How Will Learner Centered Designs Bridge The Gap Between Formal And Informal Learning?

The future of education is brighter than ever because technology continues to evolve and develop. Because of so many advancements, education is now available to more individuals throughout the world. Education can now be offered to not just a few privileged in the populated communities, but connects people of all statuses from all over the globe.There are several advancements in technology that have drastically changed education. Perhaps one of the factors that has influenced education the most might be the availability of devices. Inexpensive mobile phones now have more power and potential than desktops of just a few years ago (Solomon and Schrum, 2014). Not only do they have more power and potential, but they are also more convenient

For some of us, it is difficult to comprehend why our education systems have not yet made the transition to technology-based forms of teaching especially when we are in the era of technology. To others, the reasoning is clear and they support the original, dated usage of textbooks in a “traditional classroom” setting. The changes in our society are undeniable with the innovation of technology and social media. Although some authors, such as Neil Howe and Jean Twenge, argue that technology is deteriorating the minds of Millennials, technology is also providing Millennials with a way to create connections across communities.

All mainstream schools are required to appoint a special needs coordinator from amongst their staff. The coordinator ensures the school’s special education needs policy (SEN policy) is properly carried out, and acts as a liaison between pupils, parents, school staff, and any external agencies that may be involved (DfES 2005). In addition, the coordinator often acts as an advocate for special needs students, aiding in both their empowerment and success in the academic community (Parker 2000).

Technology is a part of everyday life and being integrated into more and more fields every day. Computers and the Internet are used in every aspect of our daily lives. With that being said online learning has become more and more prevalent. Most colleges and university have an online learning presence in order to extend the university reach and to help better serve the students who can’t make it into a physical classroom. In this article, Read Only Participants: Communication in online classes, authors Nagel, Blignaut, and Cronj (2009) takes on the argument that participation is a key reason for a student to be successful in the class.

Ciampa, K. (2014). Learning in a mobile age: an investigation of student motivation. Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 30(1), 82-96. doi:10.1111/jcal.12036

This course gave me the opportunity to rediscover and learn and understand my learning style and strategies. It provided me with a better understanding of the different learning styles and theories. What I found surprising was the fact that as an instructional designer you can increase the motivation level in the learner. Instruction designers can achieve learning environments and stimulate and sustain motivation, even though they cannot control it. The learner is the one responsible for their motivation, but it is clear that the environment can have a strong impact on both the direction and intensity of a person’s motivation. Furthermore, constructivism and social learning theories are very enlightening. The information of learning constructivist theories brings an understanding of the circumstance in which learning occurs and the social contexts that learners bring to the learning environment. The learning theories give a good foundation on the academic level and developments in the motivational research area, and the ARCS Model makes it possible to apply it to the online learning environment. I was also surprised to learn that I am also a social learner. I am a very private person and didn’t consider myself a social learner, however, I have learned that I enjoy more socializing in an online platform than in the classroom or a face-to-face contact. I also learned that I use

Technology is becoming increasingly decentralized allowing for information to be accessed anywhere at anytime. Computer and communication technologies are an increasingly ubiquitous part of instruction across many disciplines necessitating a more flexible and mobile deployment

Inclusive Classrooms” by Sally Spencer from Interdisciplinary Journal of Teaching and Learning because it focused on a population of students that is near and dear to my heart, special needs students. In the article, the author looks at using universal design for learning (UDL) as a tool for planning motivating and engaging lessons in inclusive classrooms.

The “Universal Design for Learning (www.udlcenter.org)” consists of a group of principles that require all children to receive the same form of education and learning. There are three main principles which aid in protecting students with disabilities. These three principles make sure that the students with disabilities receive the same education as any other student as well. The following will explain my opinion on the learning of all children and how the UDL principles apply to this.

Learning is more than just receiving information. Traditionally learning was to be in campus, where students would interact with one a another, there were no other ways for learners to get educated beside going to the classroom and listening to the instructor. Nowadays the Internet has brought different ways for people to receive information, such as getting education and degrees online. A few years ago online education was never thinkable, and yet it has become to reality and it is widely expanding with popularity. Online education is a type of educational instruction that delivers learning to individuals to their own homes, and it is getting very popular among nontraditional student and others. Individuals prefer online education

Technology is changing every aspect in our lives, even the way we learn. Online classes are a rapidly growing trend it today’s society. Online classes are a cost-effective substitute for traditional courses and more convenient for many, so more schools and universities are offering this option. Due to the increase in online course enrollment, people are questioning if students truly learn something from online classes because it’s not a traditional learning environment. Online classes are just, if not more, effective as traditional classes because grades have increased and online discussions provide students with the chance to interact through networking while earning a degree for less than what it would cost to enroll at the same university.

Furthermore, the internet damages students’ interpersonal skills. Social media and instant messaging are major communication tools for students, which lead them to have few opportunities to talk in person. Recently, a multi-functional cell phone can replace a computer with internet access. There is a study in England that found that almost forty-percent of students surveyed said they could not live without their cell phones (Birdwell, 2007). Also, nearly ten-percent of students said that using cell phones caused them to lose their relationships and jobs (2007). Besides, through online education, students cannot get face-to-face instruction from professors and also lose their chances to communicate with classmates.

Therefore, with the viewpoint of the writers it elaborates that mobile devices, internet and graphical games are the three types of e-learning that has created curiosity, a sense of social interaction and eagerness to learn new thing among students and the content of these technologies are based on recent curriculum. This helps a student to follow well defined instructions and to share opnions and discussions online for better assessment.

Education has undergone significant changes because of the development of information and communication technology over the 21st century (Lin & Jou, 2012:2). As a convenient and inexpensive way to gain knowledge while pursuing higher education, online learning, a form of training or teaching that takes place over the Internet, has been considered as an alternative to traditional classroom learning (Zhang et al, 2004). This essay will argue that even though online learning has benefit such as flexibility which could outweigh traditional learning, traditional classroom learning might still not be entirely replaced. This essay will discuss positive and negative aspects of online and traditional learning in terms of four criteria:

As university professors are being presented with new types of students, there is a call to integrate advanced technology into their course design, and ultimately, educators must lead the way and use the technology in a fashion that positively aids their students: “technology should be used with the needs of the learners in mind and with the goal of improving student learning as the focus” (Russo et al. 2014). If this idea is implemented and acknowledged correctly, then many advantages can arise that enhance student learning in university classrooms. The first benefit of instructors introducing advanced technology into their teaching is that technology connects with students, which ultimately arouses their interest because technology as a whole is a relevant and important part of student’s lives. When students are interested and engaged in the class material they become motivated to pay attention and focus on what they are being taught, which leads to an improved retention rate of information. This relates to the DVD that West, Pudsey and Dunk-West created for teacher to give to their students to work within their learning, and they found that it “easily assimilates into their everyday life world” (2010). Another advantage is that the use of technology supports collaboration skills within students. Erin Murphy (2010) conducted an experiment centering around educators use of Audience Response Systems, commonly