EduBlog Game One - Round 3

The GREEN Team task

NB you are in the green team if you contributed to "The role of risk in developing innovative education is . . ." in the first round.

The blue team contributed 20 entries in the first round to the incomplete sentence "Conditions for learning are optimised when . . . . ." In the second round, the red team has reduced the words to 50 and these are included below for your ease of reading. In LESS than 26 words, summarize, plagiarize, steal, modify, invent, add and/or analysis their sentences to create your completion of the sentence. Your goal is to create a version to please as many people as possible, including the blue and red team members. (Hint: Using someone else's ideas is the highest form in the art of pleasing someone). Place your entry as a comment to this post.

Mojgan said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when an educator is punctual, organised, know the content, recognises learners past experiences, encourages dialects, give feedback, share resources and last but not least applies various learning styles to meet each and every participant’s needs. Students also need to be motivated and willing to participate.

Angie said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when the material is relevant to the learner, and engaging, challenging and motivating. The learning environment must be comfortable and safe for the learner. Outcomes need to be clear and the facilitator needs to model appropriate learning behaviours. Instruction should be innovative and feedback constructive.

onn said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when the learner have achievable objective and strong motivation. Furthermore, learning contexts are also concerned regarding relevant and appropriate to learners. The knowledge is built on learners’ experience and interest. This assists learners to improve their cognitive, physical skills and adapt them into their life.

yblount said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when participants are treated in an adult manner (as everyone has different personal experiences, education and knowledge to bring to the learning environment). Learning has to be relevant (recognisable, emotionally engaging and usable to the learner). The learning environment should provide room for mistakes.

Michelle said...

…the learner feels motivated, comfortable, supported and safe in the learning environment.
The learner’s background knowledge and personal experience needs consideration when setting achievable goals in program development. Informal and formal assessment provides effective measurement of the benefits of the learning experience and drives the program in a forward direction.

Naomi said...

Learning conditions are optimised where a positive shared ethos and respect for people is a high priority of all parties involved, the content engages their "heart, hand and mind", by utilising a range of innovative approaches and collaborative learning and students portray a high degree of self motivation to learn.

hwozniak said...

The conditions for learning are optimized when there is alignment between learning outcomes learning activities and assessment, learning is authentic, the learning environment is safe and supportive, the learner and teacher learn together and from each other, learning is scaffolded, collaboration encouraged, time for reflection, and development of a learning community.

John said...

The role of the educator is emphasised in each submission, in that they need to be punctual, organised and recognise learners past experiences. Educator should also attempt to encourage the learner to develop an understanding of their own needs and make clear the outcomes expected and model appropiate learning behaviours.

Ali said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when the learner feels motivated, comfortable, supported and safe within the given environment. Educators can help create this environment by being organised, know the content well, recognising learner’s past experiences, providing feedback, helping them to add to their knowledge base and providing feedback where needed.

Lutfia said...

Conditions for learning are optimized when using diverse and innovative ways of learning expression. Content must have constructively aligned with the objectives and the assessment process. Learner must be motivated to participate with individual goals set and to strive towards, which it will measure the benefits of the learning experience.

Charlie Brown said...

Important conditions for learning;

# Learning activities are relevant, engaging, encouraging, challenging, thought provoking, facilitate learning, appropriate speed, connected emotionally, positive, provide error room.
# Learners understand clear, attainable goals/objectives, & relevance.
# Active participation & collaboration.
# Learners respected.
# Comfortable environment.
# Previous experience & learning design needs recognition & used knowledge base.
# Motivation/passion & Feedback essential.

EduBlog Game One - Round 2 Instruction

This is round 2 of 4 rounds of EnRoLE's first blog game. So far we have asked you to write an additional 100 words in response to the three incomplete sentences. Three teams were formed by the self-selecting process, by which you each chose your sentence. Now that these teams are formed, we are pleased to announce that –


The players who addressed "My best times as an online learner have been when . . ." have become the RED team.

