Week 4: What Strategies…?

Week 4: What Strategies…?

1. Describe the instructional strategies we've used, and why you believe we've used them.
2. Refer to the Common Instructional Values list we just completed (the version compiled by Dave and Joni and posted under Course Home on Sunday night). Have the strategies we've used addressed each value? If not, what is missing and what could we do about? Or, if we could improve an area, what and how?

The nature of this topic lent itself to being wide ranging and varied. Even with only eight people in the conversation, a lot of ground was covered. To organize, I'll pull out the main activities:

Scavenger Hunt

• was learner centered
• was in context
• active and encouraged exploration
• non-threatening
  

Discussion Topics as a Strategy

• learner centered
• social and collaborative
• small groups more contextual, large groups more social
  

Group Work

• learner centered
• collaborative (no surprise)
• reflective and exploratory
• contextual, pulling the learners forward into the course
  

Discussion Moderation as a Strategy

• humanize instructors
• encourage students to take ownership of learning
• supportive
  

Technology Use

• removed fear of tools
• learner centered - engaged students in activities
• contextual, could clearly be used in the real world

Teaming

• social, encouraged students to know each other, and humanize each other
  
• learner centered
  

Personal Stories

• learner centered
• reflective
• social, without being collaborative
  

All of these had interesting sub-discussions. In particular the admonition that people taking this program tend to be technology geeks, always using the latest tool. A theme running through all of them was the social aspect of learning, and how they might encourage it. My own contribution was that Teaming was a learning strategy. Dividing people into teams and giving them simple, social, tasks allows the team spirit to arise before the actual project part of the work began.

"Dividing in to teams was a strategy in itself, as it immediately provided group to identify with, even though the groups had tasks that were non-competitive."

And, as my post pointed out the subject matter the initial teamwork involved allowed the group to pull together and humanize each other. The discussion as whole really focused on social aspects of learning, and how people interact to achieve their learning goals. Limiting and enabling aspects of technology were throughout the discussion.