Week 1 Journal

As my first Journal entry I may list my successful and challenging experiences with the first week in Designing Web Based Learning EDER 679.06.
First, with this being a U of C course, I was expecting this course to appear in Blackboard not in D2L. Once I figured that out, it took me an evening just to get caught up with the discussion threads and introductory activities.
Once I finished those, finding the reading for each week seemed be the next challenge to overcome. When the time comes that I develop my own website I will try to create a section labelled "Weekly Readings" or "Course Readings" or perhaps on the weekly checklist, have direct links to those readings.
The readings themselves were interesting and luckily enough in direct correlation with my other course Computer Based Learning. I hope the tow courses will interact and complement each other well.
Notes from this week's Readings
Keller's (1983) ARCS Model
A - Attention - get their attention and hold it
R - Relevance - Make the material and learning current and relevant to the learners
C - Confidence - Building on Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, ensure that learning is occurring at the right pace and intensity for each learner.
S - Satisfaction - strategies that provide extrinsic and intrinsic reinforcement for effort.

Effects of Web Based Learning Environments - Wang, S-K. and Reeves, T. (2007)
Increase motivation using
Challenge - Curiosity - Control (student centered and driven) and Fantasy.

First Principals of motivation to learn and e3-learning - Keller, J.M. 2008
Motivation to Learn is increased and facilitated by:

• curiosity is aroused by a perceived gap in their current knowledge
• material is perceived to be related to learner's goals
• learner's believe they can succeed
• learner's anticipate a satisfying and gratifying outcome
• self-motivation and self-regulation are paramount to self-motivation.

These two articles created some hints for me when developing my own WBLE's

• Create links to further learning that the students can follow if desired to give them control on extending their investigation for self guided, self regulated and divergent exploration of new material
• Use video and animations when and where possible or appropriate rather than straight text to maintain interest.
• Clarify HOW the tool will be used, by whom and for what purpose (focus on learner not the delivery)
• Focus the design on increasing conceptual understanding
• Integrate motivation in all elements
• COLLABORATE AT ALL LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT!!!