Antonis Lionarakis, Hellenic Open University Considerations for Distance Learning: ‘what students learn’, ‘how they learn’ and ‘what they are able to do

Antonis Lionarakis, Hellenic Open University

Considerations for Distance Learning:

‘what students learn’,

‘how they learn’ and

‘what they are able to do with their learning outcome’

what students learn?

how they learn?

what they are able to do with their learning outcome?

…is he learning?

…are they learning?

…are they learning?

…can they all learn at a distance?


Learning: the unknown labyrinth


Considerations for Distance Learning:

‘what students learn’,

‘how they learn’ and

‘what they are able to do with their learning outcome’


• Books• Television• Internet • Video• Computers• DVDs• CDs• Software • Platforms etc.

They are all means which transfer and transmit information, not knowledge. They were not made as educational tools, but as tools for transferring oral and visual information. Any type of information; good or bad, right or wrong.


In order to use them as and transform them into educational tools

we must define a number of preconditions, criteria, quality standards,

teaching and learning methods.




People / students receive information from all these sources , but ‘information’ is not ‘learning’ nor ‘knowledge’. They have todo and follow a number of activities and actions in order to transform ‘information’ into ‘learning’ and ‘knowledge’.


A student engaged in distance learning needs to have an analytical Knowledge, from the outset of his studies, of the following:

What to do


What to do

Why he does itWhy he does it


What to do


When he has to do itWhen he has to do it


What to do



How to do it


What to do



How to do it

If he did it well


The learning material should also lead the learner

to a number of activities:


Distance Learning Material


Involvement of the learner / types of activities and exercises





Utilization of existingKnowledge and experiences






The search forand processing ofinformation







Application







ApplicationCritical thoughtand creativity







ApplicationCritical thoughtand creativity

Verification andself – evaluationof knowledge andskills


In the process of distance learning, of any type of distance learning…

…learning is more determined by and dependent on the content

of educational material and teaching methodology,

and NOT on the kind of technology used for course delivery.


Cognitive skills comprise a combination of information

processing tools and all the data which one processes

throughout one’s life


Cognitive Skills


Cognitive Skills

Knowledge


Cognitive Skills

Knowledge Action


Cognitive Skills

Knowledge Action


Cognitive Skills

How students learn How students learn


Cognitive Skills

Knowledge


What students learnWhat students learn


Cognitive Skills

Knowledge



Question ?Is this enough?

Do we want more?

Are w

e satis

fied?


Cognitive Skills

Knowledge Action



What students areable to do withtheir learning

outcome


outcome


Cognitive Skills

Knowledge Action




outcome


outcome


Some Basic Cognitive Skills

Creativity• Develop the ability to create certain new interesting conditions • To make decisions via predetermined or non – predictable tasks• To resolve problems and case studies• To observe similar activities and issues of others



Judgment• To develop the ability to judge• To be critical and to form an assessment• To develop a documented viewpoint about the validity and usefulness of some views or theories



Comparison• To develop the ability to compare• To approach and determine similarities and differences between two or more issues and to decide which is preferable • To support and justify a decision while simultaneously using arguments for the choice



Contradiction• To develop the ability to bring an opposing view to those already existing so as to show up their differences• To learn to compare different viewpoints in order to recognize the right to diversity, to respect other opinions and practices • To avoid the ones limited world – view



Description• To develop the ability to describe and provide an analytical interpretation of an issue • To learn to give an analytical account of a fact or issue by using observations



Interpretation• To develop the ability to represent and explain an issue and, at the same time, to determine the outline for its clarification• To explain a fact or a point, but additionally, to look for the factors and causes which provoked it



Analysis • To develop the ability to analyze an issue or a fact and, at the same time, to use explanatory and structured logic to interpret it



Argument• To develop the ability to argue, to use theoretical and practical examples to validate one or more opinions. These examples must confirm and lead to a documented viewpoint.



Evaluation• To develop the ability to evaluate, to consider the value, effectiveness and validity of some elements and to what extent they are true or useful



Examination• To learn to develop the ability to examine the value of an issue. • To examine how valid or invalid it is



Questioning• To develop the ability to question an issue in order to examine its validity• Not to accept it as correct or effective in advance or due to general acceptance



Observation• To develop the ability to observe an issue or process so as to identify all of its dimensions, no matter how small or insignificant they are



Oral expression and presentation• To develop the ability to orally express and present data based on what someone have learnt and to deliver them in an interesting way



Problem solving• To develop the ability to solve problems and provide direct solutions to issues that come up unexpectedly


Cognitive skills respond to the question of“how do students learn”.

They can also lead the student to knowledge and its three ingredients: • The facts• The theories • The experiences and practical applications

The third part we saw before, “what can students do with what they

have learnt”, expresses the actions, behaviors, principles,

attitudes and learning outcomes of the learners’ educational journey.


Thank you for your attention

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Antonis Lionarakis, Hellenic Open University Considerations for Distance Learning: ‘what students learn’, ‘how they learn’ and ‘what they are able to do