The Language of The Language of Teaching Well with Teaching Well with Learning ObjectsLearning Objects

Carla Meskill and Natasha AnthonyCarla Meskill and Natasha Anthony

Educational Theory and PracticeEducational Theory and Practice

State University of New York at State University of New York at AlbanyAlbany

Information is a shockingly limited Information is a shockingly limited form of knowledge.form of knowledge.

Andrea diSessa, Andrea diSessa, Changing MindsChanging Minds, 2000, 2000

Education happens in Education happens in

conversations where the conversations where the combined mental resources of combined mental resources of teacher and learner are focused teacher and learner are focused on developing the learner’s on developing the learner’s understanding.understanding.

Neil Mercer, Neil Mercer, Words and MindWords and Mind. 2000:169. 2000:169

Assumptions:Assumptions: Teaching and learning is about mastering disciplinary Teaching and learning is about mastering disciplinary

discourse and becoming a literate member of that community.discourse and becoming a literate member of that community.

It is It is notnot about students repeating back easily grasped about students repeating back easily grasped

absolutes.absolutes.

It It isis about learners grappling with messy and ambiguous about learners grappling with messy and ambiguous

realities and learning to critically and articulately make sense realities and learning to critically and articulately make sense

from a variety of perspectives. from a variety of perspectives.

To do so, students master the To do so, students master the disciplinary discoursedisciplinary discourse as their as their

primary tool.primary tool.

AssumptionsAssumptionsAs experts, masters of our As experts, masters of our disciplinary discourse, we initiate disciplinary discourse, we initiate learners into disciplinary ways of learners into disciplinary ways of knowing and communicating.knowing and communicating.

Draw student attention to target Draw student attention to target terms and concepts terms and concepts

Guide and mentor students’ mastery Guide and mentor students’ mastery of this language. of this language.

Language and Learning Language and Learning ObjectsObjects

How can the attributes of How can the attributes of learning objects be linked to learning objects be linked to the linguistic, be the linguistic, be incorporated into incorporated into instructional conversations, instructional conversations, to affect learning?to affect learning?

Instructional Discourse vs Natural Instructional Discourse vs Natural DiscourseDiscourse

InstructionalInstructional NaturalNaturalRoles:Roles: Fixed Fixed Negotiated Negotiated

Tasks:Tasks: Teacher-orientedTeacher-oriented Group- Group- oriented oriented

position-centeredposition-centered person- person- centered centered

Knowledge: Knowledge: Focus on contentFocus on content Focus on Focus on

processprocess

AccuracyAccuracy FluencyFluency

Instructional Conversation Instructional Conversation StrategiesStrategies

Thinking and speaking that isThinking and speaking that is

joined in a dialectic wayjoined in a dialectic waydynamic, generative, process-orienteddynamic, generative, process-orientedcumulative with the goal of shared, cumulative with the goal of shared,

mutually generated understanding mutually generated understanding

WITH LEARNING OBJECTS AS ANCHORSWITH LEARNING OBJECTS AS ANCHORS

Learning ObjectsLearning Objects

Until very recently – in most of Until very recently – in most of our lifetimes - learning object our lifetimes - learning object referential talk consisted of referential talk consisted of things like “on page 66 of your things like “on page 66 of your textbook” and pointing to textbook” and pointing to overhead slides.overhead slides.

Learning ObjectsLearning Objects

Designed to be Designed to be

under student controlunder student controlopen to explorationopen to exploration

not for static referring like work not for static referring like work sheets, pages of texts, and sheets, pages of texts, and overheads. overheads.

Learning ObjectsLearning Objects

PublicPublic

AnarchicAnarchic

MalleableMalleable

UnstableUnstable

Provide Anchored ReferentsProvide Anchored Referents

Learning ObjectsLearning Objects

Make wonderful anchors for Make wonderful anchors for rich instructional rich instructional conversations. conversations.

Learning ObjectsLearning Objects

eighth note

nucleus

Panama Canal

prothorax

hydrogen

Learning ObjectsLearning Objects

Learning objects are composed of Learning objects are composed of elements to which we can make elements to which we can make reference as part of productive, reference as part of productive, generative instructional conversations.generative instructional conversations.

Draw attention to.Draw attention to.

Incorporate term/concept in Incorporate term/concept in productive conversation.productive conversation.

Some possible sites for visual Some possible sites for visual demodemo

Russian verbs of motion animationRussian verbs of motion animation

http://www.alphadictionary.com/rusgrammhttp://www.alphadictionary.com/rusgrammar/java/uxodit.htmlar/java/uxodit.html

Arabic talk showArabic talk show

http://larcdma.sdsu.edu/beta/user/index.phttp://larcdma.sdsu.edu/beta/user/index.php?lang=Arabic&topic=Talk%20Show&id=hp?lang=Arabic&topic=Talk%20Show&id=406406

Protein Explorer Protein Explorer http://http://molvis.sdsc.edu/protexpl/efhandm.gifmolvis.sdsc.edu/protexpl/efhandm.gif

Instructional Conversation Instructional Conversation StrategiesStrategies

Linguistic ToolsLinguistic ToolsReferring/AnchoringReferring/AnchoringHyperlinkingHyperlinkingModelingModelingSaturationSaturationCorrallingCorrallingEncouraging Synthetic ResponsesEncouraging Synthetic Responses Implicit FeedbackImplicit Feedback

Linguistic ToolsLinguistic Tools

Referring/AnchoringReferring/Anchoring

HyperlinkingHyperlinking

ModelingModeling

SaturationSaturation

CorrallingCorralling

Instructional Conversation Instructional Conversation Strategies with Learning ObjectsStrategies with Learning Objects

Psychometric studies of learner Psychometric studies of learner satisfaction underscore the satisfaction underscore the importance of instructor importance of instructor engagement, caring, and engagement, caring, and promoting a sense of learning promoting a sense of learning community as essential to community as essential to successful learning – ICSs can successful learning – ICSs can help accomplish thesehelp accomplish these

Instructional Conversation Instructional Conversation Strategies with Learning ObjectsStrategies with Learning Objects

Anchors for cross-disciplinary Anchors for cross-disciplinary

dialog about teaching and dialog about teaching and

learninglearning

Instructional Conversation Instructional Conversation Strategies with Learning ObjectsStrategies with Learning Objects

Conceptual aspect of Conceptual aspect of

teaching with learning teaching with learning

objects that you can throw objects that you can throw

into the pot as you make into the pot as you make

informed ID decisionsinformed ID decisions

Instructional Conversation Instructional Conversation Strategies with Learning ObjectsStrategies with Learning Objects

‘‘Metapedagogical Metapedagogical

awareness’awareness’

Instructional Conversation Instructional Conversation Strategies with Learning ObjectsStrategies with Learning Objects

ID folks can assist faculty in ID folks can assist faculty in ICS-approachICS-approach

Instructional Conversation Instructional Conversation Strategies with Learning ObjectsStrategies with Learning Objects

Read more in our Read more in our

forthcoming bookforthcoming book

http://youtube.com/watch?v=1RUBP5http://youtube.com/watch?v=1RUBP5e0_js&feature=RecentlyWatched&pae0_js&feature=RecentlyWatched&page=1&t=t&f=bge=1&t=t&f=b