Pedagogy:
Pedagogy is the art and science of teaching. It theorizes how teachers can help students learn better. It helps teachers develop strategies to teach better to students. When I reflect on my own experiences with learning, I can see that I like teaching styles where there is independent work and exploration. I feel like I learn better when I go through the concept on my own and practice with tests and problems. I also really enjoy discussing problems with classmates and learning through group discussions. I believe it is really helpful to talk and discuss problems with classmates and learn from each other. In my own experience, these kinds of group work help me learn and retain information better. For me, individual projects and group discussions are the most effective learning styles.
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Networked Pedagogy:
Network pedagogy emphasizes the connections between people and information on digital platforms. Network pedagogy creates a more collaborative environment in the digital spaces and helps people connect with resources and instructors that they might need. I think network pedagogy can enhance my learning through the collaborative environment it creates. It becomes very easy to find a professional or an expert on a topic that you want to learn more about. This makes learning more accessible and fun. One example of how networked pedagogy helped me in my learning experiences would be helping me find tutorials and people online. During Covid-19, I wanted to learn more about oil painting and due to the quarantine, I wasn’t able to go anywhere or get lessons. I found this YouTube channel of an artist who was teaching oil painting techniques. This channel was really helpful, it taught me a lot and helped me improve my paintings. I also found an online community of people who wanted to learn more about oil paintings through that YouTube channel. This experience has really contributed to my improvement in oil painting and finding a community that had similar struggles when learning painting made me feel less lonely and motivated to do better. Therefore, I can say that networked pedagogy helped me and contributed to such great memories for me.
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Learning Theories:
Constructivism is the learning theory that indicates that learners construct their own knowledge through their experiences and knowledge about the world. This theory might be applied to online learning environments by creating more of an active learning experience for students to experience learning. These types of activities might include group projects and discussion forms. This type of learning encourages students to think about what they have learned and apply it to a project or write about it in a discussion form. I think doing these discussion forms and connecting course material with our own experiences through writing about it is one example of how one could incorporate constructivist ideals in the online learning environment. I see this theory shaping my learning in a positive way, as it helps make course content more real due to the connection to my lived experiences. This way, the course material and the learning are more permanent in my brain. That’s why, this theory is the one that I most connect with.
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The Role of the Instructor:
I think, even in online learning environments the job of the instructor is very crucial. The instructor in an online learning environment should be active and attentive towards students. Also the instructor in an online environment should have clear communication with students about what they are expected to do and how the course would be going. Due to the learning environment being online students won’t be able to ask questions and expect answers right away. Therefore, the instructor being attentive and answering student’s questions in a timely manner is really important. In addition, the instructor should be able to incorporate interactive elements into online learning, such as discussion boards or group projects so that the students can connect with one another. Most instructors I had when I took online courses were great and they were able to create a great learning space online. They were all attentive and answered questions in a timely manner. Most of them had office hours where I could go and ask questions. They also created opportunities for me to meet classmates through discussion boards and group projects.
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Exploring Digital Spaces:
Learning in a digital environment can have its benefits and challenges. One benefit to learning in digital spaces would be the flexibility it provides. Another benefit of learning in a digital environment is that learning is more accessible, as it is in an online platform. One challenge to learning in digital spaces can be a lack of human connection. Due to learning being digital, it is very easy to get isolated and not meet people. Another challenge of learning online is that not all information provided online is accurate therefore, one must have digital literary skills to navigate information and select the ones that are accurate. Also, sharing accurate information with digital communities can be a great way to contribute. Being mindful and respectful towards the people in the learning community and being supportive of people who are struggling are also great ways to contribute to online learning communities.
Here is a TedTalk about the the transformation of education with technological advancements and how teacher should adapt to these changes for digital transformation in education to be more effective. This TedTalk is also talking about what is the instructors job in a digital learning environment.