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A copy of our presentation, available until October 27, 2016

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https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/24-ipad-apps-to-support-blooms-taxonomy

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via eSchool News
Bloom's Taxonomy, introduced in the 1950s as a system of organizing learning objectives into a pyramid, traditionally has started with creating at the top, followed by evaluating, analyzing, applying, understanding, and remembering.

Some educators today are flipping the triangle so that remembering is on top, followed by understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating on the bottom.

During an edWeb.net webinar, educational technologist Kathy Schrock presented a variety of apps for iPads that can boost student engagement and collaboration, and that can be used for teaching and learning according to Bloom's Taxonomy.

"Remembering" apps:
Diigo - A social bookmarking tool; teachers can use this app on an iPad to add relevant bookmarks, or create their own account and share. Lists can be organized into sub lists.
Evernote - A "must-have" app. Users can take notes, photos, create to-do lists, make voice reminders, and search their content.
Pearltrees - A curation tool with a social component. Users can search, link to other accounts, and organize their own content.
Idea Sketch - Users can create a mind map and turn it into a list or outline, and vice versa. It also offers organizational charts.

"Understanding" apps should help users summarize facts and ideas and retell information and events:
ShowMe - Users can record voiceover whiteboard tutorials and share them online. For a small fee, teachers can create a ShowMe group that only students can see.
Skitch - Users can add arrows, shapes, and text to images pulled from their iPad photos, such as adding arrows or highlighting routes on maps, and taking pictures of items to help students count.
ScratchWork - Students can take notes and browse the web in side-by-side viewing, and also can explain ideas and concepts as they go along.
Pixntell - Users add images, record audio, then create the movie.

"Applying" apps help students demonstrate methods or procedures, carry out procedures, let them experiment with concepts in a new setting, help them use ideas or knowledge, and let them discover a new purpose:
Audioboo - This is an app for making and sharing voice recordings. Audio can be up to 3 minutes in length and is posted to a user's own account on the web.
MindMash - A brainstorming and note-taking application lets users create idea mash-ups by pulling in images, text, and drawings in a visual, free-form manner.
Flipboom Lite - This free version lets users create a single animation.

"Analyzing" apps help users discriminate fact from hypothesis, recognize intent, and deconstruct content, as well as helping them observe structure, organize content, and select important elements:
Wufoo - Teachers can use Safari on an iPad to create a survey for students. Users can make 3 surveys and get 100 responses per month for free.
Inspiration Maps - Students use diagrams to create maps, edit content, and transform content to outlines, and vice versa.
Zoho Creator - This online database requires a computer, but the corresponding iPad app can be used to enter and query data.
Word It Out - Students can create word clouds using the Safari browser on the iPad, and can take a screen shot and save it to their iPad photos.

"Evaluating" apps help students check for accuracy, detect inconsistencies, appraise efficiency, judge techniques, critique solutions, and evaluate procedures:
Easy Chart - Users create bar, line, and pie charts that can be saved in various sizes.
Side by Side - This app offers offline reading and note-taking capabilities. Up to four sites can be viewed on a split screen. For instance, students can browse web pages, download files, and take notes on each separate screen.
Google+ - Educators can moderate and follow a conversation on a topic and host a Google hangout for students.

"Creating" apps help users construct designs, generate possibilities, compose ideas, brainstorm solutions, design products, assemble plans, and propose hypotheses:
ScreenChomp - Allows a student to create an idea or share screen shot. It offers a recording voiceover option.
Splice - An easy-to-use video editor that allows for the splicing together of HD photos and videos. Users can add music tracks from their library and user other effects.
Vimeo - This is an online video hosting site, and the iPad app allows users to record video and audio, import images, and send the finished product to their Vimeo account.
Videolicious - Users can talk and tap to line up narration with a video recording. They also can record or import a story or add music.
Sock Puppets - Students create 30-second lip sync videos and share.
Haiku Deck - Users type in text and search for images to illustrate that text.
This article was featured on eSchool News and was written by Laura Devaney, the Managing Editor for eSchool News. Follow her on Twitter: @eSN_Laura.

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24 iPad Apps to Support Bloom's Taxonomy

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via eSchool News Bloom's Taxonomy, introduced in the 1950s as a system of organizing learning objectives into a pyramid, traditionally has started with creating at the top, followed by evaluating, analyzing, applying, understanding, and remembering. Some educators today are flipping the triangle so that remembering is on top, followed by understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating on the bottom.

