this isn’t accurate for very young children (who are still in Piaget’s pre-/concrete operational stage)
Cognitive and Social Constructivism
Constructivist views of learning
constructivism = view that learners should have an active role in their learning, and making sense of information
esp. social interactions are important in constructivist learning
can be broken down into field-specific ideas
psychological/individual/cognitive constructivism
as children develop, their schemas adapt and they are able to make new sense of information
first wave constructivism = focus on individual and psychological sources of knowing
radical constructivism = knowledge changes based on an individual’s construction (cannot be judged right or wrong) — reality
is constructed
Vygotsky’s social constructivism
Vygotsky emphasized social input as a major cause of psychosocial development
second wave constructivism = focus on socio-cultural sources of knowledge
constructionism = how public knowledge in disciplines (science,e math, economics, history) is constructed
social constructionists believe that all knowledge is socially constructed
How is knowledge constructed?
1. realities and trusts of the external world direct knowledge construction
2. internal processes direct knowledge construction
3. both external and internal factors direct knowledge construction
Situated vs. general knowledge
‘absolute’ knowledge can change over time
e.g. pre-Columbus, the world ‘was’ flat, according to the scientists. now we know the world is round, but there are other
things we are learning every day that cancel out our previously believed ‘facts'
community of practice = social situations / contexts in which ideas are judged useful or true
situated learning = idea that skills and knowledge are tied to the situation in which they were learned
they are difficult to apply in new settings (cf. transfer)
e.g. adopting the norms, language, attitudes, etc. of a particular community
i.e. situated learning says learning is specific to the situation where it was learned
Common elements of constructivist student-centred teaching — conditions for learning
1. embed learning in complex, realistic, and relevant learning environments
2. provide for social negotiation and shared responsibility as part of learning
3. support multiple perspectives, and use multiple representations of content
spiral curriculum = introduces fundamentals of subjects early, and revisits them over time
e.g. in chemistry every year they’re like ‘so everything you learned last year is technically wrong and this is why...'
4. nurture self-awareness and an understanding that knowledge is constructed
5. encourage ownership in learning
Applying Constructivist Perspectives
Scaffolding requires three characteristics
1. contingency support — the teacher is constantly adjusting responses to the student(s)
2. fading — gradual withdrawal of support
3. transferring responsibility — students gradually assume full responsibility for their own learning
Inquiry and problem-based learning
inquiry learning = teachers present a situation, and students solve the problem by gathering data and testing their conclusions
begin broad (how do animals communicate?)
focus questions (how do whales communicate?)
more specifics (what helps elephants communicate, e.g. large ears)
engaging students - measuring a bat’s ears in comparison to their body
problem-based learning = methods that provide students with realistic problems that might not have ‘right’ answers
goal is to develop useful and flexible knowledge (cf. inert knowledge)
identify the problem —> analyze —> generate hypotheses —> research —> application —> evaluation
scaffolded through the whole process (by teachers, computers, coaches, other students, etc.)
in true problem-based learning, the problem is real, and the students’ efforts matter
phases
1. intriguing challenge to the entire class
2. generation of ideas (brainstorming, small groups, whole groups, etc.)
3. multiple perspectives are added (live, videos, texts)
4. students go deeper to research and revise
5. students test their mettle (feedback)
6. students go public with their conclusions/solutions (oral presentation, final exam, etc.)
Cognitive apprenticeships and reciprocal teaching
cognitive apprenticeship model (= a relationship of learning under an expert)
1. students observe an expert model the performance
2. students get external support through coaching
3. students receive conceptual scaffolding which then fades
4. students continually articulate their knowledge
5. students reflect on their progress and compare to the experts
6. students begin to expire new ways to apply their learning
cognitive apprenticeships in reading: reciprocal teaching = helping students think about what they read
summarize the content, ask about the central point, clarify the difficult parts, and predict what happens next
skilled readers apply these automatically, but not poorer readers
applying reciprocal teaching
shift gradually
match demands to abilities
diagnose thinking
Collaboration and cooperation
collaboration, group work, and cooperative learning
collaboration = philosophy about how to work well with others
cooperation = how to work with others to achieve a goal
group work = 2+ people working together
beyond groups to cooperation
cooperative learning = students working together to achieve a common learning goal
helps with information processing, Piagetian disequilibrium (trying new ideas), Vygotskian social interaction
what can go wrong: misuses of group learning
pressure to conformity
more confidence in possibly incorrect answers (oh well we both got it so it’s probably right)
socializing and interpersonal relationships can take precedence
dependency from the teacher to the ‘expert’
social loafing
Tasks for cooperative learning
highly structured, review, and skill-building tasks
assigning narrow roles
teams compete to see which member can amass the greets improvement
ill-structured, conceptual, and problem-solving tasks
open exchange and lots of discussion
lots of interaction
achieving the reward through the most efficiently
social skills and communication tasks
intergroup understanding and appreciation
build community, respect, and responsibility
Preparing students for cooperative learning
setting up cooperative groups
review/practice groups are best in 4-6 people
discussion groups are best with 2-4
girls and boys should be balanced in the group
assigning roles
roles should support listening, encouragement, and respect for differences
roles are supports for learning, not ends in themselves
possible roles — encourager, gate keeper, coach, checker, recorder, reflector, quiet captain, etc.
