21st Teaching

I'm happy to see references coming out about 21st Century Teaching. As much as educators may know about the 21st learning skills, integrating them into course experience is another.

I will start here with a couple brief references because this topic will undoubtedly warrent

more than one post:

So to start -- here's a faculty site which provided professional development to this end:

http://www.cte.usf.edu/. The goals are quite modestly stated, but they are there, and the tools are there to get people started. E-learning is essential for all deliveries, given the fact e-practice is pervasive in 21st century living.

Additionally, Bloom's digital taxonomy connects learning objectives to web2.0 tools for demonstrating knowledge at different levels, and also includes the verbs related to the Web2.0 capacities.

Critical Thinking Video

The ability to questions sources and claims is truly a key requirement in all ages, and remains so in the information age. This video defines critical thinking and makes the case nicely:

How Are We Doing? Evaluating Technology-Based Practices in Our Courses

This slideshow is adapted from one initially prepared for the City University of Hong Kong. A few slides were added to
define e-learning and it's part in 21st Century Learning.

How Are We Doing? Evaluating Technology-Based Practices in Our Courses

View more presentations from ConstantLearning.

Towards US Online Quality Assurance: What are the Policy Issues?

Just returned from two presentations in Hong Kong about models for developing and evaluating quality e-learning to see the US College Presidents Forum at Excelsior College, a meeting to discuss state policy barriers to a U.S. Quality Assurance System for online learning.

While all accrediting regions have adopted WICHE/WCET's Best Practices for the Delivery of Online Degrees and Programs, the way they play out vary.

This 2005 sampling presents how state policies express the implementation of the WICHE/WCET standards. Montana's appear to be the most explicit. In reviewing these sites for updates, some of these links are no longer available (like MT, for example). If you have updates you would like to share in email, that would be most appreciated.

Examples of States within a defined Accreditation Region	Accrediting Region	State Policy Incorporating WICHE-WCET/ CHEA DE Practices at State Higher Education Policy Level	Expressed State Policy Elements Responsive to WICHE-WCET/WICHE Standards
CO, MN, OH	North Central (NCA)	Montana (1999): http://www.montana.edu/wochelp/borpol/bor300/3037. Htm.	All WICHE/WICHE Standards are expressed in the Faculty and Course Management and Support sections under IV. Standards and Conditions, Policy 303.7, Delivery of Instruction via Telecommunication.
TX/FL/KY	Southern (SACS)	Kentucky (1998): http://www.kyvu.org/kyvu/additional-info.asp#guiding	As directly quoted from Kentucky’s site (1998,“Guiding Principles”): Implement the vision, goals, and objectives of the statewide strategic agenda for postsecondary education. Recognize institutional missions and their respective strategic plans. Effectively and efficiently utilize existing resources, including faculty, services, and information technology, to accomplish its goals. Capitalize on and create synergies among the educational resources and services of in-state institutions, both public and independent. Use regional, national, and international resources to meet the needs of students that cannot be met by in-state institutions. Use available state resources, including public schools, in the delivery of post-secondary education. Develop importing and outsourcing options where appropriate. Use educational best practices across the country and globe to conceptualize, develop, deliver, and evaluate instruction, student services, and faculty development. Respond promptly to demonstrated needs for programs and courses by providing instruction, learning resources, and student services where and when needed. Respond promptly to demonstrated needs for programs and courses by providing instruction, learning resources, and student services where and when needed. Promote faculty and staff reward and recognition systems that value innovative uses of alternative delivery systems. Recognize, evaluate and, where appropriate and feasible, adopt state-of-the-art technologies and processes that can best serve Kentucky's needs. Integrate, to the maximum extent possible, assessment of the KYVU with the CPE's existing accountability and comprehensive data base systems. Address intellectual property and copyright issues. Produce high quality student learning.
ME/RI/CT	North Eastern (NE	RI (1997): http://www.ribghe.org/disted.pdf	Expresses the directive that DE should build on” established system and institutional missions and quality academic programs,” and use DE to expand access, opportunity, with quality.
AK/WA/OR/ID/UT	Northwestern NW	Oregon (1995): http://www.ous.edu/dist-learn/dist-pol.htm	Framework provides for “Planning, Quality and Program/Courses; Student Services; Faculty Issues; Tuition/Fees and Student Enrollments; and Technical Standards”
NY/PA/ MD	Middle States (Middle)	NY (2004): http://web.nysed.gov/ocue/distance/	Framework: Draws from Middle States adoption of WICHE/WCET best practices, and “Statement of Commitment Document.” Defines deliveries outside the state and seat-time equivalencies (good instruction, regardless of format).
I, CA	Western (W)	Hawaii (1998): http://www.hawaii.edu/ovppp/distlearn/policy.htm	Framework: Access, Instructional Quality are addressed.

Figure 1: State Policy Language Reflective of WICHE/WCET Best Practices

I have two questions about the policy issues: 1) Do the policy barriers relate to competition among a state's institutions for various student populations in a state or beyond? 2) Conversely, what can ensure transfer of quality courses among states, beyond a local attitude, that if it doesn't come from us, the student really should take our course?

James Alliban: Augmented Reality in Education

Check out this SlideShare Presentation on augmented reality--the embedding of "computer generated information in 2D or real world objects: See this explanation. Once these codes are read from scanning software on a device such as a Smartphone, the reader is connected to the digital content. Thank you James for this great set of augmented reality examples.

James Alliban: Augmented Reality in Education

View more presentations from University of London Computer Centre (ULCC).

A Review of and a Link to a Useful Multimedia Selection Guide

This is a helpful guide for the many considerations for blended learning by authors Dr. Jolly Holden, Dr. Philip Westfall, and Dr. Keysha Gamor:

AN INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA SELECTION GUIDE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING—IMPLICATIONS FOR BLENDED LEARNING FEATURING AN INTRODUCTION TO VIRTUAL WORLDS

http://www.usdla.org/USDLA_Ins_Media.pdf

The strength of this short publication is that it connects cognitive strategies to instructional strategies to tech choices. It also names some of the limitations of those tech uses along with suggestions for types of instructional activities for a particular choice.

The section on virtual world applications clearly defines and discusses the potential for their instructional activity.

This is a useful guide for practioners and designers (and for the many who serve both roles) both early and somewhere along the road. For the more advanced, you may also be asking for more on Virtual worlds, and serious games, but this is a very good start. Nonetheless, the material here will also give the more experienced a chance to examine their current practices.

One point I think about as I design are questions to ask the learners. What are they using? Would their choices help them learn in this particular class? How?

Most recently I’ve also been thinking about the potential for certain activities across multiple applications and platforms. This choice of interoperatibility could immediately increase access to various activities for the various learners likely to come into a course.

Thank you to the authors and USDLA --- this is a clearly written, very useful contribution to the development of 21st century teaching and learning.

Ben Harper, Harrison and Arthur

Become a member Live at KCRW on Morning Becomes Eclectic 08.26.10