construction of online informal learning environment based on digital bloom
TRANSCRIPT
Construction of Online Informal Learning Environment Based on Digital
Bloom
Yanli Wang a, Yun Chengb*
Department of Educational Science and Technology
HuangGang Normal University, HuangGang, Hubei, China, 438000
* Corresponding author, [email protected]
Keywords: informal learning;Digital Bloom; learning environment model; Knowledge deepening
Abstract. Informal learning is an important learning form in today’s knowledge society. This article
introduced the concept of Digital Bloom, and discussed its great guiding significance for informal
learning, then proposed an informal learning environment model based on the research of Digital
Bloom, and illustrated the model detailedly from its composition, the learning model and the support
system so as to provide some reference for improving informal learning quality.
Introduction
Now Learning is not restricted to the classroom and to formal learning inside learning institutions, it
is an activity which happens throughout life, at work, play and home. [1] With the development of
theory and ICT technology and social software, new theory and heterogeneous kinds of technology
has provided good basis for constructing informal learning environment to enhance informal
learning.So the study of constructing good informal learning environment in Internet environment
from a new perspective has important significance.
Informal learning in Internet environment
Informal learning happens beyond the limits of the classroom, and beyond the control of people who
deliver the learning materials. Informal learning gives learners more control of what, where, and how
they learn and usually involves intrinsic motivation .The emergence of Internet and the development
of Web X.0 technology and media have provided favorable conditions for informal learning, such as
more virtual and individualized learning environment, more sources of knowledge we can choose,
more new types of self-directed and self-managed communities to cooperate, communicate and share
ideas and information instantly. So informal learning in Internet environment can give full play to its
characteristic to make informal learning happened more easily and effectively.
Digital Bloom
Bloom's Digital Taxonomy, also called Digital Bloom [2], is put forward by Andrew, who updated the
Bloom's Revised Taxonomy to account for the new behaviors, actions and learning opportunities
emerging as ICT technology advances.Bloom's Revised Taxonomy is published in 2001, using six
verbs “Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analysing, Evaluating, Creating “for the new
taxonomy in the Cognitive Domain. [3] The Bloom's Digital Taxonomy gives the six levels within the
cognitive domain, adds the key terms in digital age, and gives the possible learning activities and the
social software and tools which can be used in each level. This is very useful for the personalized
learning and cooperative learning in the Internet environment.
Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 241-244 (2013) pp 2996-2999Online available since 2012/Dec/13 at www.scientific.net© (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerlanddoi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.241-244.2996
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Digital Bloom’s support for construction of online informal learning environment
Informal learning environment should support various digital activities well. Digital Bloom
reveals that learner will conduct different digital activities at different cognitive levels, such as
gaining information from websites, writing Blog articles, adding social bookmark, sharing
information and apply knowledge.Therefore online informal learning environment should have good
support system to learners for their digital activities so as to facilitate their’ cognition development.
Informal learning environment should be an environment which can encourage learners’
creativity ability. Digital Bloom reveals that the process of learning is from lower order thinking
skills to higher, and creativity is considered to be the highest level within the cognitive domain. So a
favorable, equal and harmonious atmosphere in online informal learning environment will help to
encourage learners’ creativity.
Informal learning environment should help to promot learners’ tacit knowledge transfer. Tacit
knowledge is highly personalized knowledge, which is not easily visible and expressible,but it is the
deciding factor of one’s personal ability and enterprises competence. So informal learning
environment should helpe for the transfer of learners’ explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge
through various ways.
Informal learning environment should be an environment which can facilitate learners’
cooperation with other learners.Collaboration is a 21st Century skill of increasing importance. In
some forms it is an element of Bloom's, and in others it is just a mechanism which can be used to
facilitate higher order thinking and learning. So informal learning environment should provide a vast
array of collaborative tools or platform for learners’ collaboration learning,
Informal learning environment should make use of different learning tools to facilitate
learners’ cognitive development.Digital Bloom has provided various learning tools, and this also
provides reference for constructing informal learning environment in which the learning tools can be
used for learners’ cognition tools, efficiency tools, information acquisition tools, problem
decision-making tools, communication tools and evaluation tools.