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Articulate Storyline

Articulate Engage

Camtasia - recording videos, ability to add quizzes and hotspots (free trial available)

SnagIt - screenshot of any image on the computer and edit/manipulate them; we use this to create a lot of custom graphics (free trial available)

PollEverywhere - free polling software

Audacity - record and edit sounds; format them to use in presentations (free)

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This is a sample of an interactive glossary created with Articulate Engage.

(Click VIEW ORIGINAL to see the sample)

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Microsoft PowerPoint comes standard with a variety of add-ins to help break up the text on your slideshow, such as a clip art gallery and a collection of animations and transitions. Animations and transitions are effects that, when added to text boxes or the slides themselves, make words bounce around, fizzle or blink, and show slides windshield-wipering and twirling. Animations in PowerPoint may not include your favorite items, but bringing in your own designs is as simple as a few clicks and may really help you hold a candle to your presentation.

Open PowerPoint. If adding a burning candle animation to an existing PowerPoint, click the "File" tab, click "Open," browse to the presentation, double-click its name and scroll to the slide to receive the animation.

Click the "Insert" tab. Click the "Picture" button. Browse to the location of the animated candle graphic. To help narrow the search, pull down the "All Pictures" menu and select "Graphics Interchange Format," as only GIFs may be animated files.

Double-click the animated candle image and it is added to the slide.

About the Author

Fionia LeChat is a technical writer whose major skill sets include the MS Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Publisher), Photoshop, Paint, desktop publishing, design and graphics. LeChat has a Master of Science in technical writing, a Master of Arts in public relations and communications and a Bachelor of Arts in writing/English.

More Articles

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How to Add a Burning Candle Animation to Your PowerPoint

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Microsoft PowerPoint comes standard with a variety of add-ins to help break up the text on your slideshow, such as a clip art gallery and a collection of animations and transitions. Animations and transitions are effects that, when added to text boxes or the slides themselves, make words bounce around, fizzle or ...

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Most people think that PowerPoint is just for presentations that put you to sleep. In fact, it's a very versatile tool and fairly easy to get a lot out of, despite seeming a little scary at first glance. Here I'll show you how to create two simple PowerPoint games.

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How to Create and Use an Interactive PowerPoint Quiz Game

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How to Create and Use an Interactive PowerPoint Quiz Game

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How to Create and Use an Interactive PowerPoint Quiz Game

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This article describes a Jeopardy style quiz game that can be developed using Microsoft PowerPoint software. It can be used by Extension ed

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If your answer is "No," is it because you lack enough access to technology? Is it because you don't feel ready? Or do you feel ready, but need additional support in your classroom? Depending on your answer, your path to tech integration may look different from someone else's. However varied access and readiness may be, tech integration can successfully occur in any classroom.

This article contains the following sections:

Getting Started

The first step in successful tech integration is recognizing the change that may need to happen inside of yourself and in your approach to teaching. When any teacher brings technology into the classroom, he or she will no longer be the center of attention. The level of refocused attention will, of course, depend on the amount and the type of technology (e.g., mobile device, e-reader, laptop, interactive whiteboard) being brought into the classroom. However, this does not mean that the teacher is no longer essential to the learning process. While students may be surrounded by technology at home, it is dangerous to assume that they know how to use it for learning -- this is commonly referred to as the "myth of the digital native," and you can read more about it in this Edutopia blog post: " Digital Native vs. Digital Citizen? Examining a Dangerous Stereotype." Most students still need a guide to help them use digital tools effectively for learning and collaboration.

Integrating Technology Across the Access Spectrum

As discussed in the What is Successful Technology Integration? section, how we define "technology integration" depends on the kinds of technology available and how much access one has to technology. This definition also depends on who is using the technology. For instance, in a classroom with only an interactive whiteboard and one computer, learning will still remain teacher centered and integration will revolve around teacher needs, which are not necessarily student needs. Still, there are ways to use an interactive whiteboard to make it a tool for your students. Even with one computer in the room, there are ways to integrate that one machine into your classroom and still make sure that you and your students are indeed doing things that you couldn't do before, not just doing the same things you did before in a quicker, more efficient way.

Below you will find a quick overview with suggestions of what kinds of tools and activities are best matched with various levels of technology access. All of the resources linked to are either free or offer free versions.
If your class has an interactive whiteboard and projector: If there is only one computer in your room: If you have a pod of three to five computers in the classroom or access to a library with a pod of computers:

What skills are applied to nearly all tools (e.g., saving a file, naming a file, finding a file, logging in and out of accounts)? Have your students mastered these basic skills?

How many different tools will you introduce this year? How many is too many?

How will technology help your students better understand content -- will it push them to a deeper understanding that could not have been achieved without technology?

