Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
a teaching style that best suits the learner's needs
and an appropriate architecture to support it. The
following case study examines the use of ICT tools
in a continuing professional development course
according to; learner characteristics, community
building, teaching and learning approaches and
styles and architectures.
duced themselves sharing, names, disciplinary
backgrounds and what they hoped to achieve by
undertaking the course. Tea and coffee making
facilities and chocolate biscuits were provided
and a room with a pleasant outlook. The teacher
was engaging and Anna was feeling very positive
about the course.
Anna had hoped to receive some printed in-
formation about the aims and objectives of the
course but was assured by the teacher that these
were available online. She went home and tried
to access these on the Blackboard site set up for
the course but found they were not there. Not
overly concerned about this, Anna thought she
would access these at a later date. However, by
the end of the course these were still not avail-
able. Students' requests for hard copies were
not responded to resulting in heated exchanges
between the teacher and students. This situation
highlights the importance of paper back up if ICT
systems fail.
Teaching and learning approaches:
The main
approach used in the course was the “Cognitive
View of Learning” although this was never dis-
cussed with the class. This surprised Anna as she
had thought the teacher might take the opportunity
to model different approaches to the class. This
teaching method involved the construction of
new knowledge through reading, discussion with
other students and online role-plays. Every class
involved student discussion groups and student
presentations. While the cognitive approach gener-
ally includes instruction to promote the psycho-
logical processes that mediate the construction of
knowledge this did not occur.
As each class was two hours Anna found the
two hour small group discussions and lack of
variation in the class format tiring and this did
not motivate her to do her best work. In one small
group discussion a class member made it apparent
he did not want to listen to another member in the
group and listened to his I-Pod for the entire class.
When Anna tried to involve him in the discussion
by asking his opinion, he said he was listening to
caSe StuDy: reflectionS on
a continuing profeSSional
eDucation experience
Anna was an experienced worker and educator
in the human services who enrolled in a teaching
course for Continuing Professional Education to
further develop her skills as an educator.
Learner characteristics:
This course was
offered at a postgraduate level and had been
recommended to Anna by a friend and colleague
who was also an experienced human services
practitioner and educator. In terms of generational
differences, Anna was a baby boomer and Mel
was from Generation X, however their learning
needs and proficiency with ICT were quite simi-
lar. Neither Anna nor Mel were particularly IT
savvy but they did have sound basic computing
skills and a desire to advance these. Both were
competent with using Blackboard in blended
course design using face-to-face and ICT tools.
They particularly wanted to further develop these
skills during the course. In terms of needing and
wanting flexibility their situation was more akin
with the characteristics assigned to Generation Y.
This seemed to also apply to the other students
enrolled in the course. Most worked full time as
well as having family and other commitments.
Even though Anna was very busy she was com-
mitted to undertaking the course and excited
about new learning.
Community building:
The student group was
multidisciplinary comprising 15 students from
the health and human services, sciences, ICT
and creative arts. In the first class students intro-
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