A Learner-Centered Framework for E-Learning
The premise of this article stresses the need for updating learning models to better prepare students for global change based a model that incorporates 14 learner-centered psychological principles which include diversity and social influences on learning.
One of the projects of Gen Y students in grades 3-12 integrated the principles into practice by allowing students to act as partners in the learning process. Students help teachers co-create curricula and create lesson plans, and teach lessons with teachers. Relationships between students and teachers can be strengthened by the partnership model.
Research-based recommendations suggest that the psychological principles be organized into four domains that include cognitive and metacognitive factors, motivational and affective factors, developmental and social factors, and individual-differences factors.
According to this article uses of distance learning can greatly enhance the factors listed under the four domains versus traditional classroom methods.
This is a timely article for me because I’m interested in performing research in the area of community learning based on diversity and social influences. I thought the article provided a base of e-Learning methods that can be used within the four domains such as using student-created websites, computer conferencing, chats and MUDs for Cognitive and Metacognitive Factors. Electronic portfolios can be used for Motivational and Affective Factors. Teachers and students can use the partnership model to learn about technology for Developmental and Social Factors. Multimedia and streaming technologies can be used to appeal to different learning styles to satisfy Individual-Differences Factors.
References
Teachers College Record Volume 107, Number 8, August 2005, pp. 1582-1600
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