What level of integration do you want in your classroom by the end of the school year? What specific steps must you take to achieve that goal? What is a realistic goal based on time and resources?

If you have access to a laptop cart or a computer lab:

All of the above, plus...

Enable students to work through course content at their own pace through the use of screencasts, e-books, and other digital media.

Use Poll Everywhere or Socrative to poll students.

Start live class discussions with TodaysMeet.

Explore enhanced digital note taking with Evernote.

If your students have 1:1 laptops or netbooks:

Hold an introductory session with your students when introducing a new tool.

Use the tool yourself first before putting your students in front of it.

Have a plan for collecting student work.

Communicate with other colleagues that may want to use the resources as well.

Manage time with the resources wisely. Set goals for work completion with your students.

Communicate with your administration about how and when you will be using shared technology.

All of the above, whenever you want, for however long you like (especially if students take their laptops or netbooks home).
If you have access to a handful of mobile devices:

Have students create videos using the Animoto app

Record group discussions using a voice recording app.

Have students record themselves reading aloud for fluency checks.

Assign student-created comics using the Puppet Pals app.

Offer e-books for required readings.

Upload and access course content using the Edmodo or Schoology apps.

Conduct research.

Foster skills practice using apps specific to subject area.

Collaborate using apps like Whiteboard.

If your students have 1:1 mobile devices:

All of the above, plus...

Use them as multifunction devices (e.g., e-book readers, calculators, platforms for taking notes).

Try out a tool like Nearpod to project information onto student devices.

Check out mobile apps for student polling from Poll Everywhere or Socrative.

Getting to "Seamless" Integration

To begin to move your tech integration to the point where it is "seamless," consider these questions:

For more on levels of technology access and what that means for tech integration, read this blog post: " What Does 'Technology Integration' Mean?"

You can also check out the outstanding Technology Integration Matrix produced by the Arizona K12 Center. It provides guidance on different levels of tech integration based on readiness and current practice, and offers links to sample lessons.

Have a nontechnology backup plan.

Just as we always tell our students that failure is OK, that we learn from failure, and that failure is part of the learning process, so must we, as adults, follow our own advice.

Model troubleshooting with your students.

Report the problem (and know to whom this reporting should be done).

Ask for help. Have someone who knows how to fix the problem show you how for next time.

In schools that are not 1:1, sharing resources can be a huge challenge. Here are some quick tips for sharing resources effectively:

Get more details about these six tips from this blog post: " Six Tips for Teachers: How to Maximize Shared Resources."

Creating a Professional-Development Plan

Once you have discovered what level of access you have and what possibilities this access affords you, it is time to address your own comfort level with the technology that is in your classroom. This can be achieved through self-assessment and/or the use of a fellow teacher or an instructional coach in your school or district. Once you know your comfort level, then you can begin to build a professional-development plan for yourself. This can be done alone, as part of your "grade team," or as part of your school or district's personal-growth plan. You can also begin to seek out professional-development opportunities online and outside of your district or school to begin to connect with other educators exploring the same challenges and seeking solutions. For more resources for taking professional development into your own hands, check out our DIY Professional Development page.

It doesn't matter what your comfort level is with technology in your classroom -- without a continuous professional-development plan, you will never be as effective as you can be. Many schools and districts have made the mistake of placing technology into classrooms without a comprehensive plan for training teachers. Often, this technology sits unused or underused. If you are a teacher in a situation where technology has been "thrown" at you with no professional development, be thankful for the new tool(s) that you have at your fingertips -- and then do your best to learn about how they can transform and improve your teaching and have a positive effect on student learning. You can do this either on your own or by asking for help from your colleagues, mentors, or professional learning community.

Unlike many other aspects of teaching, technology changes constantly. Just as in any industry, it is vital that educators stay current with new trends and developments in both pedagogy and new technologies. If you have a tech-integration specialist at your school, then use this person to your full advantage, as they are the front line for the tools you have or may want to bring into your classroom.
Please note, all of these kinds of tools require that students have access to Internet-enabled devices on a regular basis and that they hand in their work digitally.
Hardware and Equipment

While hardware and software vary across classrooms, schools, and districts, one thing can be guaranteed across the board: technology, no matter what kind it is, will fail.

This inevitable part of tech integration is often the number-one fear of classroom teachers everywhere. Whether you are taking the steps to integrate technology into your classroom on your own or as part of a schoolwide or district initiative, this fear must be the first hurdle to overcome.

Here are some basic tips for when technology goes awry:

Using Technology for Feedback and Assessment

One of the most exciting aspects of bringing technology into your classroom -- and into your students' hands -- is the enhanced opportunity for timely and meaningful feedback.

