J. Herrington

Design research: A socially responsible approach to instructional technology research in higher education

DESIGN RESEARCH has grown in importance since it was first conceptualized in the early 90s, but it has not been adopted for research in instructional technology in higher education to any great extent. Many researchers continue to conduct studies that principally seek to determine the effectiveness of the delivery medium, rather than the instructional strategies and tasks. This article explores the various incentives for conducting research on the impact of computing and other technologies in higher education, examines the social relevance of that research, and recommends design research as a particularly appropriate approach to socially responsible inquiry. A description of the characteristics of design research is given, together with an argument for the more widespread adoption of this approach to enhance the quality and usefulness of research in computers and other technologies in education.

A development research agenda for online collaborative learning

Although important, traditional basic-to-applied research methods have provided an insufficient basis for advancing the design and implementation of innovative collaborative learning environments. It is proposed that more progress may be accomplished through development research or design research. Development research protocols require intensive and long-term collaboration among researchers and practitioners. In this article, we propose guidelines for implementing development research models more widely, and conclude with a prescription for an online collaborative learning research agenda for the next five to ten years.

Authentic assessment and multimedia: How university students respond to a model of authentic assessment

Abstract A problem for educators and the developers of interactive multimedia is the apparent incongruity between the demands of authentic assessment and the deliverables of computer‐based assessment. Lecturers wishing to use interactive multimedia are commonly limited to assessment using multiple choice tests which are easily marked by the computer. This article describes seven defining characteristics of authentic assessment which have been operationalized in a learning environment employing interactive multimedia. The article describes the multimedia program and its implementation with a class of pre‐service teachers. The implication of these findings for educational practice are that authentic assessment can be used within interactive multimedia learning environments, albeit not totally contained within the software itself. The qualitative study reported here showed that students responded favourably to the elements of authentic assessment; that they had a good understanding of the content of the inte...

Authentic Learning Supported by Technology: Ten suggestions and cases of integration in classrooms

Technology use in classrooms is often employed for all the wrong reasons—such as convenience, pressure from school administrators, the belief that students need to be entertained, and so on. In this article, the authors argue that technology presents the opportunity to employ powerful cognitive tools that can be used by students to solve complex and authentic problems. In order for this to occur, however, technology needs to be used in theoretically sound ways, and it needs to be used by students rather than teachers. Ten practical ways are presented for technology to be used effectively and meaningfully in school classrooms that are based on principles of authentic learning. La technologie, support d’un apprentissage authentique: 10 suggestions et exemples d’intégration dans les classes On emploie souvent la technologie dans les classes pour toutes sortes de mauvaises raisons telles que la facilité, la pression des administrateurs scolaires, la croyance qu’il faut distraire les élèves et ainsi de suite. Dans cet article, nous avançons que la technologie offre la possibilité d’utiliser des outils cognitifs puissants que les étudiants peuvent utiliser pour résoudre des problèmes complexes et authentiques. Pour que cela se produise, il faut cependant utiliser la technologie de façon théoriquement saine et il faut que ce soit les étudiants qui l’utilisent plutôt que les professeurs. Nous présentons 10 modes pratiques d’utilisation effective et pertinente de la technologie dans les classes basés sur les principes de l’apprentissage authentique. Authentisches, von Technik unterstütztes Lernen: 10 Vorschläge und Integrationsmöglichkeiten im Unterricht Der Gebrauch von Technologie im Unterricht wird oft mit all den falschen Argumenten begründet, wie Annehmlichkeit, Druck der Schulaufsicht, dem Glauben, dass Studenten unterhalten werden müssen und so weiter. In diesem Beitrag zeigen wir, dass Technologie Möglichkeiten eröffnet, mächtige von den Studenten zur Lösung komplexer Probleme nutzbare kognitive Werkzeuge anzuwenden. Damit das jedoch passieren kann, muss die Technologie in theoretisch einwandfreier Weise genutzt, außerdem sollte sie mehr von den Schülern als von den Lehrern angewendet werden.Wir präsentieren zehn praktische, auf den Prinzipien des authentischen Lernens beruhenden Möglichkeiten zum effektiven und sinnvollen Technologiegebrauch im Schulunterricht. La tecnología como soporte de un aprendizaje auténtico: 10 sugerencias y casos de integración en las aulas Muchas veces se usa la tecnología en las aulas por muchas malas razones como la comodidad, la presión de los administradores escolares, la creencia de que los alumnos deben ser divertidos y así sucesivamente. En este artículo, apuntamos que la tecnología ofrece la posibilidad de aprovechar poderosas herramientas cognitivas, que los estudiantes pueden utilizar, para solucionar problemas complejos y auténticos. Sin embargo, para llegar a esto, la tecnología debe ser utilizada de manera teóricamente sana y tienen que ser los estudiantes, más bien que los profesores, los que tienen que utilizarla. Presentamos 10 formas prácticas de utilizarla de una manera significativa y efectiva en aulas basadas en los principios del aprendizaje auténtico.

