Meeting Online Learners' Needs Through Cognitive Apprenticeship

MEETING ONLINE LEARNERS’ NEEDS THROUGH COGNITIVE APPRENTICESHIP Dr. Vanessa Dennen Associate Professor Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies Florida State University, USA

SiED EnPED 2014 • Dr. Vanessa Dennen • Florida State University 1

Overview •  Learner needs and possible solutions •  Types of online learners • Using cognitive apprenticeship to meet learner needs



I may teach the same course year after year, but I never teach the

same class.

WHAT DO YOU NEED RIGHT NOW?

Sleep Coffee Food

A good laugh More money

A date


WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM THIS CLASS?

Knowledge of topic An “A”

3 credit hours


WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM SCHOOL?

A degree A good job


Roles of the Online Instructor

Managerial

•  Running the course

Pedagogical

•  Teaching the content

Social

•  Fostering relationships

Technological

•  Supporting CMC


(Berge, 1995; Bonk, Kirkley, Hara & Dennen, 2001)

Online Student Needs

Managerial

•  Follow the course plan

Pedagogical

•  Learn the content

Social

•  Feel a connection

Technological

•  Use the course technology


In class:

In general:

Advising Career Preparation Financial Aid Friends IT Access Library Access Study Skills

Who’s in your class?

Perfect Paula

Social Sam

Experienced Ellen

Eager Edgar


Newbie Ned

Needy Nancy

Overloaded Owen

Absent Alison

Perfect Paula • Profile characteristics:

•  Well-prepared for both the course content and online learning •  Devotes sufficient time to her studies •  Self-regulates effectively

• Unique needs: •  Typically none, but if they arise she is

proactive about finding a timely solution.

• Challenges: •  None! We love having Paula in class.


Social Sam • Profile characteristics:

•  High level of energy / high degree of socialization •  Willing to engage in course activities

• Unique needs: •  Attention!

• Challenges: •  Sometimes big on talk but short on

substance •  Keeping him from taking over the

conversation


Experienced Ellen • Profile characteristics:

•  Has a lot of course-related experience •  High degree of self-efficacy

• Unique needs: •  May not be able to map course content

onto her experiences •  May need affirmation of her experience

• Challenges: •  Keeping her engaged and challenged •  Helping her see alternate points of view •  Keeping her from spreading

misconceptions


Eager Edgar • Profile characteristics:

•  Enthusiastic about course •  May appear more experienced than he is

• Unique needs: •  Attention

• Challenges: •  Keeping him focused and engaged


Newbie Ned • Profile characteristics:

•  New to online learning •  May lack confidence, technology skills

• Unique needs: •  Learning how to be an online student

• Challenges: •  Keeping him from feeling overwhelmed


Needy Nancy • Profile characteristics:

•  Worried about whether she is doing things correctly

• Unique needs: •  Affirmation

• Challenges: •  If she doesn’t get affirmation, she may

tune out or become negative about the course


Overloaded Owen • Profile characteristics:

•  Struggles to make school a priority •  May perform work at the minimum level •  Always has a (real) excuse

• Unique needs: •  Flexibility •  Assistance with time management

• Challenges: •  Helping him figure out how school fits

in with other commitments and interests •  Counseling him to make wise decisions


Absent Alison • Profile characteristics:

•  Often invisible •  Turns in assignments late, if at all

• Unique needs: •  Reasons to attend or interact

• Challenges: •  Getting her to communicate •  Determining WHY she is absent •  Changing her concept of online classes


Another Need:

Self-regulation Technology self-efficacy

Metacognitive strategies Networking

Lifelong Learning

Skills


Ideal Progression for Learners

Learning in class Graduating

Participating in a professional community of

practice


Target: Community of Practice


Community of Practice

Mutual engagement

Joint enterprise Shared repertoire

(Wenger, 1998)

Cognitive Apprenticeship Model

Model •  learners observe expert

Coach •  learners receive expert guidance

Scaffold •  learners perform with support

Articulate •  learners explicate their knowledge

Reflect •  learners analyze their own performance

Explore •  learners own and extend knowledge


(Collins, Brown & Newman, 1998)

Types of Learning in a Cognitive Apprenticeship

Knowledge Content

Managerial

Pedagogical

Social

Technological


Expertise is: Distributed Domain-specific

How to Not Foster Cognitive Apprenticeship • Mini-case 1

•  Passive learning + didactic techniques

• Mini-case 2 •  Heavy instructor intervention •  Instructor-student communication dyads


Operationalizing Cognitive Apprenticeship in an Online Class


Modeling

Coaching

Scaffolding

Articulation

Reflection

Exploration

•  Foster peer engagement •  Let more experienced students help less

experienced ones •  Encourage collaborative exploration

Matching Up Learners


Perfect Paula

Social Sam

Experienced Ellen

Eager Edgar

Newbie Ned

Needy Nancy

Overloaded Owen

Absent Alison

Goals of Using Cognitive Apprenticeship

•  Focus on content •  Authentic experiences Learning

•  Build intersubjectivity •  Draw upon distributed cognition Community

•  “Own” content and related experiences

•  Prepare for workplace learning Independence


Providing Rewards • Badges • Personal attention

•  Communication •  Showcase / highlights

• Assign responsibilities


Summary •  Learners needs extend beyond content and pedagogy • Cognitive apprenticeship can be used to meet learners’

within-class needs across areas • Collaboration and community are necessary to foster

cognitive apprenticeship in a class setting • End goal: Produce professionals who are competent

lifelong learners


Questions?

Contact Information: Dr. Vanessa Dennen Instructional Systems & Learning Technologies Florida State University [email protected] @vdennen http://slideshare.net/vanessadennen


References •  Berge, Z. L. (1995). Facilitating computer conferencing:

Recommendations from the field. Educational Technology, 35(1), 22-30.

•  Bonk, C. J., Kirkley, J. R., Hara, N., & Dennen, V. P. (2001). Finding the instructor in post-secondary online learning: Pedagogical, social, managerial, and technological locations. In J. Stephenson (Ed.), Teaching and learning online: New pedagogies for new technologies (pp. 76-97). London: Kogan Page.

•  Collins, A., Brown, J. S., & Newman, S. E. (1998). Cognitive apprenticeship: Teaching the craft of reading, writing, and mathematics. In L. B. Resnick (Ed.), Knowing, Learning, and Instruction: Essays in Honor of Robert Glaser (pp. 453-494). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

•  Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
