Control in a Delicate Manner

     While reading Dron’s article this week there was a section that he wrote that really stuck out to me.  He writes that “structure equates to teacher control, dialogue to negotiated control, and autonomy to learner control.  At any point in a learning trajectory transactional control will vary.”  I found these sentences to be very thought provoking, especially the first one.  I can see the truth in this sentence particularly after completing this weeks readings.  Structure is something that must be very carefully controlled in a distance education setting.  As Dron stated with too much control the teacher will be leading the course with an iron fist.  Dialogue, which I feel, is vital to learning, specifically in a distance education setting allows for both parties (instructor and student) to utilize what they feel is the right amount of control to ensure that the instruction provided by the instructor is adequate and the information is being received by the student.  A distance education course that allows too much autonomy for the student does not ensure that the student is gaining all the information that they can, due to the teacher not having enough structure in the course.

     In any distance education course the control will vary.  The instructor will set forth a schedule for the week (for example) with questions for clarification to see if the student is gathering the information intended, and that may be where the instructors control will end.  The student will then assume control in completing the schedule and answering the questions, which is where the students control ends.  The instructor will then assume control in reviewing the students’ response to the question and can either respond with assent that the student has comprehended the information or respond with dissent and guide the student towards the proper information.  Control is a fragile item in distance education and Dron has really presented some thought provoking material.

To Teach or How to Teach......

            While reading Conrad’s study this week there was an area that we were asked to comment on regarding where the novice instructors faced problems.  The area that I thought plagued the instructors the most was that they were teaching who they were and not understanding who the students were and teaching to them.  Yes, I know that this was covered in a discussion board topic of Week 5, but one area that I did not cover or notice was the similarity between of the problem the instructors faced and the similarity of Mayes.    On page 23 of Mayes chapter of Interactions in Online Education he writes, “It seems a fundamental point that if we have diagnosed a learner as learning in a particular way then our pedagogy should work to provide teaching that matches the individual’s preferred approach.”  I found it absolutely amazing that these two authors have both hit the nail on the head.

            Yes, many online instructors have a hard time finding their groove if you will as it relates to teaching distance education.  It is obvious to a student if the instructor is teaching himself or herself and not to the diverse students in their class.  Not all students learn in the same manner, this has been proven time and time again; but instructors or facilitators must be able to reach a wide range of students in any given semester or class.  The focus should always be on the student and instructors need to evaluate themselves to see if they have become too complacent in their teaching mannerisms. As Mayes stated, it is imperative that once students are identified as learning in a certain manner that they are taught in that manner.......

            

Theory, Theory, and a little more Theory

            Theory this and theory that, I am so lost and confused by all this theory talk.  In Anderson’s chapter he lists three attributes to a good theory.  The first is that it allows us to see new things.  The second attribute is that it lets us make things and lastly that theories keep us honest.  Really?  This does not seem to be an outline for creating theory. 

            I think where I am facing such a problem with all of these theories is that I cannot see the end result in where theory comes into play.  How does theory help us, as students comprehend and grasp teaching and learning in distance education?  Perhaps I am just putting the cart ahead of the horse and in a week or two the reasoning for all of this theory talk will make sense, but right now I am in a dark, circular room with no door trying to get out. 

            Obviously, there is a difference between distance education and face-to-face instruction and the manner in which these two educational endeavors are approached can differ, but why are there and is there a need for more than one theory?  Is it because those who are influential in the distance education arena cannot agree on a single theory?  Is this something that is discussed at the annual EDEN conference and if not why not?  I do not know if this rambling has helped me to better understand the theories presented thus far, or to even understand why we are starting here.  I just hope that things become more clear in the coming weeks.

Now that you mention it…….

            I have never been one to think of how I learn.  It was always something that just happened like the sun rising and setting; the instructor teaches and I digest and retain what I can.   Never before had I heard of “schools of learning” (Ally, 2008), and now that I have been introduced to them I cannot stop thinking about them.  I am now second-guessing if I am a constructivist.  Is it possible to fall under two or possibly all of the schools of learning in some form or another?  Surely, one can move from one school to another, but is it possible to be both a constructivist and a cognitive learner? 

           

            Having had to classify myself (as a constructivist), I was still drawn to the other two options offered in the Ally article.  The Behaviorists asking ‘what’; I can see this in my 5 year old daughter asking ‘what makes the light in the refrigerator come on’ when she opens the door and her asking ‘what makes stars fall’.  The Cognitive learners asking ‘how’; I can see this in my 11-year-old son when he is working through a challenging math problem (such as 3X+5X=56) trying to figure out how the answer is what it is.  And in myself I see the constructivist asking ‘why’; asking myself as I read ‘why is this important to the class’.

            So how has this and how will it contribute to my distance education (if I was asking how, would I then be classified as a cognitive learner?), I believe that it will make me more aware of what I am reading, process the information in a more personal manner while making the personal connection to help store it in my memory.  What I have learned is that perhaps we travel through the different schools of learning as we age and progress through our education.  The most beneficial way, I feel to capitalize on this information is to remember that not everyone learns in the same manner and that it is possible for certain age groups to benefit from being taught differently than others. 

            I certainly hope that as students in this course we are presented with more information such as this to keep us thinking and reflecting more deeply.  

February 8, 2011

Initial Entry, Thinking Positive!

It seems that I have developed an uncomfortable pattern when it comes to my graduate studies.  For the past two semesters, I attempt to be proactive and start perusing the course during pre-week with every intention to get a head start on the class.  What inevitably happens is that I freak myself out by looking at everything that is to come and loose my motivation because everything is foreign to me.  Regrettably, this semester has been no different.  Especially when one looks to our lofty (as of this moment) goals for the semester:

Identify the contribution of distance education theory to online teaching and learning;

 Apply underpinning philosophical constructs to teaching and learning online;

 Present and discuss theoretical and practical issues relevant to online teaching and learning related to social, instructional, and cognitive

        presence;

Clarify the roles of instructors, learners, administrators, designers, and other stakeholders in the delivery of online learning; Explore the impact of communication technologies on the pedagogies of online teaching and learning.

            As it currently stands I can agree to the importance of the first goal and even at this early point in the semester see the relevance of it.  The second goal of the semester has me completely dumbstruck (and hope that I can eventually at some point this semester definitively claim a grasp on this goal).  I feel that the third is perhaps the most important goal on this list (at this moment), with the fourth goal extremely important as well. 

            Now that I have had the opportunity to get my feet wet and start to meet my classmates through the icebreaker activity, I am feeling more confident.  I am looking forward to this class and everything the Instructor and my classmates have to offer.  Hopefully this positive feeling will last and I will learn and grow as a student this semester.  

January 29, 2011