Day 9: Too late to notice?

Saw my supervisor and found out my extremely long and mouthful and earful title has been shortened. It was written in the letter which I ignored when I received. With the ignored attitude, I just took a fleeting glimpse of the content not knowing this happen.

Now the extremely short and simple and “smart” title is

PERSONALISED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THROUGH WEB-BLOGGING AMONG TEACHER TRAINEES.

The missing items are STUDENTS ENGAGEMENT, and HIGHER ORDER THINKING. It seems that omiting students engagement might actually save me but taking out HOT is putting me in a fix. Supervisor mentioned that HOT can still be the thing we are looking at. Sorry. But if this is the thing (one of the major things) I am looking at, shouldn’t be it not in the title. Again, the title mirrors the content.

Apparently, my title was reviewed twice by non-related to my major committee. The previous title was too limited ( I prefer to look at it as specific) while the new title encourages more room for adding things. To me, that’s not good news. Sigh! Here I am all this time thinking specific is better. Oh well, I got to make do what is given as I have a new commitment now.

By the way, here is something non-related to the content, I like the new wordpress design. Super cool.

Ok back to the issue. After a long 2 hours discussion (not finished yet as the discussion was interrupted by a ^#*#&*@# phone call), there are many things I need to clean and get it clear. [1]No academic definition on PL. I agree here. Somehow my definition is very loose. [2] Interview questions need to be cleared and show where the direction I am heading. [3] List down the interview questions. Write as many possible to prevent brain stuck on the interview itself. [4] Everything, I mean every micro thing needs justification. [5] Bring a mp3 recorder every single time you see your supervisor.

-abba, beatles, bee gees, buble, carpenters, johnny cash-

DAY 8: Personalise to learn, Learn to personalise

PLa3: Personalised Learning and Pupil Voice by Jean Rudduck, Nick Brown, and Lesley Hendy

This article elaborates on a project which set out to explore what the idea of personalised learning could usefully offer to schools. It brings out 6 “school” aspects which can be tied to personalisation.

i. personalisation and feedback

ii. personalisation and targets

iii. personalisation and pedagogy

iv. personalisation and mentoring

v. personalisation and rewards

vi. personalisation and institutional responsibility

I realised personalisation is more than meets the eye. It is more of acknowledging the existence of an individual. It is more of not comparing the individual with the others. It is more of not putting the individual in the same group category. It is more giving compliment to the individual if he or she has done something right or wrong. It is more of writing down specific comments on the individual assignment. It is more of not thinking being the teacher, you always right. It is more of listening to their individual voices. It is more of remembering the individual’s name.

All these familiar methods / actions / practices are tied to one word: PERSONALISATION.

DAY 7: “Konsepsi”

I am struggling with the term “conceptual framework”. As I have earlier mentioned, the conceptual framework which I designed for my research is a joke. This is equivalent to “I-don’t-know-what-are-you-trying-to-do”. I have been searching high and low, far and near on what is conceptual framework even before I submit my paper.

Click on the thumbnail to see what my CF looks like.

OK. I research again on CF. Trying to look at other samples of CF. I am very slow here.

“Good research means asking the right questions. And choosing the right questions requires a conceptual framework of the broader environment.“

Taken from http://my.safaribooksonline.com/0596000359/infotecture2-CHP-10-SECT-2

It seems that most conceptual framework is based on a model. You can either take some model or you can design on your own. At the end, it will be a model on how your research will flow. Right now, I pluck a few models in relevance to my focus; ASSURE Model, ARCS Model of Motivation, Gagne Principles, SOLO taxonomy?, BLOOM taxonomy.

 

-jay chou-

DAY 6: “Men-solo”

SOLO TAXONOMY

SOLO stands for STRUCTURE OF OBSERVED LEARNING OUTCOMES. It was created by John Biggs.

According to him, when learning progresses it becomes more complex. SOLO is a means of classifying learning outcomes in terms of their complexity – a useful tool for implementing constructive alignment. At first we pick up only one or few aspects of the task (unistructural),then several aspects but they are unrelated (multistructural), then we learn how to integrate them into a whole (relational), and finally, we are able to generalised that whole to as yet untaught applications (extended abstract).

