Notes taken at Distance Teaching and Learning Conference 2008 in Madison, Wisconsin.
Presenters: Tina Parscal, Maureen Hencmann
Session presents an extremely brief overview of cognitive apprenticeship. Uses obnoxious, unnecessary terms “more knowledgeable other” (MKO) instead of “expert”, and “less knowledgable other” (LKO) instead of learner.
Implementation aspects of cognitive apprenticeship educational approach:
Content
Modeling
Coaching
Scaffolding and fading
Articulation
Exploration
Reflection
Let learners decide what tools to use to solve a problem
Idea for application: Would it be neat to give 3 lessons that are optional, and give 3 different projects that may use some or all of those lessons?)
As part of cognitive apprenticeship, “facilitators” should “encourage discovery”. Learners should “Learn to learn”
Does this help learners learn? If so, why? Does it cement or reinforce the important information or skills?
Prompt students to seek answers in a (general) document (learn to navigate the course and use resources–not spoon feeding).
Is this annoying, inefficient? Is there a faster way to deliver the information? Or is learning to navigate a system (that they may never use again, or use infrequently) that important? (Counterpoint: you could send them to a system that they should use, but is this now an information management task? E.g. Google, Wikipedia, etc. Is that appropriate here, or better in a learning skills course? Do computer literacy courses require this?)
Write good questions and robust feedback.
Discussion – articulation, reflection, exploration
In a lot of ways, my DGM 2120 and 2740 courses are modeled on cognitive apprenticeship, though I’ve found that in 2120 greater structuring was necessary.
Course design has a lot of cute representative icons relating to the content. Are these useful? Will these symbols be used beyond the course? I’m always looking for how what we learn or do in class is applicable beyond the class. That’s the epitome of education.
Shows off interactive Flash “office” to simulate a few questions principals might have to deal with daily, with MC options for responses to e-mail, phone call.
Presenters walk through these pretty intensively, but I got lost thinking about the tool and the scenario as a learner. Participants need to be reminded to think about this as an example to reflect upon as an educator. We do reflect on this at the end.
Break into groups for corrabolative discussion.
Exit, Mr. Stein.