The players who addressed "Conditions for learning are optimised when . . . . ." have become the BLUE team.

The players who addressed "The role of risk in developing innovative education is . ." are the GREEN team.


With the primary colours in place, we are on track to create a colourful experience. Your new task is to complete your assigned sentence (see below) by summarising, plagiarizing, stealing, modifying, inventing, analysing all the information provided by those who completed the sentence you are now working on. Your posting must be exactly 50 words. Your goal is to create a statement to appeal to as many people as possible, including all those who have already expressed their opinions.


Enter your entry in exactly 50 words, as a comment to the post below, by Midnight Eastern Australian Standard time, Monday 20th August, 2007.

EduBlog Game One - Round 2

The GREEN Team task

NB you are in the green team if you contributed to "The role of risk in developing innovative education is . . ." in the first round.


The red team has put in 17 entries to the incomplete sentence "My best times as an online learner have been when . . ." and these are included below for your ease of reading. In EXACTLY 50 words summarize, plagiarize, steal, modify, invent, add and/or analysis their sentences to create your 50 word completion of the sentence. Your goals is to create a sentence to please as many people as possible, including the red team members. (Hint: Using someone's idea is the highest form in the art of pleasing someone). Place your entry as a comment to this post.

Nadia Neouchi said...

My best times as an online learner have been when I had to submit weekly homework for an undergraduate subject in architecture in the form of a blog. It was viewed by peers and tutors alike. I was very apprehensive at first because of privacy issues surrounding the exposure of my work to the public but then, to my surprise, I was bombarded with emails from people that I do and don’t know commenting on my work and providing feedback. I found myself in a learning situation where I was gaining knowledge from an unlimited pool of resources that would be impossible to experience in a traditional classroom setting.


Mojgan said...

My best times as an online learner have been when I studied at IT faculty of UTS from 1993 to 1998. I remember that the whole idea of Online learning was new and there was not that many e-learning courses available at UTS. But now you will notice that many of the UTS courses are available via distant mode which allows students to log in and ask questions, contribute to class discussions and submit their assignments online even if they are in middle of jungles of Thailand or cruising in Turkey with limited internet connectivity suing ship’s satellite system!


newtownbob said...

My best times as an online learner have been when I realised I had matured to the extent I could actually READ large amounts of unit relevant literature online instead of printing articles because I insisted to myself that I could only read lengthy documents on 20th century paper, not on a screen.
I love to be able to submit my assignments electronically because the flexibility of the timing suits my busy schedule. Online education suits my desire for independence, flexibility and contact with my teachers and my fellow classmates. Face to Face education never provides me with adequate conversation.


John said...

My best times as an online learner have been in the blended learning environment, where online learning has been the pre work for a conference or training event or has been inserted in a face to face event. Recently I attended a CLO conference in California, where the pre-work was all on line and highly interactive and the blended online events included a 2nd life project. The 2nd life project is an induction course to starting at the company I work for and has taken a very mundane set of courses and events and made them very interactive and enjoyable.


Ali said...

My best times as an online learner was when I was actually responsible for running an e-tivity for the Diploma of eLearning students at UTS. Although I was running the e-tivity, I learnt a lot about how to run such an actitivity and the level of detail that is involved. I learnt that as the administrator you have to give the students as much information as you can, you have to be available to support the students throughout the e-tivity or they become frustrated and disengaged and you need to make the activity as user friendly and straightforward as possible.


hwozniak said...

My best times as an online learner were when I was participating in a discussion about assessing online discussions held by CAB Web (Collaboration across borders). I had grappled with this since about 2000 whilst moderating undergraduate students online discussions about clinical cases and felt immense support when sharing ideas with people from all over the world. I also have found that as a facilitator of online discussions you learn just as much as those participating, it took a few years to work out that participants need guidance about how to get the most out of the online learning environment.

yblount said...

