Week 6: Changing Learning Environments

Strengths and Weaknesses in Villa Colleges' physical learning and teaching spaces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGTQHiwSWP4

This is a link which will provide you an introduction about my Institution. Hope you all enjoy and have a better understanding of my institution. 

Strength

From the aforementioned video it is evident that there are a range of areas suitable for collaborative learning, individual learning, small group work and support services. Students can do collaborative learning in indoor and outdoor learning spaces of the college. There are excellent natural cross ventilation and lighting in indoor environment. The arrangement of seats in the classrooms allows students to be flexible for individual and collaborative learning. At outdoors, the rose and orchid gardens creates a pleasant and sophisticated greenly environment to enjoy learning. According to Keep (2002), temperature, heating and air quality are the most important individual elements for student achievement.

Weakness

The consideration of furniture is paramount. In VC modern furniture's are not available and also the current furniture's are not flexible and adaptable. The unconventional furniture transforms seemingly inflexible learning spaces. The removal of walls together with excellent furniture and flexible movable partitioning can be a simple way to alter a learning space to better meet a contemporary pedagogy.

Moreover, VC needs to enhance its physical space by the enrichment of Information Communication Technologies (ICT). Currently, each class, has a computer system and a multimedia projector, which is mainly, used by the teacher. Few students bring their own laptops for their convenience in gaining knowledge. However, the physical space needs to incorporate the characteristics of the latest smart classes. This will give a support to the College's educational aims and will inspire new generations of students and teachers. Gillespie (2007) highlights the importance of integrating technology in classrooms in order to cater for the demands of visually oriented student of today.

Aesthetic factors contribute to the overall performance of a building. Light, colour, glare, scale, texture and acoustics are important elements for student's achievement (Higgins, Hall, Wall, Woolner & McCaughey, 2005) which need to be considered in the physical learning space of VC. Large learning spaces with these (aesthetic) factors need to be designed.

Possible Changes to Physical Spaces

The most prevalent resource constraint for VC is the lack of space. There is a volume of research that suggests that classrooms where students seated in rows instead of tables create less attentive and less successful pupils (McGregor, 2004). Maldives is a small island nation and the capital city is highly crowded. Therefore, it is impossible to create modern large learning space, especially in the Qasim Ibrahim Campus (City campus). However, VC is now expanding its campuses across the country which hopefully will create larger and modern environment. When the new campuses are built in the islands it is wise to make use of the large space which is currently available.

Traditional furniture's could be changed to contemporary modern ones which are flexible and adaptable. The shape of the classes, its seating's, tables, lightings, student and teacher spaces need to be modified into a more collaborative learning environment.

In addition, flexibility and capacity of emerging technologies need to be considered in the renovation of the infrastructure. All possible appropriate existing technologies should be incorporated into the planning of the new upgraded learning space. The building and its furniture need to be easily adjustable in order to incorporate the latest technological advancements which are unforeseen.

Various researches advocates the significance of seating, furnishings, spatial density, privacy and play-yards on students' engagement, attainment, attendance and wellbeing (Eg: Keep, 2002; Higgins et al, 2005 & McGregor, 2004). Therefore, to improve students' learning experience at VC, a long term strategic planning needs to be established. The planning should be based on ways to customize the learning space in terms of larger space, modern adaptable furniture, aesthetic design and technological advancements which is most suitable for the visions of each faculty.

I just love the learning space in HKU, which Bob talked about. Here is a video which will give you a better idea of the innovative space in HKU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le5cBvcdSGI

 References

Gillespie, D. (2007). On-Demand Video System Enhances Visual Learning. District Administration, 43(9), pp 25-26.

Higgins, S., Hall, E., Wall, K., Woolner, P., & C McCaughey (2005). The Impact of School  Environments: A literature review. Retrieved on April 21, http://www.cfbt.com/PDF/91085.pdf

Keep, G. (2002). Buildings that teach. The Educational Facilities Planner, 37( 2).

McGregor, J. (2004). Spatiality and the Place of the Material in Schools', Pedagogy, Culture and Society. 12 (3) pp.347–372.

Week 5: Role of Technology in Teaching & Learning

According to various research and peoples belief, there are a number of worthwhile educational, economic and societal objectives that are more likely to be achieved with the use of technology in enhancing the teaching and learning process. This writing highlights on perspectives of using blended learning in VC, which is a success from the very beginning.  

" I love to be enrolled in online courses...because I am more open to discussion during online sessions, its more informative..i learn better in online courses... everyone participates and I get to read others views on certain topics...it gives an opportunity to gather knowledge before coming up with a point...I feel that we are provided with more resources and we can always refer it back when needed... its more flexible and convenient. "

(F. Minha, personal communication, April 16, 2014)

"In the online classroom, there is no place to hide…. And in that sense, students can become more responsible than you could ever make them in a face-to-face classroom....my students have done better than I've ever seen; they are motivated, enthused and doing their best work...the main benefit is that everything is all laid out…well organized…it is all right there…. there shouldn't be any mystery..."

