Connectivism

I chose the “Social Networking” aspect for my assignment. The word social networking simply means, “Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision, if you will.” (What is Social Networking?) I created four categories: Professional, Personal, Family, and Education. As you can see, in my Professional Category, Meetup.com applies to my Personal Category. Under my Family Category, MyLife applies to all of my Education categories.

Social networking has changed the way that I communicate with members of the groups that I belong to, for instance, ten years ago, these forums and digital tools did not exist. In addition, I would have communicated via regular mail or by phone before digital social networking erupted. I feel like I have social networking readily available. I can e-mail or instant message someone who resides in Africa, and my communication would arrive to his or her destination in a matter of minutes or hours, depending on the Internet service provider.

An example, if I have a question in my present class, I have the option to use the Question & Answer tab for questions pertaining to the class, like clarification on an assignment. For technical support, I would have to notify the Technical Department at Walden University via e-mail or phone call. For answers to my questions pertaining to raising my son, I would seek the advice of my mother using the telephone, as she knows nothing about a computer or message or e-mail one of my colleagues on CafeMom for their advice.

My personal learning networks support the central tenets of connectivism, as this learning theory is specifically geared for the digital age. My learning networks involve my online classes, electronic Internet searches for specific information related to my class, and the online college library. All of my learning networks have to do with something that is digital, which brings us back to the connectivism learning theory.

References:
What is Social Networking? (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2009, from http://www.whatissocialnetworking.com/

Structure Learning in Action

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/delivery?vid=11&hid=2&sid=bbfd8728-655e-479d-9ba1-02f859b53771%40sessionmgr14

The phenomenon of “learning to learn” is being investigated in relation to cognition, perception, and action. The actual phrase “learning to learn” simply means learning in a facilitated way. For example, the facilitated way in this instance is a specific set of examples that have consequences. The way we act has consequences, like if we steal something; a form of punishment is on the horizon. Essentially, the sensory motor system has to adapt to different environments. This article reveals the following, “We review studies demonstrating that common features of variable environments are extracted during sensorimotor learning and exploited for different adaptation in novel tasks.” In conclusion, the article informs us “structure learning plays a fundamental role in skill learning and may underlie the unsurpassed flexibility and adaptability of the motor system.”

This article has to do with scientific research in relation to learning mixed with adaptability, flexibility, and sensory motor systems.

A Theoretical and Methodological Framework for Studying and Modeling Drivers’ Mental Representations.

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/delivery?vid=9&hid=2&sid=bbfd8728-655e-479d-9ba1-02f859b53771%40sessionmgr14

Ten years worth of study was conducted by INTRETS-LESCOT in relation to car driver’s mental representation. This representation consisted of information processing and operative activity. In addition, attention was devoted to the functional representation as well. Functional representation entailed what driver’s would do in certain situations, which consisted of implicit and explicit dimensions. The implicit and the explicit dimensions ranged from natural observations to the open road in relation to each driver’s cognition. Each driver’s cognition revealed a methodological approach, defined as “experimental continuum.”
This article is beneficial because it informs the reader of certain driving situations, in which cognition is a factor. I found this article alittle hard to follow, since I am not scientifically inclined.

Online Dating in Japan: A Test of Social Information Processing Theory

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdf?vid=12&hid=107&sid=e063c01e-1dfe-4b6a-ae17-61b33aac1f3b%40sessionmgr112

I thought that this article would be fun, as the Japanese are known for arranged marriages. This study reflects if the social information processing theory can be applied to Japanese online dating. The theory encompasses how and to what extent that the daters in Japan utilized contextual and other clues. Twenty-seven members who use to be with Match.com completed an online survey. In addition, 36 current members were given the same survey. “Japanese online daters adapt their own efforts to present and acquire social information using the cues that the online dating platform provides, although many of these cues are specific to Japanese social context.”
I thought that this was a very interesting study, who would have thought that the Japanese would engage in finding a mate online. The communication styles, for instance the high-context and the low-context were examined. The Japanese are very sensitive to the contextual markers in the online forum. They now have the opportunity to “engage in more direct forms of communication without the social costs associated with many face-to-face contexts.”

