Reflections
Virtual Session 1 to 4
Virtual session 1 (VS 1)
Going into the first virtual session on 10th September 2012 at 13.00 hours, I was nervous and with fear that I had not really done enough to prepare for the tasks of the day. The virtual session is hosted via Adobe connect (AC) a software tool that allows online video conferencing to host web seminars (webinars), eLearning and chatting amongst many other features. (http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.html)
On AC platform a group of participants discussing different topics can be divided to use virtual rooms. The process is called breakouts.
In the breakouts we present and teach to each other on the subjects that each planet will have been assigned and here are my reflections on VS 1:
Learning and Tutoring
Learning as defined by Robin Raygor, (236, 2005) is “ a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience.” Learning is therefore said to take place due to experience. For example, learning to drive a car requires practice and experience thus a relative permanent change in behavior. It is observed that learning due to maturation, injury, disease or drug should not be taken as a relatively permanent change in behavior because they are not learned.
Tutoring is the activity that is done to provide expertise, experience and encouragement by someone employed in the education of others also called tutor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutoring). Tutors are not answer providers but help in problem solving in a given task or assignment (http://www.studygs.net/tutoring.htm)
What kinds of views of learning are there?
There are several opinions on learning that theorist have developed. For example Jean Piaget suggests that learning is achieved when connection is made between what one already knows and what will be learned. And that learning also relates to experiences on individual level that create a set of associated behavior known as schemas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schemas)
Learning is not an automatic process and progresses over a period of time. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning). There are factors that restrain the process from happening with ease however, it can be said that there are about four common ways of learning namely:
– Active learners: These learn best by doing and practicing what they are learning without waiting to go through guidelines or manuals.
- Reflective learners choose to listen and think harder and take their time through reflections on the tasks at hand.
- Experimental learners prefer putting to test the knowledge or skills as soon as they have acquired them waiting to reflect. They can be said to like trying and failing does not hold them back.
- Theorizing learners understand better by going through principles and rules of the subject or task they are experiencing rather than real cases.
It is therefore necessary to understand the kinds of learning that exist to be better tutors and learners if we want to have a successful experience of the learning process.
What role do learning styles and strategies have in study guidance/tutoring?
Since every human being is created differently so are our learning styles. It would be difficult to assemble a classroom and find that all the learners share the same learning methods. So, it can be said that there are several definitions of learning styles and indeed numerous learning styles.
Learning styles are the abilities for learners to acquire and process information in a learning situation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles).
The role of learning styles are necessary for teachers to adopt and practice in their classrooms in order to involve every student’s learning styles. David Kolb (1984) experiential learning theory suggests that a learner may adopt several learning styles in a situation in any of the four learning styles:
- Diverging: Here the superior learning abilities are Concrete Experience and Reflective Observation. That is to say, these learners are imaginative and think from “outside the box”
- Assimilating: the powerful learning abilities are Abstract Conceptualization and Reflective Observation. That is to say, these learners can develop theories and work with theories.
- Converging: the leading learning abilities are Abstract Conceptualization and Active Experimentation. That is to say, learners are good at practical applications
4. Accommodating: the superior learning abilities are Concrete Experience and Active Experimentation. That is to say, learners are does and actively involved in what they are learning or reading. “people of action”
However, there are critics of Kolb’s theory that suggest the lack of and failure to consider situations like the effect of environment from where the learning may take place and its results. For example what would be the effect of learning driving under an arrogant instructor?
What role does the curriculum have in designing learning and guidance?
To understand the role of curriculum, Mash and Willis 2007 observe that the starting point is to consider three levels as follows:
- Planned curriculum: is the understanding of what the important goals and objectives of the knowledge are for.
- Enacted curriculum: is where teachers deliberate the appropriate pedagogical knowledge to use.
- Experienced curriculum: is about what really happens in the classroom.
However Kennedy (37, 2005) argues that in the 21st century schools, curriculum experience is no longer restricted with in the confines of classrooms and that there is an increasing gap between the “official school knowledge” and the “real world knowledge” to which students obtain access via information technology. Therefore schools have to “create a sense of community and common value in a context where knowledge cannot be confined in any form and where individual control is more powerful.
McNeil (2003) contends that enact curriculum that is also referred to as live curriculum takes shape when teachers and students engage in classroom activities that are meaningful.
The online education dictionary defines curriculum “as the overall rationale for, or essential principles and features of, an educational programme.” (http://dictionaryofeducation.co.uk/c/c/blog)
The role of curriculum in designing learning and guidance can be to:
- Draw the objectives of learning and teaching,
- Designing content that is in line with the learning objectives,
- The methods or procedures to deliver the learning or guidance, and
- The method of assessment that will be applied to ascertain that the learning or guidance roles have been reached.
Curriculum is therefore an essential tool in designing learning.
Virtual Session 2
Different teaching methods
What do terms progressive inquiry and project based learning mean?
