WebQuests are designed to: a) use learners' time well; b) focus on using information rather than looking for it, and c) "support learners' thinking at levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation”. (Dodge 1997).
The WebQuest embodies many of the things I value about the teaching and learning experience.
1. It is an active task. Students must work to understand new information and transform their knowledge of a given topic to solve a problem or answer a question. The task is also interactive, which is motivating for students.
2. It is meaningful. Many WebQuests integrate skills from various subject areas to create a "complete" learning experience, rather than disassociated sections of knowledge.
3. It is authentic. Good WebQuests challenge students to solve problems which are relevant to the world, and to their future lives outside of school.
Webquests can enhance the learning for students. With webquests, students do not need to work with the past data of a project after understanding the concepts from the texts. A real case will give students chance to gain the knowledge. In addition, because all the steps are tailored, students just simply need to follow all the steps, finish each part and achieve the goal, complete the assignment.
2007年12月6日星期四
Discussion board
Discussion boards contain the components of online communication, information publishing, discussion, peer learning, communication, alternative formative for student participation. Students can use the discussion board anytime and anywhere as long as the internet is available. Therefore, discussion boards increase the debating and discussing chance inside the students. For those students who are shy or hesitate to ask question in the classroom can make use of discussion board to communicate, ask questions and search the answers. Generally speaking, discussion boards have the advantages in peer-to-peer interaction; share ideas; engage the participation of subject experts from around the world.
2007年12月5日星期三
Electronic Portfolio
“In the context of education and learning an ePortfolio is a portfolio based on electronic media and services. It consists of a personal digital record containing information such as personal profile and collection of achievements, information on which different services can be provided to the owner of the ePortfolio and the people and organizations to whom the owner has granted access.” en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPortfolio Reference by: http://classes.uleth.ca/200703/educ4766ol/module7.htm
Electronic Portfolios provide information to students, parents, teachers, and members of the learning and employment community about what students have learned or what they are able to learn. I feel Electronic Portfolios are gaining recognition as a valuable tool for learners, instructors, and academic organizations because it could foster active learning, motivate students. Electronic Portfolio also could be as instruments of feedback and discussion on student performance. Future more, Electronic Portfolios also have other advantages like they can store multiple media and allow cross-referencing of student work; they are easy to upgrade and accessible.
Electronic Portfolios provide information to students, parents, teachers, and members of the learning and employment community about what students have learned or what they are able to learn. I feel Electronic Portfolios are gaining recognition as a valuable tool for learners, instructors, and academic organizations because it could foster active learning, motivate students. Electronic Portfolio also could be as instruments of feedback and discussion on student performance. Future more, Electronic Portfolios also have other advantages like they can store multiple media and allow cross-referencing of student work; they are easy to upgrade and accessible.
Online Assessment
Online Assessment is a common method that uses computer system to question students. It is an information technology for any assessment-related activity. It can be used as informed progress and guide learning, and measured outcomes and success of the students, and because of this renovation of education, students tend to be more self-managed and active learning and participation. The advantages of online assessment include:
First, save teachers’ grading time and instructional time.
Second, it increased student engagement in the curriculums. Students would like to be more interested for the class if the get their test results immediately.
Third, it offers a flexible test environment. Students can write the test anytime as they wish during a specific time.
First, save teachers’ grading time and instructional time.
Second, it increased student engagement in the curriculums. Students would like to be more interested for the class if the get their test results immediately.
Third, it offers a flexible test environment. Students can write the test anytime as they wish during a specific time.
Online communication
Online communication is communication online using communication technologies. There are 3 main fields from the website: EBooks, webcast, and podcasting.
Webcast can describe as an audio or video broadcast that is conducted over the world wide wed. It is a media file distributed over the internet using streaming media technology. That is mean it allows you to conduct online conferences and provide opportunities to learn. You also can enjoy discussion and ask question through webcast; webcast allows one to many communication in real time, which is very efficient for online course.
EBooks are the electronic version of old books which allow you to read through your computer, PDA and cell phone. The most popular software for ebook is Adobe Reader. Generally, ebook can save you a lot of money from buying the printed books because ebooks always cost less than printed books; ebooks save paper, so it is good for the whole environment; it is very portability, all you need to do is just carrying a labtop or a PDA.
Webcast can describe as an audio or video broadcast that is conducted over the world wide wed. It is a media file distributed over the internet using streaming media technology. That is mean it allows you to conduct online conferences and provide opportunities to learn. You also can enjoy discussion and ask question through webcast; webcast allows one to many communication in real time, which is very efficient for online course.
EBooks are the electronic version of old books which allow you to read through your computer, PDA and cell phone. The most popular software for ebook is Adobe Reader. Generally, ebook can save you a lot of money from buying the printed books because ebooks always cost less than printed books; ebooks save paper, so it is good for the whole environment; it is very portability, all you need to do is just carrying a labtop or a PDA.
2007年12月4日星期二
Learning Objects
Learning object sometimes also called a content object or course object. It Is a piece of content that can be used as an element of learning experience. The learning object could be “any entity, digital, or digital, that may be used for learning, education or training” (Beck, Robert J., 2007). It range in size from anything such people, online video, blog, graphic, learning module, etc, as long as it can be use for educational purposes.