Informal learning environment model based on Digital Bloom
According to Michael Stevenson VP Global Education from Cisco on Education 3.0, learning cycle or
process was aptly described as knowledge acquisition, knowledge deepening, and knowledge
creation.[4] In each learning process, learn can conduct the possible digital activities and use the
learning tools according to Digital Bloom. Informal learning is conducted in this way too. So we can
construct a model of informal learning environment based on Digital Bloom, which is shown in Fig.1.
Fig.1 shows that the model of informal learning environment includes three modules: the
informal learning process based on Digital Bloom, the learning models or activities, and the learning
support system. The real line arrow from knowledge acquisition to knowledge creation shows that the
learning process follows the thinking process. It is a continuum from Lower Order Thinking Skills
(LOTS) to Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). And the dotted line arrow from knowledge creation
to knowledge acquisition shows the virtuous circle of learning, and learning is a continuous process.
In each stage, there are various different learning activities and learning models happened.
Knowledge acquisition. Knowledge acquisition forms the foundation of learners’ learning cycle or
process. In Internet, we have many approach and sources to acquire knowledge. We can acquire
information by ourselves using all kinds of search engine or web feed tools, or get information by
other learners’ or learning community’s publishing, referring and sharing. All educational websites,
educational Blogs, digital database or BBS can be important knowledge sources. Quick and easy
access to information for learners will reduce a lot of unnecessary trouble of filtering the information,
and also avoid the interference of redundant information, greatly improving the learner's learning
efficiency.
Knowledge deepening. Knowledge deepening is an important and complex process for us to further
understand, internalize, apply and analyze knowledge after acquiring knowledge. During this stage,
there are three important learning models, including individual-based autonomous learning, problem
Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 241-244 2997
or theme-based collaborative learning and learning community-based learning, and the
communication and collaboration, publishing and sharing learning activities occurred in the different
learning model.
Fig. 1 Informal learning environment model based on Digital Bloom
Autonomous learning. Any information acquired from external is needed to think independently
and communicate by learners so as to integrate them into their own internal knowledge systems.
Learners selves obtain new knowledge through various activities, including reading WebPages,
writing Blog articles, publishing ideas in BBS, adding bookmarks to important contents, and learning
in Internet classroom and so on , that’s learner’ self-directed learning.
Problem or theme-based collaborative learning. Problem or theme-based collaborative learning
has positive effect on developing learners’ thinking skills and their communication ability, and can
improve the development of their higher cognition ability and healthy emotion. Problem or
theme-based collaborative learning can occur between two people, or in a small group of several
people. The group members take the forms of dialogue, discussion, debate and cooperation to
demonstrate, design, make a strategic decision and solve problems on specific issues or themes, such
as topic-based workshops in the forum, a lecture discussion in network classroom, which can
facilitate the deeper understanding and the proficient mastery of course content for learners.
Community-based learning. A instructive, cohesive online learning community can easily
realize knowledge sharing of all members, improve learners’ tacit knowledge transfer, and strengthen
online learners’ sense of collective, and also help to realize deep interactive learning. Blog, micro
Blog, social networking can be implemented as a community platform, by which learners can publish
knowledge, record valuable information, write Blog to express their ideas. Social bookmark can
aggregate learning groups of the same field and strongly promote informal learning going into depth.
Communication and collaboration, publishing and sharing. In the three learning modes,
communication collaboration, publishing and sharing of knowledge are inevitable, and also an
essential part of any learning environment. The instant messaging software QQ, MSN, and E-mai,l
Blog can be good platform for learners to exchange of ideas, to discuss and solve problems, to record
their learning understanding, and to learn from other learners ' knowledge-sharing.
