Anu Kumar

Concept mapping Video 

Visual learners are able to enhance their learning through a picture or a diagram. Even for other learners, picture or a diagram can help to summarize the information. A good way to build your learning and develop a diagram is concept mapping. Based on the different concepts, the map is built and the relationship between the different concepts is shown. This helps to link the previous knowledge with the new acquired knowledge making the learning meaningful and relevant. The diagram can help to summarize the information. The link above of a video on concept mapping from one of the students of PIDP explains its uses very well.

This concept mapping technique is very effective when teaching scientific subjects, processes so that students can identify the stages and understand the link between them. I have used mind mapping which is similar to this to develop student ideas, sentences and expression to communicate effectively. It helps to do a recap of the information when revising for the final tests. 

References

We in the technological age have made the world a small place to live. The information, the people living in the other part of the globe can be connected on a click. Thanks to Internet that has made it all possible. Books have been are all time friends to make us provide the unbound knowledge. The resources are available on the web now. We have to form the connection to get that information. 

Active Learning

As instructors we use different strategies so that all the learners of different styles and types, different needs are able to understand and analyse the content taught. For this we use techniques that engage the students so that they can think critically, apply the knowledge and promotes and motivates them to learn.

There is not one technique that can lead to active learning. Depending on the topic being taught, the choice can be made. A discussion, a digital project, presentation, writing, case study and many more techniques can be used to actively involve the students so that they can learn better. 

One of the instructional strategies that can be used in classes for providing the information and giving time to understand and absorb the content is Chunk and Chew technique.

Here is the link of an infographic created by one of my classmates, Melissa Ashman. 

You might have heard, “I have a dump question to ask.....”, “Can I ask a question, I know it is silly but...”, “I am not sure whether I should be asking this or not, ....” and many more such responses from your students when they are asking a question. The students may be hesitant to ask a question and not all students may be sure and confident to ask the question.

How about the questions asked by the teachers? The students may not be very keen or show it that they are not, while a response to the questions raised by the instructor is awaited. Does that mean they do not know? Not really.

Questioning is a technique that helps to foster learning among students. Whether they are asking or responding to a question, the technique enables the student to reflect on their learning, organize their thoughts and put their thoughts into words for the topic or question in hand.

Questions by the students

When the students raise a question, the instructor has to handle the curiosity or clarify the students. The teacher should be able to answer or handle it tactfully based on the situation.  Questions related to the current topic should be answered linking it to the previous knowledge and making it relevant to the context. Other students could be encouraged to answer the question that would reinforce others knowledge as well. You could give the clues and hints so that the student could use their meta-cognitive and problem solving skills to get an answer to their question and you may not answer the question directly. As a result the students do not feel discouraged and tend to go and explore their own learning and apply the knowledge. However, answering a question from the future topics can lead to loose pieces of information and information overload and should be handled in a manner that the student does not feel discouraged or hesitant in the future to raise a question.

Questions by the teacher

The questions asked by the instructor can help to assess learner’s previous knowledge, opinion of the students, and encourage them to reflect on. The questions asked by the instructor should motivate and challenge the students to think, understand, reflect, focus and then respond to the question. The encouragement to apply and relate the current topic and acquired knowledge can make the experience more rewarding for the learner. Sufficient time depending on whether it a low order or high order learning/thinking question, should be given to the students so that they can respond efficiently. Based on the learning style (Visual, Aural, Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic) and nature (introvert or extrovert) of the learner, more time might be required to get the answer to the question posed. Preparing your questions prior to the class can help you formulate it in a more concise manner with clarity, making the students to think in the right direction, using their analytical skills and be able to apply their learning.

So plan out, put your words together, go ahead and ask your question,

References

Every person is an individual and is characteristically different from others. Similarly, every student in the class is a different individual. They have their own learning style preference that makes it easy for them to comprehend. Learning style is method of preference by an individual to learn, absorb, contemplate and process the information so that it can be retained for a longer duration. 

VARK Model

Different learning style models have been proposed by different authors. One of the model – VARK model was proposed by Neil Fleming and Mills in 1992. They suggested that the students tend to learn Visually, Aurally, through Reading and Writing or they may be kinesthetic learners. Those modalities make the acronym VARK. 

