Instructional Strategies for Procedures and Principles Learning

Lessons Learnt

Procedures

- Rules

- 'Knowing how' vs. 'Knowing what' (Factual knowledge)

- Intellectual skill of execution rather than merely stating factual outcomes (verbal information)

- Involves:

- Ordered set of actions to acheive goal 

+

- Often more than one procedure

+

- Involves mental process/ physical skill or combination of both

Characteristics (key word): Automaticity (Unconscious skill)

Key Elements (T.D.T):-

Tell me, Demonstrate, Let me Try

Tell: - Task Analysis (When to use, and steps)

Demonstrate:- In whole/ parts, worked examples (step-by-step video with narration) 

Try: - Practice (Listing steps, Execution, Feedback)

Toughest part of E-learning Design

- Practice

- Feedback

Key considerations for components to be incorporated into E-learning:

- Adaptive feedback

- Provides 'model answer'

- Self-reflection and self-checking

- Resources, tasks, support (i.e. use of 'post-it' pads)

Principles

- Higher-order rules

- Combination of rules

- Involves:

- Relational rules among concepts

- "knowing why"

Examples of concepts: 

- Mechanics (power)

- Sociology (industralization)

- Statistics (bell-curve)

- Investment (borrowing rate)

Characteristics: Combination of concept and procedure

{Example}

Concept: Archimedes Principle

Variables: - Density (relationship between mass and volume)

Condition/ Context: - Application of principle using other objects (cement vs. wood block)

Practice and feedback: - Interactive 'game' allowing learners to experiment and 'play'

Drawback of Online Universities:

- How to identify and ensure that the 'actual students and not other substitutes are sitting in front of the computer screens?

Ideas on Practice and Feedback

Practice

- Drill and practice questions

(i.e. Multiple choice questions, open-ended questions)

- Allow students to upload own content and apply learning concepts

(Blogging)

- Create a community that allows discussion

(Gives opportunities to not only be learners but be teachers to fellow course mates, i.e. forum)

- Design tasks and set objectives for students to with the use of available web-authoring softwares (WikiDot)

Feedback mechanism

- Forum

- Online Poll

- Comments

- Real-time tag board/ chat

Resources:

- Computers

- Internet connection

- Web authoring softwares

Limitations:

- Ensuring students do not regurgitate information instead of application of concepts

- All students have the abillity to use these platforms to properly execute tasks and assignments