Technology and learning

Technology and what I see as viable medium to learn through now and in the future.

Reading through the resources for activity 5, especially the 2013 Horizon Report section on games and gamification (pg 22 on PDF). I found myself thinking how the automotive trade could embrace this sort of medium to teach through and how would it work?

Image taken from

http://www.stuartathompson.com/2011/11/this-christmas-in-1977-video-games-are-back-again/

If a game was created that used a virtual vehicle and workshop that students can get given jobs that relate to what they are currently studying and they interact with the program to select the correct tools and process to carry out the job in the correct way and the game provides feedback as the students work through the task and also provides links to videos, PDFs, articles, audio as required to aid the learning.

I will try and paint a picture of the vision that I see (bear with me).

• The students login to the program; this provides a way of tracking the student progress for both the student and teacher.
• When the game starts the will move through the game level by level choosing which module to do first, the levels will be split up in sections that are formatted in a logical order to gradually “grow” the student’s knowledge in the field.
• Once the student has uploaded the module a 3D world of a vehicle and garage is what they see. They can interact with the world and select various icons to govern how they best think to repair the vehicle e.g.
• A tool box icon which leads to all the different tools allocated to fix the job.
• Test meter icon for the available test equipment.
• A job card that gives the student the customer’s problem and information about the vehicle. Also updates as tests have been completed.
• A question mark to provide hints/help on the current module
• The environment is able to be manipulated e.g. the vehicle can be rotated and components can be selected and test procedures given for each component.
• As the student works through the module and begins tests, links can take the student to theory material, videos etc giving extra material to stimulate active learning.
• Feedback gets given to student as they carry out the test they have selected.
• When the module is complete the students process and method gets marked against an ideal method and they are given links to further material as required to improve their grade.  
• Once they have passed the module more become available and the student can select how they want to carry on.
• All grades get reflected into points that the whole class can see to stimulate competition amongst the students.

How would this design encourage flexible learning??

By having an interactive world that responds dynamically to the students decisions and provides links to other learning sources that give the student the option to receive the material the way they want to.

The sources can come from a wide variety of areas, like Wiki’s, videos, diagrams, PDFs, audio and literature sources.

The program will be available anytime and downloaded to their personal device e.g. smart phone, tablet, laptop etc.

The program could also adapt to the learner and remember what ways they prefer to learn and also adjust the learning curve to meet their needs.

The base program could be used offline so internet is not a major issue.

Assessments could also be done through the program as their user ID allows the facilitator to monitor their progress and as they go up levels certain criteria must have been meet.

The program could also be designed so the student can add their own diagnostic scenarios and allow students and lectures to comment and try the scenario.

The program is designed for students of all levels and can be used for people working in the industry or people who want to learn about the industry.

I know that there is training programs out there that do provide a limited amount of interaction, but they seem to attack the learning from a different angle. They provide all the material and learning first and the scenario last with limited interaction with the program.

I want to make it more like a addictive video game that wants you to do better and allow the user truly interactive experience that they control their learning.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks for tuning in.

I would like you to watch these two videos and just think what could be achieved towards teaching through interactive learning.

And yes I do enjoy playing video games

Activity Four: Reflect on factors associated with diversity in your context.

Universal Design

When I think of Universal Design (UD) or Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in my teaching context, I have to stop and consider all the aspects of the course that I am delivering.

Such as:         

• The cultural diversity of my students (social, political, cultural, economic and the natural ability etc.
• The standards that are stipulated by the governing body of the units that I deliver.
• The resources of the teaching environment (space, tooling, equipment etc).
• My abilities as a facilitator and experiences both in a teaching context and industry experience.
• Current industry requirements and expectations of staff.
• Where the industry is headed in the future and how this will impact what is required of my students (technology, depth of knowledge, skill etc).

What are the factors that influence diversity of this course?

