Website to help Evaluate Internet Information
My notes for Skype lesson with Alanna
Intro:
Since this entire topic is a new thing to me. I really had to start from scratch. I found myself reading these articles and identifying words and phrases that were unfamiliar to me. I would then research those words/phrases, to define and understand exactly how they were being used in the article. Then I would reread the article plugging in these definitions as they came along, in order to understand the points the authors were making. So, as I discuss these articles here I will also define and elaborate on these terms in order to clarify the points made in each article.
Our topic was: Media (technology) and the adult learner.
My two articles were:
Self –Directed Learning in the Technological Age, by R Banerjee - 2013
Measuring Technology Readiness and Skills, Rhonda Christensen and Ronald Knezek, Handbook of Research on Educational Communication and Technology, 2014, pp 829-840.
First we need to define the terms “Media” and “Adult Learner”
Media: Media is the plural form of the word MEDIUM and has several definitions which depend upon which context you are using the word in. For instance, medium can refer to a size between small and large. Media (the plural form) is also a common word for Journalists who cover the news.
In our context of “Media and the Adult Learner” we can use Webster’s Dictionary’s definition of a medium as “a means of cultivation, conveyance, or expression.” In other words media (Medium/Media) is a tool to grow, move or deliver something.
So in our context, Media refers to all the tools available to us as teachers to grow, move or deliver information to the learners. Specifically we are referring to the technological media that is available to us in the 21st Century. These media include computers, internet, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest to name a few.
Adult Learner: We must take the two words separately for definition.
Adult is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “fully grown and developed, mature and sensible, not childish”, “a human being after an age (as 21) specified by law”.
So the word “Adult” refers to a human being aged 21 years and older who is mature, sensible and not childish.
The word “Adult” refers to the physical and emotional development of the person.
To Learn is a verb defined by Webster’s’ Dictionary as “a: to gain knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience (i.e. to learn a trade), to memorize (to learn the lines of a play), b: to come to be able (i.e. to learn to dance), c: to come to know or realize (i.e. to learn that honesty pays)”.
In our context of Media and the Adult Learner, we can define the
Adult Learner: a fully grown and developed, mature, sensible non-childish person aged 21 years or older who gains knowledge or understanding of or a skill in by study, instruction, or experience.
Body:
Now we can look at the articles I chose.
The first article is: Self –Directed Learning in the Technological Age, by R Banerjee - 2013.
This article was based on a literature search regarding technology and learning for self-directed learners in the work place. This article refers to Adult Learners as Self-Directed Learners.
Self-Directed Learners:
- assess their own learning needs
- plan to learn what they need
- learn what they need
- evaluate themselves as to whether or not they learned the topic adequately.
(Knowles, 1975, p.18)
Adult learners learn with technology and with self-regulation.
The article discusses how the technology is both a challenge and an opportunity for the adult learner.
For example, an Adult Learner may find using a computer to be a challenge, but the use of the computer is the very thing that allows that Adult Learner to pursue further education via distance education. That furthering of his education may be impossible for him thru a conventional classroom setting. He may not be able to afford to take time away from work to attend classes, but the use of the computer/internet allows him to take the classes at times that work for him so that he doesn’t lose paid time from work.
Information that was reviewed in the literature search for this article was broken down into four classifications relating to self-directed adult learners and technology:
a. Inhibitors to self-directed learning in career development.
b. Learning readiness
c. Learning style, needs and skills
d. Flexibility
a. Inhibitors of Self-directed Learning:
1. Existence of Good Training: instead of being an incentive for the learner to learn on his own, the existence of good training UNDERMINES the desire to learn on your own. Makes you want to be spoon feed knowledge in classroom setting rather than make the effort to gain the knowledge for yourself.
2. Techno-phobia: The existence of new and unfamiliar technology scares off learners from even starting. For example, if you are unfamiliar with computers, you are less likely to take a course that requires you to use them. I may choose to read a book about the subject instead of online course due to technophobia.
This I found very interesting. I had never really considered the existence of Good Training being available to employees as an inhibitor of them learning. But after reading this article, I can see that it would be a deterrent for some Adult Learners.