The learning objects can break learning modules down to smaller pieces. And it could be specified as 4 characteristics:
Manageably sized -- large enough to enable creating an activity-sized or larger learning experience by expending 10-20 hours of work
Reusable -- can be used to create other learning activities, either within a given content or domain area (“intra-contextual”) or in other content or domain areas (“inter-contextual”) Example: a web-based simulation showing how to do vector analysis might be reusable in several units of a Vector Analysis course (“intra-contextual”) as well as in units of engineering statics or physics courses (“inter-contextual”)
Accessible -- easy to locate and use. Project Synergy enhanced learning objects will be Web-accessible
Broad impact -- suitable for being used to create several enhanced learning objects or supporting multiple enhancements of a single learning object
I believe this is a new way for online learning, and it can bring the world to be more efficient and effective.
The learning objects can break learning modules down to smaller pieces. And it could be specified as 4 characteristics:
Manageably sized -- large enough to enable creating an activity-sized or larger learning experience by expending 10-20 hours of work
Reusable -- can be used to create other learning activities, either within a given content or domain area (“intra-contextual”) or in other content or domain areas (“inter-contextual”) Example: a web-based simulation showing how to do vector analysis might be reusable in several units of a Vector Analysis course (“intra-contextual”) as well as in units of engineering statics or physics courses (“inter-contextual”)
Accessible -- easy to locate and use. Project Synergy enhanced learning objects will be Web-accessible
Broad impact -- suitable for being used to create several enhanced learning objects or supporting multiple enhancements of a single learning object
I believe this is a new way for online learning, and it can bring the world to be more efficient and effective.
2007年10月23日星期二
text process
The text processing plays an important role in online learning. Research findings indicate that world recognition must be accurate and automatized in order for text comprehension to occur (e.g., Adams, 1990), because most online learning materials are based on text. Through the construction-integration model of comprehension developed by Kintsch, there are two stages occurred. During the first stage, concepts from the text, as well as syntax, semantic, and world knowledge are activated to produce a network of activated concepts. The second stage is regerred to as the reader’s mental representation. In addition, a good text must be occurred good micro structure and macro structure. For micro structure, you should explain the definition properly, and must ensure that ideas and sentences are internally coherent. For macro structure, it is recommended that web authors provide a site map or advanced organizer so that readers have a mental picture of how the webpage is organized.
Narrative and Expository text are tow kind of form for readers. Narrative text is easy for readers to develop a strong mental representation, because the manner is familiar to the reader. Obviously, this is not the case with expository text. It is full of technical jargon, theory, and assumptions about the reader’s knowledge base. Therefore, mental representations of text, text coherence, and topic familiarity all contribute to text processing (e.g., van Dijk & Kintsch, 1983).
In one word, the syntactic and semantic knowledge, micro structure and macro structure understanding are required for both online learners and authors.
Narrative and Expository text are tow kind of form for readers. Narrative text is easy for readers to develop a strong mental representation, because the manner is familiar to the reader. Obviously, this is not the case with expository text. It is full of technical jargon, theory, and assumptions about the reader’s knowledge base. Therefore, mental representations of text, text coherence, and topic familiarity all contribute to text processing (e.g., van Dijk & Kintsch, 1983).
In one word, the syntactic and semantic knowledge, micro structure and macro structure understanding are required for both online learners and authors.
2007年10月7日星期日
Self-directed learning
SDL- self-directed learning is important for adult education. It is a process accompanied and supported by behavioral actives involved in the identification and searching out of information. And the purpose of that is to develop self-directed learners. Thus, it is easy to see that for SDL, the most important thing is desire and ability. Why desire? Image that nobody asks you to read the book, no classes. If you want, you probably could abandon everything. In this point, the desire of learning is important. How to motivate the students is the problems teachers face to. Second is the ability. A student wants to learn, but he or she doesn’t know how to learn is a very sad thing. In this case, teachers should use the fitful strategies to support these kinds of students for learning. Therefore, the impact of online learning on the SDL is: 1) planning, 2) monitoring, 3) evaluating. Thus, study of SDL is significant and is also a new area of exploration. Lot more has to be done to identify many attributes and resources, enabling better online teaching and developing better self developed learners.
2007年9月24日星期一
Entrance
Let's follow the steps: as a Finance major student, I always try to take some relaxative and novel course in the U of L. That's why I am in Edu4766. Don't need to go to the classtoom; don't need purchase any text book; don't have any quiz and exam. Wow...... These are fabulous.
Before taking this course, I took Edu 4767 during summer session, an another course based on website. I felt blog is very useful for an online course. In Edu 4767, we created different topics and gave different opinions through weblogs. The discussions were drastic and long. Students can input their words anytime and anywhere. In our class, a topic always received responses all day long and keeps for several days. The weblog did give us an convenient environment for online course learning.
However, I feel online course is much more traning oriented than the education. What's eduction? Education is something left after you forget all the knowledge you learned before. Education is something more than the knowledge; education is an ability to sum up, conclude, and study something useful from lives, books, experiences, etc...
What I want to say is weblog is an great tool to support online learning, because it can give an environment for everyone join the class, meanwhile gives each students personal spaces.
Before taking this course, I took Edu 4767 during summer session, an another course based on website. I felt blog is very useful for an online course. In Edu 4767, we created different topics and gave different opinions through weblogs. The discussions were drastic and long. Students can input their words anytime and anywhere. In our class, a topic always received responses all day long and keeps for several days. The weblog did give us an convenient environment for online course learning.
However, I feel online course is much more traning oriented than the education. What's eduction? Education is something left after you forget all the knowledge you learned before. Education is something more than the knowledge; education is an ability to sum up, conclude, and study something useful from lives, books, experiences, etc...
What I want to say is weblog is an great tool to support online learning, because it can give an environment for everyone join the class, meanwhile gives each students personal spaces.
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