eLearning or eKnowledge:What are we offering students?

Greig Krull and Brenda Mallinson

29 September 2013Unisa Cambridge ODeL Conference

The Challenge

“This course contains an overflow of information”

“Lets just create a course for this”

Is it a learning programme or a

collation of content?

Wikipedia Commons (PD)

Impact of Supporting ICT

Increased access to resources,

information, knowledge

eLearning Africa Report (2013) CC-BY-NC-ND

Emergence of new methods of teaching

and learning

But…

• Deployment of technologies such as VLE/LMS usually perpetuates transmissive modes

• Aim seems to be efficiency of delivery rather than improving the learning experience

Brent Hoard (2009) CC-BY

Leading to…

Dissatisfactory Use of

Technology

Decontextualised Information

Dumping of Content

Poor learning design leading to unsatisfactory student learning experience with poor results

Importance of Learning Design

Design Purpose

1. What do learners need

to learn?

2. How can we help learners

learn?

3. How will we know learners have learned?

4. How can we sure of good

quality learning?

The Three Presences

Cognitive

TeachingSocial

Anderson (2008)

Supporting discourse

Setting climate

Selecting content

Educational Experience

eLearning Tools

eKnowledge

• Share informational content • Easily and appropriately accessible

Need for Knowledge Management

Need for on-demand learning activities

Make sense of the plethora of information

Collect, organise and share organisational information and experiences to create additional value

Convergence of Knowledge and LearningKnowledge as… Knowledge and Learning

ThemeLearning as…

Artefact• Semantic Markup• Knowledge types

Objects Content / Authoring• Knowledge downsizing• Metadata / Standards

Processes• Knowledge Lifecycle• Infrastructure

Processes Flow of Instruction• Instructional Design• Learning Activities

Social Construct• Communities of Practice• Virtual Teams

Strategies Communities / Social• Organisational Learning• Workplace Learning

Infrastructure• Applications• Enabling Technologies

Systems “System”• Services• Roles / Actions

Knowledge Flow / Services• Semantic Services• Instrument knowledge flow

Performance Learning Context• Augmentation• Ubiquitous learning

Lytras and Sicilia (2005)

Independent and Adult Learning

Adult Learning

Confidence &Independence

Skills & Strategy

Knowledge & Understanding

Experience

Reflection

Creativity

Syverson (2006)

Implications

Rethink course outlines and learning objectives

Sharper focus on instructional resources

Utilise well-structured informational resources

to be found at the moment of need

Clarify the approach best suited to a

particular learning purpose

Spend more time guiding learners to find, interpret, evaluate and

use content

Rethink the HOW in the design of our learning

provision

Reflection

1. What is the purpose of the content and resources you are providing for students?

2. How are you using technology to support your teaching and learning approach?

Thank You

Unless otherwise specified, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Greig Krull greigk@saide.org.za @greigk_zaBrenda Mallinson brendam@saide.org.za

www.slideshare.net/oerafrica

References• Anderson, T (ed) (2008) Teaching in an Online Learning Context. The theory and

practice of online learning. Athabasca University Press: 343-363.• Barker, P (2005) Knowledge management for e learning. Innovations in Education ‐

and Teaching International 42(2). • Isaacs, S (ed) (2013) The eLearning Africa Report, ICWE: Germany • Laurillard, D (2006) E-Learning in Higher Education. In Ashwin, P (ed) Changing

Higher Education: The Development of Learning and Teaching. London: Routledge. 1-12.

• Lytras, M and Sicilia, M (2005) The Knowledge Society: a manifesto for knowledge and learning, Int. J. Knowledge and Learning, Vol. 1, Nos. 1/2, 1–11.

• Mason, J (2005) From e-learning to e-knowledge in in Madanmohan Rao (ed.) Knowledge management tools and techniques, 320-328, Elsevier, London.

• Renshaw, J (2012) Taking your course online? Beware the belittling 'information dump'! English Raven Blog.

• Rosenberg, M (2013) eLearning vs eKnowledge. Learning Solutions Magazine.• Saide (2012). Course Design and Material Development Guide.