I like Richey, Klein & Tracy’s definition of Instructional Design, “ ID is the science and art of creating detailed specifications for the development, evaluation, and maintenance of situations which facilitate learning and performance” As a teacher, when I delivered lessons, I had tried to consider 6 content domains which Richey, Klein & Tracy propose: Learners and Learning Processes, Learning and Performance Contexts, Content Structure and Sequence, Instructional and Non-instructional Strategies, Media and Delivery System, and Designers and Design Processes. What I have found out as a teacher is that success does not necessarily come only because I use technology. Success has come from how well I deliver myself as a part of instruction. Therefore, I believe that when classroom instruction is designed, how you will make a good rapport with your students should come at first and foremost.
Once Plato told people that “Moving from spoken discourse to written word would make students disrespectful and shallow, because they would not be using their memories. " It shows that Plato did not like the idea of paper, the medium for written language which people at present like a lot. What would be the most important educational technology people have invented so far? I think It is the invention of paper and Gutenberg’s printing press.
However, did it really change the aspect of learning in the classroom? Can you say that we teach more effectively than the people who didn’t have paper and printing press?
As Reiser & Dempsey illustrates, technology has always changed. We have seen all the hypes caused by radio, videos, computers, programs, applications, and MOOCs. How will they change aspects of education? I believe that the only truth we have for certain is that everything changes. Technology, people’s needs, culture, view on history, and individual learning styles change.
The bottom line is that education is communication and how we can utilise technology for better communication is a key factor. Plato believed that he could communicate better with oral language. Like Plato lots of people still prefer listening to others’ opinion with spoken language because spoken language allows people to clarify what they are talking about by asking and responding. If you are teaching one student, oral communication can suffice. However, if you are teaching 10 students, you can communicate better with the help of books. What about 200 students and more? What if the students you are teaching are across the Continent? You can communicate with them better with the computers, mobile devices, and information technology. Therefore, I think instructional technology is a matter of selection for the purpose of communication.
To what extents do English contents focused on cultures in e-learning environments make learners engaged emotionally?
In brick and mortar classrooms, as long as the curriculum allows you to do so, you can incorporate various ways to engage your students emotionally. You can use pop songs and movies as teaching materials. In addition, you can adapt game-based learning to your teaching. You can make students choose storybooks they like and read them. They will simply like those methods because they are interesting.
However, in e-learning environments, you should be really careful about copyright issues. It means that you can use pop songs and movies only in limited environments where the use of those materials should correspond to “fair use” of the contents. You can use pop songs and movies if your classes are Small and Limitedly Open Online Classes. However, if you consider opening a form of MOOC courses, you should be aware of copyright issues. It means in e-learning courses open to people around the world, the contents you can make use of are limited.
Then, with which contents can you make learners engaged like ‘real’ classrooms I mentioned above? I find one answer in cultures. Everybody has his or her own culture. They have things to share, which can lead to talking with each other or posting their thoughts on online sites or SNSs. Furthermore, teachers can easily make culture-related contents relatively free of copyright issues.
I want to measure how learners like the contents and to what extent they participate in activities of sharing in the form of written language.
The author, Gal, S.(1996), believes people learn by doing or making something. He tells about Ray’s experience of modeling a bridge.
Ray participate in the design competition which is about making model bridges. He has string, different types of wood, and glue. The bridge should pass through test load and most importantly he has only 3 weeks.
Ray uses top-down process at first. He decides to build the bridge with a clear concept. He goes to the library, reads books, watches some movies, and draws some bridges. Ray prepares 6 designs for a bridge and uses Growltiger to reflect on his design. Only two survived the test. After using Growltiger, Ray realizes that bottom up approach which is concerned about putting small pieces together is also important. Now he communicate with the materials in hands. He wants to use all the materials. And he experiments with materials and learn a lot from the process.
Growltiger worked as image foothold and helped Ray construct his bridge.
Principle : We need 'foothold'
What kinds of footholds do I have - CMS, other websites, authoring tools and MOOC sites
My approach to designing my site - I start without blue print and correct as I am progressing
My approach is bottom up but I need top down approach, a big picture - blue print
Today I participated in a RoboStem activity. I try to see this experience in
terms of English Education and Engagement. Regarding engagement, please
refer to Fredricks et all(2004)
1. Summary
After introduced to robot kits and parts, I began to put together the parts to make a race car. What I found out was that building up a racing car was really interesting. It was like kids’ playing with Lego. I experienced that I was absorbed in assembly activity. The process of making a race car was not complicated but the manual book was not user-friendly. I had to guess and find out where a part should be put together to a certain position. What I have learned is that people learn by doing or creating something. Just reading or watching educational materials are not enough. Therefore, integrating robotics with STEM could be effective in the sense that it facilitates learning process by making students engaged in learning.
2. RoboStem and English Education
I try to see what I learn here in terms of English Education. Learning STEM with robotics entails following directions from teachers and manual books. It means English learners should listen, read, and speak to ask what they don’t know. Therefore, RoboStem provides a natural environment for learning English. In the process of making robots, they learn names of the parts and tools. Then, teacher can make students collaborate in groups to make students help each other while they read the manuals. The students can also program together to make the robots move. One thing for certain is that they will learn English vocabulary in the process of assembly and programming as well as STEM.
3. Engagement
How can I engage learners in virtual learning environment? That is one of my research questions. Robot assembly and programming is beneficial for behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement since it involves kinetic movement of students’ body, students find the activity fun, and programming requires students to use their cognitive strategy or ability. It would not be easy to provide such an authentic environment for learning in a website. However, in virtual environment, making students engaged affectively and cognitively would be possible. In robot assembly, making and programming makes students use their brains while they find it fun. Creating such an environment is my task this year.
4. The Era of Creators and Interventions in the Future.
I believe this century we live in is creators’ era. 10 years ago, it was not that easy to produce, create, publish, and share. However, thanks to the power of digital technology, lots of things have been made easy. You can design what you imagine with 3D modeling program and produce it with 3D printer. If you are comfortable with HTML and CSS, you can publish your e-books anytime. RoboStem corresponds to what students need to learn right now. They need to make their own and share it with other people. In the process they will learn and grow. However, I should ask myself if I can make any artifacts which help students create something and share. That should be a basic question for my research.
Good design comes from the successful synthesis of a solution that recognizes all the relevant constraints, and the nature of constraints defines the difference between design disciplines.
What are my constraints?
Based on those constraints I should synthesize solutions from those solutions. I can frame or reframe the problem and objective. Then I can create and envision alternatives. I should choose among those selectives and visualize. I can make prototype.
Complexity of design
Anthropometrics - the size of people
Physiology - The way the body works
Psychology-The way the mind works
Sociology-the way people relate to each other
Anthropology - human condition
Ecology - the interdependence of living things
Interaction Design is about human and subjective area of digital design. Therefore we can define “interaction design” as The design of the subjective and qualitative aspects of everything that is both digital and interactive.
For interaction design, we need to analyse latent needs and desires by observing people. Now we have a set of 51 methods of learning about people. Those methods are published as a deck of cards. Those methods can be categorized into 4, Learn, Look, Ask, and Try.
After all these analysis, we can make an Interaction Design Prototype which is “A representation of a design, made before the final solution exists”
After completing prototypes, they needs to be experienced. By experience you can grasp existing problems.
When make prototypes, you can use several techniques like screen-based experiences, interactive products, and services
The 2-3 major principles
observe constraints
make prototypes
experience them
reflect
What’s different from ADDIE? Analyse, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate
Bottom Line
Consider Constraints, make prototypes, and experience them