Quick Checks: If you want to know if your students grasp enough of a particular concept before you move on, you can use tools such as Poll Everywhere, Socrative, or Mentimeter to get a quick snapshot of the class. By creating a short quiz or open-ended response question using one of these tools and having your students use an internet-enabled device to answer, you can get quick and easy feedback that will help inform your instruction.

Personalized Feedback: Through the use of course-management tools such as Edmodo, Schoology, or Moodle, it is now possible for teachers to provide personalized feedback quickly and efficiently to their students. All three tools provide the ability for teachers to leave personalized comments and notes on student work, and they provide a messaging service for students who may want to send emails with questions or concerns about the course.

Screencasts can also provide personalized feedback on student work. A teacher can record his or her computer screen while viewing student work, pointing out areas for improvement and areas where a student has excelled. Some great tools for this are Screencast-O-Matic and Jing.

In addition, Evernote is a powerful note-taking tool that can be accessed through any Internet-enabled device through a web browser or the mobile app. It allows users to record audio notes, and it can be a great way to provide personalized feedback to students. Teachers can share these recordings, which are embedded in notes created through the app or website, with students through email. This can be a great way to keep students updated on their progress or to provide feedback on a particular assignment asynchronously. Because the feedback is recorded, students can also rewind and relisten for better comprehension or to refer back to if they like.

For more on using technology to provide feedback to students, you can read this blog post: " Using Tech Tools to Provide Timely Feedback."

The Role of Digital Citizenship

Our students are constantly immersed in technology, yet that does not mean that they know how to use it for learning. We also cannot assume that they know how to use it responsibly either. Just as we teach our children how to handle bullies on the playground, or as we admonish a student for copying someone's work and handing it in as his or her own, we must take the time to explicitly teach about cyberbullying, copyright, plagiarism, digital footprint, and proper conduct online.

Of course, what we teach and how we teach it depend on grade level. We probably wouldn't teach first graders about the nitty-gritty details of copyright law, but we might teach them what kinds of information are safe or unsafe to share online. Likewise, while we may quickly review safe and unsafe information with high school students, we are more likely to focus on digital footprint and plagiarism.

It is worth your time to spend some time early in the year setting expectations for online conduct, use of information found online, and staying safe when using digital tools. For more on teaching digital citizenship, you can visit BrainPOP, Common Sense Media, or Edutopia's Digital Citizenship Resource Roundup.

Since it's clear that tech integration is here to stay, it is not a question of whether teachers integrate technology into their classrooms, but rather how to do it best. By taking small steps, teachers can begin to reap the benefits that technology can bring to their teaching and to student learning. This process does not have to be painful, and no one will become a tech-integration whiz overnight. However, even with limited access, with careful planning, some risk taking, and an open mind, teachers can successfully use technology to enhance their teaching and bring learning to life for their students.

Continue to the next section of the guide, Workshop Activities.

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If your answer is "No," is it because you lack enough access to technology? Is it because you don't feel ready? Or do you feel ready, but need additional support in your classroom? Depending on your answer, your path to tech integration may look different from someone else's.

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Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many

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Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many

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High Tech vs. Low Tech: Creative Pitfalls 

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High Tech vs. Low Tech: Creative Pitfalls 

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Technology has created countless new tools to facilitate teaching, make presentations more engaging, and increase learning retention. However, these tools can easily become more a liability than an asset. Used incorrectly, they can actually detract from the impact of training materials.

The trick to using these tools successfully is recognizing when it's appropriate to use to high-tech versus low-tech teaching tools, and learning how to incorporate them effectively into a lesson plan. Here's a guide to some perks and pitfalls of several common classroom tools.

Perks: Clips can quickly illustrate a particular concept using emotion and sensory engagement to reinforce new information. Because trainers can project onto a large screen, movie clips are an effective tool for larger audiences.

Pitfalls: Watching a movie is a passive activity; using clips that are too long can cause participants to disengage and their minds to wander. Providing a viewing assignment can mitigate this problem and increase learner retention through immediate application.
To help you find the best training clips, this month the Bob Pike Group has partnered to launch Movies4Training.com, a categorized database of movie scenes that can be used to demonstrate concepts and spark discussions in training.

Perks: Handouts help reinforce new material by enabling participants to add their own notes right next to the provided material. They also add welcome variety to a lengthy string of PowerPoint slides.

Pitfalls: A poorly composed handout with too much text and little white space will only distract participants. Wordy handouts force participants to choose between listening to trainers speak or reading along on the handout. Creating interactive handouts with fill-in-the-blank sections will keep participants involved in a presentation and help prevent learners from leaving with an incomplete resource.