Activating a Memory System Focuses Connectivity toward its Central Structure

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/delivery?vid=5&hid=107&sid=e063c01e-1dfe-4b6a-ae17-61b33aac1f3b%40sessionmgr112
This article reveals that two separate memory systems can function independently. These two separate memory systems share all of their structures. A water cross-maze task, the spatial version was experimented, stimulus-stimulus associations, which had hippocampus dorsal lesions. The cue version in this instance is stimulus-reinforcement association; this would be hindered by a lesion of the amygdale. A new statistical procedure regarding regional correlations was evaluated for connectivity. “The connectivity was evaluated by calculating the correlations between the zif-268 immnoreativty of 22 structures composing of the hippocampus and amygdale systems.” The memory system is much higher in place learning than in the cue learning groups, relating to the hippocampus. “This demonstrates that the activation of a memory system consists in the focusing of functional connectivity toward the central structure of the system.” The statistics for this experiment point to the fact that many memory systems can indeed share the same structures, and can be independent.
With these types of scholarly online journals, they can be a bit scientific in nature. I am quite sure that a scientist in the field of the brain would be able to understand the experiment and the findings in full. This study is merely making progress into how the brain functions, new theories and revelations will come of all of the studies that are conducted.

IDEAS: Instructional Design for Elearning Approaches – Efficacy of Web-Based Instruction

http://ideas.blogs.com/lo/teaching_online/

Ferdinand Kraus read the following report, The Efficacy of Web-based Instruction at York University: A Case of Modes of Reasoning, 1730 by Grayson, McDonald, and Saindon who all work at York University in Toronto, Canada.

This paper was concerned with a class study, Modes of Reasoning 1730.This particular class developed the critical reasoning skills of the student’s who took this class. The Instructor taught this class in two different sections, in class and online, personally, I find this to be very interesting. The results from this study indicated that the on-ground students’ grades were much better than the online ones.

Kraus found that the study was problematic because the focus was on technology, “which does not enhance learning.” Classroom or online learning is based on the Instructor’s learning styles that they bring to their class. Technology plays not part in the learning process, more importantly, the design of the instruction also. Kraus is amazed that any kind of baseline derived from the on-ground classes is applied to the online one as well, which should not be accepted. For on ground classes, Kraus provided the following examples that can be applied to this aspect, such as “chalkboards, television, and computers.”

Kraus felt that efficacy could be applied to the on ground environment as well, not just the online. She also noted that comparative studies cannot be equally applied to the on ground and the online environment; she uses e-mail versus snail mail as an example of the communication aspect. For instance with e-mail, a student can attach, distribute, and link files compared to snail mail. Kraus stated that each method of communication is not perfect by any means.

According to Kraus, the article mentioned, “both sections had the same readings, essays, tests, and final exams and the text of in-class lectures was posted on the web.” However, the on ground students scored better on their tests. Kraus felt the result of the differences in testing had to do with the “limited range of instructional strategies.” Another aspect could have played a role is that the critical thinking skills were not developed was not appropriate.

Kraus stated that by no means should “an online class replicates what occurs in a classroom,” different rules of engagement should take place, for instance, more in-depth interaction between students. Kraus stated that in the online environment “that fellow students can learn even more from each other than from the Instructor.”

A study revealed that students did not prefer the online method because they had to assume more responsibility for learning, which increased their cognitive way of thinking and “forced them utilize their critical thinking skills to analyze instead of totally relying on the Instructor.”

Kraus contended that critical thinking skills should not be the focus in either aspect, “it should be the classroom/web-based strategies which promote this skill.”