A visual learner would prefer to see the things, in the form of graphs pictures, diagrams which make it easy for them to understand. An auditory learner would be able to grasp well through lectures, pod casts, audios where the content is heard. A Reading or writing learner preference is reading books, writing and reading reports where in, much of the content is understood which is in text format. A kinesthetic learner would learn best through examples, by doing and experimenting. 

Individual and Content

 Every individual may fall in one or the other learning style learner, and may enjoy and learn better from that prevalent style. However, the individual may learn through a combination of methods as well. The predominance of a method may also be determined by the content that is intended to learn. In order to develop your expression in a language, pictures and graphs may not do the work as an audio recording or a written essay will do. The modulation of speech, the words used for communicating a message may have more impact than showing a picture. Similarly, mathematics algebraic problems can be understood through pictures and diagrams but you will still have to try examples to be more familiar with the concept. Reading will not be very beneficial. 

Your class is an assortment of different learning style learners.  In order to meet their learning needs and foster learning so that they are in control of their accomplishments, different instructional strategies have to be deployed. The variety in the choices of the strategies should be such that it caters to the different learning styles and makes the content more meaningful for the different learners. 

References 

Glass picture from Pixabay.com Website Retrieved on April 12, 2016 from  https://pixabay.com/en/glass-water-lemonade-diffusion-red-1017451/ under license CC0 Public domain cropped 

I enter the class and one of the students says that they have not received their assessment. I was guilty in hearts of hearts of not marking the assignment. Another student prompted, “When will we get our assessment so that we can know what we did correctly and what went wrong”. I did not know what to reply. Here, I am writing this blog post and at the back of my mind, I am wondering what would be my score in the assignment that I submitted, how will I score, what could I have done better and many more similar thoughts regarding the feedback on my assignment are going on. I am still planning my time to mark the assignments of the students. I am realizing the importance of timely feedback on the motivation of the student.

Motivating Factors

Timely, constructive feedback: The curiosity of the student dies when they have to wait for long to hear from the instructor regarding the assessment and feedback on their assignments. The assessment must be done after the deadline of assignment submission at the earliest so that the students get their feedback while it is fresh in their mind what they did. Their mind is still thinking in the lines of the assignment and a feedback will bring better clarity. A constructive feedback where their achievements are appreciated and rewarded, and providing resources and steps for improving that guides the student to learn is a vital factor that motivates the student to take the initiative to learn.

Focused goals and achievements: It is easy to reach and aim a goal when you can see the target in front of you. The focus and the steps taken to achieve the goal can be defined once you know where you have to reach. Walking aimlessly, leading nowhere can be adventurous for few. However, you can still have the adventure when you know the destination. Setting focused goals for the students will make it an enjoyable learning experience for the students and they can evaluate themselves as to what they have learnt. Small, clear, achievable goals can be an important factor in motivating the students, foster learning and in alleviating the student self-efficacy.

References

How interesting it is to observe the way we learn, for instance the operation of a new gadget that we buy. We explore, we experiment, we try using the different options and buttons, we read the manual and if still we do not get the answer of what we are trying to find and learn, we google it till we are comfortable with the working and the usage of our new equipment. In the process of this exploration, we learn. The learning though taking place but is not done in a systematized, planned way. It is the need based learning that happens.

We were self-directed, finding our way, to learn what we wanted to learn. Sometimes self-directed learning is misunderstood for learning what the students want and when they want. According to Knowles, in its broadest meaning, self-directed learning describes a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes.(Self-directed learning, archived August 2014, Knowles and self-direction section, para 1). The goals and objectives are predetermined and the students are aware of these goals. They assess their progress themselves (Teaching and Learning Resources  n.d., Self-Directed Learning section, para 1).

Since the learning is student centered and not instructor centered, the motivation and the readiness of the learner plays a vital role in taking the first step. The student has to be self-disciplined, motivated, organized and should be able to reflect and assess their learning and communicate it.( Self-Directed Learning, A four step process n.d., being ready to learn section, para 1). 

