experimentation, exploration, and testing the boundaries [19]." (Resnick)
Response: During my academic pursuits over the past five years my favorite classes have been those that allowed me to engage in the coursework. Lecture and discussion have been fine, but I have excelled in project based learning. Engagement in exploration and the opportunity to be creative have given me the power to explore, experiment, and push my own personal boundaries. I cannot imaging learning any other way.
Resource: I located this resource, Crossing Boundaries: Digital Learners and the Social and Academic Use of Technology in Higher Education. There were 2 things that intrigued me about this work. One is that is a study as applies to post-secondary education. This course is designed around primary and secondary education and my interest is in adult learning, so therefore, finding a resource more geared towards my area of interest is a welcome change. I guess you could say that I am pushing the boundaries of this course. The second thing that caught my attention was how the authors chose to push boundaries while exploring and experimenting: "Phase 2 of the Digital Learners in Higher Education project has uncovered some important insights into how learners in higher education are thinking about and using digital technologies for social and academic purposes and how they separate and integrate their uses. We have submitted an article for publication but given how lengthy the scholarly publication process is, we have decided to release it here for feedback and comment." (Morgan, Bullen, 2013) Yes, these scholars have circumvented the normal process to engage others in discussion about this project.
Morgan, T and Bullen M. "Crossing boundaries: Digital learners and the social and academic use of technology in higher education." 2013. http://www.netgenskeptic.com/2013/03/crossing-boundaries-digital-learners.html
Resnick, M. "All I really need to know (about creative thinking) I learned (by studying how children learn) in kindergarten*". http://web.media.mit.edu/~mres/papers/kindergarten-learning-approach.pdf
I chose the same quote and could not agree more! PBLs are definitely the way to go!
ReplyDeleteI liked reading through your link. It is very relevant for this course.
ReplyDeleteI love project-based learning. It allows students all the creativity and imagination (as well as critical thinking skills) that they don't get in a traditional classroom. It allows students to feel comfortable with not getting a nice, neat "correct" answer, but now they have to think and create.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to the study on digital learning in higher education! I have bookmarked for future reference! It reflects my own teaching experiences. Students come to college with very narrow skill sets in terms of digital literacies. Additionally, I find that many students are resistant to assignments that require play and experimentation. They seem to want well defined problems with one right answer. Sometimes I think that the testing culture we have created in K-12 schools has trumped the concept of "digital natives".
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