The Techno-phobia as an inhibitor I can completely understand and relate to. Some of the things we are learning in this course for VCC have me out of my comfort zone with regard to technology. I know that I need to learn these things though, so I will learn them.
b. Learning readiness: 5 categories readiness:
1. Early Innovators
2. Early Adaptors
3. Early Majority
4. Late Majority
5. Laggards
The first 2 categories are self-directed in their learning, while the last 3 are not self-directed. The first 2 categories of learners will seek out learning opportunities while the last 3 will need to be led by an outside source toward learning opportunities. Relating Learning Readiness to Technology and Adult Learners, these same classifications will impact the learning of these people in exactly the same way.
This I also found interesting. I always knew that there are some people who take the initiative and others who do not, but I had never considered that as being ready or not ready to learn.
Another term that I had to look up was Autodidaxy. It means “Self-taught” which is not the same as Self-directed.
Self-taught implies learning on your own without formal instructions of any kind. It is learning by trial and error.
Whereas self-directed implies taking the initiative on your own to learn but that learning may be with formal instruction such as on-line courses.
c. Learning style, needs and skills
A 1986 study by Dr.’s Honey and Mumford defined 4 Learning Styles:
1. Activists – go getters, thrive on new experiences
2. Reflectors - thoughtful, cautious
3. Theorists – are analytical and logical
4. Pragmatists – are creative, PRACTICAL and innovative. “Get ‘er done”
If we consider that students have different learning styles, needs and skills, then as teachers, we must prepare to present the same information to different students in different ways in order to help them learn. For example, some people learn best by thinking something thru on their own while others learn best by seeing something demonstrated to them and others may learn best by hands-on experience. So, the instructor should consider offering knowledge to the class in a couple of different methods in order to help each style of learner.
The last classification relating to self-directed learners is:
d. Flexibility
This has to do with whether or not the learner has the ability to pull multiple ideas together to enhance their learning.
Some people are less flexible than others. They “think in straight lines”. They think along “if this, then that” kind of logic. Offering information to them that does not follow that obvious straight line throws them off and they find it more difficult to learn.
Other people are more flexible than others. They do not “think in straight lines”. They think in a more creative, imaginative pathway. “If this, then that” kind of information is boring to them, they lose interest and find it more difficult to learn. For these learners, extra information and a creative presentation of the information is necessary for them to learn.
The flexibility of the learner will have direct impact on how much the person will learn in a given situation. If information is presented in a creative way to a less flexible learner, it will not be successful. The presentation needs to match with the flexibility of the learner. With regard to Technology and the Flexibility factor of the Adult Learner, instructors need to present information to accommodate both types of learners. For example, one student may be only able to follow a set of steps in a computer program to accomplish a task, while another student may want to try this way or that way to accomplish that task.
Trend: a long term consistent pattern that evolves over time.
Issues: questions that arise as a result of trends.
Summary of first article: this article reviewed how characteristics of Self-Directed Adult Learners impact the way they learn and the role of technology in learning in the 21st Century. The most obvious trend is that technology is becoming embedded in many adult learning options. The most obvious issue arising from that trend is whether or not technology is a learning tool or a learning challenge for adult learners. I think the answer to the question is that it is BOTH.
Technology is both threatening workers in their workplace and helping those workers to keep their jobs through further education options. Technology threatens to make a worker obsolete if he does not keep up with learning advances in his industry, and technology is offering the employees many ways for the self-directed employee to learn and to keep current.
Lifelong learning in this technological age is a NECESSITY, not an option. Because of this technological age, many methods are available to ensure lifelong learning.
The second article is: Measuring Technology Readiness and Skills, Rhonda Christensen and Ronald Knezek, Handbook of Research on Educational Communication and Technology, 2014, pp 829-840.
This article was an assessment of the need for learners to be Technologically Ready. The paper reviews this Technological Readiness and its impact upon Learning through Technology.
The article makes the point that learners need to be able to not only use modern technology but learners must also be able to assess whether the technology being used is optimized and whether another technology would be more suited to the task.
