Good comment, Steve. Towards that goal, how do you think you can, as a teacher, both plan for that engagement and evaluate when it has taken place?
Planning is typically the most challenging part and requires both the introspection of the class progress on a daily basis and the foresight to seize opportunities as they arise. By evaluating students through the use of verbal & written questioning and component manipulation a facilitator should be able to get a realistic sense concerning the student’s progress/success. As a class facilitator it is important to see when I can take advantage of opportunities to have students be involved with their learning. As an opportunity presents itself I will experiment using group discussion, tool or component manipulation, group assignments with shared accountability and other activities that allows the students to have fun but requires a display of competence. Based on how the students are able to perform or competently discuss the objective, will determine if the experiment was successful or how it should be modified to make it so. Depending on the outcome and the reoccurrence of the required area needing to be developed, I will likely add a successful experiment to the course notes and reuse it when I can.
I like you example here, Steve, of reusing helpful learning moments. What do you see are the main challenges of this approach?
A dynamic learning environment can add color to an otherwise black & white (linear) classroom. Having a class that has an Instructor led, student to student to instructor with a dose of internet teaches much more to all of the students. They get more bang for the buck.
What have you noticed with your students specifically, Craig, in terms of dynamic learning?
I have found that the key to a sucessful learning enviroment is making it fun and incorporating the whole class. I relate learning to a movie. When you watch a movie that is no fun all you remember is that that movie was no good. If you enjoy the show you remember everything about that show. Same in the classroom. I try and relate the material to everyday common parallels. That way the students chance of retention increases.
Are you referring to students retaining information and knowledge or attendance and completion, Thomas?
I think the essential difference is that both teachers and students have continuous access to more information or insights from more people and with more tools to create a new, often unique, understanding in classes.
Indeed, John, and that can enrich the learning environment if and when teachers encourage the integration of the information researched using those tools rather than presetting content to the exclusion of all else. Teachers can sometimes be threatened with the autonomy that can now be attained by students using new tools. The challenge is for teachers to support the learning process. Good points...
While the student may have a greater opportunity and control over their learning environment and situation. It must be remembered that it requires a certain level of motivation in order to achieve these goals. I believe that sometimes students need necessary motivators aside from time schedules to move I had with new discoveries of material and feel free to speak what they are thinking and not be inhibited by what others are reflecting in their discussion forums
A major part of the dynamic only class from in the sense of the learning environment is for the instructor to be involved with in discussion forums and topics in order to keep it not only moving along, but acting as the experts in the particular field being discussed. Discussion forums or discussion rooms, where students interact solely on their own knowledge being their own experts can have a negative factor in the learning environment.
Students seem to enjoy the flexibility and the opportunity to express their own characteristic nature of freedom of not only construction, but sharing of knowledge within this particular environment. This sharing of knowledge, though, must be controlled so that the informational flow stays on course with the topical material being discussed
Some students. Interestingly enough, will as they would in a traditional classroom have a tendency to hold back until they see others post to the forum. Once they see these they can relate directly to the situation or circumstance and respond accordingly. Naturally, there could be an opportunity for some discourse to develop, but this again can be an instructor controlled environment.
That is a good point in that communication is the key, and the question then arises have we taught good communication skills throughout the earlier levels of education? As the students proceed through courses, they begin to develop their own communication style or style of writing which best suits them. Naturally, as well as illustrating points which are of importance not only to them, but to the situation they are responding to
When we create dynamic learning environments for our students we help them to become active learners and more responsible for their own learning. This is so important for the sciences and health sciences because information is constantly changing with new research.
Many techniques can be used in the conventional classroom to achieve active learning, but the use of technology can move students from being passive learners in a teacher-directed classroom towards a student-directed learning environment much easier. Using chats, interesting discussion questions, blogs, and web searches are just a few ways to achieve dynamic learning in a classroom.
Excellent points and observations, Ileana. Do you think changes should be made in the overall instructional design in order to fully integrate technology tools and identify assessment methods?
Yes, I do. We want the technology tools to be integrated into the curriculum to teach the material and not just for extra work on top of lectures. Really need to think this through when designing a blended course. If not, it comes across as busy work.
I would like more ideas for assessment methods utilizing technology.
Any ideas?
Ileana, while most instructors think of technology as "delivering" assessments (quizzes, tests etc.) the use of technology can actually be assessed. That is, creating assignments where students have to use technology to search, organize, capture and present work using multimedia tools. The assessment should then be of the use of technology as well as the actual content AND process by which it was accomplished.
The learning environment is more engaging than conventional environments. Students may be more readily to "speak" in a dynamic environment. From my experience, students don't like to ask questions in class because they fear that the other students will think it is a "stupid" question. Students who have questions will come to me after class to ask their questions or email me their questions.
