Journal Article
© May 2014 Volume 12 Issue 2, ECEL, Editor: Mélanie Ciussi, pp126 - 226
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Abstract
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine a specific online pedagogical tool, Digital Moments that can be an effective strategy for building online communities in a knowledge building environment. While the paper will examine the specific techni
ques and teaching methodologies that enabled the authors to create authentic online learning experiences in undergraduate and graduate courses, it also analyses how and why this strategy moves beyond simple constructivist thinking to the complexities of
teaching in the digital world. Knowledge building in online environments requires students to take risks, try new digital tools, and find the modalities that work best to express the new knowledge they are creating. This pedagogical approach views studen
ts as more than consumers of technology, but creators of new and innovative digital means of expressing concepts. Using both synchronous and asynchronous methodologies, the authors examined the highs and lows of translating meaningful face to face practic
e to the online environment. The paper examines teaching strategies used in a six week online graduate course using Adobe connect, Blackboard LMS and synchronous weekly meetings. Through the use of unique strategies such as digital moments and embracing
creative thought, an authentic, constructivist community was created. The authors journey to developing this authenticity, their online pedagogical style and an innovative, safe learning community has been chronicled using narrative qualitative inquiry
in this paper. The writers use of digital moments empowers students to create and have ownership of their own online community. This paper articulates their journey into the abyss of digitizing themselves as teachers; it examines the specific techniques
used for best practice in online learning, while simultaneously celebrating the splash of colour that is essential to brighten digital learning environments.
Keywords: Keywords: Online pedagogy, empowerment, knowledge-building communities, authentic practice
Journal Article
© Apr 2015 Volume 13 Issue 4, ECEL 2014, Editor: Kim Long, pp205 - 315
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Abstract
Abstract: The present paper is based on two empirical research studies. The Netbook 1:1 project (2009⠍2012), funded by the municipality of Gentofte and Microsoft Denmark, is complete, while Students⠒ digital production and students as learning desig
ners (2013⠍2015), funded by the Danish Ministry of Education, is ongoing. Both projects concern primary and lower secondary school and focus on learning design frameworks that involve students⠒ agency and participation regarding digital production i
n different subjects and cross‑disciplinary projects. Within these teacher‑designed frameworks, the students perform as learning designers of learning objects aimed at other students. Netbook 1:1 has shown that digital and multimodal production especially
facilitates student‑learning processes and qualifies student‑learning results when executed within a teacher‑designed framework, which provides space for and empowers students⠒ agency as learning designers. Moreover, the positive impact increases when
students as learning designers participate in formative evaluation practices. Traditionally, the Danish school has worked hard to teach students to verbalise their own academic competencies. However, as our everyday environment becomes increasingly comple
x with digital and multimodal technologies, formative evaluation as a learning practice becomes central, requiring the students to develop a digital and multimodal literacy beyond the traditional, language‑centred type. In order to clarify these practices
, we address the various understandings of evaluation and assessment that may blur our arguments. Students⠒ digital production and students as learning designers is a large‑scale project that follows up on the findings of Netbook 1:1. It experiments fur
ther with various evaluation practices in a digitalised learning environment that focuses on different phases of the learning processes and includes feed‑forward and feedback processes. Evaluation as a learning practice in a digitalised learning context f
ocuses on students as actors, addressing their s
Keywords: Keywords: Assessment, evaluation, formative evaluation, summative evaluation, self-evaluation, peer evaluation, teacher evaluation, digital learning processes, multimodality, evaluation design, agency, empowerment, reflection, construction of meaning