Designs for cooperation
reciprocal questioning = students work in groups of 2-3 and ask and answer questions about lesson material
may not have specific answers
jigsaw classroom = each student is part of a group, and each group teaches it to the rest of the group
encourages interdependency
structured controversies
conflicts are bound to happen, and so are necessary topics for learning
arguing learns to learning, that’s why we have debates, and why we remember them better
it works even better when we research our side of the debate
Service learning = combination of community service with formal education
enriches learning, teaches civic responsibility, and strengthens the community
this is why in Ontario, we have to do 30 hours of volunteering in order to graduate
promotes political and moral development
also helps adolescents feel like they are capable of changing society
Learning in a Digital World
Learning environments and technology
technology-rich learning environments (TREs) = virtual worlds, computer simulations, intelligent tutoring system,s educational
games, audio recordings, etc.
three kinds of uses for technology
1. teachers can design activities for students
2. students can interact with technologies
3. administrators use technology to track information
primary goal is to support student learning (obvs)
Virtual learning environments
virtual learning environment (VLE) = general term of how to use technology with learning
personal learning environment (PLE) = variety of contexts and situations
learners assume control of how and when their learning occurs
personal learning network (PLN) = knowledge is constructed through online peer interactions (e.g. courselink)
immersive virtual learning environment (IVLE) = simulation of a real-world environment (e.g. Oregon Trail)
learning through enculturation
very domain-specific
massive multi-player online game (MMOGs) = interactive gaming environment through an avatar (e.g. Black Ops)
Developmentally appropriate computer activities for young children
requires simple, spoken directions, and open-ended activities (think Reader Rabbit or MathBlasters)
multimedia forms may actually distract from the important information
can increase multitasking ability, but decrease substantial learning
Computers and older students
computers can support the development of visual skills
computers are most useful in improving mathematics and science skills
but not so much reading
Media/digital literacy
kids need to learn how to identify credible sources for their information
this is something that a lot of adults don’t understand *cough* Dawn *cough*
teach them how to identify the creators/sponsors, the target audience, the messages, the credibility of the information (and it’s
accuracy), what was left out, etc.
ELKIND (2004), CARSON (2004), ELKIND (2005)
Teacher readiness
in some states, teachers don’t need an actual degree in education
in Ontario this is different, but still
there needs to be more of a science of education (multidisciplinary)
we need to reinvent teacher training
this is difficult, because education is not a science: and educators disagree on virtually every issue
ironically however, teacher readiness can be seen as a cause to constructivism (Carson)
Curricular readiness
requires a logical substructure to match the child’s reasoning power
timing of introduction of subject matters
e.g. a 7yo can tell you the names of the planets, but don’t have a firm grasp of celestial space and time
sequence of concepts (transfer is an important concept here)
Societal readiness
societal views greatly change what and how we teach
after WWI, we focused more on demands for everyday life, instead of the European classical model of formal discipline
even today, Ontario has just moved towards a new sex ed curriculum, reflecting our society’s greater emphasis and interest in
sex
changes happens better when society feels the need for it
some reforms are bad, but used politically
e.g. No Child Left Behind - political campaign, leads to depleted resources and emphasis on rote memorization, not
understanding
ELKIND (2005)
Document Summary
What are the learning sciences learning sciences = interdisciplinary eld of psychology, sociology, anthropology, neuroscience, computer science, education and any other elds that study learning. Basic assumptions of the learning sciences experts have deep conceptual knowledge learning comes from the learner schools must create e ective learning environments prior knowledge is key re ection is necessary to develop deep conceptual knowledge. Embodied cognition = cognition develops from interactions between humans and their environment i. e. what develops cognitively depends on our sensorimotor experience with the world we can mentally represent and manipulate symbols not present in real-time. : thinking is constructive remember that this isn"t accurate for very young children (who are still in piaget"s pre-/concrete operational stage) Rst wave constructivism = focus on individual and psychological sources of knowing radical constructivism = knowledge changes based on an individual"s construction (cannot be judged right or wrong) reality is constructed.
