Use of Mobile Application for Communication, Interaction and Learning: Lessons from an Action Research

Integration of mobile technologies into training and instruction for learning facilitation is important these days. It is because the users of the mobile devices are increasing as enablers of the learning opportunity anywhere all the times. In addition, learners like to get information, learning resources and activities on their palms via mobile devices. In this context, this paper reports lessons from action research about the use of customized android mobile application at a teacher education institution in Nepal. The research started with the purpose of promoting the use of Mobile App for e-learning that contributes to improving access to e-learning resources and instant communication for course activities. Online survey, informal interaction and interview were used to collect data. Activity theory has been influential to analyse the use of Mobile App for the learning facilitation. The research shows that the course facilitators rarely used Mobile App, instead they liked using web browsers in their large computer screen. However, students used the Mobile App and they wanted the updated version with user-friendly interface. Main lesson from the research is that the roles of institution and facilitators are important to create and provide mobile friendly options of learning facilitation where students themselves can explore in the internet, learn, and use available applications and tools required for their learning. Training institutions can introduce mobile application to bring about a change in the ways of training methods and pedagogical practices with technological interventions. Trainers can consider mobile apps for techno-friendly instructional experiences. Also, learners can access mobile apps for training resources and other learning to enhance their knowledge and skill.

Developing the Foundations for a Learning-Based Humanistic Therapy

This study addressed the possibility of integrating learning theory into humanistic counseling. We consider that such an approach may enable client self-counseling either between sessions or after therapy has finished. Carl Rogers was a keen advocate of person-centered learning facilitation in the classroom and his principles of learning provide a natural start-point for a humanistic therapy based on learning theory. A variety of other learning processes also lend themselves to a learning based therapy such as establishing client learning goals based on self-efficacy, enabling the client to understand their own learning processes and blocks to learning, encouraging the client to access their own learning resources, and then enabling long-term learning. A case study was therefore designed to test some of these processes in a therapeutic setting. A White, British, middle-aged female was recruited for the case study. During the course of six sessions, the content of which was analyzed using thematic analysis, a selection of learning processes were applied to the humanistic therapeutic process. In summary, it was established that facilitated learning processes could provide a practically acceptable basis for humanistic counseling, and these processes are offered here as the foundation to a model of “therapeutic learning.”

Instructor strategies to aid implementation of active learning: a systematic literature review

Background Despite the evidence supporting the effectiveness of active learning in undergraduate STEM courses, the adoption of active learning has been slow. One barrier to adoption is instructors’ concerns about students’ affective and behavioral responses to active learning, especially student resistance. Numerous education researchers have documented their use of active learning in STEM classrooms. However, there is no research yet that systematically analyzes these studies for strategies to aid implementation of active learning and address students’ affective and behavioral responses. In this paper, we conduct a systematic literature review and identify 29 journal articles and conference papers that researched active learning, affective and behavioral student responses, and recommended at least one strategy for implementing active learning. In this paper, we ask: (1) What are the characteristics of studies that examine affective and behavioral outcomes of active learning and provide instructor strategies? (2) What instructor strategies to aid implementation of active learning do the authors of these studies provide? Results In our review, we noted that most active learning activities involved in-class problem solving within a traditional lecture-based course (N = 21). We found mostly positive affective and behavioral outcomes for students’ self-reports of learning, participation in the activities, and course satisfaction (N = 23). From our analysis of the 29 studies, we identified eight strategies to aid implementation of active learning based on three categories. Explanation strategies included providing students with clarifications and reasons for using active learning. Facilitation strategies entailed working with students and ensuring that the activity functions as intended. Planning strategies involved working outside of the class to improve the active learning experience. Conclusion To increase the adoption of active learning and address students’ responses to active learning, this study provides strategies to support instructors. The eight strategies are listed with evidence from numerous studies within our review on affective and behavioral responses to active learning. Future work should examine instructor strategies and their connection with other affective outcomes, such as identity, interests, and emotions.

Problematizing leadership learning facilitation through a trickster archetype: An investigation into power and identity in liminal spaces

This study uses the archetype of a ‘trickster’ to reflect back on, and hence problematize, the role of the educator/facilitator identity in leadership learning. This is based on the view that a trickster is a permanent resident in liminal spaces and that these liminal spaces play an important role in leadership learning. Our approach was based on the reading of the trickster literature alongside reflective conversations on our own experiences of facilitation of leadership learning, development and education. We suggest that paying attention to the trickster tale draws attention to the romanticization of leadership development and its facilitation as based on a response to crisis that leads to a further enhancement of the leader as a hero. Hence, it also offers ways to problematize leadership learning by uncovering the shadow side of facilitation and underlying power relations. We therefore contribute by showing how, as facilitators, we can use the trickster archetype to think more critically, reflectively and reflexively about our role and practices as educators, in particular, the ethical and power-related issues. In our conclusions, we make recommendations for research, theory and practice and invite other facilitators to share with us their trickster tales.

Online learning facilitation in border guards’ foreign language training

The study aims to analyze the effectiveness of teaching English online to cadets of the border guard educational institutions using learning facilitation techniques in order to enhance the effectiveness of foreign language training of future border guards within the system of distance learning. The research has revealed the peculiarities of organization of online facilitation skills development for the border guard trainers in European Union border guard agencies under the auspices of European Border Guard Agency. The modern online learning facilitation forms, methods and tools used for teaching future border guards English language have been presented. The effectiveness of the acquired by border guard trainers' facilitative skills was tested during an Intensive Online English Language Course for Border Guards at the National Academy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Analysis of the results of employing facilitative methods and techniques during the course provide their effectiveness. According to the results, the average score of the participants increased from 3.98 to 4.23. The obtained results testify to the efficiency of the facilitation skills development of the trainers of the Border Guard agencies.

Reverse Bloom: A new hybrid approach to experiential learning for a new world

Bloom’s Hierarchy of learning has been the foundation of formal teaching and assessment practice since the mid 1950’s. This has resulted in higher-quality education outcomes, more consistency in delivery, and better teaching practices. However, mainstream teaching practices and teacher training have focused on the Cognitive domain, with less focus on social development (except for some societies and non-mainstream institutions). There has been little emphasis on the two other domains for comprehensive learning, which Bloom’s colleagues identified as the Psychomotor and Affective domains. These two less used domains highlight the skills and social aspects of being able to influence others and apply the learning in practice to generate value. The imbalance between the three is critical because all three domains play a role in being a competent professional and a contributing member of society, based on the capabilities built-in their learning experiences. This paper shares three key new contributions to the learning literature that help address this imbalance: The “Reverse Bloom Learning Framework” (RBLF), a set of principles to guide learning facilitation through the RBLF, and some insights on design of inclusive learning activities (including provision of deeper feedback for better reflection and higher quality learning outcomes). Together these three elements of progressive learning can enable a more balanced approach to learning at all levels. The RBLF includes all three of Bloom’s domains in iterative social learning experiences and reverses the traditional order of Bloom’s learning elements. The author suggests this more inclusive and comprehensive approach enables facilitation of more collaborative learning and that this will generate more competent, confident, and capable graduates, who are better equipped to interact in our modern challenging workplaces and our wider world.