Taken from http://www.johnbiggs.com.au/solo.html

 

 

-david tao, mc-

Day 5: “Membaca”

Article – PERSONALISING LEARNING: THE OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED BY TECHNOLOGY taken from BECTA

Article PLa2 illustrates BECTA views on PL and technology can support and advance PL.

Let’s recap on PL from the previous entry @ article with the support of today’s article.

The pedagogy of PL is learner-centred but do not mistaken it as INDIVIDUALISED LEARNING. PL stresses on collective method. PL keywords are [1] inclusion [2] choice and preference [3] engagement and participation [4] responsiveness [5] flexibility [6] tailored and adaptable [7] independence.

PL SEVEN key elements are ;

[1] Learning and teaching dynamic

[2] Assessment

[3] Flexible curriculum

[4] Learning environment

[5] Support networks

[6] Personalised content

[7] Responsive infrastructure

The existence of technology advocates these elements.

A. Learning and teaching dynamic

Technology can [1] enable all learners to experience a greater variety of teaching and learning styles–Technology with the likes of Smartboard, Airset, Moodle, Blog (all being used in the class) creates options and choices for both teacher and learner to teach and learn. This brings us to [2] blur the distinction between the roles of teacher and learner.–The teacher learns from the students new things when students forumised. At the same time, students observed the teacher in using the Smartboard to create activities. Beyond that, we have students teaching their peers on how to use certain tools. Therefore, I can surmise that technology in PL does [3] provide opportunities for a greater range of interactions with real or virtual teachers. With technology, interaction went outside the four walls of the classroom and it was not confined to 9-5. Interaction is 24/7 with a great deal of flexibility.

Where does PL makes it debut here-LEARNING AND TEACHING DYNAMIC?

PL is where the students learning is not limited only to the classroom or even the 9-5 time. PL is where the students can use technology to assist their learning. PL is where the teacher uses technology to cater to reach out to the different individuals. PL is where the teacher gathers all learners under the technology umbrella and learning occur with one another. PL is where learning and teaching is a cyclical progress among teacher and students. PL is where teacher holds the learning umbrella with all the students but the teacher indirectly guides the students where to go with the umbrella.

B. Assessment

Technology can [1] enable assessment of learners and the records of their achievements to be available to them, their teachers, and their parents when they want it and in the format that they want it. I would only think the function of grading in MOODLE which allows the user-student sees his/her record. [2] enable more effective and efficient diagnostic and assessment tools that provide ongoing and instantaneous feedback. This can be done via blogging. Lecturer or teacher gives question or assignment and student are to blog the assignment. This allows the teacher to give monitor the progress and also give instant feedback. Therefore, guiding the students to “correct” the assignment. The technology mentioned earlier [3] enable learners to be assessed at times and in ways that are appropriate to their own stages of development. At the same time, technology [4] helps learners to become more actively involved in designing and carrying out their own assessments. In this part, technology such as e-forum enables the student design their own questions and throw it to their peers to answer them and monitor the session of QnA on that particular thrown topic. The teacher can see the evolution of cognitive and creative skills.

C. Flexible curriculum

Technology can [1] bridge formal and informal learning by providing a greater range of curriculum opportunities that are better matched to the needs and interests of learners. The Internet generates this platform.

D. Learning environment

Technology can [1] enable learners to access resources and tools to support their learning at anytime. In this aspect, items like YouTube, e-library, e-journal, produce ample of resources 24/7 while blogging becomes an outlet for the students to generate learning. Not to forget that technology [2] enable learners to interact with a wider range of their peers and reflect on their learning. In this sense, students can communicate online via YM, MSN, GTalk, handphones?, forum, blog etc.

E. Support networks

Technology can [1] provide and support a wide range of online and offline tools to improve communication and the quality and forms of feedback to learners. I can only relate it to online or offline communication tools as mentioned earlier.

F. Personalised content

Technology can [1] provide and support resources, tools and services that are available on demand and in an appropriate format according to learner choice. E.g. web-blog allows the learner to format the type of learning according to the individual choice. Some learners prefer to write and reflect. There are some learners who prefer to learn by joining e-forum of a certain subject where they can read what people write and comment when they feel the need to do so. Next, technology [2] enable resources to be indexed, distributed and presented in a variety of ways. For web-blog, there are tags and for offline content there is excel. Distribution can be done via email. Presentation can be in powerpoint or even MP3 and video format. Again, it depends how the learner want it to be shown or categorized.

