Preparing Learners

SKILLS AND UNDERSTANDINGS REQUIRED OF LEARNERS

The skills required are related to information literacy and learning skills such as knowledge acquisition, evaluating the quality of the information, and applying strategies to a specific context. Learners need to collate and synthesise information to explain a situation and use a wide variety of evidence to support their argument. Listening and communication skills (verbal and written) are important in solving the problem situation and asking the relevant questions. ICT skills are required to navigate around the web site and to use the Bulletin Board.

ADDITIONAL PREPARATION

Some understanding and awareness of Problem-Based Learning and the subject area is of importance. Ground rules are established with the group which sets out rights and responsibilities, and for the most part attendance and participation is necessary to work through the problem-based learning activities. Off campus, students are required to participate on the Bulletin Board and keep up with the schedule of reading material and revision questions.

Teacher Assistance

What guidelines and strategies are needed to assist teachers to successfully design such a learning setting for their own discipline area?

Skills are needed in the following areas:

• How to write a set of problem scenarios and responses that align with the curriculum.
• How to conduct a training session in problem-based learning.
• How to design a marking framework that assesses the learning outcomes.
• How to offer scaffolding (learner supports) at appropriate times.

Guidelines needed by Tutor/Facilitator

How to assess responses to the activities, and how to moderate Bulletin Board discussion.

This learning design is useful in instances when the learning being sought involves an experiential approach to developing knowledge in context. The situated learning design assists students to develop appropriate skills in order to apply processes and procedures of a conceptual nature, such as:

• learning how to review available information;
• learning how to interpret appropriate information;
• learning how to construct a portfolio of evidence;
• learning how to present and justify an informed position.

The learning design can be used where the learning seeks to develop competence based on an understanding of underpinning principles. The simulated experiences underpinning the learning design help students to acquire skills related to inquiry and critical thinking in a course seeking performance-oriented outcomes within a team approach to problem solving.

The learning design facilitates outcomes in courses where a virtual setting is an appropriate experiential substitute for a real-life learning context, especially when exploring a significant social or institutional issue. In such a setting, practical skills and problem-solving skills can be developed and proposed solutions can be trialled by students without harming potential participants.

It is well suited to courses where an appreciation of context is essential for developing a critical awareness of data and its role in decision making. The design is suited to courses where the expected outcomes include a constructivist approach to addressing a situated problem, along with conceptual development of the theoretical principles underpinning the decision-making processes involved.

EXAMPLES

IMPLEMENTING ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

• The assessment structure for this learning design involves a series of small, collaborative learning tasks which provide the structured development of required skills and processes for each student to present a conceptually sound, sensible and well-justified response to an open-ended problem.
• The assessment structure needs to incorporate components recognising individual, group and cohort reflections and participation. These structures need to include student self-reflection on participation in group assessment.
• In order to assist students to understand the structure of the learning design, the assessment criteria must make transparent links between suggested learning activities and the expected outcomes of the assessment framework.
• The series of group tasks needs to be predominantly outcome-based assessment, as the justification for structured group tasks is development of skills and processes within a collegial support network.
• The criteria for marking each group task, and especially for the final response to the situated problem, must be modelled on real world expectations and standards for the specific skills and processes being developed by students.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

• The assessment integrated throughout the learning design uses experiential models to assist students understand and apply the conceptual processes and procedures for reviewing and interpreting appropriate information to necessary to construct a portfolio of evidence to justify an informed solution to an authentic problem.
• The assessment structure provides the scaffolding for the progressive development of higher-order skills and processes in context, and ensures the alignment of course objectives and learning outcomes.
• The group assessment strategies are carefully constructed in an authentic setting to provide opportunities for students to develop required skills and processes in a public and supported learning environment.
• The public nature of the group assessment provides students with a structure to become critical, reflective learners with the social skills for effective professional communication using ICT discussion tools.

ASSESSMENT EXAMPLES

CRITICAL ASPECTS OF THE USE OF ICT

Key aspects of using ICT in this learning design include:

• improved asynchronous, collaborative group communication, both within and between learning groups;
• opportunities for students to make their learning public and to respond to each other's learning through the use of bulletin boards;
• opportunities for students and their tutors to extend and share the resource base through web searching and discussion tools;
• a critical need to support easy access for students to media and communication tools and Web or CD based resources;
• technology requirements for the learning design must remain within reasonable student access expectations for software. The learning design is not restricted to student cohorts with ICT expertise.

EXAMPLES HIGHLIGHTING THE USE OF ICT