Technology Supported Learning/Seven Principles

In 1987 Chickering & Gamson published the now famous Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. These principles are based on the perspective that a proper undergraduate education should be active, cooperative, and challenging.

For the Teaching, Learning and Technology workshop, each module addresses one of the seven principles and the good practices that support it.

For most of us - both as students and faculty, when we think of instruction, we think of an instructor-led course - the "sage on the stage" model. Somewhere along the line, we have had teachers or mentors available to help but allowed or required us to direct our own learning within some framework - the "guide on the side" model. Both instructional models can be enhanced with technology.

Adding technology to instruction covers a broad spectrum of enhancements. For the classroom instruction (face-to-face or f2f), providing online resources rather than paper handouts is often the first foray into enhancing instruction with technology. At the far end of the range of possibilities, are totally online courses with automatic quiz grading and course presentation individualized by student progress monitored by the course management system.

Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

Based on each of the "Seven Principles" we will look at how instructional practice can be enhanced using technology.

The "text" is online. Although each of these references address the Seven Principles, each provides specific information. Read the first one, and the others if you have time and want additional perspective.

http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/7princip.htm
 * Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

http://www.tltgroup.org/programs/seven.html
 * Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as Lever

http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall63/hutchins63.html
 * Instructional Immediacy and the Seven Principles: Strategies for Facilitating Online Courses

Chickering & Gamson provided a good framework for teaching and learning in higher education. Now there are technologies available that they could only imagine. In this course, using their model, we are going to look at each Principle and see its applicability in technology-enhanced instruction.

Course Evaluation Checklist

How are you going to know that you have successfully applied all the suggestions?

The Course Evaluation Checklist provides a list of questions that address each of the principles that may be included in the online portion of a course. In many cases, technology would be included to provide the support. A second list of items are provide to address the learning environment. Some sample technologies and their application are included as a guide. ... Technology Supported Learning/Course Evaluation Checklist

Connectivist learning and Curators

The "work" of teaching is changing as technologies offer new and exciting ways to engage and challenge learners. This "course" attempts to model some opportunities for achieving learning objectives while relying on you, the learner to direct your own learning through questions and suggested learning paths.

What if instructor control were substantially less, and the learner far more independent than even the facilitation model allows?

Connectivist learning theory presents the possibility that the neural networks of the brain, and the natural tendencies of social networks, could be used as models for formal learning. The emphasis is on the instructor creating an appropriate learning environment and providing access to resources rather than controlling learning through either lecturing or facilitation. Connectivist roles thus look different, although each deals with the balance between control and freedom.

The Curator role, presented by George Siemens on his Connectivism Blog, is part museum curator and part Clarence Fisher’s “network administrator”. This viewpoint provides enough control to allow the continued role of educator as facilitator and guide:


 * An expert (the curator) exists in the artifacts displayed, resources reviewed in class, concepts being discussed. But she’s behind the scenes providing interpretation, direction, provocation, and yes, even guiding. A curatorial teacher acknowledges the autonomy of learners, yet understands the frustration of exploring unknown territories without a map.

Curators, however, control not only which items are on display, but what the tags say. Freedom is built in because the “path” through material need not be indicated, allowing for greater exploration and individual interpretation. ...Insurgence for Emergence

..return to Technology Supported Learning and complete the activities - Explore, Learn and Apply