G. Responsive Infrastructure

Technology can [1] enable learners to uniquely login securely and access their learning from any location. It can be seen as privacy is important for the user. Being able to access learning from any location encourages the learning process.

The moral of this entry is in this IT era with the emergence of z-generation, PL can offer the possible solution to learning for all.

-anglia, cheese cake, kelly chen, penny dai-

DAY 4: “tergendala”

Met my supervisor. I am stumped. I didn’t know what I was doing. I wasn’t able to answer the questions. I am back to SQUARE ONE. Research is challenging!!

By the way, my research topic which is

A case study on Personalised Learning Environment and Students Engagement (PLEaSE) through web-blog in creating a platform for Higher Order Thinking (HOT)

is a topic which I need extensive reading in order to spew facts and justifications. My conceptual framework is a joke. I don’t even have a solid or even a vague outline on theoretical framework.

Next step to do is to READ (infinity x).

The article I am currently reading is PERSONALISED LEARNING: AMBIGUITIES IN THEORY AND PRACTICE [ R.J CAMPBELL, W. ROBINSON, J. NEELANDS, R. HEWSTON, L. MAZZOLI (2007)]. Let’s name the article: PLa1

PLa1 describes the current education situation which demands new technique in accommodating to learners. One way is via PERSONALIZATION.

Before that, personalising was first started in the public sector services in England. It was first introduced following a publication paper by Leadbeater (2003). Click here for more info on Leadbeater and his paper. Later Leadbeater saw the application of personalisation in education.

I quote this statement from PLa1:-

“The aim of personalisation in learning is not marketisation of education, so much as the promotion of self-realisation, with children constructed as active and responsible co-authors of their educational script. This would lead to students setting their own learning targets, adopting continuous self-assessment for learning and to the development of flexibility in learning beyond the school and outside the traditional school hours.“

The following quotes would see to the purpose of my research.

“Personalisation, therefore might increase the already large inequalities in educational provision and achievement, deriving from social and economic status.”

“Personalised learning is not a matter of tailoring curriculum, teaching and assessment to ‘fit’ the individual but is a question of developing social practices that enable people to become all that they are capable of becoming”

How personalisation learning is being defined or looked at or framed or described?

According to PLa1, personalisation is described as a collective activity BUT the collective frame leads to the individual developing his/her learning. Personalisation is NOT a bout individualisation. Personalisation is also not exactly new. IT is referred as TRANSACTED CURRICULUM or CONSTRUCTIVIST LEARNING. which is derived from Vygotsky social theory-scaffolding.

PLa1 hypothesize that personalisation is more effective in the audience of 16-19 years of age where their voices have higher salience followed by the high level of ability and maturity in the students as consumers. This is because to enable the pedagogy effectiveness, higher order thinking skills such as evaluating, synthesising need to be implemented. Unfortunately, to carry out such high cognitive skills might prove to be a challenge if such thinking is not habitual.

I end this entry with something I see in my supervisor. It was taken from PLa1.

Power to teach (Robinson, 2004) does not always, or necessarily require a drama queen in the classroom.

-sipping Anglia-

DAY 3: “Mengupas” data P2

10.00 pm – AIM TO FINISH READING 10Ns’ Gambate-neh ng-san

N12-N15

While I am poring every blog, this is what is going through my brain -{I am thinking how to print the whole blog layout}

…slow progress

DAY 2: “Mengupas” data

6.30 am

“Mengupas” data…

Mengupas?

What?

Mengupas = Peeling

Basically I am cutting my data into pieces. Looking into it ever so thoroughly. I am at N3 (no.3) of the sum=75.

Of course, previously I was going into escapism phase, facebook-ing, updating my music player list, etc for 1 hour…a waste of time? not sure. But I applaud myself to pick up where I left of from DAY 1.

Glance through my corrected-by-lecturer paper. Trying to make out the scribbles by reading aloud. Got the picture. Knew some of the comments (as expected) would be added.

Now back to N3. I open N3. I peel one layer and gave my neutral observation accompanied with question marks and at the same time, my brain is working where I should locate the info to substantiate the explanation. My other part of brain is also on the look-out for weird cases / layers. Weird meaning not negatively strange but stood out waiting to be included in my scribbles.

