Saras's question 2. How would I create a website for the informal learning of say art or music or construction in which the content and instruction are embedded with LLN and online learning principles?
With the promotion of ongoing learning in modern society and increasing use of online media, websites for informal learning offer a new dimension for learners who might otherwise have relied on books or advice from family. Wikipedia provides one example, with information regularly updated by a wide online community, and learners can access magazines, participate in online discussions or join classes. For those learning computing, however, Wikipedia can get a little jargon-heavy and is better used for supplementary research rather than lessons. One UK website I’ve recently discovered, Home and Learn, has helped me come to grips with Microsoft Excel, Publisher and PowerPoint. I’ve found Home and Learn extremely useful to introduce a novice (me) to these programs. Home and Learn is also easy to navigate around, and doesn’t require the user to be particularly net-savvy. As a tutor, it’s made me more aware of how necessary it is to promote learner exploration of web-based resources, and to keep an inventory of sites that might be appropriate for the various learner abilities and interests I work with.
For someone engaged in informal learning – certain computer programs in my case – Home and Learn gives online lessons a learner can dip into at random according to need, although the teaching style is more akin to a work book than a tutorial. Very “top down” in this respect, although as a beginner user of PowerPoint and Publisher, I appreciated Home and Learn’s methodical approach. More advanced users might prefer more complicated, interactive resources, but as most of the LLN learners I work with have low or minimal digital literacy, a website set out in distinct steps with clear goals is one I would suggest my learners try. Ideally, I would introduce the website in class to check for initial issues with the technology, but then expect the learners to tackle the website’s lessons with minimal tutor input.
Using a social practices lens to examine a website for potential use in a learning situation allows a tutor to reframe the question from “Is the student ready to use this website?” to “Is the website suitable for the learner?” To expand on a learner-centred approach, identifying the particular use, meaning and approach a learner has for the digital medium in a given set of circumstances allows for a more tailored approach to education delivery (Gillen & Barton, 2009). One-to-one digital literacy classes certainly make it easier for me to implement this philosophy, and luckily many of my classes are one-to-one. Quite often the initial lesson plan goes out the window when, for example, the student shows up with a computer and wants to learn how to surf the net rather than conjugate verbs – which is fair enough. From working with students who had clear digital literacy goals in mind and only wanted someone to help them get started, I’ve seen how easily navigated websites like Yahoo! email with clear, attainable goals can give a learner enough confidence to move onto other, more complicated sites, such as creating a Facebook page and ordering books from the library.
As a learner moves further into the digital realm, more possibilities for ongoing education become available. Areas where they have not yet been developed suggests gaps an online tutor could address. Given the variety of learner backgrounds, a narrow or broad range of websites may be developed to take advantage of interests and ability as well as just how deeply the learner wishes to delve into the topic. A tutor developing a website might provide anything from an online textbook to a basic homepage with links to other materials and websites, or a self-contained website replete with highly interactive virtual environment, discussion board, multimedia texts, references, activities and assignments, and feedback via quizzes or exams. Obviously, the breadth of the website depends not just on the learner background and needs, but also on the tutor’s resources (time, money) and personal digital literacy. (Aldrich, 2009)
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