Networked Learning Design - Find out what people like Problem summary The challenge of producing learning experiences that learners will genuinely engage with is getting increasingly complex. As technology allows for learning resources to be ever more closely embedded into peoples’ lives, these experiences have to compete for attention directly. Discussion Adults learn when they want to – and generally don’t learn when they don’t want to. There is a strong connection between positive emotional experiences and the ability to recall information; Intrinsic motivation – motivation provided by the task in hand – encourages people to engage in new learning experiences, and to repeat these experiences; (this is what the computer games industry relies on so heavily); A person with a relaxed, positive frame of mind learns more effectively. There are a number of models of motivation from educational research, such as Victor Vroom’s Expectancy theory and John Keller’s ARCS model. If I work hard, can I the target I have been set? Recommendations
8 Reasons that We Should Teach to the Game (#GBL) from James Paul Gee, David Williamson Shaffer : Looking where the light is bad: Video games and the future of assessment Abstract In the past we have referred to games as good “learning engines.” Key points Why should schools and other learning sites use the learning principles that are embedded in good video games? These good principles for learning are even more important in the 21st Century, where students need to learn to work with others and with digital tools to produce and not just to consume knowledge. So what stands in the way? The answer is simple: assessment. Our standardized tests, coupled with our accountability policies, force teachers to teach to out-of-date tests. In other words, we’ve been looking in the wrong place because we’ve been designing games for learning when we should have been designing games for testing. In assessing students’ problem solving skills, a GA21 (Good Assessment for the 21st century) would also have to assess 21st Century skills. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3.
The 80/20 Rule for Learning Transfer | Learning Management Systems | Digital Learning, Education, eLearning, Improve Learning, Mobile Learning To ensure learning transfer requires learning leaders to make specific provisions before an event starts. If 10 CLOs were asked how best to increase the value of learning, almost all would say the same thing: Increase the amount of learning transfer in the workplace. However, if the same CLOs were asked about their own learning transfer success, they likely will express disappointment. The lack of learning transfer has been a long-standing issue in the learning community, and research on how to increase it is both complex and contradictory. The Rule of Three: Practical and Effective There is a less costly approach to increase the desired learning transfer. The research identified 11 core activities that create a meaningful increase in learning transfer. To simplify research results, 11 factors were consolidated into three critical areas where organizations can improve learning transfer. Autodesk, a 3D design, engineering and entertainment software company, provides an example.
Adding Game Elements to Your Online Course There’s a growing body of evidence that indicates the educational benefits of game-based learning. Although some courses are likely to be more conducive to a game-based approach, it’s helpful to consider how game elements might enhance the learning experience. In an interview with Online Classroom, Clare Parsons, English lecturer at the University of Maryland, College Park, highlighted several game elements and explained how she uses them in her online and blended courses. Game elements can help make courses “more engaging and immersive,” Parsons says. Parsons uses game elements in her business writing course and makes this approach explicit in the syllabus: I am attempting to “gamify” the more traditional blended course. Parsons uses the following game elements in this course: Progressively difficult problems. Each week, students engage in what Parsons refers to as “challenges,” group-based problem-solving and preliminary writing assignments. Emphasis on skills development. Collaboration.
Learning History | An adventure in the study of history Networked Learning Design - Make learners drive your design The learning problems that designers need to tackle are becoming more complex. As this happens, it is more important than ever for designers to get to the root of learning needs; to deeply understand the learners, their environment and what needs to change. And this focus on learner needs should be sustained throughout the learning design process, not just during an initial analysis phase. However, learning designers face a number of obstacles in getting to the root of learning needs, not least current practice. Discussion It is common practice in the e-learning industry to either carry out over-complex training needs analyses, or largely ignore learner needs. Traditional training needs analysis methods can be highly effective in situations where the substance of what needs to be learned is relatively stable and can be clearly defined. In less traditional environments, the opposite problem exists. Clients may obstruct access to learners as they are concerned that involving learners will:
How Gamification Works - 3D GameLab | 3D GameLab Instead of courses consisting mainly of textbook learning and lectures, classes built using game mechanics such as badges, experience points, levels and leaderboards, boost student engagement by allowing students to choose from “quests” and progress at their own pace through a series of educational activities. Students are motivated due to personal choice and meaningfulness, real-time feedback, the ability to collaborate or compete, and over time, they learn stay persistent in learning due to prior successes. Quest tasks can range from listening to a podcast, collecting and analyzing real-time data, or watching a short video to partnering with a classmate for discussion or writing a short essay. As students complete each quest, they can level up to new assignments on their journey toward an “A.” Teachers have the ability to approve quests or put them on auto-approval so students can keep progressing while waiting for their teacher’s feedback on milestone work.
The learning cycle and the power of asynchronous learning activities When grappling with the concept of learning I often talk about the importance of reflection. However, another key concept is asynchronicity (I’m not entirely sure that’s a word). I’ve reflected on this previously withinAsynchronous = Time and Space Learning. Learning is hard, really hard. I think this has contributed to the a vast mass of humans who don’t really know how to learn properly. A couple of asterisks to this post. This article was originally posted at Like this: Like Loading... Training Games thiagi.com Freebies Training Games This section contains more than 400 ready-to-use training games and activities. Most of them were published in the Thiagi GameLetter. Copyright © 2014. PBworks Official Blog | The official blog of PBworks
Networked Learning Design - Understand the context Problem summary Learning needs arise in specific contexts. So to truly understand a learning need, a learning designer needs to gain a deep understanding of the context in which the need arises. Discussion Theorists and practitioners of learning design are increasingly emphasising that learning needs, and the strategies required to address them, are embedded in specific contexts. Traditional instructional design methodologies regard the context of learning as a low priority. In many fields of design, it is regarded as critical for the designer to gain a deep understanding of the context in which the user functions. Recommendations Three methods of research are particularly relevant to understanding the learner’s context in learning design. Learner observation. Observing is, in many cases, more effective than interviewing as it is possible to see peoples’ emotional responses and their typical tactics for dealing with problems at first hand. Learner stories and anecdotes.
How to Become a Game Designer You’ve been called a “gamer” for as long as you can remember, so you might as well make a career out of it, right? Well, it might all sound like fun and games, but game design has evolved from the days of scribbling a great idea on the back of a napkin into an elaborate process involving a specialists trained in a variety of disciplines who collaborate and sometimes work long hours to create great computer or video games replete with state-of-the-art animation and visual effects. According to the U.S. It goes without saying that it is helpful to possess artistic ability and talent, but people lacking in those areas may compensate with robust technical and computer skills, preferred by some employers. Individuals interested in pursuing this career may benefit from a solid blend of education, hands-on experience, and a combination of artistic and technical skills. Infographic source: Schools.com
Is Design Thinking Missing From ADDIE? SumoMe Even though a crucial part of our jobs involve design, the prevailing instructional design models are based on systems thinking. Systems thinking promotes an analytical or engineering type of mindset. In many design fields today, people who are required to create on demand use a design thinking model for this purpose. Design Thinking is Human-centered Design thinking acquires and synthesizes information in order to generate creative, human-centered solutions. If design thinking has the potential to help us come up with better design solutions, then let’s make room for it as we design and promote learning experiences. Solutions for the 21st Century Those of us who feel hampered by current models may already practice some design thinking techniques. This is critical, because the way things are going, the solution to many problems may be much broader and more integrated than one training course can provide. As you would expect, there are many variations to the design thinking model.