From theory to practice: Using theories to build frameworks and tookits

Introduction to Learning Theory and Design for

Learning 2

George Roberts

Development Director

Off-Campus e-Learning

23/06/2005

From theory to practice:Using theories to build frameworks and tookits

Outline

• Theories and models• Theory and practice: Grenfell’s model• Explanation, justification, normalisation• Flexible learning: theory and policy (Laurillard & Conole)• Assimilation to theory• Activity theory• Actor network theory• Conclusion: 9 models

How does theory work in practice?

What is theory?

What is a model?

How does theory work in practice?

What is theory? Explanation … things happen because…

Do theories prove anything?

Consider this: “the socio-cultural perspective proves that school-

literacy is valued differently in different communities”

What is a theory?

Characteristics Accounts for observations

explanatory Accounts for previous theories

coherent Predicts future observations

predictive Falsifiable

refutable

What is a model?

Structured reduction of complexity

Structure visual (other?) representation

Reduction simplification: what’s in? what’s out? why?

Complexity

Concrete Practice

Practitioner’spre- (a-) theoretical

understanding

Justifyingprinciples

Fundamentaldisciplinary

theories

Philosophicalresources

Empiricalevidence/knowledge

adapted from: Grenfell & Erben (2005), Philosophical Issues in Educational Research, University of Southampton, Course notes (ED697)

A Model

Reflection 1

Reflection 2

UNReflective

Common sense

“folk theories”

Theory

Explanation or Justification?

Nomothetic: Normalising rulesIndependent of the mode of engagement…

Good Learningbased on • reciprocity • authenticity • credibility

Good Teaching• sets ground rules• provides alternatives • exemplifies models• gives access to experience

Good Design• Permeability• Variety• Legibility• Robustness• Visual appropriateness• Richness• Personalisation

Good Practiceencourages • contact• co-operation• active learning• gives prompt feedback• emphasises time on task• has high expectations• respects diversity

Another model: talking the world into flexibility

and another level

Policy: the Big Picture

• Globalisation• Liberalisation• Participation• Innovation

the QAA Code is based on the key principle that collaborative and FDLprovision, wherever and however organised,should widen learning opportunities

• Education and training policy replaces industrial policy as the means by which governments seek to make regions economically competitiv

Learners Empowered

Creativity & Innovation

Flexible Provision

Professional Workforce

Better Value for Learners

Objectives of Current DfES StrategiesRaising Standards

Improving quality Removing BarriersPreparing for employment skills Widening Participation

early years Primary Secondary 14-19 Skills Post-16 HE

Contributions from e-LearningPersonalised support, Online communities, Flexible Study

Virtual Environments, Individualised Study, Collaborative Learning, Tools for Innovation, Quality at Scale

Strategic ActionsLeading Sustainable e-Learning,

Supporting pedagogical innovation, Staff development, Unifying Learner support, Aligning assessment,

Building a better market, Assuring tech and quality standards

A 21st century education system

Widening participation

Widening participation policies are focused in two conflicting directions:

• emancipatory and empowering for the individual

• stimulate the growth of autonomous, entrepreneurial, IT-literate, multi-skilled individuals capable of creating and taking advantage of the flexible opportunities inherent in a post fordist economy

• ensuring a supply of appropriately skilled workers

• create a compliant low-expectation labour force inured to the demands of flexibilisation in order to attract inward investment not on the basis of high skills available but on the basis of low costs

FDL Precepts

• Overall, the revision [to the QAA precepts] may be characterised as moving from the 'process-based' style of the earlier version to a more [flexible] 'outcome-based' approach.

• The focus now is on ends rather than means. Institutions … will see that the basics remain in the content of the revised version but will, it is hoped, appreciate the flexibility now offered by the greater attention to outcomes.

Flexibility has become an epi-phenomenon, part of the meta-curriculum

are themselves flexible

Covert [meta] CurriculaThe less obvious--but more important curriculum--is the covert curriculum, which is composed of the skills and characteristics the student develops as a result of successfully completing the overt curriculum. (Appleby)

http://www.psichi.org/pubs/articles/article_59.asp

Industrial era• Overt

“3 Rs”: reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmatic• Covert

punctuality, subordination, repetition

Postmodern era• Overt

flexibility, community, personalisation• Covert

piecework, normalisation, surveillancesee Roberts (2004)

http://www.shef.ac.uk/nlc2004/Proceedings/Individual_Papers/Roberts.htm

Modelling flexibility: Blended learning (3-C)hi collocationhi collaboration traditional laboratorylo computerisation