Progressive inquiry is the method and practice of teaching that was developed by Kai Hakkarainen et al in the University of Helsinki (2009). The method works in the following ways:
- Teacher creates or sets a situation for an event, task or idea for inquiry by presenting a multidisciplinary approach to a theoretical or real-life situation.
- Students create their own research questions and working theories
- Students practice making their own concepts public and work together to improve their ideas and explanations
Progressive learning encourages students to learn to solve problems together, encourage creativity whilst handling real life challenges and also presents teachers the role of guides.
Project based learning was promoted by the Buck Institute of Education in the 1990s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project-based_learning). It refers to and because during the virtual session on this to a teaching method of giving students school tasks or projects to facilitate learning and assess student competences (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project-based_learning). The focus is to get the students experience real life problems hand on and encourage creativity whilst seeking solutions. It is hoped that through these classroom project experiences student can learn from them and apply the knowledge later in real life after they leave schools.
Some of the major roles for Teachers in Project based learning and progressive learning are:
- Guiding and facilitating
- Help students take on responsibility of their tasks and finding solutions to their problems
- Create a supportive learning environment
- Encourage, motivate and inspire creativity, critical thinking and accepting failure as norm and part of learning process.
How can lecturing be enriched in virtual teaching?
Virtual teaching is an interactive form of instruction that is done through the use of computer software that is designed to facilitate teaching and learning and it provides learners with different learning tools. (http://dictionaryofeducation.co.uk/v/v/blog)
An example of a virtual teaching environment is the innovation vocational education training (iVET) course we are undertaking in Oulu University of Applied (OAMK) that is conducted virtually and has several tools that are used by students and teachers to access material, report assignments, assessment before, during and after the course, hold discussions as a classroom, teams and individuals for the most part of the course.
There are several ways of making lecturing enrich virtual teaching and in OAMK-iVET the following are used:
- Personal learning plans to create, set and follow our learning objectives
- Blogs to post our reflections and those of others as our learning experiences
- Interactive debates
- Working in teams online
- Holding virtual classes and lectures
- Peers reviews and assessments etc
Drawing from the lessons in the virtual sessions conducted at OAMK, there are several advantages and disadvantages of virtual teaching such as:
Advantages:
- Digital presentation/lectures can be recorded and saved this makes it possible for students to have access to the material repeatedly and allows them to practice and learn the various skills at their pace
- Promotes team work
- Provides plenty of material and information online
- Enables flexibility of access in terms of place and time
- Brings together different users of different background, levels and demands
- Interactive, fun and can be especially attractive to those with interest in technology both the young and old generation etc.
Disadvantages:
- It does not provide the human touch experience.
- Denies the small talk experience for teachers that may have otherwise been useful in bringing forward issues that are not documented but affect learning.
- It is expensive to set up a virtual environment at the beginning
- Quality is difficult to control
- Technical breakdown of networks and virtual tools is quite usual and unpleasant
- Technology changes so fast. This makes it difficult to keep up with the change in the information technology world etc.
Virtual Session 3
What are the central features of competence based qualifications and vocational skills demonstrations?
In Finland, Competence based qualifications have been in existence since 1994. The Government decides on the goals, structure of qualification and core subjects for vocational education and training. The Ministry of education decides on the studies and their scope. For the composition of studies, core content and assessment methods of the study units, decision is made by the Finnish National Board of Education that also governs student assessments, students counseling, on the job learning, special education and training.
“In competence based qualifications, vocational skills are demonstrated through tests, regardless of whether the skills have been acquired through work experience, studies or other activities. What matters most is vocational competence. Students follow a personal learning plan. Qualifications are gained by demonstrating the skills requires for the particular qualification.” (http://www.oakk.fi/fi/competence-based_qualifications/)
How to evaluate/assess learning?
The evaluation and assessment of learning is necessary to be conducted but it should always be a response to the learner’s needs Peter Jarvis (284, 2010). There are several reasons to assess learning, and a variety of techniques to apply for example: Tests and answers sessions, open discussions and feedback. It is important for educators to make learners not to feel threatened by the process and instead make it clear to the learners that the process helps them to ascertain their levels of skills or knowledge acquired.
There are several methods of assessment in education. Peter Jarvis (217, 2010) sites eight types of assessments:
- Formative: This is a form of assessment that happens during the process of learning and teaching
- Summative: Is the final mark-It happens at the end of the process
- Continuous: This is process is happens throughout a course lifetime at intervals.
- Analytical: Is a part of a process that happens when the educator carefully works through a piece of work, evaluates and leaves comments as a form of teaching
- Global: “Is a technique of rapid marking many scripts through reading a whole script and rank ordering it against other similar scripts and then later awarding a grade on each script in relation to all the others.”
- Self: The learner assesses him/herself in regard to competence, level of skills or understanding etc.
- Peer: The approach where peers (classmates) take the evaluation responsibilities to evaluate and assess their counterparts.