My best times as an online learner have been when I have been a teacher. I have learnt where students are having difficulties when they leave messages on the discussion board, often issues I have not considered. I learnt a great deal about how students use the online environment (or not). A surprising discovery has been that some students do not like using discussion forums or listening to iLecture. Adult learners need to have choices about the extent to which they engage in online learning. We need to be careful not to exclude those learners who find online participation difficult.


Angie said...

I have been immersed in the scenario and I felt compelled to be successful in achieving the outcome. I enjoy realistic visuals and contexts, not fantasy worlds that I cannot relate to. The best online game I engaged in did not give a solution to the situation offered but allowed me to reflect on my actions to the problem. However, the realism of the situation made me reflect more deeply after the game finished on whether I would have made the same decision in real life. Online learning should be stimulating, contemporary in context and relevant to the participant's world.


kaly said...

My best times as an online learner have been when I was studying advanced English in China. That was my first time to be an online learner, which was so different from my previous traditional studying which have been being with me for over 20 years. As an e-learner, I did not have to go to school at a fixed time instead of arranging my time freely and studying in any place I prefer, and discussed the tasks with other learners on the discussion board at any time without dealing with the proper meeting-time each other as face-to-face mode did.


Naomi said...

I have discovered from my own experience that online learning is both fast (efficient) and effective as it caters to the higher order learning needs of individuals. It offers some critical reflection, experiential learning and coupled with its vibrant interactiveness (is there such a term ?) can offer a blended learning approach. It aligns teaching methodologies with the changing learner styles of students. I am & have been involved with online learning both as a Masters student (UTS) and teacher (TAFE), hence there are many experiences which have combined into my synopsis of online learning.. here for you to read.

Stuperman said...

My best experience with online learning would be during my undergrad degree. The use of online material and pre-work made the experience very self-regulated, giving me the freedom to progress through the material at my own pace to fully understand it, without the pressures of a lecturer and 200 other students. This also meant I could do it whenever I liked. Discussion boards gave room for adequate debate with people I had never met but it lacked the personal touch to see who you’re arguing with. Online resources displayed practical aspects that I would not see otherwise. Three words short.


a.durie said...

Greetings All
My best time as an online learner would have to be this - being as I am somewhat new to the game (not of education but of the online aspects of education). I have used computers to prepare teaching materials and to deliver the materials in a face to face situation, but not to deliver materials online. The use of computers to supplement other modes of teaching and learning offer a challenge and an opportunity to make teaching a more interesting, and in some ways, more immediate experience. It will be interesting to see how the game proceeds

oliviapaulik said...

My best times as an online learner have been when I have used this mode to supplement and enhance face to face interaction with peers. Although I have had limited experience participating in online learning as a student, I have been involved in the development of a course which uses a combination of face to face teaching and online discussions. This experience helped me realise some of the benefits of online learning including flexibility, and ease of contribution to class discussions. However, I still believe that online learning is best utilised to enhance rather than replace face to face interactions.


jessicabooth said...

When I have been having fun! I really enjoyed an online safety program I completed once because safety is usually pretty boring, prescriptive and dry, but this one was fantastic because it was highly interactive, the graphics and sounds were great and it was like an online game that I had to complete. I was placed in real life scenarios and had to decide what actions to take next while it was assessing and scoring me along the way. I received constant feedback and was able to print out a completion certificate at the end. I thought it was excellent!


onn said...

My best times as an online learner have been when I understand the instruction and I can follow that without any problems. That doesn’t mean problems with question but mean the process of online studying because if I don’t understand the direction, how I can learn it productively. Being online student like using UTS online, the obstacles of operating also occur with misunderstanding, technology naïve, and jargon. For example, at first time that I used UTS online, I felt I was confused because it was very new system for me; therefore, I had to spend time to learn the process.


Lutfia said...