Designing authentic activities in web-based courses

INFLUENCED by constructivist educational theory and advances in technology, there is increasing interest in authentic activities as a basis for learning in both face-to-face and Web-based courses. Whereas traditionally, real-world activities have primarily served as vehicles for practice of skills or processes that are taught using traditional instructional methods, a more radical approach is to build a whole course of study around authentic activities and tasks. The authors of this paper argue that the value of authentic activity is not constrained to learning in real-life locations and practice, but that there are critical characteristics of authentic activities that can be incorporated into the design of Web-based courses to enhance learning online. We include a description of the theory, research, and development initiatives that provide the foundations for this approach. Finally, we present guidelines and examples for the design of complex authentic activities for online learning, together with the implications of this approach for teachers, students, and designers.

Exploring Technology-Mediated Learning from a Pedagogical Perspective

A considerable amount of the effort and enthusiasm that goes into the development and implementation of technology-mediated learning environments often fails to create effective settings for learning. Too often the opportunities and advantages of the use of technology in the learning process are poorly exploited. This paper explores ways in which contemporary pedagogical principles can inform and guide the design of technology-mediated learning environments. The paper argues the need to plan learning settings based on meaningful and relevant activities and tasks which are supported in deliberate and proactive ways by the tutor. The paper presents and describes a framework which supports a design process comprising three critical strategies: the selection of learning tasks; the selection of learning supports; and the selection of learning supports as a strategy for the development of online learning settings that promote knowledge construction.

Authentic Learning Environments

Authentic learning is a pedagogical approach that situates learning tasks in the context of future use. Over the last two decades, authentic learning designs have captured the imaginations of innovative educators who see the approach as a means to enable students to develop robust knowledge that transfers to real-world practice. Authentic learning has its foundations in the theory of situated cognition, together with other pedagogical approaches developed over the last two decades, such as anchored instruction. It offers an alternative instructional model based upon sound principles for the design and implementation of complex and realistic learning tasks. The technologies associated with technology-based learning provide ideal conditions for the implementation of the approach, both in blended and fully online courses. New Web-based technologies and mobile devices provide affordances—as both cognitive tools and delivery platforms—for dissemination of polished and professional authentic learning experiences. As educational institutions increasingly embrace the internet and Web-supported learning, the potential exists for authentic learning environments to be used widely to improve student learning. This chapter reviews the seminal and recent literature in the field, and provides a model of authentic learning for the design of learning environments across educational sectors.

Authentic Tasks Online: A synergy among learner, task, and technology

Fostering synergies amongst learner, task, and technology to create innovative and immersive distance learning environments runs counter to the widespread practice of incorporating traditional classroom pedagogical strategies into Web‐based delivery of courses. The most widely accepted model of online higher education appears to be one of reductionism, whereby learning management systems facilitate the design of easily digested packets of information, usually assessed by discrete stand‐alone tests and academic assignments. This article describes a model for the development of authentic tasks that can assist in designing environments of increased, rather than reduced, complexity. It provides a robust framework for the design of online courses, based on the work of theorists and researchers in situated learning and authentic learning. It describes the characteristics of a tasks design that facilitates the requirements of an entire course of study being readily satisfied by its completion, where the students make the important decisions about why, how, and in what order they investigate a problem. The article describes several learning environments that were investigated in depth in the study, and explores the synergies that exist between the learners, tasks, and technology engaged in authentic learning settings. The article leads readers to a conceptual understanding of the role of authentic tasks in supporting knowledge construction and meaningful learning, and illustrates the principles of authentic task design for online learning environments.

Immersive Learning Technologies: Realism and Online Authentic Learning

THE DEVELOPMENT of immersive learning technologies in the form of virtual reality and advanced computer applications has meant that realistic creations of simulated environments are now possible. Such simulations have been used to great effect in training in the military, air force, and in medical training. But how realistic do problems need to be in education for effective learning to occur? Some authors and researchers argue that problems should be real, or that simulations should have ultrarealistic physical similarity to an actual context. This paper proposes that physical verisimilitude to real situations is of less importance in learning than “cognitive realism,” provided by immersing students in engaging and complex tasks. The paper presents a description of the theory and research that provide the foundations for this approach. Examples of courses employing cognitive, rather than physical, realism are presented together with the views of teachers, authors and instructional designers. Finally, the implications of this approach are discussed.

Emerging technologies as cognitive tools for authentic learning

Employing emerging technologies in learning is becoming increasingly important as a means to support the development of digital media literacy. Using a theoretical framework of authentic learning and technology as cognitive tools, this paper examined student responses to the infusion of emerging technologies in a large first year teacher education unit over two full iterations, using a design-based research approach. This paper describes the pedagogical context of the intervention, the methodology used, and it presents an analysis of themes emerging from the data relating to the use of emerging technologies.