- Collaborative: A process of assessments done by a group of people by agreeing to award a grade. It can be both teachers and leaners.
Reference:
Adult Education and Lifelong Learning: Theory and Practice Peter Jarvis, 2010 (http://books.google.co.ug/books?id=xbmUjdfkXEAC&pg=PA212&lpg=PA212&dq=assessing+and+evaluating+peter+jarvis&source=bl&ots=4bf1HwcnPZ&sig=HM8wsXbbvrcBmkOr5K1Ty8W6GR0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=zn_-UNj1C4jI0AWk1YHgDA&sqi=2&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=assessing%20and%20evaluating%20peter%20jarvis&f=false)
What is the role of the student’s self-evaluation in vocational education?
The role of student’s self-evaluation in vocational education in Finland is regulated in the vocational education Act of 2005. The aim of this assessment is to encourage and guide the student’s studying and readiness for self-evaluation. This means that students skills and abilities should be evaluated by using and applying versatile methods as provided in the Act 25 § (15.7.2005/601) in the Finnish National Board of Education.
The purpose of self-evaluation in vocational education is to evaluate:
- To evaluate the students existing condition and level of knowledge in the context of the subject being evaluated
- To establish the kind of methods which can be used to motivate and activate the learner
- The student to establish the learning process using in accordance with requirements of professional expertise, aim and evaluation criteria
The main goal of self-evaluationTo ensure quality in teaching and learning
- Self-evaluation is crucial in ascertaining quality in vocational education in the European countries
- To check the internal and external evaluation mechanisms which the European member states need to define.
- To get feedback from which to base what to be learned and taught to a learner.
Virtual Session 4
Special Areas of Vocational Teacher-hood
How special needs students are best acknowledged in teaching?
Special needs students are people with physical, mental and other disabilities, illnesses, delayed developments and emotional disorders.
Under the Finnish constitution, all citizens are equal thus all must be treated equal regardless of age, sex, health, origin, disability or religion. Children must be treated equal.
The Basic Education Act (638/1998) provides that educational quality and educational services must be for all and compulsory.
For special needs education, Finland has undertaken approaches in four phases:
- There is: provision for instruction for pupils with sensory disabilities
- Care for the disabled; medical care and rehabilitation
- The principle of normalization and integration
- Educational equality and equal educational services
Finland provides special needs vocational education training in regular vocational colleges as well as in special education colleges. Example, there are seven special vocational colleges in Finland. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdLgAf0uVrw&feature=related)
There is need for planning and implementing a programme for special needs students such as the individual special plan that provides for the needs of each individual student and allows for each case to enjoy the benefits of learning.
Special needs students require teacher’s time, attention, guidance and encouragement.
How to develop cooperation between vocational education and working life?
Vocational education training prepares students in attaining skills and knowledge that will be useful in the real world experiences. The link between vocational education and working life is therefore crucial. Countries in the European Union have already identified that connection and are increasingly strengthening the cooperation between learning institutions (vocational schools, Universities etc) and companies.
Key players in the cooperation between vocational education and working life are:
- Teachers: these play a role of in intermediaries between guiding learners on how to best obtain their potential, relate theories to practice in accordance to real life situations. Also teacher’s, knowledge of the trend in working life is updated through in-service training.
- Companies: get the opportunity to pass on information of the kind skills and training needed in the market and also share challenges. Companies learn from students their current status of problem solving, innovativeness and team work e.t.c.
- Students take the central role of receiving, learning, and taking action amongst all the players.
- School managers: are responsible to develop at institutional level necessary institutional framework and platforms for good partnerships with relevant companies.
- Social partners: can be avenues from where networks, methods and tools are built to provide information on possible emerging skills, trend of competences, requirements of specific segments of the labour market and channel this information into policy making process.
Vocational education cooperation with working life can be categorized as follows:
- Employer reputation and recruitment: cooperation is driven by the future employer’s recruitment and reputation management e.g. campus visibility and business presentations.
- Student contacts and sharing knowledge: e.g. guest lectures, business projects, or casework.
- Innovation and innovative work practices: e.g. joint research projects aiming towards new innovations provided by the school.
- Know-how development and competitive advantage features deep cooperation, motivated by dissemination of knowledge development and networking.
In Finland the curriculum provides for 20 ECT credits for job training. This is a clear indicator that the role and importance the cooperation between vocational education schools and working life plays.
How entrepreneurship is being developed in vocational education?
Since 2010 entrepreneurship has been put as one of the core subjects in all vocational studies in Finland that is embedded amongst all study units. It is a key component of lifelong learning. The purpose is not only for learners to train to be entrepreneurs but to also acquire entrepreneurship work attitudes.
Measures are put in place to allow learning of entrepreneurship to flourish by providing a learning environment that supports entrepreneurship e.g. focus on learners activity, learning from simulated or real life experiences, problem based instructions, learner getting support from several expert organisations, teacher’s role changes from provider of information to organizer, guide and learning environment planner.
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