CAPBL Online:Best Practices for Creating Significant Learning

Online

Thomas R. Jeffrey, Ph. D.Campbellsville University

Contents

• Basis and model for designing and implementing CAPBL online activities

• Identify ideas and best practices from online practitioners meeting CAPBL principles

• Collaborative participation generating creative ideas for implementing CAPBL activities

BASIS AND MODEL FOR CAPBL ONLINE ACTIVITIES

Question

• In your fondest dream, what impact would you most like to have on your students?– What does it look like?– What does it feel like?– What does the learner walk away with?

• Is the same dream possible for online learners?

Significant Learning Experiences

• Should engage and energize the learner • Has the intended outcome of learning

something important • Has the potential to change the life of the

learner• Can be a different paradigm

(Fink, 2003)

Considerations for Significant Learning

• Appropriate instructional strategies must account for the learning objectives and what types of activities are best suited to foster a significant learning experience (Fink, 2003, p.20)

Decision Criteria

• Relevance of activities to learning objectives• Appropriateness of activities to the learning

context• Perceived value of activities to the learner’s

academic and professional goals• Level of effort required for activities must be

equal to the reward – for all involved

Taxonomy of Significant Learning

• Foundational Knowledge – basic understanding• Application – engaging in applying what is learned

(cognitive, physical, affective)• Integration – forming new connections• Human Dimension – human significance (self and

others)• Caring – creates motivation and interest• Learning how to Learn – developing effective skills

for lifelong learning

Interactive Nature of Significant Learning

Significant Learning

Foundational Knowledge

Application

Integration

Human Dimension

Caring

Learning to Learn

Cognitive Domain (Bloom, 1956)

• Knowledge – memorize/recall• Comprehension – interpret, paraphrase, and

extrapolate• Application – applies concepts or uses information• Analysis – break down information into parts and

describe relationships• Synthesis – blending elements to form a whole• Evaluation – judging value of work, data, or conclusion• Creating** – generating new ideas or perspectives

(Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy: Anderson & Krathwol, 2001)

Design Model

• Appropriate• Relevant

Objectives

• Design Principle• Tool

CAPBL Strategy • Prepared

• Equipped• Time

Student

• Mentor• Structure• Monitor

Instructor

Contributing Factors

What factors do college-level learners and instructors believe contribute to successful collaborative group learning?

Learner Findings

• Commitment and contribution• Willingness to share expertise and experience• Communicate clearly and considerately • Instructor actively engaged • Clear expectations• Authentic experiences

Instructor Findings

• Attend meetings and use their skills• Clear communication and sharing of ideas • Equal contribution• Peer mentoring and resolving issues• Group rapport and cohesion• Instructor gives clear explanations and

encouragement• Authentic course context

Selecting Types of Activities

• Dale’s Cone of Experience (Dale, 1960)• Selection of instructional resources and materials• Based on the relationships of various educational

experiences to reality (real life)• Bottom level of the cone = "direct purposeful

experiences" • Considers use of multiple senses in learning• Movement up the cone involves fewer

senses

Define, List, Describe, Explain

Demonstrate, Apply, Practice

Analyze,Design,Create,

Evaluate

Modified Cone of Experience

ReadHear

View ImagesWatch Images

Visit Exhibits/SitesWatch a Demonstration

Participate in Hands-on Workshop

Design Collaborative LessonsSimulate or Model a Lesson

Design/Perform a PresentationDo “Real Thing”

Learning Outcomes

Level of Abstraction

High

Low

Desired Outcomes of Engagement

• Participatory process of inquiry• Social interaction and negotiated meaning• Creativity and critical thinking• Collaborative knowledge building

Getting Real, Together• Collaborative learning

– Education should develop producers of knowledge who think innovatively and through team work develop the greater collective intelligence (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2003)

• Authentic learning– “The situative perspective views learning to think as becoming a more

effective participant in social practices of inquiry and sense-making, in which individuals develop their identities as learners and knowers” (Greeno, 1997, p. 85)

