Analysis of Two Learning Environments - Essay Example

Running Head: Analysis of two learning environment Introduction When we talk of learning environment, a lot of research has been done on this topic whereby it has been found out that children learn in a variety of ways. For instance they may learn through memorization, peer or individual learning, problem, inquiry or worksheet based, child or teacher centered. However different ways in which a child learns is partially related to the type of learning environment available. In addition to this the learning environment may also affect the child's ability and motivation to learn. In this paper or task we are going to analyse two learning environments. For example problem based learning design and role based learning design. Problem based learning design. The theoretical underpinnings and rationale for the approach The basic principle underlying the problem based learning design is older than formal education itself. A good learning design should be one that incorporate or integrate both formal and informal education. The problem-based learning design therefore integrates the two types of education. It is a way where learning is initiated by a posed problem, query, or puzzle that the learn wants to solve. This type of learning may be mixed with other learning models such as group work and case studies, but is distinguished by the focus on having students delineate, research and solve a realistic problem (Dods, 1997). Just from the introduction of informal education, many instructors have proposed this type of learning approach because of the following reasons. In the first place problem based learning approach is argued that it is good when it comes to preparing students to apply their learning to a real world situation. Students are able to identify a real world problem they are familiar with in the environment and then finally come with the students who are learning to better apply their learning to real world situation. Learners are given questions or problems by their instructors whereby they are suppose to carry out a research after making some relevant questions and thoughts on how to solve he problem. The other rationale of problem based learning design is that it enables learners to become producers rather than consumers of knowledge. By engaging in research the learning is able to learn new things and come up with new knowledge. Research has also been made easier in the learning environment just because of the introduction of the new information communications and technology. Rote learning is highly discouraged since it makes students to lazy (Gorman, Plucker and Callahan, 1998). The new learning design should encourage students to take the active part is the learning exercise. Teacher centred approach is something that used to happen in the past and should not be incorporated in our learning environment at the moment. Problem based learning design therefore motivates students to get involved in active research work whereby they are able to find new knowledge and skills. The other reason why problem based learning is found to be good is because the system help students to develop communication, reasoning and critical thinking skills. Curriculum developers and planners have redesigned their curriculum, which entail learning experiences, methodologies and content to carter for the new technology introduced in the environment. Education is supposed to prepare students and graduates to meet the new demands in the market. One cannot be an entrepreneur if she cannot think and come up with new idea. Problem based learning design therefore promotes the development of communication, reasoning and critical thinking skills. Interpersonal skills should be provided to students whereby they should learn how to interact with their peers and other members of the society. With problem based learning approach these skills are possible. Proponents some educators who prefer this learning design also argue that students are able to learn by themselves with the instructor or teacher taking the passive role. When students engage in learning they are able to grow in the right direction. The role of the teacher is to give them the question or problem under study and also guides them on how to go about the problem (Stephen and Pyke, 1997). This makes learners to be creative thinkers and also poses good decision-making skills. Learning is believed or regarded as a continuous process that should impart the relevant knowledge and skills to the students. The knowledge and skills that learners get from the education environment will help them survive or become good citizens when they leave the learning environment. In future they will meet new faces or people in places of work from different cultural background. The interpersonal skills obtained will help learners interact well with others outsiders knowing that they have different values, interests and believes. Students should therefore be helped to learn by themselves with the teacher taking the minimum role. The content or materials provided . The problem-based learning design therefore integrates the two types of education. It is a way of self directed learning where learning is initiated by a posed problem, query, or puzzle that the learn wants to solve. This type of learning may be mixed with other learning models such as group work and case studies, but is distinguished by the focus on having students delineate, research and solve a realistic problem (Dods, 1997). Learning activities and learning experiences in problem based learning design. Learning activities and learning experiences entail all the activities the teacher and learners do in the learning process whether in the classroom or outside the classroom. Any learning process should integrate two parties that are the teacher and the learners who should be given the right knowledge and skills by their educators or teachers. In problem based learning approach or design, the instructor and students get involved in different activities. In this study, the roles of each group