Connectivism

Evaluating and Identifying Online Resources

Problem-solving Methods

Instructional designers have a common goal which is to promote critical thinking amongst the learners.  Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler (Ormrod, Schunk, & Gredler, 2009) define problem solving this way: “Problem solving refers to people’s efforts to achieve a goal for which they do not have an automatic solution.”  Carol B. MacKnight is an instructional technologist in the Office of Information Technologies at the University of Massachusetts.  This article was found in the Educause Review.  Her article, “Teaching Critical Thinking through Online Discussions”, examines fostering critical thinking among students using Web communication tools. This article states that critical thinking is not a separate activity from problem solving. Online tools used to support collaboration such as bulletin boards, email, and presentation tools engage students in activities that promote intellectual growth.  Collaborative learning through online groups help students with shared goals make informed decisions and take appropriate actions.  MacKnight outlines thought provoking Socratic questions which educators could use to promote problem solving skills.  I found this article informative and hopefully useful to other instructional designers.

The Brain and Learning

When we think of how the brain affects our ability to learn, there have been disputes as to whether left-brain or right-brain instruction is effective.  This case study found in the INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS featured a study on brain based learning.  The Impact of Brain Based Learning on Students Academic Achievement. study pointed out elements such as lighting, color choices, classroom arrangement, air fresheners, water and tea provisions, etc. all attributed to the increased academic achievements of students. The study measures academic achievement in a traditional classroom versus a controlled classroom where brain based learning is used.  In each class there are 25 students whose academic abilities are closely aligned.

References:

Ormrod, J.,  Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction     (Laureate  custom edition). New York: Pearson.

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0048.pdf

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=989c9682-55fc-4101-8849-26dd4ede3939%40sessionmgr110&vid=7&hid=104

Instructional Design Resources

Research is paramount in staying abreast of changes in technology.  As an instructional designer, I have to assess which technology pieces will prove to be most effective in meeting the needs of my learners.  Edutopia is a great resource I found that addresses integrating technology into the curriculum and provides information by grade level, core strategies, and offers an online learning community.

            Aneesh Bhat wrote a great article titled Instructional Design for Beginners.  As a novice, I found his article to be very informative. In this article he defines Motivational Design and addresses John Keller’s ARCS model of Motivational Design.

            Tom Kuhlmann runs the Articulate community of The Rapid E-Learning Blog.  His blog on Instructional Design offers several key element posts from the instructional design perspective.  I especially liked a post which used Post-It notes as a guide to instructional design.  The article examined how we use Post-It notes as cheat sheets to document relevant information to complete a task or learn a concept.  With the wealth of information available to us, it is important that we are able to use our cheat sheet when designing instruction to assure that we stay focused on the task at hand.  Feel free to read this yourself, What We Can Learn from Post-It notes , and give me your feedback as to the relevance of this comparison.