Perks: Slideshows allow trainers to easily project to large audiences. They can help incorporate color, text, and visual variety into a presentation. Animated transitions make presentations lively and engaging.

Pitfalls: There's risk of "death by PowerPoint" if slide decks are crammed with text and fail to distinguish important points with colors and/or special effects. Technology can also be unreliable and could fail at the last minute. To avoid disaster in a session, consider planning a low-tech backup such as a handout or flipchart.

Non-Projected Visuals (Posters, easels with chart pads)

Perks: Non-projected visuals are easy to create, inexpensive, and versatile. They can be created on the spot with input from participants, or prepared beforehand. Creating charts during a session is a great way to generate discussion and increase involvement, although they should only be used with small audiences of 50 people or less.

Pitfalls: The effectiveness of this tool depends on the trainer's ability. Visuals with scrunched lettering, no illustrations, too much text, or little color variation will lack readability and are not useful teaching tools. Incorporating simple geometric shapes or magazine cutouts are two easy ways for trainers without much artistic talent to add visual interest to posters and charts.

All these teaching tools are most effective when in the hands of an experienced trainer. We equip trainers every day with the skills and techniques to make the most of any presentation. Learn how by attending one of our renowned Train-the-Trainer Boot Camps.

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High Tech vs. Low Tech: Perks and Pitfalls

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Technology has created countless new tools to facilitate teaching, make presentations more engaging, and increase learning retention. However, these tools can easily become more a liability than an asset. Used incorrectly, they can actually detract from the impact of training materials.

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7 Things You Should Know about Flipped Classrooms

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7 Things You Should Know about Flipped Classrooms

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The Importance of Teaching Technology to Teachers

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The Importance of Teaching Technology to Teachers

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How Has Technology Transformed the Role of a Teacher? 

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How Has Technology Transformed the Role of a Teacher? 

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When I went to school it was common place for a teacher to place a text book in front a set of students and offer the simple yet daunting line, "copy that". There would be no talking to either the teacher or fellow pupils. For me lessons seemed to drag so much that I wasn't engaged in the subject material. I'm proud to say that I became a teacher in spite of the education I received; I believed that I could and would do a better job. This task was made easier through the use of technology in the classroom.

During 10 years in the profession, I've seen technology alter the role the teacher almost beyond all recognition. Teachers have undergone a Kafkaesque metamorphosis from Mr Chips to Mr Jobs; wooden, flip-lid desks have been replaced by iPads. The question we have to ask is, has this change from teacher to that of facilitator of learning been positive? Undeniably so, in my opinion.

Making use of technology to allow students the freedom to discover solutions to problems both independently and collaboratively is a force for good. As educators we strive for students to engage with our subject beyond a superficial level. We want them to be active learners, learners who have a thirst for discovery and knowledge. Technology places the world in the hands of every student inside the confines of your classroom.

There are many ways in which technology can be used in the classroom to engage students and facilitate exciting, engaging and interesting lessons. I'm not going to ignore the fact that there is a cost attached to most things, but it's about getting more bang for your buck, as our American cousins would say. Whatever you choose to use you need to make sure that you're getting it for the right reasons.

If you're not used to allowing your students space to guide their own learning then I can see how this all might seem intimidating; don't let it be. For many of us it feels counterintuitive to allow our students the space to discover solutions as these might not be the ones that we want them to find. Allowing the use of technology in my classroom has freed me from my lesson-plan shackles. It feels strange at first but the this type of emancipation is addictive

We all feel the stresses of getting students through exam courses and allowing them the freedom to wander is sometimes too much for some to allow. However, in my experience allowing the freedom to search and discover the subject through technology has fostered a love for my subject.

The best teachers that I have seen using technology to aid independent learning are the ones who have embraced the power that is already in the pockets of students. Most students have powerful devices, primed and ready to go in their pockets - the dreaded mobile phone. If you're lucky like me, your school will see the power that these wonders hold. Allowing students to unholster these weapons is a liberating experience for both teacher and student. Filming a peer assessment or recording a group discussions and uploading to AudioBoo is yet another way of engaging students.

Allowing yourself the opportunity to do something new and using technology as the tool can open up a cave of treasures that hooks the attention of the student and once you have that it can lead them anywhere.

