Educase Quarterly
November 2, 2008
Lisa M. Lane
I chose this article because the focus of the project I am working on is course management systems (CMS). I found this to be an incredibly interesting take on, as the author states: The default design of commercial course management systems limits instructional creativity and pedagogical approaches, particularly for novice users. While the article is roughly 4 years old, I do believe that some of the challenges the author speaks to are still present in the implementation of CMS's in today's schools.
The article opens with the following statement, "Creating an online class is a task of construction...We want to construct classes according to our own pedagogy--what we know works with our learners and our teaching style." I believe this statement is the crux of what we have been reading about and discussing in terms of effectively and purposefully incorporating technology into our classrooms and schools. The initial thought for the teacher planning the lesson/course, or the administrator planning the building staff development, should be based in pedagogy and adragogy, with the focus on learning outcomes. The second though should then be on what technology is available to support this process. What Lisa Lane discusses in her article is that with certain CMS's, this is not necessarily the the case.
The article starts with mentioning the limitations systems such as Blackboard and WebCT place on the instructors using good pedagogy when planning an online course. Part of the issue is in the design of these larger commercial systems-they are built for effective management of resources and tasks focused on efficiency: grade books, test creation, threaded discussions, etc. There are default sections to these systems that encourage the instructor to 'plug in' their content to predetermined sections: Announcements, Course Content, Discussions, etc. What this leads to is teachers thinking in terms of the semester and how their pedagogical goals can be achieved within a time frame rather than a virtual space (a concept mentioned in a previous post that discussed Heidi Hayes Jacob's book Curriculum 21). The author goes on to state that the most accessible and easiest to use features are the presentation of static documents and basic discussion input from students, which engage students in activities that mimic the traditional lecture, review, and test pedagogy. There are features for some of these CMS's that go beyond this, but the challenge is that they are either difficult to use (most novices especially spend time learning to use the technology and what it can do rather than how their learning goals can be achieved) or cost lots of money to add on. An example of this is our own class BBVista menu:
So what are we expecting CMS's to 'do' to help facilitate the pedagogy of 21st Century, constructivist, learner centered, inquiry based learning? When we begin to discuss these topics as the focus of a 21st Century Classroom, what must enter the conversation is the collaborative, social, self-reflective and independent project driven nature of many Web 2.o tools. Today's wikis and blogs have developed into more of a social learning platform, and CMS's such as Moodle have added these components to their basic design, as well as have left the course topics 'open' for the instructor to build some of their design around Units and content rather then just 'time'. Tools such as Ning have evolved into more of a social networking type of platform, and recently Schoology has come onto the scene as a good mix between many of the course management perks of Moodle with the social networking capabilities of Facebook (the creation of groups) and the live feeds of Twitter. Below are some screen shots of 2 of my courses using both Moodle and Schoology; these do provide more creativity and freedom in designing my courses.
As I previously mentioned, while this article was written in 2008, and while CMS's and web 2.0 tools have evolved, I do believe many of the challenges that are presented still exist. When we discuss the shift towards a 21st century learning environment/space, we are essentially talking about a philosophical shift in pedagogy. For many, this is not an easy task and the introduction, staff development, and continued support for this shift must be done systematically and in an ongoing, differentiated manner. If we leave staff to 'fend for themselves' with incorporating these systems, much like Lane's article discusses, it is easy for teachers and administrators to get caught in the management of the technology and lose the learning focus. On the same token, much like any teaching strategy or tool, the open mindedness and creativity of the instructor in figuring out ways to use the strategy or tool will ultimately dictate success. As an administrator, providing visionary leadership, helping to create a digital age learning culture and excellence in professional practice and leading systematic improvement is paramount. As CMS's, and technology continues to change and improve to meet the true nature of a 21st century learner, so must teacher practice and school leadership.
November 2, 2008
Lisa M. Lane
I chose this article because the focus of the project I am working on is course management systems (CMS). I found this to be an incredibly interesting take on, as the author states: The default design of commercial course management systems limits instructional creativity and pedagogical approaches, particularly for novice users. While the article is roughly 4 years old, I do believe that some of the challenges the author speaks to are still present in the implementation of CMS's in today's schools.