• Project-based learning– Essentially, project-based learning uses a driving question or problem to

engage the learner in activities that will ultimately conclude in a final product that addresses the problem (Blumenfeld, Soloway, Marx, Krajcik, Guzdial, & Palincsar, 1991)

Collaboration

• Participatory inquiry (Sfard, 1998)• Critical/creative thinking (Newman, Johnson, Webb,

& Cochrane, 1997)• Meaning making (Stahl, 2006)• Peer sharing and scaffolding for progressive problem

solving (Scardamalia and Bereiter 1994)• Encourages relationships and promotes environment

of trust whereby group members develop a mutual commitment to shared goals (Towns, Kreke, & Fields, 2000)

Authentic Learning

• Conditions of learning, situated cognition (Lave & Wenger, 1991)

• Knowledge in context (Brown, Collins and Duguid, 1989)

• Interaction grounded in “situative” perspective of interactions and discourse (Greeno, 1997)

• serves both the learner’s present and future learning process (John Dewey, 1938)

Project-Based Learning

• Solving ill-structured problems (Blumenfeld, Soloway, Marx, Krajcik, Guzdial, & Palincsar, 1991)

• Self-directed learning and autonomy over process of inquiry (Tassinari, 1996; Wolk, 1994; Worthy, 2000),

• Entails complex tasks as basis for creation of some realistic product (Jones, Rasmussen, & Moffitt, 1997; Thomas, Mergendoller, & Michaelson, 1999)

• Comprehensive examination of the subject matter (Harris & Katz, 2001)

• Creating a representation of learning imbued with personal meaning (Harel & Papert, 1991; Kafai & Resnick, 1996).

IDEAS FOR CAPBL ONLINE ACTIVITIES

American Government 110

• Designing a Better Constitution• Each group is assigned two issues to explore• Reconsider whether changes need to be made– Is current document sufficient – Argue for change and suggest improvement

• Debate perspectives

Recommended Activity

• Research and formulate ideas (discussion forum)– Small groups for each side divides issues– Posts reasoning and reads/comments other issues

• Analyze and synthesize arguments (wiki)– Create structured narrative defending position on all issues– Refine through collaborative dialogue

• Debate and rebuttal in real time (video conference)– Two representatives will present arguments– Time for rebuttal and questions– Polling tool will be used to determine winners (issue)

Microbiology

• Basic Microbiology for pre-nursing majors• Objectives – Describe how and why microbes cause disease– Describe and explain common methods of

microbial control– Become familiar with common pathogenic

(disease-causing) microbes• Communicate information on bacterial agents

to general patient audience

Recommended Activity

• Design a patient education flyer or pamphlet that explains:– Name of the bacterial disease and its causative agent(s)– Description of mode of transmission– Explanation of pathogenicity and virulence (its ability to cause

disease in the host)– Description of symptoms– Description of treatment options (i.e., drug therapies,

supportive care, surgical/other procedures)– Recent epidemiological statistics (local and/or national)

• Have working professionals and friends review flyer• Post flyer and discuss feedback with peers (forum)

Business - Strategic Planning

• Integrates the business functions into the strategic planning arena of the modern corporation

• Address issues including– strategic leadership– stakeholder management– organizational development– international business– utilizing the Internet and e-commerce

• Create learning community that brainstorms and develops strategy to enhance competitive advantage

Recommended Activity

• Form groups and assign a case study • Each group will be responsible for finding a solution

or giving a recommendation for the case (Forums)• When the teams are ready, they will share their

findings, ideas, solutions or recommendations with the whole class (Wiki)

• Presentations will be in context of reporting to the instructor playing the role of the supervisor (Web Conferencing)

Activity

• What are some activities currently used?• How might they be made CAPBL online

Discuss ideas with partners and collaboratively identify benefits and challenges

• Share it with the rest of the group

Activity

• What are options for on the ground mentoring?

• How can the instructor role be leveraged to add authenticity?

Resources

Dale, E. (1969). Audio-visual methods in teaching. New York: Dryden.

Fink, L. D. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Oblinger, D. (2003). Boomers, Gen-Xers, & Millennials: Understanding the new students. Educause Review Online, July/August.