Evolution - Current Perspectives

Educators in today‘s world know that there are no silver bullets for teaching and learning.  There is no single pedagogy that provides absolute success for all students in all environments and contexts.  However, there are practices that have emerged and been the focus of extensive examination to determine there worthiness and inclusion as a part of the pedagogy of teaching online.   Keengewe, Arome, Anyanwu, & Whittaker (2006) state "To ensure meaningful learning, it is essential that we place pedagogy above technology.  Students do not learn from the technology; they learn from competent instructors who have been trained to communicate and deliver effectively through technology". Though there is no silver bullet, non-the-less, educators must focus their energies correctly for teaching on the Net.  They must take the advice of Keengewe et al to heart, being careful they do not focus their "energies on the learning of new software and functions of new tools with too little attention to pedagogy" (McKenzie, 2003).

What are these current practices, these underlying principles?  Nowhere within what follows will you find a step by step guide for developing a Net Pedagogy.  Instead you will find a compilation of knowledge, experience, information, bits of wisdom and paths for further investigation that provide a starting point for reflection and action in developing your working pedagogy for the creation and development of effective Internet based learning environments.  The following expose you  to principles that are integral to successful online learning environments that have emerged over the last 10 years.

Under the editorship of Anderson and Elloumi (2004), Athabasca University has published a comprehensive publication on the Theory and Practice of Online learning.  Anderson (2004) concludes that the "three critical components of teaching presence – design and organization, facilitating discourse, and direct instruction – will continue to be critical components of teaching effectiveness in … online learning".

Kirkwood & Price (2006) conclude that "the use of [Information and Communication Technologies] necessitates more than simply replicating or supplementing existing teaching practices:  everything governing these practices must be reconsidered and reflected upon".

Kearsley & Blomeyer (2004), identify specific educational strategies that "are associated with effective online courses:

• student-centered activities
• facilitation and modeling
• problem-based learning
• collaborative learning"

Generally, these are different strategies than most educators are familiar with.  They further identify specific behaviours that are "associated with effective online teaching:

• providing timely and meaningful feedback
• creating learning activities that engage students
• keeping students interested and motivated
• ensuring students interact with each other
• encouraging student to be critical and reflective"

The University of Illinois Faculty Seminar (1999) identified the theory of constructivism as having "extensive applications in the use of computer supported collaborative learning tools" (p. 29), and that "sound online pedagogy involves a shift in paradigm in one of at least two ways which are of course not mutually exclusive. For discussion type courses, the text based, collaborative learning approach seems very suitable, while for didactic courses, the graphics-based, more individualized form of constructivism works well" (p.30).

Kearsley & Shneiderman (1999) presented a framework for technology-based teaching and learning, focusing on Engagement Theory as the foundation of their framework.  Learning activities should focus around:

• collaborative teams
• be project based
• and have an authentic focus

Ruokamo, Tella, Vahtivuori, Tuovinen, & Tissari (2002; pp. 3-4) present eleven characteristics of meaningful learning and studying:

• Constructive and cumulative – students build knowledge upon the basis of their earlier knowledge.
• Active and self-directed – the roles of the students and other members of the learning community are active
• Cooperative and communal – students work together and build knowledge in cooperation with each other
• Conversational and interactive – comprehensive understanding of and respect for one another as well as interaction and interactivity
• Contextual and situational – learning tasks support meaningful solutions to the problems of the real world, or are simulated through certain case-specific or problem-based examples of the real world
• Transferable – students know hw to use their knowledge and skills in other situations
• Goal oriented and purposive – students define and set objectives of their own
• Guided – learning is promoted by the teacher and by feedback of other students
• Individual – each learner constructs his or her own learning and studying environments
• Reflective – information retrieval and processing as well as the skills of critical assessment are emphasized
• Abstract – construction of new ideas at an abstract level

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Anderson, T. (2004).  Chapter 11: Teaching in an on-line learning context.  In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and Practice of Online Learning.  Athabasca University, Alberta.

Anderson, T. & Elloumi, F. (2004).  Theory and practice of online learning.  Retrieved 2005 from http://cde./online_book/pdf/TPOL_book.pdf

Kearsley, G. & Blomeyer, R. (2004).  Preparing k-12 teachers to teach online.  Retrieved October 16, 2006, from http:///~gkearsley/TeachingOnline.htm

Kearsley, G. & Shneiderman, B. (1999).  Engagement theory:  A framework for technology-based teaching and learning.  Retrieved October 20, 2006 from http://home./~gkearsley/engage.htm

Keengwe, J. Arome, G., Anyanwu L., & Whittaker, S. (2006).  Constructivist pedagogy for meaningful learning:  A focus on pedagogy above technology.  In Crawford, C., Willis, D., Calrsen, R., Gibson, I., McFerrin, K., Price, J., & Weber, R. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2006 (pp.1667-1670).  Chesapeake, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education

Kirkwood, A. & Price, L. (2006).  Adaptation for a changing environment:  Developing learning and teaching with information and communication technologies.  Retrieved Oct 24, 2006 from http://www./index.php/irrodl/article/viewArticle/294/624

McKenzie, J. (2003).  Pedagogy does matter.  Retrieved October 22, 2006 from http://www./sept03/pedagogy.html

Ruokamo, H., Tella, S., Vahtivuori, s., tuovinen, H. & Tissari, V. (2002).  Pedagogical models in the design and assessment of network-based education.  Retrieved October 20, 2006 from http://www.edu./media/edmedia02.pdf

University of Illinois Faculty Seminar (1999).  Teaching at an Internet distance:  The pedagogy of online teaching and learning.  Retrieved October 23, 2006 from http://www.vpaa./reports_retreats/tid_final-12-5.pdf