Day 4

Scratch

The first activity of this session will be using Scratch, a visual programming tool with Makey Makey to make a musical instrument. We will reflect on the constructionist and constructivist learning theories we have used in this task.

Some ways in which Makey Makey's can be used are:

• Building scientific instruments
• Flight simulators
• Power motors
• Lighting LED's
• Rain gauge
• Home security system
• Selfie switch
• Bringing code to life.

Learning Theories 

A learning theory is about changes in observable behaviour. It addresses: how such changes become relatively permanent, whether the change is immediate or potential, what role experience plays, and what aspects of reinforcement are present (Olsen & Hergenhahn, 2013).

These top ten learning theories are particularly relevant to digital and collaborative learning

• Conditioning
• Connectionism and the Law of Effect
• Progressive Education
• Constructivism: Social Development Theory
• Constructivism: Equilibration
• Social Cognitive Theory
• Situated Learning / Cognition
• Community of Practice
• Constructionism
• Connectivism

Constructionism

Constructionism argues that collaborative learning is particularly effective in environments where learners are required to actually produce what Seymour Papert refers to as a 'social product' - and this may be anything from a robot to a computer game or even a mathematical theory.

Papert & Harel (1991) state that constructionism is the idea of learning-by-making and that these activities display qualities of "learning-richness": 

"The simplest definition of constructionism evokes the idea of learning-by-making... I do not believe that anyone fully understands what gives these activities their quality of "learning-richness." But this does not prevent one from taking them as models in benefiting from the presence of new technologies to expand the scope of activities with that quality." Papert & Harel (1991)

Constructivism

Constructivism is based on a type of learning in which the learner forms, or constructs, much of what he or she learns or comprehends (Cashman et al., 2005). This means that knowledge is constructed, and transformed by students. The learning process must be understood as something a learner does by activating already existent cognitive structures or by constructing new cognitive structures that accommodate new input. Learners do not passively receive knowledge from the teacher; teaching becomes a transaction between all the stakeholders in the learning process. One of the ideas associated with constructivism is Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (what the learner can do with the guidance of a knowledgeable other).

ITL Rubrics

In this session we will be focusing on the 'Collaboration' rubric and the 'Use of ICT skills for learning’ rubric. 

The ITL rubrics can be found at https://education.microsoft.com/GetTrained/ITL-Research

You can also view a student videos on collaboration, or look for other videos using the relevant hashtags in the Google+ community.

Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning is a learning process that brings learners together (including the teacher) and enables students to be responsible for their own learning as well as the learning of their peers. Collaborative learning is aimed at having students fully appreciate the process of building knowledge together and improving learning outcomes by collective knowledge and collective capability.

Walker & Daniels (2001) suggest that collaborative learning is a hybrid of soft systems methodology (SSM), experiential and adult learning theories, and the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) areas of conflict resolution, mediation and negotiation.

Dillenbourg (1999) identifies the difference between collaboration and cooperation as defined by a degree in the division of labour. In cooperation, partners split the work, solve sub-tasks individually and then assemble the partial results into the final output. In collaboration, partners do the work 'together' (Dillenbourg, 1999). Similarly, Kozar (2010) uses the analogy of a pot luck dinner where cooperation is defined as the guests bringing separate dishes to contribute to the meal, and collaboration as a messier chaotic process where guests cook together to create the meal, but gain new knowledge or experience from the interaction.

Collaboration vs. Cooperation

The following diagram by John Spencer provides some comparisons between collaboration and cooperation. 

References

Cashman et al. (2005). Teachers Discovering Computers: Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom (4th Ed.) Cambridge: Course Technology.

Dillenbourg P. (1999) What do you mean by collaborative learning?. In P. Dillenbourg (Ed) Collaborative-learning: Cognitive and Computational Approaches. Oxford: Elsevier

Kozar, O. (2010). Towards Better Group Work: Seeing the Difference between Cooperation and Collaboration.English Teaching Forum, 48(2), 16-23.

Olsen, M. & Hergenhahn, B. (2013). An Introduction to Theories of Learning (9th ed.) Boston, Mass: Pearson.

Papert, S. & Harel, I. (1991). Constructionism. Ablex Publishing

Walker, G. & Daniels, S. (2001). The Basics of Collaborative Learning. Retrieved from:.http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/comm440-540/CL2pager.htm

Leading Research Groups / Projects

The article Good Practice in Leading and Supporting a Research Team, from the University of London, outlines (on page 9) some ideas about leading a team of researchers. What is the relationship between leadership and research? What are the similarities and differences?

Research informed leadership

Research informed practice is an important aspect of leadership, since research provides insights both into leadership itself and the activities you are leading.