I learned that the online and the on ground classroom deliveries are both not compatible with “certain learning styles,” according to Kraus. Learning styles have nothing to do with how a class is delivered. Lastly, any learning environment can host different learning styles and abilities; no particular one is targeted to be the correct one. This blog helped me to understand that not just one learning style is attached to one method of learning as I previously thought. This information is useful to the Instructional Designer for the mere fact that certain learning styles can be applied to both forms of methods of delivery.

IDEAS: Instructional Design for Elearning Approaches – Elearning Planning and Management

http://ideas.blogs.com/lo/elearning_delivery_strategies/

This blog authored by Ferdinand Kraus is about the book that Marc Rosenberg wrote, “Elearning Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age.” Kraus wrote that early in the book that Rosenberg stated that there were two critical points concerning the delivery of online classes, “the technology in and of itself will not enhance learning” and “without a comprehensive strategic foundation elearning implementations are prone to failure.” The first point has to do with the tools that are used in conjunction with elearning; cable television was used as an example. The cable used with elearning is said to enhance the learning outcomes. I would attribute our video programs that are utilized in our class to function like cable television in this instance. The second critical point has to do with elearning projects that do not match the objectives, which were set too high in the first place. Concisely, the objectives were not realistic at all. Rosenberg attributes the senior staff members to not doing their homework when designing elearning classes.

Kraus will be working on elearning geared for the online Master’s of Health Sciences Health Administration Program in conjunction with the Department of Health Policy Management. Kraus’ hope is to develop a template that other programs may utilize as far as the delivery strategies are concerned. Kraus wrote, “The plan will include the costing structure and operational requirements for their program as well as evaluation and performance indicators and methodologies.” Personally, I know that we will be learning about the evaluation, performance indicators, and methodologies in are latter classes in the MS Instructional Design and Technology Program.

Kraus makes mention that Rosenberg is coming from a corporate training perspective not education at all. Kraus disagrees with some issues that Rosenberg presents, for instance, elearning may be cost effective. However, Kraus contends from a university perspective this is not the case. Elearning, for the most part will free up classrooms, however, it things like “software licenses, hardware, maintenance of course and hardware, expertise, opportunity, faculty time, etc. may increase the cost significantly. The number of students registered for a certain class may be cost effective. Second, Kraus wrote that the hardware systems are fading rapidly, which falls into universality. Kraus stated that in regards to the exchange of “a different hardware and software system is prohibitive.” Lastly, the fact that online classes can hold as many as 100,000, which Kraus contends is false. She stated, “Few Universities or colleges have the resources to put the infrastructure in place for such a dramatic increase in participants.”

This information contained within this blog will help me in my future as being an Instructional Designer because it spoke about the planning and management that go into designing a class. It is interesting to hear the perspective of a corporate trainer in relation to an educational one. Views and practices are very different in nature of the online designing. The online designing should be left to the expertise of each category, corporate for theirs and education for theirs. It was nice to see how the corporate world views online their views are much different. It was nice to get this perspective as well.

The Usable Learning Blog - Why People Are So Dumb (Cognitive Biases)

http://usablelearning.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/why-are-people-so-dumb-cognitive-biases/

First off, I do not want to offend anyone reading this blog, because of the title. My intentions for this blog is simply to learn. Respectfully, JMSPC

This blog has to do with cognitive bias is in regards to Self-Evaluation and Intuition. An example of self-evaluation is if a person does not know anything about a particular concept, then they tend to overestimate their knowledge base on this particular subject. Intuition has to when a person bases their knowledge on the fallacy of centrality, which may cause this information to be incorrect. I always thought that a person should go with their gut (intuition) instinct, most of the time this works

According to this blog, "...cognitive bias is inevitably going to come into play whenever a learning experience requires a change of attitude or behavior, or an acquisition of very foreign information or ideas." This is the phase when a person knows that their answer is correct, but starts to doubt themselves. I envision a contestant on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" many times in this situation.

