Assignment 2: Brief Learning Unit using Social Learning Media - Wikispaces by Caron Webster Presented in Partial Fulfilment Of the

Requirements of EDID 6506 Trimester III, 2012-2013

Student : University: eTutor:

Caron Webster University of the West Indies Open Campus Sandhya Gunness

Course Coordinator Dr. Dickson-Deane

Background The use of web-based media to deliver learning has grown exponentially due to the prevalence of internet driven technology. Clark (2011) explains that media; including social learning media; are used in the context of educational technology to communicate and transfer learning. Social media tools such as wikis allow learners to collectively create, modify and distribute content towards the enhancement of their knowledge base. The exploration of the use of media in the form of a wiki was conducted to examine the use of new media tools for designing instruction and training materials. A wiki was used to host content in the form of a lesson as well as support collaborative learning.

The Lesson The purpose of the lesson is to prepare course coordinators who work as part of a training and development department for their role in administering the learning event. The administration of training is a subset of the implementation phase of the Analyse-DesignDevelop-Implement-Evaluate (ADDIE) model. The lesson is delivered using lecture, demonstration and drill and practice to provide an overview of the steps involved in implementing the learning event. The lesson is comprised of a lecture that demonstrates the training administration in seven (7) steps or stages and a post-session activity which requires the construction of a checklist for the administration of a learning event

The Lesson Objectives The objectives have been classified as terminal, that is what the learner will be able to do at the end of the session and enabling, that is what steps are involved in accomplishing the terminal objective. Terminal Objective: At the end of the session, learners will be able to use the guidelines presented in the session to effectively conduct. Enabling objectives: At the end of the workshop learners will be able to: 1. recall the training coordinators role and skills and qualities of the Course Coordinator 2. use the steps outlined in the training administration process to effectively coordinate courses The Media Description A wiki is a social medium which can be used for learning and is essentially a web page that persons who are members of the wiki can edit (University of Delaware, 2008). The edits include addition, erasure or rephrasing of content. While wikis have a variety of uses including the facilitation of brainstorming, lessons-learned documentation/reports or hosting of project sites (University of Delaware, 2008), they promote knowledge sharing and management amongst a group of users. In the workplace this can facilitate the development of policies and sharing of research in best practices for relevant knowledge areas which can support organisational development.

The wiki used in the lesson is hosted on Wikispaces which allows individuals to create and manage a collaborative space which they can invite others to participate in. This media was used to facilitate learning through the hosting of a lecture supported by a power point presentation and an activity which focused on the integration of guidelines discussed in the lecture. The wiki was chosen because it allows learners to build their own knowledge and to consider ways to improve their skills collaboratively after a learning intervention has occurred. This can encourage continuous learning when the trainees return to work.

Reflection Instructional design professionals are challenged to keep learning engaging and use media as a means of achieving that end to ensure learning transfer. In corporate training the challenge is to ensure that learners apply their new skills and develop them further. The use of social learning media to facilitate learning allows for it to take place and continue beyond the confines of a training room or a single learning event. The research and creation of learning using wiki technology highlighted the importance of an instructional strategy which caters for the challenges of associated with its use. Blake &Scanlon (2013) explain that simply incorporating social learning does not guarantee deeper learning and/or interaction among learners. Foords (n.d.) STOLEN principle was created to increase the chances of instructional success when using wikis for learning. Foord (n.d.) explains that a wiki for learning should have the following characteristics: clear objectives; definite close off time frame; a focus on learner ownership versus trainer ownership; structure; clear rules of engagement; and simple navigation. These principles can be challenging to apply for many reasons including the fact that some of these requirements are subjective, for instance, how to qualify simple navigation.

What resonates with me as both an instructional designer and a learner is the fact that learners need to be supported in the online learning environment and that there must be room for iteration in the learning design plan. In retrospect, I would have reserved a window for testing with another individual which would have assisted in assessing if the STOLEN principle has been successfully applied. The actual construction of a learning environment for collaborative learning has highlighted rules and principles for good design and highlighted how I can use social learning media immediately in my profession as an instructional designer.

References Blake,C. &Scanlon, E. (2013). Design for Collaboration. The Journal of Interactive Media in Education. Retrieved from http://www-jime.open.ac.uk/article/2013-10/pdf Clark,D. (2010) .Instructional Design: Social Learning and Social Media. Retrieved from s http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/media/social_learning.html Clark,D. (2011) . Instructional Design Media, Strategies, & Methods. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/media.html Foord, D. (n.d.). The STOLEN principle for using wikis educationally. Retrieved from http://www.a6training.co.uk/resources_Social_Software.php University of Delaware (2008) Wikis in Higher Education: An exploratory report about the value of wikis in higher education, from a faculty perspective.Retrieved from http://www.udel.edu/sakai/training/printable/wiki/Wikis_in_Higher_Education_UD.pdf