The article opens with the following statement, "Creating an online class is a task of construction...We want to construct classes according to our own pedagogy--what we know works with our learners and our teaching style." I believe this statement is the crux of what we have been reading about and discussing in terms of effectively and purposefully incorporating technology into our classrooms and schools. The initial thought for the teacher planning the lesson/course, or the administrator planning the building staff development, should be based in pedagogy and adragogy, with the focus on learning outcomes. The second though should then be on what technology is available to support this process. What Lisa Lane discusses in her article is that with certain CMS's, this is not necessarily the the case.
The article starts with mentioning the limitations systems such as Blackboard and WebCT place on the instructors using good pedagogy when planning an online course. Part of the issue is in the design of these larger commercial systems-they are built for effective management of resources and tasks focused on efficiency: grade books, test creation, threaded discussions, etc. There are default sections to these systems that encourage the instructor to 'plug in' their content to predetermined sections: Announcements, Course Content, Discussions, etc. What this leads to is teachers thinking in terms of the semester and how their pedagogical goals can be achieved within a time frame rather than a virtual space (a concept mentioned in a previous post that discussed Heidi Hayes Jacob's book Curriculum 21). The author goes on to state that the most accessible and easiest to use features are the presentation of static documents and basic discussion input from students, which engage students in activities that mimic the traditional lecture, review, and test pedagogy. There are features for some of these CMS's that go beyond this, but the challenge is that they are either difficult to use (most novices especially spend time learning to use the technology and what it can do rather than how their learning goals can be achieved) or cost lots of money to add on. An example of this is our own class BBVista menu:
So what are we expecting CMS's to 'do' to help facilitate the pedagogy of 21st Century, constructivist, learner centered, inquiry based learning? When we begin to discuss these topics as the focus of a 21st Century Classroom, what must enter the conversation is the collaborative, social, self-reflective and independent project driven nature of many Web 2.o tools. Today's wikis and blogs have developed into more of a social learning platform, and CMS's such as Moodle have added these components to their basic design, as well as have left the course topics 'open' for the instructor to build some of their design around Units and content rather then just 'time'. Tools such as Ning have evolved into more of a social networking type of platform, and recently Schoology has come onto the scene as a good mix between many of the course management perks of Moodle with the social networking capabilities of Facebook (the creation of groups) and the live feeds of Twitter. Below are some screen shots of 2 of my courses using both Moodle and Schoology; these do provide more creativity and freedom in designing my courses.
As I previously mentioned, while this article was written in 2008, and while CMS's and web 2.0 tools have evolved, I do believe many of the challenges that are presented still exist. When we discuss the shift towards a 21st century learning environment/space, we are essentially talking about a philosophical shift in pedagogy. For many, this is not an easy task and the introduction, staff development, and continued support for this shift must be done systematically and in an ongoing, differentiated manner. If we leave staff to 'fend for themselves' with incorporating these systems, much like Lane's article discusses, it is easy for teachers and administrators to get caught in the management of the technology and lose the learning focus. On the same token, much like any teaching strategy or tool, the open mindedness and creativity of the instructor in figuring out ways to use the strategy or tool will ultimately dictate success. As an administrator, providing visionary leadership, helping to create a digital age learning culture and excellence in professional practice and leading systematic improvement is paramount. As CMS's, and technology continues to change and improve to meet the true nature of a 21st century learner, so must teacher practice and school leadership.
I agree that teachers lose focus on integrating technology into classrooms when they are "left" to figure out how to work the new tools. I recently attempted to setup a class discussion using a wiki space but was unsuccessful due to my own lack of knowledge and available resources for my classroom. I know that I need to practice with these web 2.0 tools more often than not to effectively create lessons built around technology.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this study. It seems that the shift requires more of a mindset change than a skill set change. Supporting teachers in both seems essential.
ReplyDelete