JSET-AECT 2018 Summer International Research Symposium

Overview Keynote Speakers Program Registration Travel Information Contact

Prof. J. Ana Donaldson

Abstract of Presentation

IF I'M HAVING FUN THEN I KNOW YOU ARE LEARNING: CREATING ACTIVITY-FOCUSED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking, learning naturally results. - John Dewey

John Dewey realized over one hundred years ago the value of activity based learning.

An activity-based learning environment allows for both instructor and student engagement that transcends the more traditional content delivery modes. My mantra has always been: If I'm having fun then I know you are learning. Too often the element of engagement (what I term fun) has been superseded by a solemn and scholarly delivery mode, online or face-to-face. Challenging learners and taking them beyond their comfort levels is what can result in effective knowledge acquisition that will go far beyond the limits of the classroom.

Educators in today's diverse learning environments continue to strive to create more effective experiences for their students and many of them see interaction as key to that effectiveness. A significant element in meeting the instructional needs of the twenty-first-century learner is to discover effective ways to reach the individual in the context of diverse technology-enhanced opportunities. Educators are continuing to ask themselves how they can bring to life their courses and how to design a learning experience that goes beyond mere content presentation to being transformative both in learners' lives and in the world as well. As instructors and designers, it remains important to energize and empower learners to adopt responsibility for their own. The Phases of Engagement (Conrad & Donaldson, 2012) activity supported framework provides a means for instructors to guide learners in the development of skills needed to engage with the content and with one another without the instructor being the primary initiator of knowledge generation and interaction. Example of activities will be shared on creating a community of learners that take responsibility for their own learning journey.

previous and/or current research and indicate how your research connects to the symposium theme:

Major publications and research has been completed on the Phases of Engagement model (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004, 2011, & 2012) for creating learning communities through five levels of activities. Though the past emphasis has been on online or blended courses, the principles also align well to in class instruction.

List of Major Work

Books [4]

  • Donaldson, J. A. (2016). Women's Voices in the Field of Educational Technology: Our Journeys. J. Ana Donaldson (Editor). New York City, NY: Springer Publishing
  • Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J.A. (2012). Continuing to Engage the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  • Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J.A. (2011). Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction (Revistited). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  • Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J.A. (2004). Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Chapters in Published Books [8]

  • Nasongkhla, J., & Donaldson, J. A. (2018). Using trust telling and amicable inquiry for open educational resources to strengthen a university network in Thailand. In B. Hokanson, G. Clinton, & K. Kaminski (Eds.), Educational Technology and Narrative. NYC, NY: Springer Publications
  • Donaldson, J. A. (2016). Ana's voice: It is all about the journey. In J. A. Donaldson (Ed.), Women's Voices in the Field of Educational Technology: Our Journeys. NYC, NY: Springer Publications
  • Donaldson, J. A. (2016). Emerging technology: Instructional strategies for nailing Jell-O to a tree. Learning and Knowledge Analytics in Open Education: Selected Readings from the AECT-LKAOE 2015 Summer International Research Symposium
  • Smaldino, S. E., Donaldson, J. A., & Herring, M. (in press). Professional ethics: Rules applied to practice. In R. A. Reiser and J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
  • Donaldson, J. A. (2014). E-collaboration challenges. In A. A.Pina and A.P. Mizell (Eds.) Real-Life Distance Education: Case Studies in Practice. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
  • Smaldino, S. E., Donaldson, J. A., & Herring, M. (2011). Professional ethics: Rules applied to practice. In R. A. Reiser and J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology (3rd Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
  • Donaldson, J.A., Smaldino, S.E., & Pearson, P. (2008). Managing. In A. Januszewski (Ed.), Educational technology: An analysis and explanation of the concept. (pp.175-194). Mahway, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates/AECT.
  • Donaldson, J.A., & Knupfer, N.N. (2002). Education, learning, and technology. In P.L. Rogers (Ed.), Designing instruction for technology-enhanced learning (pp. 19-54). Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing.

Trends and Issues of Your Research Fields & Topics for Discussion:

  • Building student-centered learning communities
  • Activity supported learning
  • Integrating creativity into the learning process

Prior Questions to the Attendee if any

  • Reflecting on the conference theme: Designing Learning Environments for Creativity: Space, Activity, and Community, what do you see as the challenges to making this happen?
  • Can you share some examples where you have seen this successfully implemented?
  • How might the roles of the instructor and learner change in this newly designed environment?