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(2001) suggested that a new mindset is necessary where teachers see their role to
make sure that they present knowledge as a goal for students to seek and to do so
within personally relevant problems.
Zull (2002) describes the need for hands on, minds on experimentation and con-
siders four stages in the cycle of learning. He describes that all learning requires a
concrete experience, after which we develop reflective observation and connections,
which in turn lead to the generation of abstract hypotheses, and finally, individu-
als will perform some type of active testing of those hypotheses. Any teacher who
designs educational activities and a learning environment must be able to include
these steps in those experiences. Lim (2008) suggests that “It is only when students
are empowered to take charge of their own learning by co-designing their learning
experiences with teachers and other students that they are more likely to engage in
their learning process” (pp. 1002-1003).
Gerber and Scott (2007) examined the design of a learning curriculum and found
that shifting focus to the specific rather than general principles of design was the
key to being able to rethink and reassess the process. Their conclusion was that the
diversity in many learner groups requires enhanced diligence and that “the relation-
ship between teaching and learning is indirect
” (p. 475). And those differences
are becoming more pronounced throughout the world. Rogers, Graham, and Mayes
(2007), in an analysis of instructional design and cultural competence, suggest that
“those assigned to accomplish this task are left with the great challenge of meeting
the needs of learners who come from cultures that are foreign to themselves, and
who often have very different abilities and experiences than originally assumed”
(p. 197). Further, Sims and Jones (2003) emphasized that the roles of designer,
teacher, and learner must strive to be interchangeable to take advantage of the
information now widely available and the need to modify instruction rapidly.
In fact, Sims (2008) suggested that new models of teaching and the strategies
required challenge the entire educational design team, including the teacher, the
learner, and the materials. Some suggest (Oblinger, 2004; Sims, 2006; Siemens,
2007) that the new emerging technologies require educators to question the very
essence of teaching and learning. Sims (2008) suggested that “while the technology
has evidenced many new generations, our field continues to question and validate
the dynamic between technology, teaching, and learning” (p. 155). Sims also sug-
gests that a new model, Sims c3-learning—collaborative, contextual, and connected,
could be the framework from which educators might design their instruction. He
described them,
...
Collaborative in that learners and teachers can engage in meaningful interactions that are
dynamic and emergent. Contextual in that individual learners can focus on their own needs
in their own situation as well as taking responsibility for contributing content relevant to
those needs. Connected in that learners and teachers need not be constrained to the one
classroom—there are many learning spaces and many willing to participate in those spaces
(p. 162)
Oblinger and Hawkins (2006) reframed the debate by noting that “learning
occurs as a result of motivation, opportunities, an active process, interaction with
others, and the ability to transfer learning to a real-world situation” (p. 14). It is