Setting learning goals and objectives 

In the self-directed learning, the goals and objectives are set and student is made aware of these goals. To achieve them, there exists a set time line to achieve them. The resources available that can be used, guidelines for grading and rubrics are provided, late submissions, plagiarism, referencing and other issues are documented and made aware to the students. Learning contract where the student and the instructor are made to sign what they will learn, deadlines, timelines and other details are put into place.( Self-Directed Learning, A four step process n.d., setting learning goals section, para 1)

Role of the instructor

The role of the instructor is to provide a conducive atmosphere for the self-directed learning to take place. The instructor has to be a motivator so that the student feels encouraged; encouraged to be interested in learning, to think critically, bring out their abilities, and guides them in their evaluation process; they have to be cooperative and friendly so that the student can approach them easily when required for content and resources needs. They are responsible for building a positive, inspiring learning atmosphere. (Bull, 2013)

The instructor is a guide, to direct them towards the achievement of their goals. 

References

Bull. Bernard (September 17, 2013): What is the role of a teacher in a self-directed learning environment? , Etale – Digital Age Learning Website, Retrieved on March 31, 2016 from http://etale.org/main/2013/09/17/what-is-the-role-of-a-teacher-in-a-self-directed-learning-environment/

Self-Directed Learning, A four step process: Centre for Teaching Excellence (n.d.), University of Waterloo Website, Retrieved on March 31, 2016 from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/tips-students/self-directed-learning/self-directed-learning-four-step-process

Teaching and Learning Resources :Self-Directed Learning: (n.d.), MCMaster University Website Retrieved on March 31, 2016 from http://cll.mcmaster.ca/resources/S/Self_Directed_Learning.html

Self-directed Learning: Knowles and self-direction (Archived August, 2014), infed.org Website Retrieved on March 31, 2016 from http://infed.org/mobi/self-directed-learning/

Google has recently announced that it is making its professional photo editing software Nik collection free for its users. Google also  plans to improve its Snapseed software for mobile to include more and better options (Groetzinger, 2016).

Apart from the betterment of technology for good, I see two important messages that are conveyed from this information. Firstly, the mobile usage is the new way to access information and as more and more people use mobile devices (cell phone and tablets), the companies want to make it easy for the users to use it with more options available on the apps on the go.Secondly, there is an increase in the significance and role of images and photographs in our lives.

The visual interpretation of information is so very important, that people have lost the patience and interest to read long, detailed information. A visual representation is grasped more quickly and easily by the reader. That is the reason why there is an increase in the usage of infographics and the tools that are available to make them.  

Today, I was doing a research on the skills that BC needs and the gap that would exist in the requirements and the skilled work force available in the near future. I found the articles from the labor market and other sites. In all the sites, I was looking for points or bold, highlighted text that would give me the skills and information that I needed. I did not want to read the articles line by line, in detail. I think that is how today reader is; learner is, wants the information that can be interpreted easily and quickly.

That is an important message for us as instructors. Incorporate more of visual information, which is easy to infer, remember and recall. That will help the learners and especially the visual learners to remember and interpret the information.

References

Groetzinger. Kate (March, 29, 2016): Google just made its $149 professional photo editing software free, Quartz Website, Retrieved on March 30, 2016 from http://qz.com/649959/google-just-made-its-149-professional-photo-editing-software-free/

Picture from Pixabay.com Website Retrieved on March 30, 2016 from https://pixabay.com/en/monument-thinker-think-force-globe-1027555/  under licence CC0 Public domain cropped and flipped

Picture from pixabay.com Website Retrieved on March 30, 2016 from https://pixabay.com/en/info-infographic-design-information-908889/  under licence CC0 Public domain resized and formatted

Appreciate each individual as an individual, with differences and commonalities amongst each other. As the class is a blend of students of different personalities, different types of learners, different styles of learners, so should be the techniques of the instructor to keep them engaged.

Some of the techniques, which I found effective and can be used in the class easily, are:

Use of movement: Through colors and of course through physical movement, you can add movement in the class. Use of different colors of markers on the white board for illustrations, to explain a process helps to differentiate and categories the content. This makes the understanding of the concept easy. They associate the color with the process and helps in the retention of the content. Sitting next to the students to explain, to identify their concerns and needs can be helpful in building relationship.

