The Future of Learning
Overview
Aims to create a dynamic and interactive learning environment that stimulates curiosity, promotes collaboration, and challenges students to think critically and creatively. By integrating technology, authentic learning experiences, and digital assessments, the flexible learning approach supports the acquisition of 21st-century skills and prepares students to thrive in a rapidly changing world
The Future of Learning
A Proposed Schema of 21st Century Skills Flexible Learning Approach
Marlo Jay O. Montijo
Cebu Technological University -Argao Campus
marlojay.montijo@ctu.edu.ph
June 20, 2023
Introduction
In the wake of the pandemic, both teachers and students have encountered a multitude of challenges in the field of education. Teachers have had to navigate the transition to new teaching methods, striving to deliver high-quality learning experiences to their students. The struggles faced by educators include adapting to remote instruction, ensuring student engagement, addressing equity and access issues, and maintaining effective communication in virtual classrooms. These challenges require innovative strategies that incorporate technology-driven flexible teaching and learning approaches. By harnessing the current trends in educational technology, personalized learning, and digital resources, educators can design comprehensive models to overcome these obstacles and enhance the educational experience for their students.
Source: Picciano, A. G. (2017). Theories and Frameworks for Online Education: Seeking an Integrated Model. Online Learning, 21(3). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v21i3.1225
Learning Experience:
Flexible learning approaches can offer a variety of benefits to learners, including:
Increased learner autonomy: Learners have more control over their own learning, which can lead to increased motivation and engagement.
Personalized learning: Learners can choose the content, pace, and methods that best suit their individual needs and interests.
Opportunities for collaboration: Learners can collaborate with others online or in person, which can help them to learn from each other and build relationships.
Access to a wider range of resources: Learners can access a wider range of learning resources, including online courses, textbooks, and videos.
Social Presence
Social presence is an important aspect of flexible learning. It refers to the degree to which learners feel connected to each other and to the instructor in an online learning environment. Social presence can be facilitated through a variety of means, including asynchronous discussion forums, synchronous chat, video conferencing, group projects, and social media.
Social presence is important for a number of reasons. It can help to increase motivation, improve communication, build relationships, and encourage collaboration. If you are designing a flexible learning environment, it is important to consider how you will facilitate social presence. There are a variety of ways to do this, and the best approach will vary depending on the specific context. However, by incorporating social presence into your design, you can create a learning environment that is more engaging and effective.
Here are some additional tips for facilitating social presence in flexible learning:
- Make sure that learners have opportunities to interact with each other and the instructor.
- Encourage learners to share their thoughts and ideas.
- Use social media to connect learners with each other and with the instructor.
- Personalize the learning experience.
- Provide opportunities for learners to reflect on their learning.
Cognitive Presence
Cognitive presence is an important aspect of flexible learning. It refers to the degree to which learners are able to construct meaning through sustained reflection and discourse. Cognitive presence can be facilitated through a variety of means, including challenging tasks, open-ended discussions, reflective activities, and constructivist pedagogy.
Cognitive presence is important for a number of reasons. It can help to increase understanding, improve critical thinking, promote creativity, and encourage deeper learning. If you are designing a flexible learning environment, it is important to consider how you will facilitate cognitive presence. There are a variety of ways to do this, and the best approach will vary depending on the specific context. However, by incorporating cognitive presence into your design, you can create a learning environment that is more engaging and effective.
Teaching Presence:
Teaching presence is an important aspect of flexible learning. It refers to the degree to which the instructor facilitates and promotes meaningful learning through the design, facilitation, and direction of cognitive and social processes. Teaching presence can be facilitated through a variety of means, including designing the course, facilitating discussions, and directing the learning process.
Teaching presence is important for a number of reasons. It can help to increase learner engagement, promote deep learning, and encourage collaboration. If you are designing a flexible learning environment, it is important to consider how you will facilitate teaching presence. There are a variety of ways to do this, and the best approach will vary depending on the specific context. However, by incorporating teaching presence into your design, you can create a learning environment that is more engaging and effective.
- Create Intended learning outcomes (ILOs) for your students, to learn and acquire the 21st century skills you chose, this can help you as basis of your mode/ diagram design.
