Designing effective learning with digital technologies; learning through acquisition
In Teaching As a Design Science: Building Pedagogical Patterns for Learning and Technology, Diana Laurillard discusses six learning types that arise from the Conversational Framework; acquisition, collaboration, discussion, inquiry, practice, and production.
I discussed the overall framework in Designing effective learning with digital technologies; a look at the Conversational Framework. In this second article, I am focusing on learning through acquisition.
According to Laurillard, learning through acquisition
“is what learners are doing when they are listening to a lecture or podcast, reading from books or websites, and watching demos or videos”.The teacher communication cycle
The teacher communication cycle of the Conversational Framework shows how the teacher aligns goals for a class topic and monitors student understanding. One part of the teacher communication cycle focuses on learning through acquisition. Learning through acquisition is probably the most common learning type, as it involves things like watching a lecture, reading a book or webpage, listening to podcasts etc. Learning through acquisition is depicted in the following image and example.
The teacher communication cycle: Learning through acquisition
Example:
The teacher explains the topic (1)
The student asks a question/ voices how they have understood the topic. (2)
The teacher answers the question/ gives feedback on the student’s understanding of the topic. (3)
The words Generate and Modulate are used because the teacher generates an explanation of the topic in order to modulate (adjust) their student’s understanding of the topic. The students then generate their own understanding of the topic and inform the teacher, who then generates a new explanation, which again modulates their student’s understanding.
Learning through acquisition - an active process
It’s not enough to just run a lecture to your students without any teacher-student dialogue. This can sometimes be missed out on in conventional ways of learning, but it’s more often omitted in digital contexts. The teacher communication cycle is not fully functioning just by having students watch a video or read a web article. That is only half of the cycle.
Learning through acquisition should be an active, not passive process. In order to complete the cycle, students should be informing a teacher or learning tool of their understanding of a topic after watching the video. The teacher or learning tool then needs to let the student know what they got right or wrong, and give more information where needed. So while on the face of it, it seems like addressing learning through acquisition with digital methods is easy, it can actually be a challenge. In a classroom setting, a teacher can pick up physical cues from students and offer instant feedback. In the absence of that, it’s important to make sure that feedback and teacher-student dialogue still happens.
Advantages of e-learning for learning through acquisition
There is little evidence to suggest that there are any significant pedagogical advantages in using online learning in place of in-person learning. The modality of teaching and learning is not where the value lies. The value lies in the approach to teaching and learning in that context and the infrastructure and support for the approach.
Of course, there are other benefits to using digital learning which include:
Convenience - It may be more convenient for students to attend classes remotely, and to access learning content asynchronously. They can control the pace and the order of self-paced content.
Accessibility - Some students may have needs that could be addressed with e-learning.
Necessity - As we have learned with the COVID-19 pandemic, sometimes online methods of learning are necessary and help students and staff be safe.
Supporting students to learn through acquisition
A good way to support students to learn through acquisition is to also incorporate other types of learning. Here is an example of how learning through acquisition can be supported in an online context whilst also using learning through discussion.
Students watch a video on a topic.
Students post their thoughts/findings after watching the video to a discussion page.
Students reply to each other in the discussion thread so that they can generate an agreed understanding of the topic.
The teacher responds to the student's comments, discusses all the points raised and clarifies information.
How MTU supports learning through acquisition through digital offerings
MTU supports learning through acquisition through online programmes and modules, as well as tools that lecturing staff can use in order to help their students learn through acquisition.
Project example
Tourism and Hospitality Safety Training Module
The Tourism and Hospitality - Mandatory Safety Training module was created for students within the Tourism and Hospitality department as a new way to receive their Mandatory Safety Training.
How does the Tourism and Hospitality Safety Training Course help students learn through acquisition?
The Mandatory Safety Training module includes a suite of self-paced units that guide students through every step of the Safety Training.
The module uses a combination of text, graphics, videos and quizzes to guide students through the module. Students need to pass the quizzes in order to complete the course. Students acquire the relevant knowledge from the modules and generate their understanding by answering the quiz questions. If they fail a quiz, they can retake it two more times.
Tools
Canvas
Canvas is MTU’s VLE (Virtual Learning Environment). Canvas has the following features that lecturers can use to help students learn through acquisition.
Pages - Students can read, watch, or listen to the content shared on Canvas pages.
Links to external resources - Students can read, watch, or listen to content from different resources such as videos, websites, podcasts, etc.
Interactive learning objects/SCORM - Students can acquire knowledge from interactive e-learning content that is embedded into Canvas.
Quizzes/knowledge checks - Test student knowledge and give immediate feedback through the system.
Example - Student Assessment Guide
MTU’s Student Assessment Guide module gives students information and guidance on the various online assessment types in MTU. The module includes Canvas Pages with relevant information, as well as areas for students to practice their submissions so that they know that they can submit correctly to a real assignment.
H5P
Lecturers can access H5P directly within Canvas and use it to create rich interactive learning content and activities. H5P has the following features that lecturers can use to help students learn through acquisition.
Interactive videos/images: Lecturers can add interactions for students on top of video clips and images. This could be quiz interactions, simple interactions (text, images etc) or bookmarks/links to other content.
Presentations - Students can access a slide-based presentation with interactive elements.
Quizzes - Test student knowledge and give immediate feedback through the system.
https://telhelp.eu.helpdocs.com/h5p-interactive-content/what-is-h5p
Example - Canvas Learn
Canvas Learn is a module for MTU staff and students to learn how to use the Canvas virtual learning environment.
H5P is used throughout the module to show more information about the Canvas interface.
Zoom
MTU uses the teleconferencing software Zoom for remote delivery of classes. Zoom is integrated into Canvas so that Zoom sessions can be scheduled and launched from within Canvas itself. Zoom has many features including:
Polls for audience participation
Advanced polls for live knowledge checks
Breakout rooms
There are many ways that students can learn through acquisition by watching a lecture through Zoom, including:
Asking and answering questions with the lecturer during the Zoom call.
Discussing the lecture content with other students in breakout rooms.
Participating in knowledge check polls throughout the lecture.
Screencast-o-matic
Lecturers can record learning content using Screencast-o-matic. You can record your webcam, screen, or both. It’s especially useful for supporting the flipped-classroom approach and for step by step tutorials.
If using a flipped-classroom approach, lecturers could ask their students to watch the recorded video and then either discuss it on a discussion page or in a live Zoom class.
Closing
I have discussed how you can help your students learn through acquisition and given some examples from MTU. It’s also very important to evaluate the student piece of the acquisition process:
Are students engaging with the lecturer?
Are students participating in quizzes?
Are students adding to discussion boards?
There are a lot of things you can do to improve student engagement. In her book E-Moderating: The Key to Teaching and Learning Online Gilly Salmon introduces the 5 Stage Model, which provides a scaffold for students through their online learning. Among other things, Salmon emphasises the importance of establishing social connections in online learning.
