There are numerous studies that indicate critical thinking is nurtured through E- Learning and using a constructivist approach to teaching and learning.[i] This has been the underlying theory used to scaffold our online learning for the previous three weeks. Through the activities provided, higher order thinking has taken place to create a deeper understanding of learning theories and frameworks used to stimulate learning.
The constructivist approach to learning is that students should take on an active role in the process, obtaining and processing the information themselves, in order to have a deeper understanding of a subject.[ii] It makes our thinking visible to teachers in order to see the reasoning behind our opinions. In action this theory is the best approach in relation to Blooms Taxonomy’s cognitive domain, supporting complex reasoning processes and reaching a wider range of learning styles.[iii] Frameworks for technology-based teaching and learning like Engagement Theory, is consistent with constructivism. “It emphasises collaboration among peers and a community of learners…it focuses on experiential and self-directed learning.” (Kearsley & Shneiderman 1999)[iv]
Engaged learning according to Kearsley & Shneiderman is activities involving ‘active cognitive processes’ such as creating, problem solving, reasoning, decision-making and evaluation. A reason why this framework would be of use in our E learning is that we are all intrinsically motivated to learn, with a united goal to become teachers. Analysing and evaluating these wiki activities has also given us a greater understanding of scaffolded learning. For myself however I feel after four years of non-academic learning, this approach has taken a while to have a positive affect on my studies from the sheer amount of information to be processed.
The wikis overall connected through a constructivist method of learning. Whilst taking part in each wiki activity, it came to my attention that individually the activities had aspects of other learning theories.
The profile wiki used student’s knowledge and prior experiences from a constructivist’, yet showed visible elements of cognitivism. Since the information from each student formed a database as such, it gave other students selective information. This could then be stored in long-term memory in conjunction with the selection of a partner for the PMI model in the second wiki activity. This links to the theory ‘connectivism’ as the activity created connections between students to instigate future shared learning. The strategy itself can support specific subject learning by giving the teachers an insight into the depth of their student’s knowledge.
Even though a prominent scaffolding model used in constructivism, from the layout of the PMI, other students reading it would be able to add new knowledge effectively, to their existing ‘schemas’ on the learning theories from the key points. Connectivism is a key theory used in this wiki activity as it created a catalogue for all students to access simplified versions of the theories that had already been analysed. Thus deepening their knowledge. This wiki activity also connects students to form ideas and opinions through collaboration, bringing multi intelligences to work together and create a range of answers.nThe mobile phones wiki had visual elements of constructivism by promoting independent thinking within the collaboration of the class. From a cognitive perspective, the steps taken to answer the questions in De Bono’s six thinking areas’ broke the information down into manageable sizes.
One theory that is worth mentioning in this activity is ‘Behaviourism’. It concentrated on our personal perceptions of mobile phones and their use as an educational tool. Creating a platform with questions to reshape our behaviour toward this controversial topic.
There were negative aspects of this activity as a wiki I did not find in the previous two. The ability to upload numerous replies to the questions caused a build up of repeated answers. As the activity could be accessed at any given time, the attempted collaboration did not completely happen as expected since the group was so large. The activity needed students to answer within a short time frame in order to feel they could post a valid opinion. This may have been possible to all students if the activity had been split into smaller groups.
I believe the profile wiki was designed to form partnerships and connect with fellow students. The learning theories wiki and De Bono’s hats mobile phone wiki were scaffolded to construct our own opinions, ideas and perspectives from a collaborative approach. I do believe that all of the above was achieved and hope this is evident in my blogs. Showing the productive value of wikis as an effective instrument in E-learning.
Using a wiki for this constructive e- learning can have positive affects on the outcome of learning. The fact that the wikis can be accessed anywhere at any time and be manipulated by the students. For example in a collaborative project like the mobile phone wiki. Learning can be on going regardless of being in a physical learning environment. All the information that is needed for both teacher and student is centrally located. After all the word ‘Wiki’ derives from the Hawaiian word for hurry. They can be created and edited rapidly.[v] However, as a wiki can be manipulated at any given time by the students, as I touched on earlier on the mobile phones wiki, the different paces of individual learning can cause an activity to lose its ability to include all students and interfere with it’s main objective. Although I do feel that this technology can have a slightly negative influence on some as it is intense. It is a technology that should be integrated into E-learning gradually for many. For example, this particular course has graduates from twenty years ago. ‘Digital immigrants’ as Prensky (2001) depicts.[vi] I myself would be a Digital Native’ though even still, after a university education that only ended four years ago, online learning has taken on a new meaning for myself, ‘Wikis’ are a completely new concept. This can be daunting and takes time to navigate comfortably. Not everyone is used to having their learning process and thinking patterns placed online for their peers to see. In saying that, wikis if used in a variety of ways, are effective to engage a diverse range of students and their learning styles indicated from the previous three weeks.[vii] Felder ‘s learning styles can be catered for through wiki activities from the range of resources that can be provided. [viii] The profile wiki supports Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Visual/ Spatial learners. The learning theories activity is visual and inclusionary. A range of technology can be used to communicate, for example Skype and email, these are useful tools for discussion and a constructive strategy for active learners.The mobile phone wiki is intrapersonal and draws on student’s strengths to collaborate and construct a critical analysis.
The wiki activities and the reading required to participate, has resulted in an understanding of the need of scaffolded learning through effective frameworks such as Blooms Taxonomy and Engagement Theory. The understanding needed to engage all learning styles and multiple intelligences within a learning environment. The most important realisation I have made is the advantage technology can give to a constructive E- Learning environment in order to encourage higher order thinking. In becoming a teacher I have a lot to learn.
[i] Al-Fadhli, S., & Khalfan, A. (2009). Developing critical thinking in e-learning environment: Kuwait University as a case study. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , 529-536 pg 530
[ii] Modritscher, F. (2006) 'e-Learning Theories in Practice: A Comparison of three
http://elearningpedagogy.com/constructivist.html
[iii] Benjamin Bloom (1956) Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains
http://www.nwlink.com/%7Edonclark/hrd/bloom.html#cognitive
[iv] Greg Kearsley & Ben Schneiderman (1999) version 4/5/99
http://home.sprynet.com/%7Egkearsley/engage.htm
[v] Inderscience (2010, December 3). Wikis in higher education. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2011, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/12/101203081807.htm
[vi] Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.
MCB University Press, 1-6.
[vii] Jun 10, 2009 David R. Wetzel, Wetzel, David R (June 10, 2009) , 5 strategies for using wikis in the classroom.
www.suite101.com/content/5 -strategies-for-using-wikis-in-the-classroom-a124331
[viii] Felder, R & Silverman, L (1988), learning and teaching styles in Engineering Education. Engineering Education, page 675
