Unit 2

1.                   What are key similarities or striking differences between the theories/models in a given unit? Do the theories/models in a unit share any common foundations or principles?

All four models had several common elements that all centered around the idea of collaborative learning to complete a task. That student-to-student interaction around a realistic problem, scenario or situation is essential to the learning experience. The emphasis on authenticity of the problems, context and process increased with each model. Also, the role of the instructor changed throughout. Guided design emphasized the creation of pre-instruction materials. Cognitive apprenticeship stressed modeling of process skills and critical, context-based problem solving that had instructors fading into the background after setting the students up with scaffolds.

Below I break out a few of the main characteristics across the models. I had to do this for organization.

Model of group-based collaborative instruction	Guided Design	Cooperative Learning Environments	Problem-Based Learning Environments	Situated Learning Environments & Cognitive Apprenticeships
Role of group	Allows each student to play active role in decision making	“Positive Interdependence” – Group held responsible for underperforming individuals	Resource gathering, small groups encourage higher-order thinking, requires each student to engage	Provide context for problem solving
Group characteristics	Roles promote participation, roles based on role in group – roles are optional	“Group processing” – Individuals instructed on skills like listening to and coaching each other Assigned specific, well-defined roles Groups designed for diversity	Roles are “authentic” and assigned based on the problem	Small group to practice modeled behavior
Primary means of foundational knowledge acquisition	Self-instruction (prerequisite to group activities)	Various groups, those in similar roles can work together then rejoin group - Jigsaw	Acquire resources to frame the problem – Resources can be text, audio, video, software, human – Framing and reframing the scenario is a big part of the model	Problems are put into realistic context to provide relevancy, motivation, and understanding
Primary means of skills acquisition	Group project	Group work, explaining their topic to the group	Working through real-world scenarios that have many possible solutions Filtering, organizing and utilizing resources	Discussion with other students about problem solving methods, context
Role of Instructor / Facilitator	Develop self-instruction materials	Group problems, roles, and strategies. Coach students on group processing.	Models higher-order thinking. Asks stimulating questions to prompt group discussion and thinking. (process questions)	Model, coach, fade Model positive process behavior Design scaffolds, coaches students
Method of assessment	Feedback at each stage of group project	Student in leadership role responsible for monitoring group	Students evaluate themselves and others	Metacognition questions, students asked to assess own learning
Possible issues	Students without self-motivation get left behind	High preforming students aren’t challenged. However lower ability student are challenged, improvement occurs.	Multiple possibilities for solutions and scenario branching makes it difficult for teacher, no definitive answer key. Greater recall from students. Develop life process skills. Grows community.	Student motivated by relevancy of problem solving. Process skills exhibited after acquiring via instructor modeling.
Notes	Focus on decision making	Critical thinking	Focus on resources, authentic problem solving	Focus on process, real-world solutions

2.                   What are your initial reactions to these learning theories/models? What are barriers to their use? What benefits might be expected for those who overcome the barriers?

I think that having adult learners work in groups is difficult. We have one MA course where the teacher insists on having a group project. Every year she gets dinged on her evaluations from some unhappy student. I have to say, I would rather do twice as much work on my own than work in a group. I know when I’m available. I know what I like. I’m deadline driven (journalist) and therefore working way ahead and planning a plan is foreign to me. I think that these group activities can be done online, but would be more useful if synchronous. That limits flexibility of students that work, in my opinion. However, there are lots of software to facilitate group work online now, so the means isn’t a problem. I think making sure the availability of people is looked at before grouping is critical. A night shift worker and a school teacher might not have much time to work together, for instance,

3.                   Would you attempt to use any of these theories/models with the students you are currently teaching or hope to teach in the future? Why or why not? Could elements of the theories/models be modified so that they would work with your current/future students?

I loved the jigsaw method or cooperative learning. We’ve never used it online, but I’d like to find a way to. Grouping students by role and having them discuss then break back into another group where they all share their role, it seems very engaging. We would use asynchronous discussion in Sakai and make Elluminate available for those that prefer real-time interaction.

4.                   Since we're taking learning theories/models that were not necessarily created with the Web in mind and turning them into Web modules, what Web-based tools or resources could be leveraged to carry out these learning theories/models online? Please spend some time identifying tools and resources for this last point, as this background research should help you complete your projects more efficiently.

As mentioned above Elluminate for real time interaction, screensharing, application sharing, etc. TodaysMeet could be used for some synchronous chat. Google hangout is also great for “connecting” since students can see each other, but I find that I don’t like that. I really like the anonymity of online classes. It does allow for screen and file sharing, which can be very helpful. Google Drive (formerly docs) is a great way to share working documents… and not lose your work. Although I’ve noticed on longer docs it can have some trouble.