Learning Landscapes
Lenses of Learning
Planning successful course content can be a challenging process, requiring the consideration of student outcomes, organizational goals, spiritual goals, and other program and student-related issues. Lenses of Learning will help you refine your course content based on these factors. Additionally, you'll identify the essential information that learners should translate into work-related knowledge, skills and attitudes through the planning of instructional experiences. How information (facts, concepts, processes, procedures, principles) is sequenced does, indeed, affect student learning. Join Chris Nickel as she presents helpful processes that will ensure the integrity of your course content.
Learning objectives:
- Explain effective ways to choose appropriate course content and share it online through the concept of "lenses".
- Give examples of how to apply Spiritual, Organizational, Student, Instructional Design, and Quality Matters "lenses" for choosing appropriate content, along with activities and assessments to support learning of the content.
- Promote spiritual characteristics for your students within course content
- Evaluate course content based on Program goals and Course Objectives.
- Analyze students based on learner characteristics including experience with content, prior knowledge, and potential misconceptions
- Apply instructional design strategies based on the type of content (fact, rule, principle, concept, procedure)
- Recognize the Quality Matters Rubric as a tool for structuring and evaluating one's online course.
- Given a content analysis template, examine one of your courses to apply the principles of Content Analysis.
Theories of Learning
We know from research that every good course begins with a learning theory that lays a foundation for strong and deep learning. This course will examine learning theories and associated instructional strategies that have direct application and importance to the on-campus and distance learner. Specific theories will be explored, with practical examples of how you can apply them to your courses. Additional resources will be provided with examples of successful application of learning theories and strategies in higher education.
Learning Objectives:
- Given the terms "learning" and "theory", recognize the importance of beginning course design with theory in mind.
- Define and summarize general information regarding Behaviorist, Cognitivist, and Constructivist learning theories and their use in higher education today.
- Given Anderson's theory, understand how Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism could be used for learning in higher education.
- Given examples based on Anderson's theory, reflect on how to apply sound pedagogy to participants' own courses.
- Based on cultural contexts, identify potential filters that can interfere or complement student learning.
Cooperative & Collaborative Learning
Group dynamics in traditional instructor-led courses or taught through Blackboard are effective ways to enhance learning in higher education. Students who work together create ownership of their content, practice critical thinking skills, and are exposed to other students perspectives that help to shape learning. Collaborative and Cooperative Learning will help you understand the differences and similarities between these two concepts, the principles behind each, and effective strategies for designing, implementing and assessing these learning strategies in your own courses. Utilizing Wikis and Blogs within Blackboard, you'll work together with colleagues to complete a detailed plan for effectively using these strategies in your own courses.
Learning Objectives:
- Define, compare and contrast the critical elements of cooperative and collaborative learning.
- Demonstrate knowledge of current research regarding collaboration and cooperation in higher education by examining the potential usefulness of collaborative and cooperative learning in faculty's own courses.
- Create a plan for a collaborative or cooperative learning event that includes detailed Planning, Managing, and Assessment components.
Experiential Learning
Participants will explore the six common features of Experiential Learning and examine the varying complexities of using it within your courses. In addition, participants will discuss practical examples of how it is being used today in Instructor-led, Blended, and Online Courses.
Learning objectives:
- Define experiential learning and identify the benefits of using it in higher education
- Summarize the six common aspects of experiential learning
- Recognize how the adapted experiential learning model is illustrated in three types of experiential learning
- Analyze how experiential learning could be used in one's own classroom
Teaching, Learning & Technology
Technology and its use in higher education is the cornerstone of change in the 21st Century classroom. This course will review the history of educational technology and its use today in higher education. You will learn what the term "Learning Technology" or "Educational Technology" means and understand the importance of using it for the enhancement of learning. In addition, we will discuss the effective use of learning technology for traditional instructor-led courses and distance education courses taught at Regent University.
Learning Objectives:
- Review the history of educational technology from 1960 until present time.
- Given the definitions, differentiate between the terms Information Technology, Instructional Technology, Educational Technology, and Instructional Design.
- Recognize the use of emerging technology to support good instructional design.
- Discuss effective uses of educational technologies in technology-assisted and online higher education courses.
Introduction to Assignment Rubrics
The purpose of this class is to introduce participants to the concept and practice of using rubrics. You will be introduced to a step-by-step process for developing an assignment rubric, and finally, you will create a rubric of your own for a specific course and assignment.
