Monday, December 3, 2007

Assignment 8, Literature Review

Introduction

The literature review emphasizes on adult learning and andragogy, new media in online education, and social presence and learning with new media. Andragogy is a learning style and not a method; therefore, there are some principles:
1.the establishment of an effective learning climate.
2.learners are involved in the mutual planning of curriculum and teaching content
3.learners are involved in their own needs assessment
4.learners are encouragement to formulate their own learning objectives and to devise their own resources and strategies to meet these objectives
5.learners are offered support and facilitation to carry out their learning plans
6.learners are facilitated in the evaluation of their learning.
These principles of adult education are essential in the area of new media in online education where areas students need to take responsibility of their education; as well what impact will reflect on social presence and how will their social interaction be sustained.



Adult Learning and Andragogy

Andragogy became a relying point for those trying to define the field of adult education as separate from other areas of education. Adult education methods (andragogy) are contrasted with typical school education (pedagogy). Malcolm Knowles introduced andragogy to North American adult educators; self-directed learning appeared as another model that helped define adult learners as different from children (Merriam 8). Knowles’s view of andragogy is that learners become increasingly self-directed as they mature.

The five assumptions underlying andragogy describe the adult learner as someone who (1) has an independent self-concept and who can direct his or her own learning, (2) has accumulated a reservoir of life experiences that is a rich resource for learning, (3) has learning needs closely related to changing social roles, (4) is problem-centered and interested in immediate application of knowledge, and (5) is motivated to learn by internal rather than external factors (Merriam5)

Merriam states that pedagogy assigns the teacher full responsible for making decisions about what should be learned. Andragogy does not rely only what the teacher imparts, rather the learners are encouraged to formulate their own learning objectives and to device their own resources and strategies to meet objectives. To concise, “Knowles’ andragogical model seeks to address. The pedagogical way to address this learner challenge would be to serve up the answer the student craves. Andragogy, on the other hand, has provided a means by which the facilitator of the education process understood the behaviour (96).”

New media in online education

The first-generation Web tools, as many have called them, included email, chat rooms, discussion boards, among others. The second-generation Web tools that promise to take interactivity to the next level. Blogs (Weblogs), wikis, and podcasts (also called vlogs if they use video, or audioblogs if only audio is used) can be implemented alone or in conjunction with applications such as Imeem, Whiteboard, and InstaColl to create engaging learning environments. As new technologies emerge, instructional designers and educators have unique opportunities to foster interaction and collaboration among learners, thus creating a true learning community (Beldarrain, 2006).


Educators are quickly embracing the wiki phenomenon, stimulating many educators to set up wikis of their own to teach other educators how to implement this technology tool. A wiki is a collection of Web pages that are linked to each other, and reflect the collaborative works of many authors. Wikis are thought to be more permanent and serious than blogs and may serve as repositories of knowledge. Teaching models that integrate technologies such as blogs or wikis may afford more learner control, and thus may be more effective at delivering instructional strategies that support knowledge construction (Beldarrain, 2006).



Social Presence and learning with New Media

Social presence in learning with new media is the social interaction between people cooperating and interacting with Web tools. Focusing on either first or second generation Web tools with a more limited social environment than the conventional classroom, it’s important to keep participants engaged in any form of e-learning: synchronous or asynchronous. It’s not unusual to find that participant in non-interactive virtual classroom sessions are multi-tasking, for example working on email or completing work assignments. In some cases, they may have even left their computers!” (Clark 46).

Social presence it does not entitle a simple social interaction, but cultural exposure. This first generation Web tool, the telecollaboration, that had existed 15 years ago and the researchers focused to find how can this technology be beneficial for students to have a virtual intercultural contact. The telecollaboration refers to the use of online communication tools to connect language learners in different countries, in this particular study, for the development of a collaborative project work. When students are exposed and use online communication tools including email, web-based, message boards, and video conferencing, they are able to experience and discuss their foreign perspective, beliefs and values through the online communications tools (O’ David, 2007).

The ability to engage in communication that reduces uncertainty can reduce stress and result in a heightened state of organizational assimilation-which ostensibly improves one’s contributions to the organization, commitment to membership and tasks, and satisfaction with the organizational experience (J.H. Waldeck et al.).









References

Bedi, Ajay. An andragogical approach to teaching styles. Education for Primary Care 15(1), 93-97.
An andragogical approach to teaching styles.

Beldarrain, Yoany. Distance Education Trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education 27(2), 139-153.
Distance Education Trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration.

Clark, Ruth C. Harnessing the Virtual Classroom. T+D 59 (11), 40-43
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Clyde, Laurel A. Education Blogging. Teacher Librarian 32(3), 43-45.
educational blogging.

Harder, G. & Reichardt R. Throw Another Blog on the Wire: Libraries and the Weblogging Phenomena. Feliciter 49(2), 85.
Throw Another Blog on the Wire: Libraries and the Weblogging Phenomena.

Jarvis, Peter. From pedagogy to andragogy. Adults Learning 9(5), 23.
From pedagogy to andragogy.

Meriam, Sharan B. Andragogy and Self-Directed Learning: Pillars of Adult Learning Theory. New Directions for Adult & Continuing Education 89, 3-11.
Andragogy and Self-Directed Learning: Pillars of Adult Learning Theory.


O’David, R. Evaluating the outcomes of online intercultural exchange. ELT Journal: English Language Teachers Journal 61(2), 144-152.
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Rau, P.P., Gao, Q., and Wu L. Using mobile communication technology in high school education: Motivation, pressure, and learning performance. Computers & Education 50(1), 1-22.
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Waldeck, J.H., Seibold D.R., and Flanagin A.J. Organizational Assimilation and Communication Technology Use. Communication Monographs 71(2), 161-183.
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