3-2-1 summarizing: The students of a class are asked to mention 3 things that they have learnt today, any 2 things that they found interesting and 1 thing that they find difficult and have a question to ask. To share this thought, technology can be integrated to share their views. They can also share this with the peers and if the peers can answer the question that they have, will initiate collaborative learning.

Enhance Student efficacy: Increasing the level of challenges gradually, which the students feel is achievable and still not too easy that will lead to loss of interest can help to enhance the self-efficacy of the learners. Motivation, encouraging their efforts will increase their expectancy of successfully achieving the goals and objectives.

Using a combination of the techniques in your classes can help to engage the students, develop their interest in the subject and keenness in learning, thereby making them control their learning and take charge of it.

References

Hurst. Stacy (September 18, 2013): Seven Ways to Increase Student Engagement in the Classroom, Reading horizons website Retrieved on March 26, 2016 from http://www.readinghorizons.com/blog/seven-ways-to-increase-student-engagement-in-the-classroom

Student Engagement: 5 Ways to Get and Keep Your Students’ Attention (August 19, 2015), Learning Sciences Marzano Center Website Retrieved on March 26, 2016 from http://www.marzanocenter.com/blog/article/5-ways-to-get-and-keep-your-students-attention/

To enhance learning among the students, instructors have to consistently change the way they teach it. The instructor has to make the course meaningful so that each student feels that they have gained valuable knowledge from the course.

This time, in my Access level 2 class, there are students who are very keen to learn more and more, and get the maximum. I had to modify the way I taught, as compared to my previous sessions. The class is given more problem solving scenarios, and group work case studies to be able to apply and use the knowledge and think critically. When, I hear the response like “Wow, this application works amazingly”, “It is interesting to know what you can achieve your results once you know the right way to do it”, “I am looking forward to the next class”, it is very gratifying that the students are learning, and enjoying the learning at the same time.

Increasing the complexity of the projects and tasks gradually enhances the student’s self-esteem and worth and builds their confidence. As adults, they want to have some level of complexity because the real world is not a perfect world. When they encounter challenges, their problem solving skills are developed and this helps them to get to learn their own way.

Challenge the class with different types of activities that helps them, motivate them by encouragement because you want your students to learn and thus do what will make them learn.

I am enjoying challenging them and they are enjoying the learning through the challenges !

Reference

‘Professional practices’ is my sixth course of Provincial Instructor Diploma program. Now when I look back and see, I feel I have come a long way. Each course added to my skills and knowledge. My attitude towards different theories and opinions that I had earlier, have changed drastically. Every course has added new ideas and perceptions to my knowledge basket.

It is hard for me to pin point one thing that I learnt. There are a number of things that I know now, and I have started applying them in my teaching bringing about a change in the level of student satisfaction. Some concepts that got refreshed and many new ones got added, and I feel that I have a new perspective to adult education as a whole.

Apart from the skills of learning adult theories of learning and andragogy, assessing students to evaluate learning, I learnt about creating authentic and reliable assessment tools, teaching effectively using the BOPPPS model, using various classroom assessment techniques - formative and summative assessments, designing assessment instruments that are credible and authentic and using media to enhance learning.

As I did these courses, I implemented the skills in my teaching and made improvisations the next time. Every course skills when applied to my teaching gave a new flavour to my teaching and to my classes. The feedbacks improved drastically leading to more satisfied students. This in turn, made my teaching more fulfilling and rewarding.

A drastic, noticeable change in my view point that happened after taking these courses was the way I look at different media and technology and their usage in education. Though I am an instructor teaching computer programs and applications, about Informatics Practices, I was never in favour of using social media and technology to that extent in education. Just bare necessity usage of it, apart from the usage for learning and teaching the subject. After doing ‘Media Enhanced Learning’ course and the different digital projects in each course, I have a different vision for technology now. I have enjoyed doing these projects myself, learning new tools to present your information, showing my creativity. I have started embracing technology because that’s the way the 21st century education is heading towards.

I have been using my knowledge and skills learnt in my teaching and through self-reflection, I have seen myself climbing the ladder in the proficiency and efficiency of using these skills. I have grown with each course and I can see that.

References