N1-N3 Puts head-shots of themselves. Added additional pictures like parents picture, friends pictures. Assume – the pictures shows them being the individual which they want to potray as. Sense of belonging. This sense of ownership heightens with favourite movie, favourite items, favourite quotes, personalised cursor (created by individual) embedded into the the blog layout.

2.00pm Updated my play-list. continue…

N4-N6 - At this juncture, these blogs share similar traits. There will be picture(s) of the blogger, pictures of favourite items, pictures of items that represent blogger and quote(s) that reflect the blogger situation or character. I dare say all these scream “THIS IS MY SPACE. I WANT TO DECORATE IT TO HOW I FEEL LIKE IT.”

On the other hand, the choice of font type, the font size and even the font colour differs in objective. It didn’t reflect it is my favourite colour or even the font shows me. REASON being: N1-N6 shares the same font-type except one that uses a different font (again not enough proof to show that font type represent the blogger). The font-type is the one provided by the blog function. Chosen font colour is due to situation like due the background is dark, therefore, colour should be a contrast one. OR if there is a need to emphasis the word, the chosen colour would be different. One can only identify character related font if it is via handwriting

N7 (IC) didn’t have the same traits of previous Ns. NO PICTURE OF N7, NO PICTURE OF FAVOURITE ITEMS, NO TITLE FOR THE BLOG, NO QUOTE, NO DESCRIPTION OF PROFILE. The number of entries-10. The minimum number of entries requested from the assignment. The content of the entries … (is another story)

N8 (IC) has personalised title, head-shot of N8, pictures of N8 friends, favourite pictures of N8 but the number of entries is 5. This is way below the minimum number of requirement. The content of the entries … (is another story)

N9-N10 no IC like N7and N8.

-currently listening to my radio-blog playlist-

DAY 1: Prelude

Personalised Learning Environment and Students Engagement (PLEaSE) through web-blog in creating a platform for Higher Order Thinking (HOT)

It is indeed a mouthful looking at the title. Yep. Earful is also another one of them. The very long sentence is actually my research TOPIC. I wonder is there a limit to the number of words for a research title. OR can a title be short, sweet and funky such as PLEaSE, it is HOT! – ^lol^ kinky at one sense.

All right, back to track. The title length explains what I intend to research on.

As I look at my 18-pages of draft, I realised there is bump, wall, hole, YOU NAME IT, which I am about to encounter.

It is in the METHODOLOGY part. The sample of my students are a class of 75 final year undergraduates. The methodology is divided into 2 PHASES. PHASE ONE looks into the aspect of personalizing the learning environment which is the web-blog. The blog interface and how the content is presented are studied. A checklist of tools is used to monitor the frequency of using the tools to personalize the blog interface. The tools are adapted or even modified by the user (student) to give characterization to the their blog. Example of blog-tools are blog rolls, widgets e.g bookwidget, technorati, clock widget, Flash-Based music player, and tag-board e.g TAG ME. 75 STUDENTS’ BLOGS will be INVESTIGATED for the data collection of PHASE 1.

I AM DYING, DIED WHEN I READ THE SENTENCE WHICH I WROTE EARLIER. WHAT I WAS THINKING? CAN I FINISH MY METHODOLOGY IN 3 MONTHS AND THIS IS ONLY PHASE 1? I EVEN HAVE NOT CODED THE DATA YET.

take a deep breath. breath. breath (typing as I breath in and out)

steps taken:-

ONE. tools to personalize the blog interface = representation of user within the blog. need to do LITERATURE REVIEW for this. what info is relevant to this aspect???I googled blog features / things to put in the blog. I got vague items.

I have not been looking hard enough. I have to work smart NOT HARD.

The next thing I can do is to review all 75 blogs and see what items each blog carried. I will divide to TWO categories. One will be items added to equip the blog. Let’s assume BLOG = NEWLY OWNED EMPTY HOUSE. The analogy of house and furnitures and paint and rooftops. These items are furnitures. Example a chair-item can either be a wooden or a metal chair.

Next, how the user beautify the house using paints. The font-wood/stone/marbles/mosaic and colour-paint which are being used reflects the identity of the house a.k.a blog.

All right. Tomorrow will update on the progress of collating data. gambate-neh. Time to sleep. Have to be up at 630am to work.

-listening to YOUTUBE playlist-