e learning, methodology and the dissemination of praxis
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
E-learning, methodology and the dissemination of Praxis
Mark Johnson
University of Bolton
Categories of Variety Management in the Classroom
• We can characterise the progression of a learning sequence as the succession of a series of types of ‘control’ of learners:
1. Strong attenuation of Learners
2. Weak attenuation of Learners
3. The Aesthetic object
A VSM Characterisation5. Strategy
4. forecasting
3. Day-to-day
1.Components
2.Controlcommand
monitoring
EN
VIR
ON
ME
NT
Strong Attenuation5. Strategy
4. forecasting
3. Day-to-day
1.Components
2.Controlcommand
monitoring
EN
VIR
ON
ME
NT
Strong Attenuation.. “Now do as I say!!”
5. Strategy
4. forecasting
3. Day-to-day
1.Components
2.Controlcommand
monitoring
EN
VIR
ON
ME
NT
Getting bored…?5. Strategy
4. forecasting
3. Day-to-day
1.Components
2.Controlcommand
monitoring
EN
VIR
ON
ME
NT
Weak attenuation.. “Discuss amongst yourselves…”
5. Strategy
4. forecasting
3. Day-to-day
1.Components
2.Controlcommand
monitoring
EN
VIR
ON
ME
NT
Self-organisation of learners5. Strategy
4. forecasting
3. Day-to-day
1.Components
2.Controlcommand
monitoring
EN
VIR
ON
ME
NT
From weak attenuation to chaos..5. Strategy
4. forecasting
3. Day-to-day
1.Components
2.Controlcommand
monitoring
EN
VIR
ON
ME
NT
A Special Case: the ‘Aesthetic object’
5. Strategy
4. forecasting
3. Day-to-day
1.Components
2.Controlcommand
monitoring
EN
VIR
ON
ME
NT
The need for balance and a ‘strategy’
• In order to maintain viability of the overall system, a fluctuation between strong and weak attenuation is required.
• Through a fluctuating process of complexity and the maintenance of viability, structural change is induced in the learners.
• This structural change within the individual components is where learning is situated.
The fluctuations of structure produced by a learning sequence creates an environment of constant challenge to the individual.
The choice for the learner is always whether to adapt and survive within the learning environment, or to reject their commitment to their learning.This decision is made in the context of other communities of practice the learner belongs to.
The effectiveness of the strategy of a learning sequence is to create environmental challenge in such a way that learners choose to adapt rather than reject their learning commitment.
What does the model predict?• Over-attenuation of learner variety will induce reduced commitment to
learning• Under-attenuation of learner variety similarly threatens learner
commitment through placing too great a demand for restructuring• A happy medium which balances high attenuation with low attenuation
may create the conditions for individual structural change.• Restructuring is necessitated not just to cope with the particular semantic
environment presented to the learner, but also to the social, technical and presentational challenges that the learner experiences in the course of a learning design.
• Each individual learner is subject to knock-on effects from those fragments of the learner’s life outside learning. Similarly, their learning affects those other fragments.
• Awkward semantic presentation, or instrumental presentation creates demands for restructuring on the part of learners which may contribute to the reduction in the commitment to learning.
• The ‘aesthetic resource’, characterised by high complexity, may effect control of individuals in the same way as heavy attenuation of learner variety.
Evidence
• Over-attenuation: the multimedia CD ROM
• Under-attenuation: the loose class discussion
• Awkward semantic presentation: The classic (bad) WebCT module...
• Self-organised knowledge gathering: learner-created notes
• Aesthetic Object: the intelligent chat agent
Questions