Students be able to identify and analyze problems in a flexible learning environment
- Your diagram, in the bare minimum must visualize the interaction the following:
Diagram Content | Application | Observed | Not Observed |
| Identifying Problems and Formulating Questions |
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Psychomotor ILO: Creative Problem-Solving
Affective ILO: Open-Mindedness and Adaptability | Cognitive: data interpretation Making reasoned judgments Psychomotor brainstorming sessions/ prototype innovative solutions Affective: students may participate in collaborative discussions |
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| To help students develop a solid foundation of knowledge and skills, instructors can provide explicit instruction on the critical thinking process, problem-solving strategies, and relevant concepts. This includes clearly explaining the steps involved in each process and modeling the thinking process through examples and demonstrations |
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Case-Based Learning
Collaborative Projects | open-ended questions that encourage critical thinking and sharing of ideas Assign problem-solving scenarios or case studies that allow students to apply their knowledge and skills in a real-world context discussions as a platform for collaborative problem. Introduce real-world cases or scenarios that require critical thinking and problem-solving. |
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Augmentation:
Modification:
Redefinition: | using a digital textbook using a collaborative document editing tool where students can work together in real-time Facilitating online group collaboration Collaborate with peers from different countries through video conferencing |
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OER 2: | OER 1: YouTube's Education channel OER 2: Open Access Journals |
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| These flexible learning techniques allow students to learn by doing |
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Formative Assessment: Summative Assessment: | Pre-assessment exam Online quizzes Term exams, project presentations
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| Modification of the parameters, variables, and conditions of the virtual experiments to create unique scenarios for students to explore |
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Part 3, Discuss each aspect of your model…
The Future learning
The 21st-century skill that I will focus on is Critical Thinking and Problem Solving. This skill is essential to teach because it equips learners with the ability to analyze information, evaluate evidence, and think critically to solve complex problems. In today's rapidly changing world, students need to develop these skills to navigate and thrive in various personal, academic, and professional situations. Research has shown that fostering critical thinking skills leads to improved academic performance, higher-order thinking abilities, and better decision-making. By teaching critical thinking and problem-solving, I aim to empower my learners to become independent, creative, and adaptable thinkers who can tackle real-world challenges.
To teach critical thinking and problem-solving, I will draw upon the principles of Constructivism, a learning theory that emphasizes active engagement and meaning-making through authentic experiences (Brooks & Brooks, 1999). This theory is suitable for my topic as it promotes active exploration, collaboration, and reflection, which are crucial for developing critical thinking skills. Additionally, I will integrate the concept of authentic learning, where learners engage in real-world tasks and problem-solving activities relevant to their lives, to make the learning experience more meaningful and applicable (Herrington & Oliver, 2000). In delivering instruction, I will adopt a flexible teaching approach that allows for student-centered and inquiry-based learning. This approach empowers students to take ownership of their learning, promotes active engagement, and fosters critical thinking. Strategies such as project-based learning, case studies, and problem-solving activities will be employed to provide authentic contexts for applying critical thinking skills. By incorporating these strategies, I aim to create a dynamic and interactive learning environment that stimulates curiosity, promotes collaboration, and challenges students to think critically and creatively.
In delivering the topic, I will utilize various technology tools, apps, and websites that align with the flexible teaching approach and support the development of critical thinking skills. For example, I will use online interactive simulations and virtual labs to provide students with hands-on experiences and opportunities to apply critical thinking and problem-solving in a virtual environment (Smetana & Bell, 2012). These tools allow students to manipulate variables, observe outcomes, and analyze data, fostering critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills. Additionally, I will integrate open educational resources (OERs) such as open textbooks, videos, and interactive modules to provide students with diverse and accessible learning materials. OERs promote equity, cost savings, and customization of resources to suit the needs of learners (Hilton, 2016). By incorporating a combination of technology tools, apps, sites, and OERs, I aim to create a rich and interactive learning experience that caters to different learning styles, engages students, and supports the development of critical thinking skills.
In terms of assessments, I will implement a variety of digital assessment strategies that align with the flexible learning approach and cater to the diverse needs of learners. This includes diagnostic assessments to gauge students' prior knowledge and skills, formative assessments to provide ongoing feedback and support learning progress, and summative assessments to evaluate learning outcomes. These assessments can be conducted through online quizzes, interactive assignments, and project-based assessments. The suitable process of digital assessments allows for immediate feedback, personalized learning pathways, and the integration of multimedia elements to enhance the assessment experience (Morrison et al., 2010). By leveraging technology tools and apps, such as learning management systems and online assessment platforms, I can effectively assess students' critical thinking skills, monitor their progress, and provide timely feedback for improvement. The use of technology tools in assessment also aligns with the Modification and Redefinition levels of the SAMR model, as it allows for the transformation of traditional assessment practices.
References
Darling-Hammond, L., Hyler, M. E., & Gardner, M. (2017). Effective teacher professional development. Learning Policy Institute. Retrieved from https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/Effective_Teacher_Professional_Development_REPORT.pdf
OECD. (2020). Education during COVID-19: Initial insights from TALIS. OECD Publishing. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1787/3434db7e-en
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2020). Education: From disruption to recovery. UNESCO. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/recovery
Halpern, D. F. ( 2014). Thought and knowledge: An introduction to critical thinking (5th ed.). Psychology Press.
Brooks, J. G., & Brooks, M. G. (1999). In search of understanding: The case for constructivist classrooms. ASCD.
Herrington, J., & Oliver, R. (2000). An instructional design framework for authentic learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(3), 23-48.
Smetana, L. K., & Bell, R. L. (2012). Computer simulations to support science instruction and learning: A critical review of the literature. International Journal of Science Education, 34(9), 1337-1370.
Hilton, J. (2016). Open educational resources and college textbook choices: A review of research on efficacy and perceptions. Educational Technology Research and Development, 64(4), 573-590.
Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2010). Designing effective instruction (6th ed.). Wiley.