Enactment

=Enactment =

‍ The enactment phase maps information gathered in the Exploration Phase about learning processes, content and context to existing pedagogical models in order to identify and implement effective instructional strategies online. The learning activity is informed by the behaviourist and constructivist models. In the behaviourist model a teacher decides on important knowledge and skills (like I decided to use the blog as a tool for teaching the chat tool in Moodle) and then instructs the learner (teacher in this case) who responds and then assessment and reinforcement is made with further response by the learner and further instruction by the teacher (Pollard, 2006:145). In the constructivist model, the area of work and activity is negotiated. Emphasis is also placed on direct experience in learning which together with negotiation of learner activity creates high levels of motivation and engagement by the learner (Pollard, 2006:147). In the exploration phase, I mentioned that the Online Learning Activity [|e-Learning in TEVET]would use a blog to teach teachers at TVTC on how to use the chat tool in Moodle. The purpose of this activity is to enhance communication between teachers and students at the College. Blogging is used as a learning tool in an educational context. "Blog" is an abbreviated version of "weblog," which is a term used to describe web sites that maintain an ongoing chronicle of information.

I opted to use a blog as an ICT tool to teach teachers how to use the chat tool in Moodle because of the affordances of a blog. The term affordance refers to the perceived and actual properties of the thing, primarily those fundamental properties that determine just how the thing could be possibly be used. For example, a chair affords ('is for') support and, therefore, affords sitting. A chair can also be carried or can be used to attack someone (Norman, 1988:9). The teachers at TVTC and in the TVET system in Zambia normally like to read textbooks, manuals and online articles to acquire knowledge on their various teaching areas. Therefore using a blog to teach the teachers how to use the chat tool in Moodle, is something that the teachers are used to doing in their day to day teaching. The teachers were expected to have the blog open in order to get instructions and also Moodle open where they could then follow instructions on how to use the chat tool. I further chose to use a blog to teach teachers on how to use the Chat tool in Moodle because of the following affordances: (1) **Media affordances** - the type of input and output forms, such as text ("read-ability", "write-ability"), images ("viewability), audio ("listen-ability"), video ("watch-ability"). (2) **Spatial affordances** - the ability to resize elements within an interface ("resize-ability"), move and place elements within an interface ("move-ability").  (3) **Temporal affordances** - access anytime anywhere (accessibility). The blog I created can be accessed on a computer or mobile phone.  (4) **Navigation affordances** - capacity to browse to other sections of a resource and move back/forward ("browse-ability") and capacity to link to other sections within the resource or other resources ("link-ability"). (5) **Emphasis affordances** - capacity to highlight aspects of a resource ("highlight-ability"), explicitly direct attention to particular components ("focus-ability"). (6) **Synthesis affordances** - capacity to combine multiple tools together to create a mixed media learning environment ("combine-ability", the extent to which the functions of tools and the content of resources can be integrated ("integrate-ability").  **Pedagogical and Learning Strategies**  The use of a blog to teach teachers how to use the chat tool in Moodle involves using instructions that can be followed step by step. Instructional strategies are what instructors or instructional systems do to facilitate student learning (Dabbagh and Bannan-Ritland, 2005:203). Instructional strategies are described as "the plans, and techniques that the instructor/instructional designer uses to engage the learner and facilitate learning (Jonassen, Grabinger and Harris, 1991). Pedagogical models subscribe to the following five main instructional conditions or design pronciples:  1. Embed learning in complex, realistic and relevant contexts.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">2. Provide for social negotiation as an integral part of learning.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">3. Support multiple perspectives and the use of multiple modes of representation.  <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">4. Encourage ownership in learning. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">5. Nurture self-awareness of the knowledge construction process (Driscoll, 2000:382). <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> I had considered using solely <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> experiential  <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> learning which is based on adult's experience. However, I noted that this would not have been appropriate as not all teachers may have had the same adult experience (of using a Learning Management System and Chat tool). I therefore decided to use the Instructional design and ADDIE model which incorporated the behaviourist and constructivist learning models in order to have a much more comprehensive learning experience for the learner (teacher). <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">The online learning activity that I developed seeks to embed learning i.e. how to use the chat tool in Moodle in a realistic and relevant context by using a blog. The first instructional implication of constructivist-based pedagogical models (such as on which my online learning activity is based) is to "embed learning in complex, realistic and relevant contexts (Dabbagh and Bannan-Ritland, 2005:204). Furthermore, promoting authentic learning activities is an instructional characteristic of constructivist-based models. Authentic learning activities are learning tasks anchored in a realistic setting in which the focus is solving a problem rather than learning a body of content. In my online learning activity the focus is to solve the problem of interaction and collaboration among students by them using the chat tool in Moodle, which teachers who have learned how to use, can teach the learners to use. Learners thus apply their current body of knowledge and adapt it to new situations and problems, and, by doing so, they extend their body of knowledge in meaningful ways. Reeves, Harrington and Oliver (2002:2) identified the following 10 attributes of authentic learning activities: > These 10 attributes suggest that authentic learning activities support problem solving, collaboration, reflection, exploration and exposure to multiple perspectives (Dabbagh and Bannan-Ritland, 2005:205). > > Today most adults conceptualise learning as an instructor-designed and instructor led endeavour that occurs in the classroom where students sit to learn from the "sage on the stage". This is the model which most adults grew up (Tweedell, 2000). However, many adults want to take advantage online learning environments, primarily due to their busy schedules and the online format's convenience (Cercone, 2008:137). It was against this background that using an online learning activity to teach teachers to use the chat tool made sense as I was drawing them to use an environment (online learning) that they normally use. **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">References ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Bower, M. (2008) Affordance Analysis - Matching Learning Tasks with Learning Technologies, //Education Media International,// 45(1), 3-15. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Cercone, K. (2008) Characteristics of Adult Learners With Implications for Online Learning Design, //Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education Journal//, 16(2), 137-159. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;"> Dabbagh, N., & Bannan-Ritland, B. (2005). // Online learning: Concepts, strategies, and application //. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Driscoll, M. P. (2000) Psychology of Learning for Instruction (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Norman, D. A. (1988) //The Psychology of Everyday Things.// New York: Basic Books. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Pollard, A. (2006) //Reflective Teaching (2nd Edition).// London: Continuum. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Reeves, T. C., Herrington, J., & Oliver, R. (2002, April). Authentic Activity as a Model for Web-based Learning. Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA, Session 41.06. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> Tweedell, C. B. (2000) //A Theory of Adult Learning and Implications for Practice// //.// Paper presented at the Midwest Educational Research Association Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> ‍
 * 1) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">‍ Authentic activities should have real world relevance.
 * 2) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Authentic activities are ill defined, which requires students to define the task and subtask needed to complete the activity.
 * 3) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Authentic activities comprise complex task for students to investigate during a sustained period of time.
 * 4) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Authentic activities provide the opportunity for students to use a variety of resources to examine the task from different perspectives.
 * 5) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Authentic activities allow learners with the opportunity to collaborate.
 * 6) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Authentic activities provide students with the opportunity to reflect and involve their believes and values.
 * 7) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Authentic activities can be applied and integrated beyond different subject areas and extend beyond domain specific outcomes.
 * 8) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Authentic activities are seamlessly integrated with assessment.
 * 9) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Authentic activities create polished products valuable in their own rights rather as preparation for something else.
 * 10) <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%; text-align: justify;">Authentic activities allow competing solutions and diversity of outcomes.