are discussed separately. Instructional Strategies and role the teacher. Just from the word problem based, the instructor is supposed to develop real world, complex and open-ended problems such as might be faced in the workplace or daily life. The teacher should identify a suitable problem that is familiar with learners in their environment. For instance problems in workplace when presented to students, they will explore widely by carrying out research on a number of problems that might be experienced in the labour force. For instance some common problems may include racial discrimination, bullying and harassment. Strikes by employees because of low pay and even poor condition of working environment may also be discussed. This is a good example of open-ended problem that the instructors might give the learners. The instructors normally pick a problem that is related to real world but not a complex one that might challenge them. This is why instructors are advised to test the learners' entry behaviours before learning starts. Entry behaviours of the learner will help the teacher to know the individual ability of each student in relation of what they know and how they can face a problem (Savery and Duffy, 1995). The other role that instructors play in problem based learning approach is that they act as facilitators in learning process. Just like in business environment or in any organisation, the supervisor is charged with the responsibility of monitoring and supervising the employees. During supervision, the employees are advised on various ways on how to perform effectively. Monitoring on the other hand is also done to help employees work without going outside the instructions given. School is also defined as a social institution or organisation where learning takes places. Teachers or instructors during the problem-based learning design also ensures that students during the learning process stay on track and also directed towards the right learning materials or resources they might need when solving the problem. By doing this role, they serve as facilitators and guidance to the learners. This is exactly what supervisors do to their employees. Teachers also help their student grow positively in the direction of solving problem given to them. The instructor or the teacher also raise questions to students groups that deepen the connections they make among concepts. Questions raised help students broaden their thinking capacity on the problem to be relevant and connected to the problem that is supposed to be solved by the students. This gives them some clues and concepts on how to go about the problem to be discussed. The final or last role that the instructor play in this learning design is striking a balance between providing direct guidance and encouraging self-directed learning. The teachers show the learners the direction to be followed when solving a particular problem. In a way this motivates students whereby they feel that they are working together as a team with their instructor. Learners in problem based learning approach are supposed to address the problem. In addition to this they are supposed to identify the relevant concepts they may need to learn in order to develop a solution and where to look for appropriate-learning resources (Kafai, Ching and Marshall, 1997). Key design features of the environment Learners are also required to collaborate in order to gather resources share and synthesise their findings and at the same time pose questions to guide further learning tasks for the group. The first thing the teacher should do is to develop problems for students that touch the following areas. First the problem should capture learning interest by relating to real world issues. Measuring the students' entry behaviour or previous learning and experience follows this. The problem developed should also integrate content objectives with problem solving skills that are already present in the learners. The instructors should also ensure that students get involved in independent research to gather all information relevant to the problem. The last thing that the instructor must do is to design assessment tools that account for the process and also closely related to the course learning objectives. By doing this he is suppose to ensure that individual and group performance are balanced in an effective manner. Roles of technology. In problem based learning approach the entire work requires students to do intensive research. The Internet is regarded as a useful tool for this job. Students are expected to use the Internet to do research by visiting relevant sources in finding solutions to the problem presented to them (Rakes, Flowers and Casey, 1999). The teacher at this point should guide students how to use the internet and the relevant sources they can use to obtain the information. Role based learning design Theoretical underpinnings and rationale for this approach In this type of learning design learners acquire skills, knowledge and understanding through the assumption of roles within real life settings (Egbert and Thomas, 2001). Learning is normally achieved with the learners participating as players in an activity, which models a real world application. This is applicable where students are grouped or divided into two groups in classroom. The instructor identifies the real life problem that should be discussed by the students. Role-play is deliberately chosen by most educators because it does not have its pedagogical basis in a content transmission model of teaching (Slavkin, 2002). The learning design is mostly used because it presents a constructivist-learning environment. Currently the learning design is mostly used in many Australian Universities since it facilitates the use of questions, interviews and case studies rather than broad-brush survey methods (Slavkin, 2002). Learners are corrected instantly during the learning process on areas where corrections should be made. Role of technology in role based learning design Even though technology is used in many Universities across the world, its applications are still in the earliest stages of development. This shows that the implementation or role-play in online setting is still not well established. The Internet is used for online dialogues where the students take one side and the Internet takes the other side. For instance, during debate the students can take the proposer side while the Internet taking the opposer side. Discussion is then made very easy since the Internet is used to facilitate learning.