• The course is open entry, apart from the students must demonstrate English language skills up to an overall score of 5.0. And it is an advantage to have completed the level 1 in automotive foundation skills. This on its own can cause problems as some of our students have had little to no exposure to the industry the course is designed to cater for and after 3 to 6 months they can decide that the automotive industry is not for them and lose interest in the course.
• The level and outline of the units is decided by NZQA and they have stipulated exactly what the criteria are that the students must be assessed at. This does limit what can be in the assessments and to some extent what material is delivered to the students.
• The students themselves come from a wide range of backgrounds in society there economic situation can often inhibit their ability to access computers and literacy and numeracy can be an issue. They often say they “know how to use a computer and smart phone” and are what we would call internet savvy, but in reality the only know how to text message and “surf the net” for cool videos.
• Also the average age of our students is 17 – 20 which tends to make them school levers, this tends to mean their maturity and discipline especially towards learning is low. A majority of the students are male and say ‘they only learn with their hands’, more often than not being a young male they don’t like to standout from the crowd and be independent and are more concerned about what their mates think over how their training is going (I can remember what it was like way back then).



http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/transformers/images/627087/title/transformers-wallpaper

• The industry over the years has become more and more technical and has more focus on the electronic control and interfaces that are used in modern vehicles. If you don’t believe me next time you’re in your car think back to what your first car came out factory with and what you as a consumer expect your modern car to do and how little time it has taken for your expectations to drastically change.





http://www.coreexcellence.com/customer%20service%20excellence.html


• Also consumer demands and economic constraints have pushed for more competition towards the industry and made the employers expect higher productivity and efficiency rates of apprentices and staff in general.

How does the above factors influence the way I deliver the course and how can I make the UD more diverse and still meet all the demands that is required of the course?

For starters with the course being open entry and having the problem with exposure to the industry my personal opinion is that as their facilitator I need to expose them to what the industry is about as soon as possible, let them experience what is expected in the industry and also what is expected of them in my classes. This allows them to (hopefully) understand whether or not they will want to do the course and start a career in the automotive industry. Failing to do this can set the students up to fail and not allow them to find the actual career they are looking for. Reducing their chances to become work ready.

With the maturity and study discipline that is lacking in the students the way I deliver the material and experiences needs to encourage them to do more active learning on the subject. Not because I am telling them, but because they want to learn more. This on its own can be difficult as not every student responds to the same method. This means my UD needs to incorporate many different learning mediums and cater for all learning styles. Also the design has to encourage them to use different learning mediums that they haven’t used before to expose them to a wider range of learning possibilities. This allows them to grow not only as a student but as a person. I have noticed that my students have grown up over the teaching year and this also helps them to get work ready. 

As for their economic diversity the UD has to incorporate material that is readily available to them and/or give them the access to facilities and training that will aid them to complete the course. This can be ensuring computers are readily available and they have been taught that there is more to a computer than face book and youtube. Allow assessments to be delivered on different formats.

Even though the Unit Standards are “set in concrete” the way we assess the students and How we deliver the material is totally up to the facilitator, so understanding the students diversity and adapting the assessment and material to better accommodate these needs helps to actually assess them fairly and make the assessment more transparent.

Ensuring the students that pass the automotive course are of the standard that is required of the industry means that close ties are needed to the industry. By understanding what employers need to meet the current demands of the customer, technology and economy ensures that we adapt the teaching styles, content and delivery to meet these demands for them. We may even anticipate these demands before they do. This means that looking into the future is very important to ensure the future of our students in the current automotive industry.

Taking all this into account the UD of any of my courses needs to allow for all the above and also be easily modified to adapt to future requirements and innovations. It also must accommodate the learning needs of the students and help to shape their future.

Reflection on activity 3

Time to reflect 

                                                                   Picture taken from relationalcontextofteaching.edublogs.

The reason I choose two completely different course’s in activity three to investigate was I wanted to see the contrast between how those courses were implemented.

