Relationship between content, pedagogy, assessment and technology

Question prompts from Prof. Nancy Law

• How is technology use related to the three key curriculum aspects of content, pedagogy and assessment?
• Which is the driver?
• Think of an example of technology use in teaching and learning within your intended research context. Can you answer the above questions from this example?

Instructional Design Knowledge Base: Develop instructional prototypes

I have a strong impression and feeling about technologies development and application in teaching and learning over the years or decades. From the very early days when some of the people started to speculate optimistically how technologies might be used in the future to bring revolutionary changes and impact to not only learners but all mankind and the world as a whole, there were skeptical or even negative views withholding people from dreaming the new dreams. There were ever emerging technologies to provide different functions and solutions to identified needs or problems. There were hiccups in applications and got quickly criticized or demanded with greater and better functionality or integration. Then technologies continue to make changes and enhancements. The gesture of technologies throughout the years has been like always positive and very responsive to needs and demands. They fill the gaps identified from teaching and learning. They take on the role or function that may be replaceable or applicable. Gradually the technologies, despite all criticisms, become something significantly useful and even essential in teaching and learning. At some points or by the time now it is even fair to say that the technologies have inspired and enabled new pedagogy.

There are some other question prompts from Prof. Nancy Law for reflection.

• What are the key learning theories that have influenced education and educational design through the ages?
• How would you describe the key advances in the history of learning technology development?
• Does learning theories play any role in this developmental history? If yes, what impacts have learning theories made? Can you give specific examples to illustrate?

In addition,

• What is your research problem? Do you need to take learning theory into consideration in the conceptualization of your research? do you think the literature review in your research proposal need to include literature in the area of learning theories? If yes, what kind(s) of literature would you need?

Learning Theories

Learning Theories illustrated by Robert Millwood.

Some questions about learning theories as proposed by Prof. Nancy Law.

What is the basis on which people can learn?

• Neural, Brain functions, ?

What is the basis for socially organized learning?

• Piaget (assimilation and accommodation)
• Vygotsky (Zone of Proximal Development)
• Lave & Wenger (peripheral participation, communities of practice)

What is the difference between learning and knowledge creation?

• Knowledge building (Scardamalia & Bereiter), learner agency, sociometacognitive ability (KB principles)
• What learning outcomes are you interested in?

There are certain assumptions or perspectives taken by respective learning theories such as

• the role, function, ability, responsibility and relationship between and among learners and teachers
• the definition, form and nature of knowledge
• the implications on practices
• how to facilitate the attainment of learning outcomes
• how to assess the learning outcomes
• the learning context and environment
• the purposes of learning
• any conditions or what’s required in terms resources, attitude & motivation
• how to assess the learning outcomes