A free-standing module from Lancaster University's Advanced Learning Technology (ALT) Programme requiring 60 hours of study time. Some of this time will be spent on-line communicating with other course participants and tutors. Most of the time will be spent reading and preparing a course assignment off-line.
The course will run from 1 February to 30 June 1997 for the MECPOL user trials. The last date for starting study on this course is 30 April 1997.
We will need two weeks notice in order to dispatch course material to you.
A good command of English is required. Much of the work on the module requires on-line discussion and the writing of an assignment. The on-line discussion is NOT real-time, and therefore you will have the chance to prepare your contributions before going on-line.
Centre for Studies in Advanced Learning Technology (C SALT), Department of Educational Research, Lancaster University, UK.
INSTITUTION COURSE CODE: ITL01
This module provides a foundation in the psychology of learning. It offers an introduction to cognitive perspectives on learning, as a basis for understanding approaches to learning materials design and the evaluation of learning. It draws on recent work in cognitive science to offer a conceptualisation of knowledge, skill, memory, learning and problem solving which course members will find of practical value in their later work.
Effective new technology learning materials will only be produced if you have the learner in mind. A theory of thinking and learning alerts you to important elements in the design of learning materials, which is why we include this topic.
Unfortunately theories of mind are plentiful, the language is often difficult and the subtleties perplexing. Yet, the idea is not to turn you into psychologists, nor to sell any one sort of cognitive psychology to you. The idea is rather:
The readings associated with ITL01 can be divided into two parts.
The readings in set one are intended to provide a gentle lead-in to the territory covered by this module. They introduce recent conceptions of thinking and learning, derived from research in the cognitive sciences and applied to educational problems. Most of the articles are written for an audience interested in education (whether of children or adults). Some are written for those with a more general interest in cognition.
The readings in set two are selected to introduce a number of key topics within the general field of cognitive psychology and theories of learning. These topics have been selected because they are proving highly influential in thinking about the design of new IT-based learning environments. You should tackle at least one reading from each of the different topic areas to appreciate the breadth of the issues.
The Lancaster University Advanced Learning Technology (ALT) Programme has been designed to support the continuing professional development of people working with computer-based learning technologies.
This module is open to people who are currently involved in the design, development, use or evaluation of ALT systems. It is open to those involved in training and to staff working in higher, further or adult education who want to learn more about ALT. It is not oriented towards the needs of those who are primarily concerned with the use of computers in schools.
ALT is broadly defined, to include such things as the use of electronic communications and groupware, multimedia systems, electronic books, on-line help and performance support systems, simulations and exploratory learning tools, as well as more mainstream elements of technology-based training.
You will need access to a computer and the Internet using a World-Wide Web browser such as Netscape (version 2.x or above) or MS Internet Explorer (version 2.x or above). You will be accessing Lotus Notes discussion databases (conferences) via your Web browser.
A participant pack will be provided on request. This pack includes readings for this module. Alternatively, you may choose to find the readings yourself from a reading list which we will supply.
Other learning resources are provided on the module's Web pages, ALTLinks V1 and ALT Links V2.
The assessment task is meant to act as the motor for your learning on the module. It provides a focus for your studying and reflecting on the readings. It is the vehicle through which you can
The exact nature of the assessment task can be negotiated with the tutors. The following suggestions may give you some ideas for your assignment:
(1) Select or identify a suitable learning task from your on-going work. Characteristics of a learning task which will render it suitable for this assignment include:
Use this chosen learning task, together with what you read during this course, to provide an account of learning, paying particular attention to the cognitive processes involved. That is, you should use your understanding of the literature on the cognitive psychology of learning to illuminate your analysis of what would be involved in learning the task that you selected.
You are at liberty to structure your written work as you wish. The following is a suggestion of how you might structure it.
In judging your work, we will be most interested in the extent to which you have been able to understand the readings and apply that understanding to the analysis of a particular learning task.
Although the assessment suggestion given above has proved a popular and fruitful one over recent years, assessments may be negotiated and there are many other options. Here are a few other suggestions:
(2) Select a computer based training package for teaching learners with special needs, and analyse the assumptions that are built into it about the learning processes of the targeted users. Can you identify the use of a particular approach to learning? Is the software appropriate to the special needs of the users, e.g. taking into account the perceptual difficulties of dyslexics or the aural difficulties of deaf learners? Would an alternative approach to learning be more appropriate?
(3) Take one particular approach to learning and try to apply it to your selected learning task (using the same selection process as described in suggestion 1). How far can this one approach account for the learning processes involved in your task? Does it take into account all the relevant factors, e.g. motivation?
(4) Select a physical skill such as learning to juggle, to drive, to play squash (preferably something you have learnt to do fairly recently and have a good understanding of), and analyse the learning of it from (i) a behaviourist point of view and (ii) from a cognitivist learning theory approach. Are cognitive approaches to learning useful in the learning of practical skills?
Consult the tutors electronically to discuss ideas that you could explore for your own assessment task.
In assessing your work we will be expecting you:
Assignments should be 2500 -3000 words, or an equivalent.
This module has a 6 CATS points credit
rating in the UK.
(A full masters course = 120 CATS points)
You will be assigned to one tutor who will discuss an appropriate assessment task with you and will provide tutorial support for an agreed period. The normal means of communication will be computer-based conferencing, email or fax, with telephone by arrangement. You will be expected to communicate regularly with the tutor.
The period between your official start date on the module and the submission date for your assignment will not normally be less than four weeks or more than twenty weeks.
Tutors are:
Dr. Julie-Ann Sime and Prof. Peter Goodyear, from Lancaster University, UK.
£100 for the participant pack for MECPOL partner students, otherwise £450.00 (pounds sterling). Please allow up to two weeks to receive your pack from the time of ordering. Packs will be dispatched by surface mail within one week. If you wish to receive your pack by courier there would be an additional charge.
MECPOL partner students may wish to acquire the readings for themselves, in which case no fees will be payable.
If you already have access to the Internet via a Web browser there is no additional cost. If you pay telephone charges related to your use of the Internet, then you will have additional call charges.
If you would like to register for this module, or you have any other queries, please contact:
ALT Programme Organiser- Alice Jesmont
C SALT (Centre for Studies in Advanced Learning Technology)Further details regarding the ALT programme may be found on:
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/users/edres/research/altprog.html