For example, if Power Point is being used in a presentation, is it being used in ways that give the learners the BEST opportunity to learn or is it “death by Power Point”. Perhaps a more INTERACTIVE type of technology would improve situation. Perhaps a gaming-type of technology would engage the learner more.
There were MANY terms in this article that I needed to research in order to understand the points made in this article.
Technology Readiness: Assessment of the learner’s skill with regard to:
- understanding information and
- Practical skills of technology within categories of:
1. Foundation skills
2. Technology applications
3. Attitudes toward technology
4. Communication with technology, and
5. Digital citizenship.
Involves being able to choose the correct tool for the job.
More than just knowing how to run a program such as Power point or Excel spreadsheets.
Digital Literacy: “includes the confident use of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) for work, learning, communication and leisure and is considered one of the eight essential skills for life long-learning.” (Resta et al, 2011, p.3).
Because digital literacy is essential, low income students face a greater risk of falling behind since they are less likely to have constant access to the most up to date technology.
Digital citizenship: a concept involving how technology users act (behavior) in the technology world. To use technology appropriately includes 9 elements: (1) etiquette, (2) literacy, (3) rights and responsibilities, (4) access, (5) security, (6) commerce, (7) communication, (8) health and wellness and, (9) law.
“The quality of habits and actions and consumption patterns that impact the ecology of digital content and communities.” TeachThought.com
Example of Bad Digital Citizenship is “sexting” or sending inappropriate photos by some politicians…
Digital Bombardment (Jukes, 2011) refers to the “Astronomical” rate of increase in information available to us in the 21st Century.
Example: Google began in 1996 with 25 million index pages. By 2010 that had increased by 1600times to 40 Billion index pages.
“Getting information off the internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant.” Mitchell Kapor,
21st Century skills in which technology plays major role:
1. Critical thinking’
2. Problem solving’
3. Communication
4. Collaboration (working with others)
(Resta, Searson, Patro, Knezek & Voogt, 2011)
Critical thinking: involves comparing evidence, evaluating competing claims, and making sensible decision based on that comparison and evaluation. Critical thinking is necessary in and out of the classroom. Critical thinking is THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL among a dozen skills necessary for 21st Century according to a study of Human Resource officials study (Casner-Lotto, & Barrington, 2006).
Many national and international groups have developed lists of skills necessary for 21st Century workforce to be successful including the skills listed above.
What is NOT on any of those lists is the skill of “Rote memorization” (means - the use of memory usually with little intelligence, mechanical or unthinking routine or repetition. Example: reciting a poem word for word but not understanding the meaning of the poem.).
It is no longer enough to have a fact based knowledge and skill set. We need to know how to learn in order to adapt to constantly changing technology, society and economy. Adapt or get left behind.
The National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS.S) have adopted Standards for education including:
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operation and Concepts.
Another example, the European Commission’s TEN Competence project framed a basis for lifelong learning competence for European educators to follow. This framework emphasizes independent higher order reasoning skills to expand on:
1. Learning
2. Innovation skills
3. Information
4. Media
5. Technology skills
6. Life and career skills.
So not just you and I who are trying to improve our skills as educators, but even institutions and governments are realizing that technology needs to be embedded in our training programs on all levels.
CONCLUSION:
The past 20 years saw changes in how we access info, learn and communicate through technology and media. MIT Economists say that technology is advancing faster than the workforce can keep up with…. Creating inflated unemployment. (Talbot 2012).
We are more dependent on technology to do many things (find a job, read news, plan trips, purchase products, communicate with friends and colleagues, watch movies, play games). The list is endless. Technology has changed how we live almost every aspect of our everyday lives.
BUT, increased use does not mean that it is being used CORRECTLY and EFFECTIVELY.
With all this constant Digital Bombardment we all have to become life-long learners to just live in this world and keep up let alone to advance in the work place. We spend our entire adult lives in this complicated constantly changing world driven by technology and driven by multitasking. We need to be prepared to do this. We need to know how to select the right tools for the job. We all need to be Technologically Ready or we will fall behind the rest of the population.
I think these 2 articles really brought home to me how fast technology is changing how keeping up with that is absolutely necessary if I am to be successful in my everyday life.