Engaged Learning

Conrad and Donaldson (2011) suggested the idea of engaged learning as an approach for online learning.  They consider approaches such as active learning, social cognition, constructivism, and problem-based learning as engaged learning.  It emphasize student-focused learning within an instructor-facilitated environment.
Within the online learning environment, they proposed engaged learning as an interactive, collaborative learning process in which the teacher and student are partners in constructing knowledge and answering essential questions (page 6).
They proposed a 4 phased Engagement framework for the online learning.  The 4 phases describe the role the learner-instructor role within the learning process:
Phase 1:  Newcomer-Social Negotiator
Phase 2:  Cooperator-Structurel engineer
Phase 3:  Collaborator-Facilitator
Phase 4:  Initiator/partner - Community member/challenger
The framework will provides a means for developing appropriate activities and introducing them in sequence.  The framework includes introductory community-building exercise to build trust which help learner learn to work together.

About online instruction/teaching (course)

Within this topic I would like to discuss some important issues that relate directly to my work at IAB as a eLearning administrator.  Here are some of the questions that I hope to answer.

1. What (or how) is a good online teaching/instruction?  Here I refers to the instructional action done by the instructor)
2. What are good online courses? What are their characteristics?
3. How you best conduct online learning experiences?
4. What do you need to do, to be a good online instructor?  (How to be one?)
5. What is the best way to deliver an online learning experience?
6. What are the characteristics of a good (quality) online learning experience?
7. How to design a good quality online learning instruction?  One that can create true learning experience.
8. What is the essential ingredient of a good online learning instruction that will create great learning experiences?

Toward finding the answers for the questions I'm currently reading two book I bought here at tha MegaMall MPH Kuala Lumpur:

• "Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction" by Rita-Marie Conrad and J. Ana Donaldson. Published by Jossey-Bass/John Wiley & Son, San Francisco (2011) - RM87.80
• 
  "Effective Online Teaching: Foundation and Strategies for Student Success"  by Tina Stravredes.  Also published by Jossey-Bass, San Francisco CA (2011).  RM127.80

About Moodle

We at the Malaysian  Institute of Educational Leadership & Administration Aminuddin Baki, Genting Highlands have been using the Moodle LMS (Learning Management System for a while.  It has almost more than 8K user, though not all are active.  I'm planning to discuss the use of Moodle in my coming post.  

IAB Elearning Portal is the site for Moodle@IAB.  But this is a close site.  Not for guest.  You need to be invited and have a password to enter.

Moodle system is not difficult to manage.  There are a good support community for those who are using the system, at all level (teachers, system admin etc).  But, for most of institution using it, the main reason is, its free.  It is currently the most popular and widely used LMS or CMS on the web.
I'm don't have a list of topics yet of what I'm going to  discuss of this topic.  I'll post it later.  But among others, would be about the  installation (online & offline or on your computer, administering and use).  I have the intention to write a book on the use of Moodle in Malay as there is not many (none that I've read yet) in the local market.