On one hand the certificate in electrical technology was very fixed in how the course was delivered and assessed. This is very similar to the course I teach and I understand the reason’s that “Trade” qualifications have to be fixed in certain areas.

·         The student has to be trained in certain material and that material has to be delivered in a logical order that follows on from previous learning. (our level 5 qualification in Automotive cannot be completed if the student has not done all the previous levels from level 1 to 4)

·         There is a governing body that decides what material must be learned and completed to qualify in the industry.

·         If students do not learn the material in certain ways there is a high possibility that people can get injured or killed.

The next time you get an electrician in to wire up a switch or a plug in your house just think if that person didn’t pass very rigid training requirements you could get electrocuted when you use that switch or plug. The same goes for a lot of trades and medical professions.

On the other hand the course in Google Sketch up was very flexible and fully online. It still has certain flow to the course that is a logical way to learn the material.

Also one reason I see that the online course worked so well is that the program you are learning about is a computer drawing program so one of the main tools that you use to do the course (computer) is one of the main devices you will use to run the program.

This is a valid point when considering going online; in what way will the students (when qualified) interact with the technology after the course is complete.

Question

If we train students away from what they will physically use in the profession they are learning about are we being “Fair” and “responsible” to the student and are “we meeting the demands of industry”????

So my idea of flexible learning is to embrace new technology and ideas were applicable and always reflect on the tried and tested, put the students learning needs first and make sure they become “work ready” for the industry they are going into and also encourage them to embrace new technology if it will enhance their lives and their ability in the industry.

To do this I personally have to understand what the students learning needs are and understand not only where the industry is currently but where the industry could possibly head.

So the way I carry out my teaching and assessing must be flexible enough to cater for my students, but be inflexible enough to meet industry needs and expectations.

Activity Three Example two

Activity Three: Investigate and describe two examples of flexible teaching and learning

Example two: Google Sketch up

Who are the students?

            The students can be anyone that is interested in learning how to use the sketch up tool. The sketch up program is simple to use electronic drawing program.

There are two versions a free version and a pro version that has an annual fee. The free version is like the student version of office e.g. has basic drawing tools etc to satisfy the novice. The pro version has all the tools and drawing options like office professional.  

How flexible is the course?

Using the flexibility grid my findings are:

Time

• Start and finish times of course – there are various options for study depending on the depth of knowledge you are looking to get out of the program. Varies from free online videos that give the basic functions through to the more advanced functions, face to face training facilities and online tutorials at set times the last to have fees to cover the more in-depth training - Flexible
• Submitting assignments and interacting with course, Tempo and moments of assessment – Depending on what avenue you choose to take in your training the pathway is very flexible in assignments and how you interact with the course’s - Flexible

Content

• Topics of course, Sequence of the course – the training is set out that you progress through the material in a logical order (basic to advanced) to ensure the learning curve is achievable, but flexible enough that learners that can pick up the program faster can still find a challenge in the learning. The topic is all to do with the drawing program but does explain different drawing aspects that help you to understand the reason the program does certain things - Medium
• Orientation of the course, Key learning materials – The key learning materials and orientation of the course are all revolved around the drawing program and learning how to use it effectively - Fixed
• Assessment standards and completion requirements – The assessment standards and completion requirements follow the key points of how the program operates and as the course outline says - Upon completion of this course, you should be able to and the course’s learning outcomes follow - Fixed

Entry requirements

• Conditions for participation – Anyone interested in learning about Google sketch up can enroll - Flexible

Instructional approach and resources

• Language – Varies available all major languages – Flexible
• Social organization of learning – Depending on how course is completed can either be done online with no social contact and  self assessed or tutorials both online and face to face - Medium
• Learning resources, moderation and assignments – All revolves around the drawing program with students demonstrating skills in the operation of the program - fixed

Delivery and logistics

• Time and place, location technology – the learning is very self paced and can be done anywhere that the students have access to the internet and a computer that can operate Google Sketchup - Medium
• Methods, technology for obtaining support and types of help available – From what I have seen there is an enormous amount of online help and forums available to help not only students but anyone that use’s the program - Flexible 

