ELT7008+PowerPoint+Lecturer+Notes


 * ELT7008 Acitivity 4: PowerPoint Lecturer Notes (page to be finalized in near future)**

Welcome statement: introduction and opening statement It is a pleasure to be present concepts and strategies to e-motivate learners in the 21st century. My name is Robin Bunnell and I am the Institutional Researcher and a part-time Business faculty at Southwestern Oregon Community College.

The 21st century bring new avenues for learning oppportunities to learners located any where in the world and at any time of the day or night utilizing technology. e-Learning opportunities have increased in availability over the last 20 years and by 2006 approximately 90% of higher education institutions offered distance education programs (Clardy, 2009).

The questions are: How do we ensure the e-learning opportunities are meaningful to learners and how do we keep learners engaged and motivated to learn collaboratively in a virtual environment?

**Slide 2: e-Learning: A Balance Between Pedagogy and Learner Engagement** The topics covered in this presentation focus on the balance between pedagogy and learner engagement in terms of the following elements: • Learning styles and learning theories balanced with the type of activities based on the varied learning styles of learners and the constructivist theory with a focus on transformative learning  • Intrinsic motivators and extrinsic motivators in the e-learning environment   • Course delivery tools and course content exploration   • Learner-centered instructional design and collaborative activities based on strategies incorporated into the activities specifically designed to motivate learners within an authentic learning environment A basic understanding of learning theories and learning styles connected to e-learning activities sets the stage for instructors to develop course content designed to motivate learners to participate in activities and successfully complete a course and eventually an educational program. Brown (2010) stated “when engaged, learners are enthusiastic and excited about the subject. Their work is informed by the enjoyment of discovery. Engaged learners work willingly, instead of by coercion, and approach their assignments as something that matters to them personally” (p. 40; p. 42). The key statement made by Brown is “learners work willingly” which in turn is directly associated with learner motivation as learners want to participate given the design of the learning environment and the type of activities to support learners to be motivated to learn the content intrinsically as well as extrinsically. According to Watkins (2005) one of the most frequent complaints of learners in the online environment is a feeling of isolation and the use of activities which involve participants in a team or collaborative learning environment are successful strategies t o reduce learner anxiety. “It follows that devising techniques, supported by technology, to capture, retain, and sustain student engagement should be at the forefront of course design” (Brown, 2010, p. 40). A learner-centered approach to course content supports learners to achieve their goals and “educational research tells us that student achievement increases when learning activities are engaging and student-centered” (“SouthEast,” 2003, p. 207).
 * Slide 2 eLearning A Balance Between Pedagogy and Learner Engagement﻿﻿ ||


 * Slide 3: Styles, Theories, and Activities **

Learning Styles Link: @http://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/constructivism/kolb.html The learning styles described by David Kolb as conveyed by Broadbent (2002) are (a) convergers – learners who perceive information abstractly and process it reflectively; (b) divergers – wherein learners acquire information through intuitive; (c) assimilators – learners create theoretical models and reason deductively; and (d) accommodators – dynamic learners who relish change, risk taking, and flexibility. The challenge for faculty is how to develop creative collaborative learning activities which meet the needs of learners and the diverse learning styles of all participants (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004). To create such activities requires faculty to build a sense of community and to build trust amongst classmates and the instructor as well as incorporate authentic learning activities.

Early Learning Theories Link: @http://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/learningmap.html

21 st Century Learning Theories Links: @http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/ch1.html and @http://innovateonline.info/pdf/vol5_issue4/A_Learning_Theory_for_21st-Century_Students.pdf

Collaborative and Team Project Learning Activities

Authentic Learning Activities 21 st Century Learning Activities
 * Slide 4: Types of Motivation - Internal and External **

Learners are either intrinsically motivated or extrinsically motivated to engage in learning activities. Learners who are intrinsically motivated to learn do so for the pure enjoyment of learning and willingly engage in future learning opportunities as they find joy in learning. External rewards are not a factor for learners who are intrinsically motivated as is the case for learners who are motivated extrinsically. Learners who are extrinsically motivated engage in learning activities for the reward or perceived reward given in return such as good grades, job promotion, social recognition, increased pay. For extrinsically motivated learners the activity of learning is not always enjoyable and this type of learner may actually limit their learning activities based on enjoyment as there is no perceived return for their efforts.

One outcome of the integration of technology into the classroom is the shift to a learner centered environment rather than an instructor centered lecture of imparting information. “Once again, learner-centered pedagogy is everything when it comes to teaching online or face-to-face” (Palloff & Pratt, 2001, p. 153). The focus on the learner and associated learning styles as well as how to appropriately integrate technology into the classroom is essential for a successful learning experience. Collaborative team activities designed to identify group responsibilities or arrive at a group consensus are two ways in which online teams can create positive group norms and dynamics which, according to Watkins (2005), are essential to the success of online teams.
 * Slide 5: Course Delivery and Course Content **
 * Slide 6: Learner-Centered Activities **
 * Slide 7: Presentation Review **
 * Slide 8: Questions **
 * Slides 9 to 12: Resources and References **

Sonntag, M. (2009, April/May). A Learning Theory for 21st Century Students. //Journal of Online Education 5//(4). Retrieved from @http://innovateonline.info/pdf/vol5_issue4/A_Learning_Theory_for_21st-Century_Students.pdf