Mike's tips for getting started with technology in the classroom

* Do plan how you're going to use the technology in advance. How is it going to aid the learning of your students? If it isn't going to aid teaching and learning then you shouldn't use it

* Don't buy the latest fad product. There has been a temptation for schools to replace laptops for tablets. This might have been successful for some schools but as good as tablets are, they aren't ready to replace laptops ... yet

* Do invest in good CPD in brushing up your ICT skills. This doesn't mean that you have to pay an expensive consultant. Simply ask your ICT department for some training or advice. Also, ask colleagues, NQTs or PGCE students for some fresh technology ideas

* Don't give up. You might try something once and it doesn't work but don't let that put you off. Try and discover what works best for you and your students. If that doesn't work then try something else

* Do focus on how technology can aid not hinder student progress

This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. Looking for your next role? Take a look at Guardian jobs for schools for thousands of the latest teaching, leadership and support jobs.
Topics

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How has technology transformed the role of a teacher?

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When I went to school it was common place for a teacher to place a text book in front a set of students and offer the simple yet daunting line, "copy that". There would be no talking to either the teacher or fellow pupils.

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Why Adult Learners Need Technology in Their Classroom Too (video)

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Why Adult Learners Need Technology in Their Classroom Too (video)

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New Jersey Association for Lifelong Learning

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The Office of Career , Technical and Adult Education

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Mobile Phones in Adult Literacy Education Classroom

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#gtamtv﻿ - Why adult learners need technology in their education, too.

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This video was created for the application to Google Teacher Academy, July 30-31: Mountain View, USA http://www.google.com/edu/programs/google-teacher-academy/ Sources: http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/state-profiles.html http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010/learning-engage-and-empower http://www.familieslearning.org/our-why/about-NCFL.html http://www.otan.us/ Transcript: According to the infographic released by The Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education in 2013, 12% of the U.S. Population are adults without a high school credential.

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5 Positive Effects Technology Has on Teaching and Learning 

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5 Positive Effects Technology Has on Teaching and Learning 

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Kurzweil Education is the leading developer of educational technology for people with learning difficulties (Kurzweil 3000) and those who are blind or visually impaired (Kurzweil 1000).

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Demographic studies of distance learning students indicate that they are older than students in traditional campus-based programs, they usually work outside the home, and many are married with families. Most students take courses on a part-time basis while holding down a job, with the intention of pursuing education to help them advance in their careers.

These characteristics of distance learning students lead them to learn differently and require different learning situations than traditional on-campus students. Therefore, in order to provide this group of students with educational experiences that address how they learn, it is important to understand the principles of adult learning. Additionally, we need to understand how these principles can be applied in the online environment.

Benefits of Incorporating Adult Learning Principles into Online Courses

Students are more engaged in the learning process.

Students feel positive about the learning experience and perceive a great deal of value in what they have learned.

Students learn content, make connections to their past experiences, and gain new perspectives.

Techniques for Incorporating Adult Learning Principles into Online Courses

The principles of adult learning presented below are largely based on Malcolm Knowles' 1980 theory of "andragogy," which is defined as "the art and science of teaching adults." Principles from general adult learning theories have also been included.

Principles of Adult Learning

Application to Online Courses

Adult students have a need to know why they need to learn something before they undertake learning it. Adults look for the practicality of content.Traditional learners tend to take courses without questioning why the course is important to their education.

In the course syllabus, expand on the official Registrar's description of the course to explain the relevance of the course content to the field of study. Give real-life examples to help students put the content into context.

When introducing new content, such as a new lesson, introduce the content by explaining its significance and putting it into a meaningful context.

Get to know your students at the beginning of the class by asking them to introduce themselves, provide background on their prior knowledge and experience related to the course, and their expectations for the course. This can help you position content so that it will be meaningful to students.

Adults have a need to be responsible for their own decisions and to be treated as capable of self-direction.Traditional learners, on the other hand, have a need for direction to be provided by instructors.

Make your course learner-centered. Provide assignments that are somewhat open-ended and allow the students to pursue their own direction and strategy for the assignment. For example, ask students to do a web search to find sites or articles with information relevant to the content. Ask them to explain why they selected the item(s) they did. An assignment such as this allows the students control over what they learn and they get as much out of the assignment as they desire.

Design assignments that allow students to select a topic or project that reflects their own interests.

Focus more on active learning exercises and less on lectures. Students learn more when they are actively engaged in an activity rather than passively listening to lectures. This approach also gives students more control over their own learning.

Adult learners have a variety of life experiences which are their richest resources for learning.This is in contrast to traditional learners who rely heavily on the instructor's knowledge.

Give the students opportunities to learn from each other by using open-ended discussion questions that draw out their knowledge and experiences. Questions that require students to discuss, debate, critique, and apply reasoning allow them to draw on past experience and perhaps gain a broad, diverse perspective on the content. Students may end up learning more from each other than from the instructor.