My best times as an online learner have been when I was on IT student. I support the value of closely observing the experience of those immediately involved, as part of an effort to place pedagogical considerations at the centre of innovative developments. Unlike traditional distance education, online education promotes interactivity and the convenience of being just a click away from the materials used in the course to optimize the learning within the infrastructure available. It opens up a wealth of opportunity to improve the depth and reach of learning offered by the new technologies when they are used appropriately.

EduBlog Game One - Round 2

The BLUE Team task.

NB you are in the BLUE team if you contributed to "Conditions for learning are optimised when . . . . ." in the first round.


The green team contributed 18 entries to the incomplete sentence "The role of risk in developing innovative education is . . ." and these are included below for your ease of reading. In EXACTLY 50 words, summarize, plagiarize, steal, modify, invent, add and/or analysis their sentences to create your 50 word completion of the sentence. Your goal is to create a version to please as many people as possible, including the green team members. (Hint: Using someone else's ideas is the highest form in the art of pleasing someone). Place your entry as a comment to this post.

Elyssebeth said...

The role of risk in developing innovative education is to provoke different thinking and challenge the ‘norms’ that were the innovations of their time. Because it is accompanied by opportunity it provides incentives to step beyond what is known. Risk suggests what is possible - but not yet accepted - and renders the familiar less appealing. Opportunity attracts hope – risk evokes threat and fear, yet little of value comes without risk. Knowing how to balance risk and opportunity creates space for me to innovate and sustain energy when (un)anticipated risks appear. We accept risk when we take on opportunity.


Tony.Dunford said...

to seek out opportunities to gain greater insight into the subject or oneself by placing individuals in situations they are not comfortable with. However before we progress too far down this path, we should consider whether we are engaged in providing education or training. If Education is “the gradual process of acquiring knowledge”, and “Training is the teaching of vocational or practical, and relates to specific useful skills”, are we more likely to be training? If so, substantial leaps in learning often require ‘safe’ simulations, of either extreme or outrageous proportions to generate attitudinal change or quantum leaps in skill.


gilbert said...

In creating a new online approach to learning, a consideration on student/learners context should be put in consideration. This should also include the infrastructure essential for the approach and learners support mechanism should be addressed. Learning in this context will be rewarding if students/learners will find the strategy enjoyable and fun. This will lead them to participate and by doing so learning occurs. On the other hand, if this approach is approach is not well supported, frustration among learners will be observed resulting to lack of participation. Using appropriate pedagogical theories and design innovation in the learning process is rewarding.


richards said...

The role of risk in developing innovative education is to step out of the box in the hope that you will create a hook that interests your student to learn more. Sometimes the result will be that students/colleagues may think you are crazy, but that doesn't matter if the students remember the point you were trying to get across or it motivates them to investigate the problem/topic more. The risk therefore should not be on whether the learning objective is achieved but whether we end up with egg on our face. Teacher evaluation scores are not the goal of innovation.


Carol Russell said...

The role of risk in developing innovative education is twofold. Firstly, for students, the experience is more enjoyable if they stay in the ‘flow’ zone between anxiety, where the challenge exceeds their learning skills, and boredom, where there isn’t enough challenge (Csikszentmihalyi). Taking risks can lead to anxiety, but it’s necessary to extend skills and progress to greater challenges. Secondly, teachers and developers, to be innovative, have to explore beyond familiar learning processes, which can also cause anxiety. But on the other hand it makes teaching much more exciting. Taking risks builds tolerance for anxiety, and extends the flow zone.


Lesley said...

The role of risk in developing innovative education is to inspire the learners by exciting them. Risk has accompanying physiological responses. If these can be harnessed they may enhance the learner's experience, but in my experience individuals repond variably. Educators need to be mindful of betraying the learner's trust. Trust is an essential ingredient and once the learner feels betrayed, this unspoken rapport is broken. Learners may not have anticipated risk. We need to be mindful of how individuals respond to risk and stress. Challenging educational environments are not always suitable for every learner. Predicatably, learners will react with unpredictability.


