Use Learning Objects to Fit Learning Styles

Online courses really do change the way instructors deliver content, but online instruction—in all of its various forms—is also making a huge impact on face-to-face instruction.  

 

 

 

Take a look at Gavin Clinch’s talk about re-useable learning objects—he calls the short chunks “Lego’s” because each one covers a concept, a chunk of information, in a 5 to 15 minute complete video lecture, and because he can reuse these learning objects in different courses, from one semester to the next.  While Clinch uses his pre-recorded learning capsules to save time in his own online course preparation, the real benefit is that this format may better suit students’ learning style.  Students can work through these learning objects on their own time, as quickly or slowly as suits them.

Daphne Koller, in her TED talk, makes the point that these short modular learning units fit the needs of more students than the standard 1-hour lecture format that for decades has been synonymous with college courses.  I think both are absolutely right. 

After 25 years of teaching AP English Language to high school students, I am certain that a “flipped classroom “ approach is a more effective way to teach the concepts of this course.  For example, when students study argument, they must learn first to read arguments and be able to identify the logical parts of the argument—the speaker’s claim or claims, the reasons, the evidence, the counterarguments, the qualifiers.  Through their understanding of these elements, they are better able to structure their own arguments.  Instead of overwhelming them with a lecture on everything at once, most students would do better if they could learn one or two concepts at a time, in short presentations (this is where a myriad of great tech tools comes in handy) on their own time, read short well-selected sample arguments, and identify/explain how each feature works in the argument.  With online quiz tools, students can then try out their new skills and get instant feedback. With face-to-face instruction, students, who have already worked their way through these modular units, come to class ready to tackle a more complex argument, to work with the instructor to learn about the subtleties of an argument, after they’ve worked through the basics on their own.  Sliced bread, anyone? I guess I quit teaching too soon…

But wait, as a librarian, trying to teach students how to find quality sources of information, I can create modular learning objects for students to access WHEN THEY NEED them!  Voila! No more boring lectures about how to do research—instead students search a menu on the library website, and choose the topics they need at the very minute they need them…how to figure out which websites are junk and which are gems; how to create a works cited page; how to find articles in a database. 

In her online article, “Flipping the Classroom,” Cynthia Brame raises the point that Flipped classroom students perform learning tasks on the lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy independently, while “focusing on the higher forms of cognitive work (application, analysis, synthesis, and / or evaluation) in class, where they have the support of their peers and instructor.” I am a firm believer that this makes sense, and that face-to-face classes can focus on the more strenuous learning experiences, after students have mastered the basics on their own.

References:

Brame, Cynthia J. "Center for Teaching." Center For Teaching. Vanderbilt University, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2014. <http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/flipping-the-classroom/>.

Clinch, Gavin.  “Reuseable Learning Objects.” You Tube. Penn State World Campus Faculty Development, 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2014

Koller, Daphne.  “What We’re Learning From Online Education.”  You Tube. TED Talks, 1 Aug. 2012.  Web. 15 Feb. 2014.