(Heflich,1996). The development of the Internet has brought a lot of changes in the education field. Students can now obtain knowledge and information with self-construction in e-learning environment and the teacher in most cases do not teach students face to face. However when using the new technology in role lay the teachers should ensure that the computer is proper set up before the students use it. Technology can play an integral part in the learning environment ((Duffy and Cunningham, 1996). They help in building knowledge bases therefore increasing productivity for learning. The technology has been used by teachers to develop case studies and assignment that is to be given to students. Key design features of the environment In role based learning design learners acquire skills, knowledge and understanding through the assumption of roles within real life settings (Egbert and Thomas, 2001). Learning is normally achieved with the learners participating as players in an activity, which models a real world application. This is applicable where students are grouped or divided into two groups in classroom. The instructor identifies the real life problem that should be discussed by the students. Role-play is deliberately chosen by most educators because it does not have its pedagogical basis in a content transmission model of teaching (Slavkin, 2002). The learning design is mostly used because it presents a constructivist-learning environment. Content or materials provided Students are given an assignment, homework or case study as an exercise to be discussed. The then helps them to form groups by each group assuming a given role. Computers may be used in online dialogue and discussion. The instructional strategies and roles of the teacher The teaching approach involved in the role based learning approach or design takes the following form. For instance it may include electronic learning lectures, case studies and examples, assignments, homework, quizzes and tests. When designing the assignment in this type of design, the teacher or lecturer should first of all state the objectives of each chapter or lesson and their content. The exercise or question given by the teacher should be relevant to the objectives of the contents to be taught. The teacher is supposed to guide the learners whereby different learners may perform different roles in the play. The teacher also carries out assessment and evaluation of each participant in the role based learning design. During the process the learner is supposed to be helped in areas where they might go wrong (Egbert and Thomas, 2001). The teacher might also intervene during the learning process by asking questions to clarify the hidden concept that the learners might not identify very easily. The teacher also plays an important role of ensuring that learners are kept on track to what is happening. Just I had stated earlier on, different students have different interests and behaviour. Some students might take this design as a joke. This means that without the supervision of the teacher the students might not meet the learning objective. The instructor all the time therefore ensures that learners are actively involved in the learning process. The instructor may also make critical questions or contributions during the process. The teacher is actually empowered to become an active designer of the activity to be carried out. He acts as a facilitator during the learning process (Kafai, Ching and Marshall, 1997). By acting as a facilitator he should clearly advice students on how to form group. He should also determine whether individual activities are presented as selection or in sequence. After the activity the teacher should lead the students in some brief discussion to remind them on what they should actually know about the play. The instructor should link the play and the learning objectives in class. Learning activities in role based learning design. Just like in any learning activities, during role-play learners may be presented with a case study or assignment to do. Learners engage in discussion with their teacher during the process. During discussion they are suppose to find key ideas that are present in the play. Student may also ask questions on areas they are not familiar with in the role-plays. Role-play may be of different types. There is a case where learners are expected to have dialogues with the Internet. The other case is where the students group themselves in classroom and assume the roles of different people. A good example is a court proceeding where there are judges, prosecutors, lawyers and defendants. The teacher can assign different students different roles. After a particular student a specific role, then they will assume that a hearing of a case in going on in a court. The students therefore actively make the classroom a courtroom for a lesson. After the participation, discussion is held whereby for example if the topic was on racial discrimination involve when sentencing victims to death or fighting war on drugs, they are able to explain how the minority ethnic groups are mistreated or discriminated against. Research should be carried on the topic before the students get involved in games and simulation. The teacher should help them understand their areas of participation to avoid being going a stay and make the discussion lively. The Internet may be used to obtain relevant information on the study topic. It is referred to as a learning resource that provides learners with new information (Duffy and Cunning, 1996). Conclusion The introduction of the new technology has changed the way learning take place in the