Session 2: Group Activity #1 - Review on "Waste Recycling"

Group Activity #1 - Review on "Waste Recycling"

OVERVIEW
This reason we pick this topic is because we find the “Waste Recycling” is something of a hot topic at the moment, governments and local authorities around the world are trying to impose a significant recycling targets upon the worldwide communities. In addition to that, waste recycling is also related to our day-to-day living and hopefully by reviewing its content, we could acquire correct information and learn to bring up a right attitude in the context of recycling waste.

The site author has applied both learning theories of ‘Behaviourism’ & ‘Cognitivism’. The application of ‘Behaviourism’ is however occupying a prominent proportion. As observed, explicit objectives are stated in the introduction (home page). The site contains mostly facts and the 2 games are served as an assessment on the knowledge obtained AFTER reading the site. A hint of ‘Cognitivism’ can also be observed as the project is about setting up a group blog for learners to interact. This can lead learners to proactively involve in gaining more knowledge about the topic in their own paces.

A. Highlights of the website that are beneficial to Students:

1. Simple and easy to understand for someone who has no prior knowledge or background of waste recycling.
2. It includes game activities which is a good way of learning this topic because computer-based interactive activities could stimulate learners interests and students can also be rewarded if correct answers are selected. Although the hyperlinks to the games are not working, we could tell the site author is applying both the learning theory of “Behaviorism”, “Cognitivism” and “Constructivism” into this learning environment.
3. A project which requires learners to create a group blog. This can provoke active engagement by encouraging learners to study examples and refreshing their own experiences. Cooperative learning is introduced at the same time. The group can share, discuss and challenge. Different perspectives can be gained and the memory of learnt knowledge can be reinforced.

B. Some possible improvement

1. Enhance learners’ motivation for learning
• The use of various multimedia (e.g. movie, sound, animation), links to other websites and cognitive tools available on the web (in the information presentation sections) may enhance students’ motivation and interest in learning the materials.
• The selection of content relating to students real-world experience (e.g. real case scenario) may motivate them better. Also providing more examples could enhance students to relate to their own schemas and forming new schemas.
2. To cater for learners’ diversity: The website is too simple and the information provided on the site is not deep enough for someone who are really interested in knowing this topic: cater for students with different prior knowledge and cultural background – based by contructivism:
• The website may ask student some questions of their prior learning on the assumption that the answer will not be the same for all.
• Present students with some common everyday experience of recycling waste.
• Have a variety of activities (easy to advance level) for students to choose from.
• Can further extend the blog discussions to a broader dimension in the group blog. For example, what are the different recycling technologies, their advantages and disadvantages or the role of government and citizens in the waste recycling process.
3. Better selection of content materials: It emphasizes the “3R” (Recycling, Reuse and Reduce) are being covered in the site right at the beginning, however the site mostly focuss on the impact of waste recycling process and different types of waste, it doesn’t provide too much of information on the “Reuse” & “Reduce” sections.
4. Include more active participation by students: The website could have adopted more interactive activities for students (based on the cognitivist and constructivist theories):
• to recall their prior knowledge and experience.
• to learn new knowledge and experience.
• to apply their knowledge via doing authentic tasks.
• to conceptualise and analyse information.


• For examples, include more interactive activities into the presentation of information could help students learn better since the activities may present the input in a more interesting way to help students process the information into their short-term and long-term memory (based on the cognitivist theory). As a result learn better.
• Some interactive presentation activities, such as survey, poll, jigsaw puzzle, story-telling, problem-solving, charting.
• Too many hyperlinks and references are being used to take learners out of the sites which easily got learners off track of the original purpose of being in the site.
• Adding animations or powerpoint presentation will boost up learners’ experiences and understand the material better
• A navigation bar at a significant position of each page can facilitate learners to easily jump across different topics for referencing.
• An introduction at the home page can help learners to gain a basic concept on what kind of information will be provided subsequently and what goal is expected to be gained. Also, the learning material under each topic is sub-divided to sections with titles stated. This, not only make the knowledge more easily to be digested, but also promote endurance of learners’ memory. The introduction should cover and include hyperlinks of all the topics of the site.
• The hyperlink color habitually in blue, the topic use the similar color, the reaction of the behavior is link to other website, this will be confusing.

