LESSON 6: Modes of Learning

• Rationale of Individualized Instruction

  • Every human being is unique
  • To address individual needs of learners
  • Provide opportunities to harness the critical thinking, creativity, and self-direction of the learners
  • Provide the learners the chance to question, dissent, explain their positions, and criticize works of others using a given set of standards
• End Result of Individualized Instruction

  • Learners are able to address their own learning needs, fill in gaps as necessary, and become autonomous, independent learners
• Nature of Individualized Instruction (Instructional Components)

  1. Description of a given instructional scenario (setting and class size)
  2. Enumeration of the objectives learners are expected to achieve
  3. Subject matter to cover
  4. Teaching-learning experiences that teachers and learners will go through
  5. Assessment plan to see if achievement has taken place
• Faculty members are expected to assume the role of:

  • instructional designers
  • classroom managers
  • assessors of student achievement
• Different Strategies of Individualizing Instruction

  1. Self-directed discovery
  2. Independent study
  3. Learning contract
  4. Modular instruction
  5. Audio/Video-tutorial instruction
  6. Programmed instruction
• Self-directed discovery learning - allows complete student autonomy, from the formation of learning objectives to the assessment of achievement
• Self-directed discovery learning - students are totally independent and teachers only do ministerial duties

  • most appropriate that allow self-study electives, special problems, and work-study programs
• Self-directed discovery learning - the school will only offer the said course and assign a faculty member to handle it in terms of meeting the students once and then releasing their final grades at the end of the school term/semester
• Independent study - reflects less student dependence on both course structure and teacher
• Independent study - learner formulates the objectives and assessment of achievement in concurrence with the teacher

  • the student alone decides on how he/she will go over a particular learning experience in achieving the learning goals set
• Learning contract - a prescription (topic or course of study unit) written for, by, or with the student
• Learning contract - provides many opportunities for the students to learn independently and includes a variety of learning resources through which they may gather the required information and develop the learning objectives set
• Learning contract - learners develop interest and pride in their accomplishments and their frustrations and anxieties are eliminated
• Modular instruction - makes use of a self-contained unit of instruction that guides the individual student's learning activities in a certain topic or unit
• Audio/Video-tutorial instruction - involves the use of learning carrels or booths an an audiotape or videotape that leads students through the learning activities

  • an improvement of modular instruction that is typically limited to the use of printed materials
• Programmed instruction - consists of a series of "frames" which represent a small are of the subject matter with test questions after each frame

  • also known as programmed learning, automated instruction, self-instructional technology, and teaching machine
• Distance Education is a correspondence study where the student:

  1. is physically separated from the teacher
  2. is separated in time from the teacher
  3. learns independent of contact with the teacher or with other students
• 2 subdivisions of distance education

  1. traditional classroom or residence instruction
  2. distance learning
• Residential Instruction - occurs at a set time and in a predetermined location where both teacher and students meet together (synchronous)
• Residential Instruction - permits relatively easy interaction and dialogue between an individual student or groups of students and the teacher
• Residential Instruction - makes assessment of student performance fairly immediate
• Distance Learning - teaching in which the instructor and the student(s) are separated in terms of physical location and relatively in time (asynchronous)
• Distance Learning - instructor and student(s) can be in different buildings, cities, states, or even countries
• 2 Major Categories of Distance Education

  1. Correspondence-based
  2. Telecommunications-based
• Correspondence-based - traditional and individually oriented

  • level of interactivity practice is very slow and low level
  • instructor's response to the student's submitted assignment or question(S) is delayed
• Telecommunications-based - teaching-learning experience for both instructor and student(s) occurs simultaneously

  • audio and/or video communications link is employed thus, students can seek-on-the-spot clarification from the teacher
  • teacher/student interaction promote greater spontaneity
• correspondence-based distance education

  1. print materials supported by audiotapes and/or videotapes
  2. print materials supported by broadcast signals (radio or television) but with no "real-time" communication
  3. based on print materials only (lower interaction)
• Telecommunications-based distance education

  1. two-way voice link, two-way video (full-motion) link (higher interaction)
  2. two-way voice link, two-way video (freeze frame) link
  3. two-way voice link, one way-video (full-motion) link
  4. two-way voice link, one-way video (freeze frame) link
  5. two-way voice link only (lower interaction)
• Technologies used

  1. traditional mail, fax, telephone communications
  2. text, graphics, program sharing
  3. audio
  4. video
  5. internet - surpass all technologies by 1998
• Internet technologies

  1. Email
  2. Course management systems such as Blackboard, Moodle, Edmodo
  3. Asynchronous discussion lists
  4. Videoconferencing
  5. Voice chat
  6. Streaming audio, video, PPT
• Generations of Distance Education

  1. First Gen: correspondence distance education
  2. Second Gen: multimedia distance education
  3. Third Gen: interactive, multimedia distance edcuation
• Expansion of technology-supported distance learning in the mid-1990s is due to:

  1. advent of the world-wide-web (www)
  2. availability of inexpensive personal computers
  3. a growing demand for flexible learning (integration of work and learning)
• Variety of labels to this new form of distant education delivered using the internet:

  1. online learning
  2. open learning/university
  3. web-based instruction
  4. e-learning
• Growth of distance education programs due to:

  1. changing demographics of college students
  2. increasing popularity of distance education
  3. personal appeal of this innovative learning environment
• Advantages of Distance Education

  1. Learning can occur outside the classroom
  2. 24/7 learning -- learning at any time, any place
  3. Self-paced learning
  4. Gain extra knowledge - ICT skills
• Disadvantages of Distance Education

  1. Costly and complex -- requires equipment and facilities
  2. No immediate feedback
  3. Social isolation
• Blended Learning

  • Thoughtfully integrate different instructional methods such as: lecture, discussion group, self-paced activity; and
  • Contain both face-to-face and computer-mediated portions
• 4 Different Concepts Denoted by Blended Learning

  1. To combine or mix modes of web-based technology to accomplish an educational goal (purely distance learning course)
  2. To combine various pedagogical approaches to produce an optimal learning outcome with or without instructional technology (traditional face-to-face course)
  3. To combine any form of instructional technology with face-to-face instructor-led training
  4. To mix or combine instructional technology with actual job tasks in order to create a harmonious effect of learning and working
• 3 Design Approaches of Blended Learning

  1. Low-impact
  2. Medium-impact
  3. High-impact
• Low-impact blend - adding extra activities (online components to traditional courses) without eliminating any of the existing activities