Design assignments that allow students to either incorporate their own experiences or apply what they've learned to a situation they've encountered. This allows students to see the relevance between their content and their own lives.

Adults are motivated to learn things that they perceive will help them cope with real-life tasks or problems.Traditional learners are more subject-oriented and they seek to successfully complete courses regardless of how the content is related to their own goals.

Focus on theories and concepts within the context of their applications to relevant problems.

Orient the course more towards direct applications rather than toward theory.

In the syllabus, clearly define the goals and objectives of the course and put them into context so students can see how the course will help them achieve their goals in real life.

Show students how their new knowledge can be applied to real problems or situations. Case studies and simulated exercises work well. Students can either work on their own or complete small group assignments over the course of several weeks.

Ask students to suggest real life situations they've encountered in the past and have the class discuss solutions to the situation as they relate to the course content. This helps students understand how the content can be applied to their real life problems.

Adults are also motivated by a sense of self-esteem.Traditional learners are more motivated by how others perceive them.

Establish a friendly, open atmosphere through your discussion posting and content introductions. This will help put students at ease and make the experience of learning online less threatening to them.

Set the expectation that in discussion forums and other class communication, students and the instructor will show that they value and respect the input from all students.

Provide positive feedback to students both publicly in discussion forums and privately via comments on assignments and individual e-mails.

Give students a chance to moderate the discussion forums. For example, assign each student to moderate a specific week. This gives them a feeling of importance and gives them some control over the direction of the discussion.

References

Atherton, J. S. (2004). Teaching and learning: Knowles' andragogy: An angle on adult learning. Retrieved June 15, 2005.

Gibbons, H. S. & Wentworth, G. P. (2001). Andrological and pedagogical training differences for online instructors. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 4(3). Retrieved June 15, 2005.

Lieb, S. (1991). Principles of adult learning. Retrieved June 15, 2005.

Moore, J. (n.d.). Learner-focused education, andragogy. Retrieved June 15, 2005.

Moore, Michael G. and Greg Kearsley. Distance Education: A Systems View of Online Learning. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2012.

Rochester Institute of Technology. (2000). Some characteristics of learners, with teaching implications. Retrieved June 15, 2005.

St. Clair, R. (2002). Andragogy revisited: Theory for the 21st century? [PDF] Retrieved June 15, 2005.

Instructional Technology Specialist at WPI

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Demographic studies of distance learning students indicate that they are older than students in traditional campus-based programs, they usually work outside the home, and many are married with families. Most students take courses on a part-time basis while holding down a job, with the intention of pursuing education to help them advance in their careers.

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12 Easy Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom 

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12 Easy Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom 

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LINCS | Adult Education and Literacy | U.S. Department of Education

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Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy (TEAL) improves the quality of teaching in adult education by focusing on improving writing for Adult Basic Education (ABE) students. TEAL offers an intensive program of professional development and supports quality instruction in adult education programs through the following:

Professional development and technical assistance.

State teams participate in online professional development and a four-day face-to-face institute on research-based instructional approaches and components of effective teaching with an emphasis on writing instruction. Participating instructors receive ongoing technical assistance for implementing new practices via site visits and distance support.

Materials and strategies for professional development.

TEAL materials, which are adaptable to a variety of program environments and instructional levels, are designed to help instructors learn to integrate practices within the content area of writing instruction. TEAL professional development opportunities provide opportunities for instructors to practice new skills, receive feedback on their performance, and collaborate and problem solve with peers as they incorporate new ideas into their teaching. Click here to access content from the 2011 TEAL Summer Institute.

TEAL Guides

TEAL Math Works! Guide

The Math Works! Guide is a companion piece to the TEAL Just Write! Guide. The Math Works! Guide identifies research-based instructional practices in the content areas of mathematics and numeracy. The Guide synthesizes important practices and competencies represented in current research on math instruction.

TEAL Just Write! Guide

The TEAL Just Write! Guide is a resource for ABE teachers. It is intended to increase familiarity with evidence-based writing instruction and to facilitate the translation of research findings into practices and products that enhance the quality of instruction delivered to adult learners.

Relevant Publications

Three significant publications -all meta-analyses of large-scale research-inform effective practices in writing instruction.

TEAL Fact Sheet

TEAL Glossary

Follow this link to learn more about file formats, file viewers, and support for the visually impaired.

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Teaching Excellence in Adult Literacy (TEAL) improves the quality of teaching in adult education by focusing on improving writing for Adult Basic Education (ABE) students. TEAL offers an intensive program of professional development and supports quality instruction in adult education programs through the following:

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Using New Technology to Rediscover Traditional Ways of Learning

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Using New Technology to Rediscover Traditional Ways of Learning

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Older, more traditional forms of learning resonate with students because they connect with something deep within our human psyche. They engage the full person, not just the part of the brain that can decipher words on a page. They evoke a time when all of our ancestors were more alike than different in their cultural practices.