K Lai said...

to allow for student development in ways that are not allowed in traditional teaching modes. For example, the scripted lecture in which information is passed on to students, or essays in which students are required to ‘answer’ a question on the list, circumscribe what students learn and, to an extent, how they are expected to respond. By contrast, more innovative pedagogic methods—such as getting a student to design a research essay topic—are much more risky: the peaks and troughs of student achievement are magnified. Yet, educators should take these risks in order to encourage and nurture critical thinking.


felicity said...

The role of risk in developing innovative education is as an agent provocateur of the inner recesses of the student’s mind. When placed in an environment that is interesting and fun, the student is challenged to forgo the conventional and open to assimilating new ideas and processes that otherwise would have seemed droll and decidedly unappealing. This approach will lead to the student willingly grasping that which is being taught, rather than being “dragged to the blackboard” in a manner of speaking. Being part of the process compels greater mental stimulation than being the target of a torrent of information.


julie.doherty said...

It is important to engage students initially and make them want to find out more about the subject. As a teacher of an online careers and work subject, the issue is sparking an interest in students for something which they may see as outside their curriculum area. Gaining life skills in terms of career management is something students still may see as innovative, but could be integral to their career planning. Students too often think in terms of grades and results rather than in terms of life skills and longterm objectives. The increased use of web and online learning helps.


JennyP said...

The role of risk in developing innovative education ... well thinking of the reverse ...what if innovation was risk-free? If it was totally 100% risk free maybe we would innovate more often? Maybe we would just keep changing things over and over and over...So perhaps the role of risk is to keep us "honest" - hey make us evaluate, invest and commit to the innovation as the stakes are higher. Risk also give us that unmistakable buzz of adrenalin when we try something challenging and pull it off - then it makes us do it all over again.

Ping said...

The role of risk in developing innovative education is to provide the teachers and the students with chances to experience a learning mode which is whatsoever different to the traditional way of learning. If we look at things in an optimistic approach, the risk here always serves as benefits. If the innovative education turns out to be a success, win-win situation will occur. If the innovative education does not receive the desired result, the teachers will anyway learn from that and it doesn’t really do bad to the students. It at least lets them try a different way of learning.


MargaretS said...

The role of risk in developing innovative education is dependant on whether innovation is approached as a project or as a process. The inherent risk of approaching educational problems as innovative projects is that once 'problems’ are addressed, they migrate towards the ‘norm’ and are therefore no longer innovative. However, if problems are approached through a process of innovation, a culture of innovation not only addresses the educational problems of today but drives educational innovators towards dealing with future potential problems. Further risk is predicting and getting support for future educational needs without knowing what those needs will look like.


Stuart said...

The role of risk in developing innovative education is to promote learning considered ‘outside the square’. Why would we do this? Because positively engaging adults in learning today is an immense challenge and to keep in touch with the times, we as educators, need to always consider innovation and new ways of making that positive engagement. As educators, this risk doesn’t come without its falls though. However the key is to learn from the fall, know why it happened and to get right up and persevere. Risk can have a price – however as the saying goes ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’


Rochelle said...

The role of risk in developing innovative education is to create opportunity. Asking learners to step out of their comfort zone can be challenging but when successful can lead to great outcomes. Creating the shock factor in training assists a learners motivation and can take their minds off the trivial tasks that occupy their daily life. When learners are faced with innovative experiences they are more likely to take away new ideas and think outside the square. We take risks everytime we facilitate training. Innovative learning ensures we do not risk a learners opportunity to learn in a new way.


sheila.mylvaganam said...

Can we afford to be complacent and not use innovative approaches to education as we attempt to engage the “generations of the future” who are eager to learn in new ways, who’re already using just in time and interactive ways to learn, who will move into jobs and careers where such creativity is sought after and who will interact with colleagues on a global platform? The online unit we teach revolves around lifelong career management where much is explored and learnt through self reflection; it is our challenge to engage students in this process in an entertaining & dynamic fashion.