(A. Shuau, personal communication, April 14, 2014)

Online resources and technology-based applications allow educators to serve students quickly and efficiently and in a manner in which the 21st century student is accustomed. According to Mayer (2005), technology allows students and teachers to become occupied in their learning, increase understanding of theoretical concepts, and increase curiosity and motivation. In addition, Lachs (2002) found that the integration of technology in the online, on-ground, or blended classroom increases student knowledge and attention.

Moreover, Mayer (2005) advocates the integration of technology in the classroom since it allow students to apply real world skills, learn effective teamwork techniques, learn inventive ways of expressing their ideas, and produce complex content. Lachs (2002) found that student's attitude and interest in subjects they previously considered unrelated, obsolete or unexciting were improved when audio resources were utilized in the classroom. Hence, the use of technology in education gives us numerous advantages which cannot be otherwise achieved.

Furthermore, Chicago public school system found that using videos in the classroom has improved their state assessment scores as the videos permit students to visualize complex ideas (Gillespie, 2007). Curriculum which can encourage students to integrate text, images, sound and animation into their assignments will help prepare today's students for the technologically demanding careers they will face once they graduate (Mayer, 2005). Therefore, the use of technology is essential for the enhancement of teaching and learning.

References

Gillespie, D. (2007). On-Demand Video System Enhances Visual Learning. District Administration, 43(9),25-26. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Lachs, V. (2002, October). Book review: Making multimedia in the classroom: A teachers' guide. Interactive

Mayer, R.E. (2005).The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. 

Week 4: Changing curriculum and Pedagogic design

Practice of Outcomes-based Curriculum in VC

Outcome based curriculum is the ideal formal curriculum which is planned to be implemented in all the courses in the faculty of education, VC. Curriculum of VC has the characteristics of an Outcome-based curriculum, which involves

• •      the development of clearly defined and published learning outcomes that must be achieved before the end of the course;
• •      the design of a curriculum, learning strategies and learning opportunities to ensure the achievement of the learning outcome;
• •      an assessment process matched to the learning outcomes and the assessment of individual students to ensure that they achieve the outcomes;
• •      the provision of remediation and enrichment for students as appropriate.

Since the establishment of Faculty of Education in the year 2007, an outcome based curriculum was followed, hence there was no difficulty is shifting the curriculum from an instruction based curriculum or any other curriculum.

As the number of courses in the VC started expanding in 2009, the new courses also followed outcome based curriculum. Lecturers were responsible to create course subject outline which strictly aligns with the curriculum. It is observed that majority of the lecturer's follow the outcome based curriculum.

Impact of Outcome based Curriculum in VC

Positive

• •      provides direction and stability in the course
• •      helps to guard against over-reliance on a particular staff member or idiosyncratic interpretation of syllabuses.
• •      Assist in adjusting teaching methods to facilitate the achievement of the stated objectives.
• •      Lecturer is in a much better position to decide how students may be assessed, since he or she should know exactly what behaviour they are supposed to be assessing.

Negative

• •      objectives are sometimes given greater status than they deserve.
• •      teaching and learning in some courses become so prescribed that spontaneity withers and initiative is stifled.
• •      lead to the production of students who are certainly well-trained in specific areas, but who lack the broad spectrum of abilities, skills and desirable attitudinal traits that are normally associated with a balanced, 'rounded' education.

Things to be done to further improve the situation?

• •      Lecturers quality need to be enhanced to refresh and update their knowledge on the curriculum and its expectations
• •      Better monitoring whether the lectures are implementing a rigorous outcome based curriculum, take actions if necessary
• •      Further research on ways to enhance the practice of a rigorous outcome based curriculum in VC and the impact of outcome based curriculum on students learning
• •      Ensure that all objectives and learning outcomes are re-appraised at regular intervals - not only to determine whether they are being achieved in the course, but also to establish whether they continue to reflect a valid interpretation of the course's direction and emphasis; if they do not, then it is time to change them.

Related issues in curriculum design that need to be addressed

• •      Integration of  technology into the curriculum
• •      Centralization and decentralization of Curriculum
• •      The essence of thinking in the curriculum
• •      Vocational education and general education- how to make it work together

Related readings

Harden, R, M. (2002). Developments in outcome-based education. Medical Teacher, 24(2), pp.

            117–120

Harden, R., M., Crosby, J., R., $ Davis, M., H. (1999). Outcome-based education: Part 1-An introduction to outcome-based education. Medical Teacher, 21, (1), pp. 7-14

Jansen, D. J., & Christie, P. (Eds.). (1999) Changing Curriculum: Studies on Outcomes-based Education in South Africa. Cape town: Creda Communications

Jansen, D. J.,. (1998). Curriculum Reform in South Africa: A  Critical Analysis of Outcomes-Based Education. Retrieved on April 14, 2014 from http://137.215.9.22/bitstream/handle/2263/132/Jansen%20(1998)a.pdf?sequence=4