Lecture 9 - Webquest

Since the lecture covered the different parts of webquest, I will hereby try to talk about my group's webquest under this structure.

The goal of our webquest is to let students know about the importance of recycling and make them aware of good recycling habits.

The six parts to our Webquest:
1) Introduction
We will engage the learners though a role-playing story and provide some background information on recycling. This is to create interest in the topic to be learned.

2) Task
The main task that we expect learners to do would be an art project. Learners will collect recycable materials and create their own recycling bin.

3) Process
They will first play an online recycling game to obtain basic information on the classification of litter. Thereafter they will attempt an MCQ quiz. They will then proceed to collect the appropriate materials for the construction of the bin.

4) Evaluation
A rubric will be created to evaluation the laerners' artwork.

5) Conclusion
We will give a summary of the webquest here, and provide encouragement to the learners to make them continue their good recycling habits.

6) Teacher's Page
We will reinterate the learning objectives here and credit all our sources.

Lecture 8 - Instructional Strategies Leading to Problem-solving and Affective Learning

Problem solving skill refers to the ability to use previous knowledge in a unique way to solve unfamiliar problems.

There are many types of problems, and problems are classified according to the following characteristics:
1) Degree of structure (Well-defined or ill-defined)
2) Level of complexity
3) Degree of abstractness (General or specific)

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Key instructional conditions for attitude learning
1) Demonstration of desired behavior by a role model
2) Allow practice of desired behavior
3) Provide reinforcement for the desired behavior

Motivation and attitude are part of affective learning, and I definitely think that affective learning is the most important aspect of any effective learning. The reason for the existence of a role model is to provide that motivation for the learner to emulate the desired characteristics of the role model. When the motivation is strong enough, learners will naturally and actively engage in the practising of these behavioral traits.

In addition, learners should be able to learn the satisfaction that arises from the emulation of these desired behavior. The pure admiration of the role model may not form a strong-enough motivation. Rewarding the exhibition of good behavior seems like a straightforward way to make learners practise it, but it is too behavioristic. If the learners themselves are able to cognitively process the benefits of the desired behavior, they will learn the satisfaction of carrying them out and ultimately acquire the desired attitude.

Lecture 7 - Instructional Strategies for Procedures and Principles Learning

Procedure is a sequence of operations and requires intellectual skill for its execution. It is the knowing of how to do something, and not the knowing of what something is.

Instructional Elements for Procedure Learning
1) Learners must know when to use procedure and the steps to perform
2) Learners must see a demonstration or example of the execution of the procedure
3) Learners must practise the procedure themselves for application of knowledge and feedback

It is said that the two toughest instructional events for teaching procedures are practice and feedback. I am not sure if these two are the toughest, but they are definitely the crux of effective learning. During the learning process where learners are taught what the procedure is about, it is just a one-way transfer of information. We are not sure if learners have really digested the information. In the practice of these procedures, we can definitely tell whether the learners understood the execution. Feedback supports this process by ensuring a two-way interaction between learners and instructors.

Perhaps the biggest difficulty lies in the overseeing of the practice/attempt of every student, and ensuring that these students receive appropriate and personal feedback. Since the intructor cannot possible observe the entire practice process of his/her students, it should suffice to just judge the end product (result of procedure operation) and provide feedback on what possible went wrong during the process. Internet, as an e-learning medium, aids this process because it allows a more dynamic and convenient way of communicating. There is also easy and accessible reference to model answers on the part of the learners.

Principles are relational rules among concepts.

Instructional Elements for Principle Learning
1) Learners must know statement of principle and when principle applies
2) Learners must know the factors (variables, relations, context) that constitute an appropriate situation in which the principle can be applied
3) Learners will see illustrations and explanations which demonstrate the application of principle
4) Learners then practice and obtain feedback

Lecture 6 - Instructional Strategies for Fact and Concept Learning

The two main concepts from this lecture are 1) declarative learning and 2) concept learning. These two concepts are crucial in the development of appropriate learning design. The kind of information will dictate the type of learning approach, i.e., facts are part of declarative learning, concepts require intellectual skills and are part of concept learning.

There are three ways to learn declarative knowledge:
1) Organising (Chunking)
This is the grouping of large set of elements into smaller subsets of elements. By drawing on the relationship between similar elements, learners will be able to memorise these elements better.
2) Linking
This is the use of mnemonics to serve as memory aids.
3) Elaboration
By attaching more meaning to the object, the more successful one is able to recall it. In this case, we need to attach higher levels of meanings, such as using imageries in our minds.

In my opinion, I would say that the most useful way to learn facts is through elaboration. Linking and the use of mnemonics make the learners more dependent on tools, rather than on learners' cognitive abilities. For the recalling of simpler facts, the use of mnemonics should suffice. However, for facts that are more complex, I think that recalling is most successful when the learner is able to attach meanings to the object that needs to be remembered. This is because the cognitive process of attaching meaning makes the learner more involved in the memorizing of the word.

For concept learning, the way of instruction is:
1) Name the concept
2) Define the concept
3) Provide an example of concept (Give varied examples)
4) Provide non-examples
5) State distinct attributes of concept
6) Practice (Make learners apply the concept)
7) Provide feedback for their practice (Correct/Reinforce concept)

I think this proposed way of instruction is very efficient for concept learning (:
Both behaviorism and cognitivism mutually support each other in this process.
The first five steps engage the learners' cognition to learn and reflect on the concept. Non-examples clarify what the concept consists or does not consist. The stating of attributes requires the learners to attach distinct meanings to the concept and as a result, make the concept more memorable. At the end, the learners apply their knowledge of the concept in a practice (i.e., MCQ quiz) and the instructors will provide feedback to their answers. In this process, behaviorism is being applied, as the wrong answers are corrected and the right answers are reinforced.