Chris said...

to improve education, for the student and the teacher. Risk could also be called an opportunity for improvement. By taking chances and sharing the outcomes (good and bad) we can collectively work as one to improve the learning experiences of our students and the professional experiences of educators and support the direction of their university or school. Do educators think they are taking risks, when they are developing strategies for authentic learning, group discussions etc. Students would like us to use traditional teaching methods but literature abounds with positive feedback on different strategies which have to used in their classes.


David said...

The only constant is change, change implies risk. There are many risks in developing innovation in education. Firstly it will provide stimulation, for both the students and the teacher. Repeating that which has occurred before can lead to refinement and improvement but after a number of repetitions leads to staleness. Secondly, staying abreast of modern techniques, or in fact developing new techniques that will prove more effective than traditional methods. Thirdly it can cater for different learning needs and presentation techniques for students. Risk provides challenge and challenge often leads to new learning and learning is what education is about.


maree.gosper said...

an uneasy bedfellow. Its uneasy because the outcome is usually unknown but no pain, no gain comes to mind. There is the pain of extreme anxiety wondering whether the technology will work – increased blood pressure, hyperventilation are typical symptoms. There is the pain of extreme embarrassment standing in front of a class with failed technology; the pain of poor evaluations when student don’t respond well. There is the joy of doing something new that works; getting feedback from students who appreciate you going out on a limb. What about the inevitable promotion - sadly its more likely to be pain.

EduBlog Game One - Round 2

The RED Team task -

NB – you are in the RED team if you completed the sentence "My best times as an online learner have been when . . ." in the first round.


The blue team contributed 20 entries to the incomplete sentence "Conditions for learning are optimised when . . . . ." and these are included below for your ease of reading. In EXACTLY 50 words, summarize, plagiarize, steal, modify, invent, add and/or analysis their sentences to create your 50 word completion of the sentence. Your goal is to create a version to please as many people as possible, including the blue team members. (Hint: Using someone else's ideas is the highest form in the art of pleasing someone). Place your entry as a comment to this post.

StevieBoy said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when there are clear goals for learning and these are relevant and appropriate to the participants. They are also optimised when there are engaging and motivating activities that generate enthusiastic participation and build on the previous experiences and knowledge of participants. The teacher presence is encouraging and the social presence of the students create the feeling of belonging to a learning community. As well, the assessment is relevant both in process and skills-related form to what is being learnt. Every participant is treated in an adult manner which reinforces respect and the value of people.


Rola said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when:
1. the learning context is open, friendly, respectful and authentic
2. learning activities are engaging, challenging and foster collaboration and partnership among learners
3. content is relevant and builds on learners' prior knowledge and experiences
4. learning is designed with clear learning outcomes that match assessment, mode of educational delivery and learning activities. Evaluative processes are built in.
5. learners are motivated and aware of the learning process not just content.
6. facilitators model appropriate behaviour and consider (and monitor) the impact of their presence and learning design (including the affective dimension of learning).


Michelle said...

Conditions of learning are optimised when the learner feels comfortable, supported and safe in the learning environment. Additionally, the learner must be motivated to participate with individual goals set, to strive towards.
The facilitator needs to be aware of the personal experience and background knowledge that each student brings to the class. With these in mind the facilitator also has a responsibility to provide an optimal learning environment by means of setting achievable goals and using continuous assessment both formal and anecdotal, which will measure the benefits of the learning experience and also drive the program in a forward direction.


margot said...

the learning environment is aligned. The learning outcomes need to be established with the levels of experience/ knowledge of the learners in mind. The learning activities need to be aligned to maximise the opportunity of achieving these outcomes. The assessment needs to reflect both the learning outcomes and activities to demonstrate and assist student learning by incorporating feedback along the journey. The philosophy of the teacher also contributes during the cycle, as do the wider discipline and institutional contexts. I like John Bigg's image of a 'web of consistency' which traps the students in an environment optimised for learning.


