I responded to Sandie Rueger and Joshua Davenport for module 4 blog.

Module 4

 

 

How has your network changed the way you learn?

 

Technology has changed a lot and the advantages are at a high rate of speed. Technology provides many diverse tools that we can now use to learn new information. During the past, we had to depend on resources located at the library to research information. Encyclopedias offered a wealth of information. Today, we rarely have to leave our home or work place to do research. At the touch of our fingertips, we have a lot of information about diverse topics of interest. The Internet has changed the way we learn in so many different ways. We have more resources than could be imagined at our disposal. Socialization, research, advanced degrees, and communication in general have been changed in a positive way. Networking has made it easier for us to learn, and it has provided us with more to learn.

Which digital tools best facilitate learning for you?

The online tool that would best facilitate learning for me has been the distance learning courses that I’ve taken at Walden University. I have had a great experience at Walden University. I have learned to use a variety of digital tools that enhance my learning experience. For example, the instructional design at Walden allows us to use email, chat, Skype, Google documents, discussion forums, wikis, and blogs.

 

How do you learn new knowledge when you have questions?

 

The instructors are eager to communicate and to clarify any instructions that are not precise. I learn new knowledge through collaboration with my instructor, learning communities, and colleagues through various technological tools. The search engine Google is my favorite, and it provides me with many answers about various questions.

Module 3 Blog

Collaboration

Rheingold proposes the network structure developed by the Internet enhanced communication and sharing of different types of resources. Learners can receive instant feedback and immediate results through collaboration according to Rheingold, 2008. I strongly agree with his assessment. The speaker explains how the use of technology and the Internet have provided many opportunities for all students to be able to use collaboration in meaningful leaning experience.  

Do you believe that humans have a basic instinct to “interact and work as a group,” as Rheingold proposed in his discussion of the evolution of Wikipedia as a collectively developed encyclopedia?

Rheingold support the fact that humans succeed through collaborative effort and when they all work in concert. I tend to agree with this statement. The process and development of Open Universities and Open software resources support the fact that there is a consistent effort for people wanting to work in harmony. The constructivist approach to learning is facilitated by the internet because the theory focuses on making connections and making meaning in the learning process. Technology like internet links together individuals who want to share common goals and interest.  The internet also enables distance learning by connecting people separated by time and space. It helps to promotes peer learning by bringing learners together in the same space so that they can share their knowledge and insights, communicating with each other to help each other learn. Effective communications will help to support mixed cultures, varying learning styles, abilities, and socioeconomic status. If web-based courses are designed with a constructivist approach in mind, the learners will be encouraged through self-directed learning. I believe that Wikipedia is a great informative website that provides a vast amount of information, and it is a website that is not accepted by many as a credible site.

How can technology facilitate collaboration among learners based on constructivist principles?

“Constructivist instruction emphasizes problem solving, critical thinking, reasoning, and evaluation” (Driscoll, 2005). Technologies such as skype, wikis, email, Google documents, and blogs are some of the technological tools that would facilitate collaboration based on constructivist principles. My second grade students love to use the promethean board and online game playing that is common core standard based. However, it is important that students receive proper training to learn how to use these tools effectively. New technology is advanced in this era; many students can be ready to use these tools to collaborate with other students in a common core standard based learning environment. “Pedagogical benefits of collaborative learning include the following: transformation learning, development of critical thinking skills, co-creation of knowledge and meaning, and reflection, and (Palloff & Pratt, 2005).

Find a current research study that has been conducted in the last 5 years that supports collaboration as an effective tool for learning. Include the link and reference for this study in your blog.

I have discovered that “Creating Effective Collaborative Learning Groups in an Online Environment” is the topic of this current research conducted in 2009. The URL to this article is http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/675/1271. This article was from the observations of assessments that were positive due to the effectiveness of small collaborative learning groups in online classes or in an online learning environment. Collaboration has helped the sense of community, and knowledge.

 

References:

Bernhard, J. G. (1988). Primates in the classroom: An evolutionary perspective on children’s education. Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press.

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3^rd ed). Boston MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Rheingold, H. (2008, February). Howard Rehingold on collaboration. Vodcast posted to http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html