References

Casey &Wilson, C. J.  (2005). A practical guide to providing flexible learning in further and higher education. Retrieved from http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/docs/publications/a-practical-guide-to-providing-flexible-learning-in-further-and-higher-education.pdf

 
How I see the course against the Five dimensions of flexibility

 

Summary

 From the free online tutorials that I tried online I found the delivery and content easy to follow. The pace that the tutorials did move through the content and their explanation of how the program worked was quite fast and if you don’t keep up you will end up watching the video again.

The actual training that requires registration and fees may have better pacing.

Also because all the training and use of the program relies on your internet connection and quality of the computer there can crashes and connection issues, which is common anywhere

computers and the internet are concerned and this not an issue with the training or the program its more the quality of the tools need to carry out the training.

One thing I will add is I have found Google Sketchup very easy to use. As you can see from the below picture. I didn't draw the table or the car but drawing the house only took 1/2hr training and about an hour of drawing time and is a credit to design of the program.

Reflecting on two courses against Flexible learning and teaching (1)

Activity Three: Investigate and describe two examples of flexible teaching and learning

Example one: Certificate in Electrical Technology (Level 4)

Who are the students?

            The students are typically male with a small percentage of female students (approx          80/20 split). All students come from mixed backgrounds (social, economic, ethnic and      religious). The common interest between all the students is that they want to gain         knowledge and experience in the Electrical trade to gain an apprenticeship and a career   in the industry.

How flexible is the course?

Using the flexibility grid my findings are:

Time

• Start and finish times of course – its one year full time – Not flexible.
• Submitting assignments and interacting with course, Tempo and moments of assessment – the course has a large content that has to be studied in order and assessed straight after the unit has been completed to allow the students to understand the content and be able to achieve completion of the course by the end of the year. This also means the pace of the course is medium to high to ensure all unit standards are covered – Not flexible.

Content

• Topics of course, Sequence of the course – As above, because the course material complements the previous and following units that are studied there has to be a ridged sequence and topic material that is followed throughout the year – Not flexible.
• Orientation of the course, Key learning materials – The delivery of the course content is a mixture of theory/practical teaching and material is delivered through various materials that the students are provided access to e.g. books, manuals, PDFs, moodle and videos etc – Medium
• Assessment standards and completion requirements - Because the electrical industry is governed by various laws and standards the material all has to meet these standards to ensure regulations are meet (which is understandable when working in such a dangerous and unforgiving environment) – Not flexible

Entry requirements

• Conditions for participation – Students will receive preference if they have completed 3 years of secondary school education and received good results in mathematics and science. If English language is not their first language they need to have a average score of 5.5 in the IELTS overall band score – Medium.

Instructional approach and resources

• Language – English (see the above entry requirement) – Fixed
• Social organization of learning – The institutional patterns is tutorials and practical workshops all done in groups with one on one time as required (as time allows in the classes).
• Learning resources, moderation and assignments – Because of the industry that the students are being trained for has very strict criteria and standards, this reflects into the units, material, assessments and any learning material have to meet certain standards that are set by governing bodies of the electrical industry – Fixed

Delivery and logistics

• Time and place, location technology – the contact time with the students is set class times and only available in class rooms/workshops that are set up to train/assess the students and as the time frame that the course is delivered in is set the material is delivered in a set format and time to ensure all unit standards are completed by course completion – Fixed
• Methods, technology for obtaining support and types of help available – all material is available after lecture on moodle, but students are strongly advised not to miss lectures and workshops. All information that is required is available in the resources that the students are required and/or recommended to purchase at the start of the course. Lectures do provide extra support and mentoring if required. All Otago polytechnic student services are available to the students – Medium

How I see the course against the Five dimensions of flexibility

Summary     As you can see from the above information the course is ridged in many of the dimensions of flexibility, this is mainly due to the material that the course covers and the standards that the content has to abide by. The components that the lectures can be flexible in are limited and I believe they are doing their best in creating a flexible learning environment within those boundaries.