Mike Barnes said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when the learning objectives and desired outcomes are understood, as are the assessment criteria, and learning activities are designed that align with those intentions taking into consideration student and wider community needs and desires. These intentions may be flexible or constraining but none the less, defined. In this context all technologies both manual and automated that are used in planning, defining, delivering and reviewing are secondary to the actual intended outcomes. This is to say we do not use technologies as a convenience but also align them with all the other aspects of successful learning.


Scotty said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when participants are given frameworks conducive to learning:
• Safe environment that facilitates risk, enquiry and advocacy
• Agreed learning outcomes where participants can see relevance to their needs
• Facilitator who models behaviours aligned to learning
• Various activities and levels of, to accommodate different learning styles
• Sufficient time for reflection with a focus on future actions
• Creation of a mood-task match to encourage emotional connection to learning
• Opportunities for the learning to evaluated or demonstrated
A simple way to look at this is engaging every learner’s “heart, hand and mind”


Gloria said...

Conditions for learning are optimized when learners have ambitious yet achievable target and strong motivations. The desire of learning can reverse unfavorable circumstances and take full advantage of favorable ones. Take myself for example, I wasted my time on everything but learning as an undergraduate student and felt rather empty when graduated. After struggling in work for years, I went back to school for further education. Although I was short of funds, doing part-time jobs and alone in a foreign country, my determination helped me get through all difficulties. Maybe this is why many adults can learn better than teenagers.

Gail said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when the environment is conducive for the learner’s physical and emotional state. This may require the facilitator to be open and have an appreciation of the individual frames through which people experience or view their surroundings. To enable the learner to be comfortable and at ease the learning environment and facilitator should attempt to encourage the learner to develop an understanding of their own needs through discovery of their learning style. Therefore the content, the learner and the facilitator all need to come together creating a harmonious environment where there is a freedom to express.


william boag said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when the learner, the facilitator and the environment are prepared for learning. The learner would need to have a passionate reason to learn, the timing of their learning coinciding with putting that learning immediately into action, and they are totally focussed on that learning. The facilitator would need to have a thorough knowledge of, and passion for, the subject, provide the learner with space to explore and be supportive, challenging and flexible. The environment would need to be conducive to learning with good light and ventilation, an amenable set up of resources and be spacious.


Mat Hardy said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when the students AND the teacher are continuously willing to learn, reflect and adapt. We can all trot out these theories by rote. But do we follow them? As former students we must have many examples of otherwise good teachers using lesson plans, assignments etc that were well out of date. There was no motivation for the learners; no apparent link between an assessment task and what we were expecting to use this knowledge for in the real world. Show me the magic wand of motivation and I will show you an optimised learning environment.


Grace said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when the following considerations are taken into account:
• The learner understands the aims, objectives and relevance of a particular learning task or topic
• The content is constructively aligned with the objectives and the assessment process
• The learner and teacher have a reciprocal relationship – learning together and from one another.
• The learning process is supported with appropriate scaffolds
• Learners are encouraged to link concepts so that simple ideas progress to increasingly complex ones
• The learning environment is safe and supportive
• The learner is provided with timely and constructive feedback


Cheryl said...

for adults when:
-the student is ready to learn – eg;the need to apply the learning can provide a powerful reason for learning receptivity
-learning can be applied / practice and feedback provided
-reflection is present – people learn from reflecting on experience, more than from the experience itself
-new information can be connected to existing schema
-learning can be absorbed in manageable ‘chunks’, avoiding cognitive overload
-motor, cognitive and affective domains are engaged appropriate to what is being learned
-learners are given the freedom to construct their own meaning from the learning experience


Esben said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when the activity is relevant (recognisable, emotionally engaging, and usable to the learner), when the learners are required to reflect on the activity’s meaning and usability for them in different contexts, and when the learners trust each other enough to take the risk of making mistakes and learn from them. The latter is supported when the educational setting is sufficiently clear (through explicit framing of time, space, and expectations) for the learners’ needs and the facilitator’s purpose, and when the facilitator knows and accepts herself generally, trust the learners, and is transparent in her actions.


