Info Request

Sat Mar 11 18:34:01 UTC 2006

"There is a lot of theory and posturing and hypothesizing, but people seem
very reluctant to actually look at approaches vs. results. What I have seen
most distance people do is simply move text onto the computer . . . not all
that far removed from the dreaded kill-and-drill. "

==================

This paper offers some help to those who'd like to assess the interactivity
of their current distance learning programs and consider the importance of
this issue in their design and delivery. There are references to studies on
learning outcomes and bibliographies

M. D. Roblyer, and Leticia Ekhaml (2000). How Interactive are YOUR Distance
Courses? A Rubric for Assessing Interaction in Distance Learning
http://www.westga.edu/~distance/roblyer32.html , * This paper was one of
three selected as a "Best Paper" among DLA 2000 proceedings, Callaway,
Georgia, June 7-9, 2000.
The article below is for you Mia, I thought you'd find it interesting, and
I'd be interested in your interpretation of the article. I quoted a segment
verbatim below. As I read, I found support for many "best practices" in web
based learning based on  knowledge of the how the brain learns. Katrina A.
Meyer assertions about what is needed in a well designed web based learning
environment corroborate well what I'm seeing from my own teaching experience
and informal assessments and student reports of their learning experience.

The implication of Brain Research for Distance
Education.http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/fall63/meyer63.html

  Abstract This article presents information drawn from research on brain
processes that impact perception, memory, learning, and understandings about
the world. This information is related to the use of interactive video and
the Web in distance education through a discussion of how best to enhance
learning - or mitigate problems caused - through the use of these
technologies.

  Creating a "New Brain" Through Media?

  Healy (1999) argues that based on what we know about brain development in
children, new computer media may be responsible for developing brains that
are largely different from the brains of adults. This is because "many brain
connections have become specialized for . . . media" (p. 133); in this view,
a brain formed by language and reading is different from a brain formed by
hypermedia. Different media lead to different synaptic connections being
laid down and reinforced, creating different brains in youngsters raised on
fast-paced, visually-stimulating computer applications and video games.
"Newer technologies emphasize rapid processing of visual symbols . . . and
deemphasize traditional verbal learning . . . and the linear, analytic
thought process . . . [making it] more difficult to deal with abstract
verbal reasoning" (Healy, 1999, p. 142).

  The implications for higher education of this view are two-fold. First, it
is likely that students arriving in higher education will have different
brains (formed by years at video games, computer simulations, and web
researches) than their teachers (whose brains were formed by early
experiences with text). This disjunction is likely to cause communication
problems and different perceptions of what is a well-designed (or useful,
relevant, or cool) learning experience. Furthermore, as new media come on
the scene and are adopted by schools and families, they will continue to
"affect the underlying neural circuitry that is being established during
childhood and adolescence" (Healy, 1999, p. 131). That means further changes
in the brain structures and capabilities of each group of students are
likely, thereby creating ever more differences to the brain capabilities and
understandings of older or more traditionally educated faculty.

  If Healy is correct, then higher education may need to use media and
web-based materials to capitalize upon the next generation's brain
connections. However, more traditional instructional methods should also be
used to ensure that students are able to reason in traditional linear and
logical fashion. Given the web's ability to present long sections of text
and retain some of the characteristics of linear discourse, it may be a tool
that is sufficiently flexible as to support both aims.

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]On Behalf Of Mia Kalish
  Sent: Friday, March 10, 2006 6:51 AM
  To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
  Subject: Re: [ILAT] Info Request

  Sue Penfield was saying that we really need to start writing in the
intersection between language and E-learning.

  I think that the reason not many people replied is just because there isn’
t anything out there: Last night in my dissertation class, people were
talking about all the “choices” they could make about how far back they went
in time for their lit review, and what views to choose, and what schools to
include . . they were looking at the canon as a cornucopia, a vast area of
“choice”.

  So I pulled out my book on Rough Rock by Teresa McCarty and Mary Eunice
Romero’s dissertation and showed how the canon was very sparse, and Teresa
and Mary Eunice used ethnography to provide the background and context that
in other documents was being established by the lit review. I also talked
about how the “feel” of the writing was different, because when you are
referencing, you can just say (Gibbs, 1995), and people either know Raymond
Gibbs, or they can go read him. But when its from the People, you have to
write a paragraph or two that includes what they say, and how you see it
contributing in your context. People were stunned to see it from that point.
I got to talk about gatekeeping, and how difficult it was to create a canon
before some Native critical pedagogists started writing and pointing out
differences between what Sandy Grande (Quecha) calls Red Pedagogy and the
expectations embedded in pedagogies for white and Black/African American
students, both of whom are very assimilationist.

  Of course, I should say that there isn’t all that much good research on
E-learning. There is a lot of theory and posturing and hypothesizing, but
people seem very reluctant to actually look at approaches vs. results. What
I have seen most distance people do is simply move text onto the computer .
. . not all that far removed from the dreaded kill-and-drill. People don’t
know how to do animations and sound, create the rich materials that make
learning so much easier. They are still into that, Okay, now your challenge
as a student is to translate and interpret this long string of text into
something that makes sense to you, and then, in the same step as you a
building the basic understandings, I want you to extrapolate to new ideas
and new understandings. (Doesn’t happen; too much cognitive work in too
short a space).

  Mia

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--

  From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of phil cash cash
  Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 6:36 PM
  To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
  Subject: Re: [ILAT] Info Request

  Good question Andre, and I was hoping for more answers from our ILAT
subscribers.  Salish Kootenia College is probably the best place to start as
they have been doing e-learning for a number of years and have expanded
their offerings to include a whole range of courses.

  By all accounts, it seems that "e-learning" (or distance education) is in
itself a major undertaking.

  Take a look at the "E-Learning" link to get an idea on what is possible:

  Salish Kootenia College
  http://www.skc.edu/

  later,
  Phil

  Quoting Andre Cramblit <andrekar at NCIDC.ORG>:

  > The Karuk Tribe received an ANA language grant and we are searching
  > for information on teaching indigenous languages through distance
  > education.
  >
  > What are best practices, softwares, systems, models etc
  >
  > also what has not worked?
  >
  > .:.
  >
  > André Cramblit: andre.p.cramblit.86 at alum.dartmouth.org is the
  > Operations Director Northern California Indian Development Council
  > NCIDC (http://www.ncidc.org) is a non-profit that meets the
  > development needs of American Indians
  >
  > To subscribe to a news letter of interest to Natives send an email
  > to: IndigenousNewsNetwork-subscribe at topica.com or go to: http://
  > www.topica.com/lists/IndigenousNewsNetwork/subscribe/?location=listinfo

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ilat/attachments/20060311/90960ab5/attachment.htm>