Learning through movement and the senses is becoming easier to do as bulky, stationary technology has become more mobile. Also, we are seeing the beginnings of a trend in which technology is becoming practically invisible and more integrated into our everyday environments. Digital technology such as tablets can help teachers and students rediscover traditional ways of learning by using touch, movement, sound, and visuality.

Rediscovering Oral Traditions

The oral tradition of teaching is not just about speaking out loud, but how one speaks and the narrative style used to convey meaning. It is how we shared our first stories and philosophical ideas.

One can start by having students listen to the amazing amount of free audio available through podcasting. Hearing the Dalai Lama in an interview can light up the history of modern China or ancient Buddhist thought in ways that are not available through reading.

One of my most memorable moments this summer was listening to Sir Ian McKellen recite Shakespeare on Marc Maron's podcast. In this podcast, McKellen reminds us that much is lost in reading Shakespeare instead of hearing his work spoken and performed.

In addition to the free audio that is out there, I would also recommend that we let students listen to literature instead of reading it. I would even argue that, in some instances, the written versions of short stories, literature, and biographies (Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father comes to mind) are the substitutes -- not vice versa -- for the richer, deeper experience of having the story read out loud.

Oral-based resources can work in other subjects as well. As an example, I think it is more illuminating for students studying physics to hear Richard Feynman speak than to read him. Feynman brought old, oral traditions of teaching to new heights through his vocal inflection and tone, narratives, and humor -- all aspects of oral-based traditions for transmitting knowledge to those gathered around the fire or in the cave.

Rediscovering Gestures, Dance, and the Body

Long before humans began speaking to each other, our gestures and facial expressions served as ways of transmitting knowledge and expressing experiences, emotions and wisdom. Dance developed at this time, and may be older than the oral tradition of storytelling. Now, with movement and gesture-based technology such as Wii and Microsoft Kinnect, it is possible to re-introduce these ways of learning back into the classroom.

We often fall into the trap of judging our students' performance by how well they can sit still, stand in line, and sit down when we tell them to. We should encourage direct learning through movement, gestures, and dance by first making our physical control of students less a priority of classroom management, and secondly, by exploring ways that technology frees us to use gestures and movement as a means for learning.

Mobile technology frees teachers to re-think the use of learning spaces, allowing students to have more control over their own bodies and be more interactive with their environment. Also, with mobile technology, teachers can move beyond formal learning spaces into the world outside of the classroom.

Touch screen has made interacting with data, lists, and virtual environments more intuitive to human gestures -- a main reason why kids take to tablets so readily. By incorporating these natural gestures and touch, the barrier between the knowledge in front of them and their learning nearly falls away.

Finally, educators should explore cutting-edge movement- and gesture-based technology, as well as virtual reality tools such as Oculus Rift, so that we can return to learning methods that allow the whole person -- the whole body -- to become engaged with learning. Humans are wired to learn this way; it is not a "primitive" form of learning, but requires higher-level brain functioning and critical thinking.

Rediscovering Visual Learning

One of the ways that we have long learned about the world around us is by direct observation. However, when we place a higher emphasis on reading as a direct source of knowledge, we indirectly affect our ability to learn by observation, and overall, inhibit our ability to learn visually.

Recent studies out of Brown University show that gamers have a higher capacity for visual learning than do non-gamers. I have taught students to better understand light, shadow, and color through digital photography and Photoshop. Developing observational skills by using interactive visual technology, as well as digital photography, 3D modeling, and video assignments allow students to better understand their real-world environment.

Embracing digital technology that uses sight, sound, touch, and movement is a terrific way of rediscovering traditional cultural practices and will help us better educate the whole child.

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Using New Technology to Rediscover Traditional Ways of Learning | Edutopia

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Older, more traditional forms of learning resonate with students because they connect with something deep within our human psyche. They engage the full person, not just the part of the brain that can decipher words on a page. They evoke a time when all of our ancestors were more alike than different in their cultural practices.

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Comparison of Traditional and Modern Teaching Methods

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I came across this website and was amazed by the similarities of my original work (posted May 12, 2013) and the one that can seen below. I should have added "pedagogy" to "traditional" and "andragogy" to "modern". Link: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~infed/ohps/exhibits/pedagogy_andragogy.htm This entry was posted in Realizations, Insights and Reflections. Bookmark the permalink.