5 August 2004
1. Teaching, Learning and Assessing online
2. educational websites Design
3. Web development tool and protocol
According to Siva, an education website is different from other websites because the designer of educational websites should bear in mind that apart from content, the educational websites should consist of assessment tool. So that would know the benefits they gain from the web.
If the website is designed for the education, this means that the user can learn something from it. So what does it meant by learning?
Siva reflects different purposes for learning. These purposes are learning for position, money, selection and lifelong learning
Discussion:
What skills and knowledge do we required?
Skills Knowledge
Explore students� interest New software
Updating the information Software for subject knowledge
Basic skills Innovation
Systems Materials
Tools Evaluating the systems (SWOT) Analysis
What are the elements for effective websites?
� Content transparency
� Profile growth in learning
� Open communication
� Updated information
� Optimal feedback
� Enrichment
� Adaptive (Different levels)
� Friendly interactive
� Different learning preference
� Useful links
� Self assessment
After Siva�s session, Simon continues the class. Simon reminds us of the contrast of learners; between student-as-learner and graduate-as-learner. The contrast shows the differences between how, what and why each group learns.
Finally, both Siva and Simon introduced interesting websites that can be applied for education. These websites include: www. funschool.com, www. neave.com/games; www.moodle.com and http://pages.infinit.net/seguind/evaluation.html
Reading
When technology is applied in teaching, technology may be broken into two areas: professional tools and the communication systems.
According to Brooks et al. (2001), by applying technology in teaching, when students apply the technology tools with the instruction modified to include activities that illustrate the power of the software, learning are often gains are often substantial. And when teaching newer technology tools, strategies for active learning consistently seem to give better results.
On the other hand, technology is applied as communication tools that all professionals use in similar ways. The most powerful learning experience are those that engage students deep in meaningful ways. The force active learning, and they provide realistic environments that have a way of nurturing motivation.
Brooks et al. (2001)
Davis gave example of Six significant phases in Angela�s development, who led the teacher education of sixty primary student teachers
1. Competence with some software
2. understanding the place of that software within the curriculum
3. starting to distil this for students teachers
4. engaging range of practice
5. clarifying enhanced learning through IT
6. improving practice in courses, classroom and assessment
Davis further gave another 5 strategies for staff development with information technology. These strategies deal with strategies for the instruction, stategies for the individual/group, direct information/skills support, team teaching and indirect staff development.
References:
Brooks, D. W., Nolan, D.E. & Gallaghen, S. M. (2001) Web-teaching: A Guide for Designing Interactive Teaching for the WWW. (2nd Ed.) New York: Kluwe Academic Plenum
Davis N., (Undated) Strategies for staff and Institutional Development for IT in education: An Integrated approach