Cheryl said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when various factors co-exist:
The facilitator is friendly, approachable, has a good knowledge base, and humbly knows where and how to find information that is outside their knowledge base.
The facilitator is respectful of learners' needs and acknowledge the learners' prior knowledge
The content is clearly defined to learner and facilitator
The content has interest and relevance to learner.
The context encourages the learner to participate in learning
The learner's motivation is essential, if it does not exist learning is not optimised, regardless of how interesting the topic is and engaging the facilitator is.


Jacqui Fogarty said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when the nature of the learner is taken into account, including but not limited to their prior knowledge and environment. This includes structuring a learning program that incorporates all the different types of learning styles. Fostering a creative environment free of negativity is essential as is ensuring that learners have sufficient knowledge prior to learning so that knowledge structures can be created. In relation ensuring that the relevance of what the learners are learning is clear. The learning environment also needs to safe and appropriate as well as varied to ensure that learners remain stimulated.


alisontamplin said...

Conditions for learning are optimized when the learning objectives are developed in conjunction with the participants and the facilitator. The facilitator needs to engage participates to ‘take the journey to learn’ and guide participates to achieve learning objectives and not simply deliver content.

Participants must have a willingness to learn, a need to know and the content must be relevant. The facilitator must be organised, know the content, recognise learners past experiences, encourage dialect and apply various learning styles. Referring back to the learning objectives throughout the learning experience can ensure learning objectives are achieved, promoting optimal learning to occur.


Karen said...

Conditions of learning are optimised when the learning environment is student-centred, knowledge-centred, assessment-centred and community-centred. The content, teaching method, and assessments should be aligned. Teachers take on the role as facilitators to provide clear objectives, communicate high expectations and to provide scaffolds through the process. Students should be engaged in a collaborative task or problem where they are individually responsible and accountable. The task should be authentic, preferably situated in everyday context, where its relevance is obvious or communicated to the student. The assessment criteria is explicit, and formative feedbacks are provided to students to allow improvement in the process.


Leanne said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when the learner is open to the material being offered for instruction and is at a point in his/her own experience that enables the acquisition of this new material to happen; if a teacher is to facilitate the process, he/she must have some understanding of the material to be learnt and be able to present it in a way that is conducive to effective learning. Any resources that are introduced into the learning process should be relevant to the task at hand and should facilitate learning and not distract from the material to be learnt.


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Dee Copeland said...

Conditions for learning are optimised when using diverse and innovative ways of learning expression. Using structured designs to generate active learning, we find that there is a whole new world out there! It teaches us to understand other contextual relationships, develop new skills and abilities, explore alternates to traditional teaching methods, and extend our capabilities to other creative fields.With structured designs the 'knowing' and 'doing' go hand in hand.

Simulations and Games are great! They teach us strategy, problem-solving that develops our leadership skills. Games can reveal those amongst us who appear passive, but who often emerge quite competitive!

EduBlog Game One - deadline extended

The deadline for the first round of our eduBlog game has been extended to Midnight Eastern Australian Standard time, Thursday 16th August, 2007. The instruction for round 2 will be posted here after NOON Friday.

EduBlog Game FAQ

EduBlog game is a game¹ played in a BLOG² environment for educational³ purposes.

The last two points (² & ³) are obvious. Let me explain the first point a little.

Think soccer, why hand is NOT allowed to touch the ball EXCEPT the goal keeper? This is an artificial rule to make it a soccer game. In eduBlog game, there is a set of "artificial" rules in order to make it interesting, albeit I am making up the rules as the game develops.

When you put in a mistake (whatever that may be), it is a mistake. Sorry, no withdrawal. Part of the game rule. JUST make it a few seconds ago. :-)

Most importantly, game is for FUN. Don't be too serious. ENJOY is the key word!