hi collocation whiteboards in classroomshi collaboration virtual field tripshi computerisation

lo collocation CACL, online forumshi collaboration “Learning to teach online”hi computerisation

hi collocationlo collaboration video link lecturehi computerisation

lo collocationlo collaboration “traditional” OU DLlo computerisation

lo collocationlo collaboration CBT traininghi computerisation

What is flexibility

Flexibility isFlexibility is

• Contingent Contingent depends on contextsdepends on contexts

• Inherent Inherent part of systemspart of systems

• Relative Relative v. inflexibilityv. inflexibility

• Political Political power differentialspower differentials

Contingent• organised• managed• funded• bureaucratised• networked• genetic/mimetic: inherited

A theory of flexible learning

Inherent• experienced (Prior Learning)• disciplined• nationalised, acculturated• capitalized: personal, social• theorised, taught & learned• latent, emergent & evolutionary

Relative• zero sum• granular (objectified)• linear, continuous• preventable / unstoppable?• recreational (playful)

Political• work-related: human capital• valued (high/low) & controlled• democratic … or not• global, standardised & assured• necessary?

Conole’s complex solid

The Borg Cube: assimilation to theory

Posture

Stance

Face

Presentation

evaluation

orientation

Three dimensions to designing for learning

• presentation or “Stance”

• evaluation or

“Posture”

• orientation or “Face”

Face: orientation four traditionspositivism: knowledge is “out there”, categorical

• early 20th century orthodoxy: basing philosophical, social scientific, linguistic and educational enquiry on the scientific (experimental) method

• objective-led (behaviourist) pedagogies of external motivations such as enquiry-based learning, physical simulation and experiment

social perspective: knowledge emergent, social & constructed• countervailing current orthodoxy, drawing on multiple strands: feminism,

(post-) structuralism, Marxism, colonialism• dominant approaches are exploratory learning and constructivism

tacit communitarianism: common-sense normalisation• business school method: adopts forms from social perspective and

positivism in order to reproduce a culture through tacit codes • knowledge engineering, and computational approaches such as

organisational learning, and intelligent systems

new critical: cognitive disconnect in L&T practice• place learner and designer in contested space• project and problem-based learning, grounded theory, applied and action

research are characteristic

Stance: presenting awareness sequentially and hierarchically

• first the channel or situation• technical support: will it run on the

platform?• next the relationships between the people

• pastoral support, efficacy and consolation• only lastly in terms of the topic, theme or

ostensible subject• subject/domain learning support

Stance, another exampleSalmon’s 5 Stage Model: “e-Tivities” (fish ladder)

1 Access and motivation• Welcome and encourage• Set up systems and assure access

2 Online socialisation• Familiarise and bridge cultural, social and learning environments• Send and receive messages

3 Information exchange• Facilitate task and support use of

on-line content & activity• Personalise software environment

4 Knowledge construction• Facilitate process• Conferencing

5 Personal/professional development• Supporting and responding• External links with people and resources

Posture: stakeholders evaluation

• Recipient design• Referee design

• Artefacts of learning design, i.e. learning activities and objects will be evaluated in a trilateral relationship• designer• learner• referee

• validate, witness, participate in and influence design process

Tools

ObjectSubject

Rules Community Division of Work

Activity theory offers tools to analyse the problems and possibilities of technology

OutcomeProcess

All the elements of the system are continuously changing. Subjects not only use tools, they also adapt them. They obey rules, and transform them. They divide work and innovate.

Activity Theory

Object• the target of activity, which the actors want to influence or alter

Rules• society- and community level laws, standards, norms, policies,

strategies, ethical issues and individual level values and beliefs

Community• the immediate environment, where the use of technology takes

place

Division of Labour• how different members of the community have divided

responsibility in defining and influencing the object

Actor network theory: distributed cognition (Latour, Salomon)

• coextensive networks comprise both social and technical parts

• the social and technical are inseparable

• Inscription: technology embodies beliefs

• Translation/negotiation

• Problematisation

• Interessment

• Enrolment

• Mobilisation

• Framing/stability

GlobalisationLiberalisationParticipationInnovation

Thank you!Thank you!

George RobertsDevelopment Director, Off-campus E-learningOxford Brookes University

groberts@brookes.ac.uk+44 (0) 1865 484871+44 (0) 7711 698465http://www.brookes.ac.uk/virtual/http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2004/