The cognitive bias is being compared to that of functional behaviors most resembling an optical illusion. According to the blog, which states the following about the optical illusion effect, “….are interesting not because they are wacky or mind-bearing, but because they reveal things to us about how the brain is adapting or interpreting the visual world, cognitive distortions are interesting in that they make explicit and visible the cognitive shorthand that we are using to interpret the world all the time.” So, in essence an optical illusion is being compared to a cognitive distortion in the instance of a bias, which makes perfect sense. According to the blog, it states the following, “…which of us haven’t had the experience where you were absolutely certain you were right, had no reservations about expressing your “rightness”, and then found out later you were…um…yeah… completely wrong.”

I am not sure if this blog would help an Instructional Designer in any way, shape, or form. However, the blog has this to say, “In instructional setting, it’s useful to consider what biases might exist already in your audience, and to keep an eye out for evidence that these biases are occurring. It can also be useful to make learners aware of their own biases…” I am sure that most of us adults have encountered some form of bias in our learning; examples would be a gut feeling or intuition.

Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/7princip.htm

This blog explains that the students, the faculty, and the administrators alike should uphold the seven principles that are outlined. These seven principles have been proven in over 50 years of research. They help to assist in the improvement of learning and teaching. In addition, to the seven principles, six forces that are considered powerful that go hand in hand to multiply the learning and the teaching effects.

The seven principles involve, according to this blog are “Encourage contact between student and faculty, develops reciprocity and cooperation among students, encourage active learning, provide prompt feedback, emphasizes times of task, communicate high expectations, and respects diverse talents and ways of learning." This blog features the six powerful forces that go hand in hand with the seven principles, which are equally important, "activity, expectations, cooperation, interaction, diversity, and responsibility."

On top of the principles and the forces, the learning environment must have, according to this blog, “ a strong and shared purpose, concrete support from administrators and faculty for the purpose, adequate funding appropriate for the purpose, policies and procedures consistent with the purpose, and continuing examination of how well the purposes are being achieved.”

In addition, different colleges/universities, depending on the student, their particular situation and the settings that are involved, as to how implementation of these principles will be administered and how each institution is governed and mandated. The considerations are the ethnicity, the gender, the age, and whether each student is prepared for coursework or not.

I think that this blog would be helpful to the Instructional Designer as to the seven principles that should be applied for good practice in and undergraduate class. The seven principles were outline and described nicely as to what to expect from each. I believe that all these principles can be applied to the online learning environment. I would certainly apply all of the principles and the forces when I am creating an online course. I would want each of the students taking my created class to succeed in some fashion utilizing all of the principles and the forces.

Growing Pains for Online Education

http://marlborocollege.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/the-open-learning-inititive-at-carnegie-mellon/

I like this blog for this reason only; it makes alot of sense, because I think that alot colleges/universities will start utilizing the blended course method of instruction. My institution, Brandman University, will be starting this approach in the spring, 2010. The senior staff members' at Brandman University stated that this is the most effective way for a student to learn.

This blog talks about the blended classes, which feature half online and half on-ground, which came about from an article that was featured in The Chronicle. A. Frank Mayadas is dubbed as the "father of online learning." Apparently, Mr. Mayada asked for funding in the tune of $500 million dollars to support the traditional online courses.

This blog states that blended courses are the most effective way to learn. It demonstrates when students' should meet in person, for instance, once a week or midway through or towards the end. In addition, the students' should form groups for the express purpose of study sessions. These study sessions should be conducted at local cafes or at the library.

This blog will help me in my job as an Instructional Designer, as I may be asked to create courses that are geared for both online and on-ground. I believe that this style of teaching will be more prevalent in the future. It is important for me to know when the student's should meet face to face and why it is so important. This brand of teaching may affect my role as an Instructional Designer.

Lastly, this blog does not provide me with concrete data substantiating why blended courses are better for the student. I want to know all of the facts that are associated with why blended courses are better. If I am going to design online courses, I have to know the reasons why blended courses will be a thing of the future.

My First Blog

Hello Everyone,

This is my very first blog ever, so I am bit nervous. Blogging is part of my assignments for my current class. I think that I will enjoy this once I get the hang of it.

Thanks for reading! :)