This course is structured like any other trades qualification all trades are bound to standards and all the students have to demonstrate that they not only understand the content but also can physically carry out the work that is required in the industry. This will always work against how flexible the course can become and I can only see that lectures in these trade qualifications (like me) need to find new and innovative ways to teach these students that makes the course seem flexible but still abides by all of the required standards.

The key areas that can be manipulated are how the students are provided the material and how we assess them against the standards.

Thank you to Jake and Barry for allowing me to quiz them on their course.

References

Casey &Wilson, C. J.  (2005). A practical guide to providing flexible learning in further and higher education. Retrieved from http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/docs/publications/a-practical-guide-to-providing-flexible-learning-in-further-and-higher-education.pdf

What does flexible learning mean to me?

What does flexible learning mean to me?

Flexible learning as I see it is an easily adaptable, adjustable and versatile platform for teaching that allows the flexibility to deliver a teaching experience in a modern world to current world students.

The flexibility comes from the integration of different mediums to deliver content through e.g. Audible, Visual, written and oral all mediums have their strengths and weaknesses. There is no one way that’s correct to deliver information to students.

Why do I think flexible learning is necessary in a modern world?

A modern student of any age demands that in a modern world the information and content that they want to learn about has to be available to them in a medium that they find easiest and most rewarding for them.

Which when you think about it the student is very aware that it’s all about them not the teacher, lecture or facilitator that is teaching them. They know that if delivery of the content does not suit them there is always some other way of getting the information, knowledge and assessment that they require.

Also the flexible learning approach complements a modern facilitator in that they have the flexibility to try and use different methods that make the content more interesting for both them and the students.

I believe if done correctly flexible learning will encourage the student to become an active learner which in turn only encourages exploration of the subject.

What am I required to explore to help flexible learning to happen?

Being open to new styles and exploring how they can work for both you and your students is very important. Constantly having a drive to improve the: How, What, Were and Why of your learner experience to improve both the student and facilitators learning environment and experience accelerates the learning. This also increases the reward for both student and facilitator. Also reflecting on the past and finding a “happy medium” is also important to provide a grounding for the experience.

What are my goals for using flexible learning in my teaching?

I would like to integrate flexible learning into every aspect of what subjects and assessments that I deliver.

To be open to the diverse environment and the new experiences that flexible learning can provide.

Use elements of the flexible learning to create a simpler but deeper learning environment.

Introduction

Hi to all, my name is Kevin O’Neill

I am an automotive lecturer in A block.

I am married with 1 little girl who is 18 months old.

I have been in the automotive trade for about 16 years. I started my trade in Dunedin once I was finished my apprenticeship and gave the employer 2 years of being qualified my wife and I moved to Christchurch and I worked for a local garage that I ended up managing.

After 5 years there we decided to go do our big OE we moved over to Perth and worked over there for a year. In that time I worked in the mines and in Perth, it was a big eye opener working over there.

After the year my wife and I decided to move back to New Zealand buy a house, settle down and start a family.

The automotive industry has changed a lot in the last few years and the technology that runs these vehicles is incredibly interesting and complicated which makes it an exciting subject for me to teach and learn more about.

I am really enjoying working for the polytechnic and the challenge that teaching modern students brings.

I am looking forward to this flexible learning course and to develop my skills in modernizing our current teaching practices and keeping tried and true approaches alive. I believe that  it’s not about “leaving the old ways behind” and more about understanding the modern student and integrating the old with the new to create a modern learning platform.

Attached is a video of how modern technology is being used to prevent accidents from happening.

As you watch this think about knowledge that your "mechanic" has to understand to be up with modern vehicle systems.

This is only a taste of were vehicles will head in the future.