Review on the Learning Design (Use of the learning approaches in the design)

1. Knowledge objectives

o The website has a clear objective for students about what they will learn by browsing through the website and completing 2 games and a project.

o The objectives indicate a behavioural approach to learning as the objectives do not present elements for students to think about how the learning of waste could be related to real-life context and to their own experiences. As the result the students may not be provide enough motivation for them to learn more.


2. Learning focus

o Learning focus is clear: learning different types of wastes, their impact to the environment and how to solve the waste problem.

o However, it does indicate how students can relate this e-lesson to the overall curriculum of their class. Students may learn separate information about waste, but not being able to elaborate and manipulate all information to construct a better knowledge of the environment as a whole (as promoted by constructivism).


3. Pedagogy (knowledge processes - making knowledge and learning)


a) Experiencing the known/new

- The learning design of the information presentation sections on wastes, recycling of wastes and impact on the environment is based on behaviourism since students take a passive role in responding to environmental stimuli (presentation of the background content of waste).
- The presentation of information from this website is a very traditional way of teaching similar to teaching from the textbooks. It merely copies and pastes the target information (for students to learn) onto the web pages and does not utilize the vast and interesting resources on the internet for students to learn more interesting things about waste and recycling.

§ The website also does not cater for learners’ diversity, since it does not take into the account for students’ prior experience and knowledge (based on constructivism) when presenting information about waste. Students are regarded as clean slate. Beginners (with no or little prior knowledge) may find the information beneficial for an introduction to this new topic. On the other hand, more advanced students may find the website boring and the information from the website may not trigger the advanced students to continue learning more in-depth information about waste and recycling.


b) Applying appropriately/creativity

§ The website provides some opportunities for students to apply for what they’ve learnt to situations. This is through getting students to complete 2 games. The objective for doing the games as stated by the webpage is to evaluate students’ learning process. Because the 2 games are not accessible, further investigation cannot be done to access how students may apply for what they've learnt to situations.

§ The opportunity for students to transfer their learning to a different context is also in doubt because further examination cannot be done since the 2 games on the website are inaccessible at the moment.


c) Conceptualising by naming/theorising

§ A final project for students to share their recycling experience on a blog provides students the opportunity to present what they’ve learnt. Students have to gather information about recycling facilities, activities, campaigns and local projects or exhibitions that promote the ideas of waste recycling.
§ The opportunity for manipulating information learnt by students to create their own mental representation aligns with the cognitivist learning approach. Students are required to construct their own reality or interpret it based upon their perceptions of experiences, so an individual's knowledge is a function of one's prior experiences, mental structures, and beliefs that are used to interpret objects and situations.
§ The final project of posting on a blog assumes students will put information into categories, apply classifying terms and define those terms and also for students to make any generalization using concepts they’ve learnt and connect those terms in concepts or theories. However the project lacks the guidelines to help facilitate students. Students may produce outcomes that do not match with the target learning outcomes.


d) Analysing functionality/critically

§ The website uses a constructivism approach in this aspect and relies on the final project of blogging for students to analyse logical connections, cause and effect and evaluate their own and other people’s perspectives. Students will post their presentation and see each other’s perspectives on the blog.


4. Activities (supporting the knowledge processes)

o There are only 2 games available for students to consolidate what they’ve learnt. Further examination of the inaccessible games is needed to access how students can consolidate the information.

o The final project of blogging creates the learning platform for students to learn in a ‘community of practice’. According to the constructivism, by using the cognitive tool of blog students share their views and prespectives for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact. In addition, students take an active role in learning. They create their own meaning of knowledge through elaborating and interpreting information among themselves. Students are also able to be more flexible in use of preexisting knowledge (through communication with each other on the blog), not merely recalling the prepackaged schemas.


5. Knowledge outcomes (Assessment)


o The outcomes are unpredictable. Because of using the constructivist approach for the final project (posting presentation on blog), there are no definite answers. Also there are no clear guidelines or examples to facilitate students for the project.

o The website is also taking a constructivist approach in assessment. It does not indicate how students would be graded. If students will get marks on just posting their views onto the blog, then assessment is only regarded as the learning process. Thus, the focus is on making connections between facts and fostering new understanding in students and not for marks/grades.