Nick


 * Final Heuristics: **

// **1. Avoid cognitive overload for online learners by mapping out authentic learning activities that sequence knowledge to application**. //

** Online learning activities need to be designed with good pedagogical applications just as in face-to-face teaching. ** Woo et al. (2007, p.37) recommend that ‘authentic tasks be a complex task that is investigated over time’ because if a task is presented in its entirety, students may withdraw due to the overwhelming complexity. Salmon (2000) recommends drip-feeding coursework online by offering parts over a fixed period as her case study shows, students learn strategic lessons from building knowledge rather than dismantling a large core component.

** Students must be challenged with authentic tasks that drive the need to use, transform, apply and reinterpret that information.’ a) When will students use the knowledge presented to them? b) Will the knowledge be useful in real-life? C) What learning comes from accomplishing the task? **

** Anderson (2008, p. 23) outlines the important design strategies that help learners attend to the information including; a) the suitable location of information on the screen, b) the design of the colour, graphics and font, and c) delivery of information media from audio to video or animations. Employ chunking of information to prevent overload during processing in working memory. **

**//2. Construct an online course with learning activities that ‘trick’ the user into intellectual playfulness.//**

In order for an online course to be successful students must ‘perceive ease of use or perceived usefulness’ of the material for it to be effective. (Tan et al. 2008, p. 4) Using enquiry based learning or project based learning and challenge games activities can lead students into //serious play// or //cognitive playfulness// where students construct associations through trials and attempts producing the collision of concepts. (Tan et al. 2008, p. 4) The findings of the case study from Tan & McWilliam highlight the importance of cognitive playfulness as it ‘motivates individuals to engage with and embrace novel situations and inventions put before them.’ (Tan et al. 2008, p. 10) Online courses that use gaming or challenge based learning can create //cognitive realism// that produce authentic learning activities (Woo et al. (2008, p. 38).

Using the ‘right tool for the job’ is essential for online courses. Facilitators must think carefully about the tool they are going to use for a task in order to save time before setting students to work on it. Simply putting tasks ‘online’ does not provide students with digital tools to be diligent students (Tan et al. 2008, p.13). It is the challenge for online course designers to implement digital tools that do not appear too difficult or irrelevant as this will not lead students into the learning-focused disposition that the technological age requires. Woo et al. (2008, p. 37) recommend that online learning activities such as ill-defined activities should ‘provide the opportunity to collaborate’ or in terms of Tan et al (2008) to allow students to //play together intellectually.// Implementing ‘playtime’ will increase student activity (Tan et al 2008, p.11).

**//3. Encourage individual and creative responses in order to foster an engagement between the learner and their work through meaningful connectedness.//**

When designing an online course, facilitators need to charge the web based learning environment with a choice of digital tools for students to present their findings. By transforming information into a digital form of their choice, students construct their own meaningful interaction with the information therefore building knowledge. (Woo et al. 2008, p. 38) ** Anderson (2008, p. 21) addresses the move in education towards the Constructivist theory of learning in which learners interpret new information from a relationship of their world view as seen their own eyes. Learners construct information in context with personal meaning or values. **

** Allow students the digital tool of their choice cultivates intellectual depth to the learning process as students explore the chosen medium while reworking the content. An online course does not impose a bell time or another academic activity that interrupts the students from developing their response. Student collaboration may increase as students share their passion that they have for a certain technological tool with other student with similar interests. **

**//4. It is essential to establish deadlines, integrate seamless assessments and provide prompt feedback to foster motivation for online students.//**

In relationship to the Behavioural theory of education, ** Anderson (2008, p. 36) recommends that learners need to be prepared with an outline (advanced organiser) of what will be required of them and informed about how the new knowledge they acquire from the course will benefit them. Establishing a time line of events with explicit outcomes provides students criteria against which they can judge their achievements and abilities on reaching the outcome. Tan et al. (2008, p.6) report that when a student believes that an online learning course enhances their learning performance over existing ‘technology or modes of practice’, the rate of motivation to engage with the course increases. . **

** Woo et al. (2008, p. 37) recommend that an online course should have seamlessly integrated assessment. Anderson (2008, p. 36) reinforces this idea as an integrated testing design allows both learner and facilitator to check the learners’ achievement level and provide feedback. Learners must be provided with feedback so that they can monitor how they are doing and take corrective action if required. Feedback for successful **learning stages and successes should be rewarded regularly to promote achievements, encouragement and stimulate progression and advancement. Anderson (2008, p. 29) says that ‘learners like to know how they are going’ to be satisfied with their learning.

Nicholas Schneider Heuristics draft ideas.. Shirley 18/8: Overall - well done - these sound great. Some comments/suggestion from me in red below. 1. **Self-Assessment.**

It is essential to provide step by step self-assessment tools that can be validated by the user and the facilitator**.** Suggestion -be clearer what you mean by self-assessment tools

2. **Time-Line**

To avoid overload activities could be mapped out but only revealed in due course via chunking. Suggestion- make your message clearer, eg., In an online course, avoid cognitive overload for learners by mapping out activities,....

3. **Meaningful Learning**

Online learning activites should cater to indiviual creative reponses and varied presentation to engange the learner and establish a meaningful connection to a their learning community**.**


 * 4. Rewards.**

Learning stages and successes should be rewarded regularly to promote achievments, ancouragement and stimulate progression and advancement. **(this could be linked with no. 1?...actually maybe they are all along the same line of thought.**

I will fix this tomorrow....