- What are your beliefs about how people learn best? What is the purpose of learning theory in educational technology?
- What are the critical elements of a learning theory? Did
Driscoll and Siemens miss any key questions or criteria? Provide a
thoughtful critique of their discussion of learning theory.
- Critique Siemens’s “metaphors of educators.” Which of these metaphors best describes the role you believe an instructor should take in a digital classroom or workplace? Is there a better metaphor to reflect your view of the role of instructors?
As a response to the prompt, I will discuss option three – metaphors of educators. The changing roles of educators are intensifying with the addition of more and more technology. When I started teaching at the college, I had a video cassette player that was attached to a television on a cart, sometimes. I began bringing my own digital video device when I began to upgrade some of my resources and the college had yet to upgrade. Now I can click on a file in a cloud drive and play my clip, etc. The teaching and use of examples is still part of the need being satisfied for learners, the tools have changed.
How has this changed the role of the
educator? Siemens (Siemens, 2008) talks of the
following models for teachers: educator as master artist,
educator as network administrator, educator as concierge, and educator as
curator.
The master artist role seems to describe the
educator of the recent past (present).
One who oversees the work and remains in proximity. Depending on the teaching style, intrusive or
passive guidance may follow. The
educator gives some description and lets the creativity flow from the students. As we become more geographically separated,
this becomes more of a challenge. Issues
arise with synchronous versus asynchronous interaction and the oversight takes
a different role.
Getting closer is the educator as a network
manager. We can provide the links and
rubrics for a connected student, but interaction is suffering from some of the
same issues noted above as to when student and instructor, and other student to
student interactions, can communicate.
The network administrator helps build a connection between ideas, but
may fall short on building relationships that foster more inquiry. This begins the process of connectivism wherein
we find ways to network the students and sources. Take a look at nice video that does a great
job in explaining the concept.
The
Networked Student (Drexler, 2008)
The concierge is the next level. More guidance and the technology is
developing allowing more guided tours of information sources. I recall some years ago jumping in on a web
tour where we virtually followed the guide to a variety of sights. Virtual reality is developing ways for us to
carry that further in formats such as Second Life. We are getting to the future describe twenty
years ago, but may zoom past it before we realize we are upon it. Siemens creates this concept as a way to show
more guidance and involvement. The
concierge is a resource as well as a guide.
This is needed when concepts like connectivism are being attempted (Siemens, Learning
Communities, 2010). Bringing students together through the web to
research and create together. This does
seem to be where we are headed as the world of education is rapidly changing
along with the balance of the modern world, if only a bit behind…
References
Drexler, W. (Writer), & Drexler, W. (Director).
(2008). The Networked Student [Motion Picture]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwM4ieFOotA&feature=player_embedded#t=305s
Siemens, G. (2008). Learning and knowing
in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. ITForum.
Siemens, G. (Performer). (2010, July 15). Learning
Communities. Manitoba, Canada. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteI can identify with the fact, “The changing roles of educators are intensifying with the addition of more and more technology”. In my Calculus class, in 1999, some students used to have problem visualizing the resulting figure from rotating a graph of a function along a given interval and calculating the volume of the generated figure. However, the use of appropriate software facilitated instruction and learning. When students could conceptualize and ascertain the necessary equations of a Quantitative Business Analysis problem, all they had to do was to key in the equations and software presented them with the resulting response. While some of my colleagues experienced problem using Texas Instruments (TI) 84 plus graphing calculators in their high school mathematics classes, my students would review their lessons on the web before coming to class, due to some of the Instructional Design Technology skills I earned from Walden University. My preceding lecture method evolved to the exploratory method of learning (Siemens, 2008).
Reference
Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper105/Siemens.pdf.