learning environment. This is because of the emergence of globalised business climate where graduates are supposed to be prepared fully to meet the labour market demands. This makes the traditional learning design to change as a result of media and technology altering the social environment. Since the world has become so much connected and networked different learning designs have also been developed to take care of the changes brought by the new technology. To date different types of learning environments exists where learning occurs in different ways. The problem based learning design has been developed to make students participate actively in the learning process through research. It is sometimes called self-direct learning. On the other hand the role based learning design makes students assume different roles and this improves their cognitive skills and interpersonal skills. However each different design process whereby both the teacher and student has a specific task to perform. Annotated Bibliography Heflich, D. A. (1996) The impact of on-line technology on teaching and learning: attitudes and ideas of educators in the field, Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Mi-South Educational Research Association (25th, Tuscaloosa, AL, Nov. 6-8, 1996) (Eric document ED403872) The paper reports on a study of attitudes and practices of 25 teachers from 16 states and 6 countries elementary, secondary and K-12 schools. Respondents were selected from an invitation posted to a popular email discussion list. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of online technology on teaching and learning in schools. More specifically the author poses two research questions: 1. Are teachers who use online computer technology in their classroom more likely to exhibit practices of a constructivist teacher 2. Which structural or socio cultural elements of school support the use of online technology in a constructivist manner The study investigated the impact of on-line technology upon two groups identifies in the sample: 1. teachers from schools inn which technology is integrated throughout all aspects of the organization and 2. teachers from schools which offered little support for technology. Data was collected through a series of email 'interview' exchanges. The interview questions and subsequent analysis focused upon the prevalence of constructivist approaches and the associated support requirements. The researcher concluded that ease of access to on-line technology (including equipment, connection service etc) was a determining factor in how integrated the Internet became in schools. While comments ranged from enthusiastic to critical, teachers in high access schools were generally more positive about communication and information tools offered by the Internet. Teachers from low access schools expressed more concern about the quality of Internet materials and their student's ability to evaluate on-line information sources. All teachers were concerned about the availability of inappropriate material on-line. The study found that a number of teachers had constructivist views of learning (especially those from high access school). Responses also indicated that, in general, teachers from high access schools engaged learners in activities that were more self-directed, reporting greater enthusiasm from their students. Teachers from low access schools tended to focus more upon classroom management and tended to direct on-line tasks closely. The report concludes that, although no cause and effect relationships were evident, the relationship between access and teaching approach was important to consider in investigating the impact of on-line technology. Gorman, M. E, Plucker, J. & Callahan, C. M. (1998). Turning students into investors: Active Learning modules for secondary; Phi Delta Kappan, 79(7), 530-535 The article contains the importance of research in problem based learning design. Students are prepared to participate in learning with the teacher acting as a facilitator. Role learning is described as a traditional way of learning that is discouraged in the modern society where technology has changed almost everything. The students should be good innovators and inventors in the modern society where the technology has influenced ways in which businesses are being done. Slavkin, M. L. (2002). The importance of brain functioning on cognition and teacher Practice. The journal of Teaching and Learning 6(1): 21-34 Importance or advantages of role-based learning design to both teachers and students are discussed. The students are able to take active role in the learning process by taking part in discussion. Teachers also as facilitators should direct and guide students by asking relevant questions, giving assignments that are related to the real life situations References Kafai, Y. B, Ching, C. C and Marshall, S (1997). Children as designers of Educational multimedia software. Computers and Education, 29(2-3), 117-126 Rakes, G. C, Flowers, B. F and Casey, HB. (1999). An analysis of instructional technology use and constructivist behaviours in k-12 teachers. International journal of Educational Technology, 1(2), 1-18. Duffy, T. M. and Cunningham, D. J. (1996). Constructivism; Implications for the design and delivery of instruction. In D.H. Jonassen (ED), Educational communications and technology. (pp 170-199. New York: Simon & Schuster Macmillan. Stepien, W. J and Pyke, S. L (1997). Designing problem-based learning units. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 20, 380-400 Savery, J. R & Duffy, T. M. (1995). Problem based learning: An instructional model and its Constructivist framework: Educational Technology, 35 (5), 31-38 Dods, R. F. (1997). An action research study of the effectiveness of problem based learning in promoting the acquisition and retention of knowledge. Journal of the Education of the Gifted, 20, 423-437. Egbert, J & Thomas, M. (2001). The new frontier: A case study in applying design for distance teacher Education. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 9(3): 291-405 . Read More