This document from Unitec on Research Informed Teaching also provides some useful ideas for discussion. Research can be relevant to the classroom in a number of ways; research-led teaching, which is when the curriculum is based on research interests of teachers, research-oriented teaching, where the process of learning is as important as the content, research based teaching, where the curriculum is based on inquiry-based activities, and research informed teaching, which consciously draws on the teaching and learning process (Benseman, 2013). It is research informed teaching which is our main focus on this course.

How many of these educational researchers are you aware of?

McGuirk's (2000) study found that "few of those [teachers] surveyed had any familiarity with major thinkers, writers or researchers in the field" (as cited in Benseman, 2013 ,p. 3). So how many of these researchers do you recognise? Fill in the Google Form at this address: http://tinyurl.com/zvlwyum (in class)

An interesting example of how we might be misled by those who claim to be researchers is the famous Dr Fox lecture

How useful is research to you?

Benseman (2013) writes, "Researchers argue that practitioners aren’t aware of research findings or don’t understand them, while practitioners retort that researchers don’t understand their everyday realities or that their findings are not readily available and when they are, are cloaked in mystique and obtuseness" (p. 13). What are your thoughts? 

Fill in the Google Form at this address: http://tinyurl.com/h7sjuac (in class)

Knowledge is adaptive

"Early in the 17th century, two astronomers competed to describe the nature of our solar system. Galileo built a telescope and found new planets and moons. Francesco Sizi ridiculed Galileo’s findings. There must be only seven planets, Sizi said. After all, there are seven windows in the head—two nostrils, two ears, two eyes, and a mouth. There are seven known metals. There are seven days in a week, and they are already named after the seven known planets. If we increase the number of planets, he said, the whole system falls apart. Finally, Sizi claimed, these so-called satellites being discovered by Galileo were invisible to the eye. He concluded they must have no influence on the Earth and, therefore, do not exist (National Institute for Literacy, 2010, p. 2)." (as cited in Benseman, 2013. p.15)

Knowledge is adaptive, as Benseman (2013) states "what is self-evident today is tomorrow’s fallacy or tale of ridicule" (p. 15). In sum, the quality of Research informed teaching (RIT) evidence is ensured by accessing peer-reviewed literature "Although the research evidence is rarely clear-cut or irrefutable, it does provide a sturdier platform to base our teaching than the alternatives of old habits and hearsay” (p. 15).

Reference / Citation Management Tools

These tools are very useful for managing your references and generating citations. There are many tools that you can use to access peer-reviewed literature: 

Google Scholar

• Go to Google Scholar
• Click ‘settings’ -> ‘library links’, search for ‘unitec’, check the box and save
• In Google Scholar, search for ‘digital collaborative learning’
• Scroll down the results to find the article ‘Learning, teaching, and scholarship in a digital age Web 2.0 and classroom research’
• Click on the link to the right - ‘full-text at Unitec’ then download the PDF from the library (if you don’t have library access, use the other link

Mendeley: Create an account and/or sign in at Mendeley This allows you to highlight and pin notes on your electronic pdfs. Share reading lists, references and full-text articles with your network, publicly or privately. Create groups to tackle research assignments, share feedback and write papers with your collaborators.

Zotero is designed to store, manage, and cite bibliographic references, such as books and articles. It allows you to share collections and work closely with colleagues on a project.

Citeulike has automated article recommendations and allows you to share references with your peers.

Docear This video explains how Docear is used. You are able to create categories, highlight and pin notes on your electronic pdfs as well as draft and write your own documents which can be exported to Word.

Citethisforme can be downloaded via google play app Scan book and journal barcodes using your phone’s camera to automatically generate a citation. Sync with your CiteThisForMe.com account to manage your bibliographies on the go

Unitec currently uses EndNote X7 which can be installed on all student PCs if you personally attend Unitec to get this installed due to licensing agreements. Copies of the programs for PCs and MACs can be borrowed from all 4 library branches for use with your own computers. Unitec staff computers must have a job logged with IT for installation.

Example of video referencing

You may also wish to view Dr David Parsons video on 'Citing and Referencing Sources in a Video Assignment'

Reference List

Benseman, J. (2013). Research-Informed Teaching of Adults: A Worthy Alternative to Old Habits and Hearsay?. Unitec ePress. Number 2. Retrieved From http://www.unitec.ac.nz/epress/index.php/research-...

Freeman, R., Reiss, M. & MacDonald, J. (2013). Good Practice in Leading and Supporting a Research Team: A Guide for Research Staff and Project Managers. University of London Institute of Education. Retrieved from https://ioersa.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/good-pr...