i find the in-class assignment useful. initially i was still abit blur after doing the reading but after doing the assignment, i have a better understanding of the learning sequence and it will definitely benefit the webquest project.i guess my post comes abit too late =X

Some key points from week four reading....

Essential elements of a learning design
1. learner agreement
2. acknowledgement of the learning context
3. learner challenge
4. Provision of practice

Learning design typology

1. Rule-based
2. Incident-based learning design
3. Strategy-based learning design
4. Role-based learning design

These different learning design are useful when comes to the planning of the appropriate learning experience for the learners. however, sometimes is almost impossible to use only one type of design. Personally, i feel that to attain the optimum outcome, we will need a combination of design. hmm just a thought...which design fits our education system? strategy-based learning design?

Behaviorism, cognitivism, socioculturalism (part one)

behaviorism

-identifying learning objectives and reinforcing behavior (through rewards and punishment
-shaping the learner's behavior to get the desired outcome
-learning process involves learners and behavior
-believe behavior is shaped by the environment
-bad name in academic world, better in the corporate world
-behaviorism and its conception of human nature (people are selfish; do things that benefit themselves)

This theory is useful for learners who lack of drive and initiative. With rewards the learners may be encourage to learn as they feel more motivated. However, i feel that having punishment, they may result in backfire.The learners may feel less motivated and resist learning. Also, this form of learning may not work in the long run.Not all people go for rewards!

Cognitivism
-do with people own's internal representation
-the interaction between stimulus and response
-learning is about changing (build new concepts and theories)
-set up the environment and allow the learners to go explore themselves (independent learning)
-believes people have intrinsic motivation (the desire to learn, oppose to behaviorism concept of human being selfish)

Cognitivism is useful in dealing with creativity and imagination. This is because creativity is not to be taught but to be explored and experienced.Also, i have just realised that cognitivism can be applied to playing of games. i observed that people play the game better as time goes by. this is because in the process of playing, they are actually learning from their experiences and this would be a good example of cognitivism i guess....

Sociocultural approach
-learning takes place across system
-shift focus from individual learner to a larger system
-require content, tools and language
-interaction with others
-ivle

This theory encourages cross-learning across different individual. Like ivle, it has the function of forum that allows students to interact and learn from one another.

i guess the most interesting about these theories are that they are not only applicable to learning (education) but it can be applied even to the learning of our own culture.

Behaviorism, cognitivism, socioculturalism (cont..)

This is my reflection after doing the readings on the three different theories again. i feel that these three theories seem to reflect Singapore education system. The theory of behaviorism reflects the primary school education system. In primary school, the teachers set the behavior of the learners. They decide what to be taught to the students to achieve the desired outcome. As we move on to secondary school and junior college,they tend to focus more on developing the student's creativity.this is when cognitivism comes into place. They provide the students with space to explore new ideas, develop new ideas and thus develop creativity. Moving to tertiary education, they promote independent learning, whereby they provide us with the tools for learning and let us go learn them ourselves. i feel that this is the reflection of the sociocultural approach.