Remembering Knowledge
Acquisition
Knowledge
Deepening
Knowledge
Creation
Understanding
Applying
Aanlysing
Evaluating
Creating
LOTS
HOTS
Acquiring by himself
Learning Process Learning models or activities Learning tools
Referring by others
Sharing by community
Autonomous learning
Collaborative learning
Community learning
Problem solving
Knowledge innovation
Creative knowledge sharing
Communication, publishing and
sharing
Search engine
Website/Blog,
RSS or database
Social bookmark
Other resources
Online classroom
BBS/IMS/Email
Social network
Wikispaces/ Blog
Virtual community
Mind maps
Moodle/ LAMS
Presentation tools
Development tools
Tools software
Project Social network
Personal knowledge management
Internet
Digital Bloom Support infrastructure
2998 Industrial Instrumentation and Control Systems
Knowledge creation. Learning knowledge is ultimately used to solve practical problems so that
knowledge can be transferred to power to realize its use value and innovation. Knowledge creation
embodied in generating or creating new original ideas, products, or ways of viewing things based on
prior ideas or concepts, using the knowledge in real life to creatively solve real problems, and during
this process having a deeper understanding of it, finding new laws, creating a new method,
accumulating new knowledge, and sharing these new laws, methods, new knowledge to others to
enhance knowledge reuse and give full scope to its value. Through some information publishing and
sharing platform, personal tacit knowledge can be shared and learned by more learners; this can
improve the reuse of knowledge and realize the value of knowledge. This is the highest level of
informal learning.
Personal knowledge management. Personal knowledge management is the knowledge
systematization process by learners in the learning process, which is indispensable in any form of
learning. Informal learning process itself is a process of knowledge management. During the whole
process of knowledge acquisition, knowledge deepening and knowledge creation, good personal
knowledge management all contribute to the occurrence and deepening of informal learning.
Actually, Knowledge learning is closely interconnected with knowledge management.
Support system. In Fig.1, the support system of online informal learning environment includes two
parts: the hardware infrastructure and software design onlin environment. Infrastructure mainly refers
to the Internet network construction, to ensure learners in online environment. Design support
environment mainly refers to using web2.0 technologies and social softwares or learning tools offered
by Digital Bloom to create a virtual informal learning environment. Different learning tools play
different roles on learners’ cognitive ability, and some tools have the similar function with other tools,
and even one learning tool can act on multiple levels of learners’ cognitive ability. Therefore, we
should select typical or common learning tools to design learning environment, and integrate the
services provided by multiple software or tools into a unified learning platform, so that learners can
receive different services through a unified entrance. This not only can reduce their learning burden,
but also can improve learning efficiency.
Conclusion
Digital Bloom provides a technical reference for learners, and also has great guiding significance for
constructing informal learning environment in Internet environment. We disscussed a informal
learning environment model based on Digital Bloom, and illustrated the model detailedly from its
composition, to facilities the learners’ achieve, recall, understanding, application, analysis, evaluation
and creativity in their online informal learning process.
Acknowledgment
This research is supported by the Research Program of HuangGang Normal University, Hubei
Province (2012010903, 2012018203, 2012CE11), The Humanities and Social Science Research
Project of Hubei Provincial Department of Education (2012Q127, 2012Y103), and The 12th
Five-year Plan of Education Science Research Project of Hubei Province (2011B273).
References
[1] Klamma, R., Chatti, M. A., Duval, E., Hummel, H., Hvannberg, E. H., Kravcik, M., Law, E.,
Naeve, A., & Scott, P. “Social Software for Life-long Learning,” Educational Technology &
Society, Vol.10, Issue. 3, pp.72-83, 2007.
[2] Andrew Churches. Bloom's Digital taxonomy v3.01.pdf. Available at:
http://edorigami.wikispaces.com.
[3] Anderson, L.W., and D. Krathwohl (Eds.). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching and Assessing: a
Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Longman, New York, 2001.
[4] Stevenson M, Education 3.0 presentation notes, Cisco, 2007. Retrieved from
http://tools.cisco.com/cmn/jsp/index.jsp?id=73088&redir=YES&userid=(none).
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