Situated cognition and the culture of learning

Includes bibliographical references (p. 16-17

Online help-seeking in communities of practice

Interactive online help systems are considered to be a fruitful supplement to traditional IT helpdesks, which are often overloaded. They often comprise user-generated FAQ collections playing the role of technology-based conceptual artifacts. Two main questions arise: how the conceptual artifacts should be used, and which factors influence their acceptance in a community of practice (CoP). Firstly, this paper offers a theoretical frame and a usage scenario for technology-based conceptual artifacts against the theoretical background of the academic help-seeking and CoP approach. Each of the two approaches is extensively covered by psychological and educational research literature, however their combination is not yet sufficiently investigated. Secondly, the paper proposes a research model explaining the acceptance of conceptual artifacts. The model includes users’ expectations towards the artifact, perceived social influence and users’ roles in the CoP as predictors of artifact use intention and actual usage. A correlational study conducted in an academic software users’ CoP and involving structural equations modeling validates the model, suggesting thus a research line that is worth further pursuing. For educational practice, the study suggests three ways of supporting knowledge sharing in CoPs, i.e. use of technology-based conceptual artifacts, roles and division of labor, and purposeful communication in CoPs

A Surgical Virtual Learning Environment

A computer based Virtual Learning Environment is proposed for training and evaluating novice surgeons. Although this Virtual Learning Environments is thought to be useful in other learning situations as well, especially where knowledge of different complex procedures and the ability to correctly assess a complex situation is critical, in this project we specifically focus on vascular surgery. This environment will be developed as part of the DIME project (Distributed Interactive Medical Exploratory). We are building this Virtual Learning Environment using a new navigational metaphor, which affords modeling the learning process, rather than focusing solely on modeling the operating room. This 'navigational metaphor' can be thought of as an semi-threedimensional interface to a database containing multimedia fragments and expert annotations of the knowledge domain under study

Facilitating the Transition from Military Instructor to Academic Educator: Cognitive Apprenticeship in Teacher Induction at the United States Air Force Academy

This article examines teacher induction in the military undergraduate education context. The U.S. Air Force Academy relies on approximately 520 military and civilian instructors to educate nearly 4000 future military officers each year. These educators must be highly skilled and unquestionably capable in their abilities to teach these future leaders. Many of these instructors derive from highly technical active duty operational career fields (such as pilot, missile operator, etc.). This article reveals how Collins’, Brown’s, and Newman’s (1989) theory of cognitive apprenticeship is manifested within teacher induction experiences at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Using a qualitative multiple-case study approach, this research integrated data from observations, interviews, and participant journals to reveal how the six methods of cognitive apprenticeship (modeling, coaching, scaffolding, articulating, reflecting, and exploring) are facilitated in the individual operator-to-educator transition experience. The findings from this study inform faculty orientation and faculty development policies and processes within the U.S. Air Force Academy and bear implications for civilian post-secondary educator induction processes as well

Learning relationships from theory to design

This paper attempts to bridge the psychological and anthropological views of situated learning by focusing on the concept of a learning relationship, and by exploiting this concept in our framework for the design of learning technology. We employ Wenger's (1998) concept of communities of practice to give emphasis to social identification as a central aspect of learning, which should crucially influence our thinking about the design of learning environments. We describe learning relationships in terms of form (one‐to‐one, one‐to‐many etc.), nature (explorative, formative and comparative), distance (first‐, second‐order), and context, and we describe a first attempt at an empirical approach to their identification and measurement

Introduction of technology into workplace and the need for change in pedagogy

AbstractIn recent decades, workplaces have undergone numerous changes. These changes are due to the introduction of new technologies to workplace. In this paper we report a study in the maritime vocational setting. My study reveals that the introduction of new technologies into the ship environment and automation also leaves limited visible traces for the trainees to learn the job through pure observation at work. As a consequence, new learning and curriculum theories need to be applied to the current vocational education and training system to adapt them to the novel context

Community College Student Learning in Phlebotomy Preceptor-Led Clinical Internship

The purpose of this study is to describe how allied health preceptor-led clinical internship improves or expands community college student learning. There is a significant gap of information in the literature related to the importance of this clinical internship experience for the learning, socialization, and professional development of allied health students in general and community college students in particular. The absence of relevant data for these internships as a situated learning experience is evident in the literature review. The majority of the allied health work force is prepared by community colleges. Therefore, community college leaders need data to make data-driven decisions about community college allied health programs to insure students meet learning goals established by professional accrediting agencies, employers, and other stakeholders in the most efficient and comprehensive way possible. Harris, Jones, and Lang (2006) observed, “Allied Health is like a 1,000 piece puzzle. It is assumed that all the pieces will go together, but it\u27s challenging finding sufficient information on the big picture” (slide 9). Student learning during the clinical experience is studied from the perspectives of the student, clinical coordinator, and preceptors and the essence of student learning during the clinical internship is defined. The results of this nested case study provide important, initial conclusions regarding how students construct learning in a clinical learning experience. The data generated three themes, which informed the research questions: (1) allied health clinical education improved and expanded learning in community college students; (2) the cognitive apprenticeship framework supported student construction of learning; and (3) community college student learning, as a result of clinical experiences, is time and place bound and the locus of student learning is geographically determined based on learning domains. Based on the results of the study, there are several conclusions: First, in spite of a lack of reference to pedagogy, the traditional apprenticeship is firmly entrenched in instructional strategies employed by clinical preceptors to promote student learning. Cognitive apprenticeship, as an instructional method, is the result of data collection for this study and not as a commonly employed instructional strategy. However, the results suggest cognitive apprenticeship may provide a mechanism for development of cognitive and metacognitive processes in students during their clinical learning experience. Last, the results of this study indicate the use of technology may break the barriers of time and place and expand cognitive and metacognitive processes in students

Mentoring: Adding Value to Organizational Culture

Given that leadership is value-based and relationship-permeated, one asks how leaders can transfer personal and organizational value to employees. One answer to this is through mentoring. Mentoring young or inexperienced workers is an investment in the future of business, the school system, organizations, etc. Understanding this idea is difficult because current mentoring research demonstrates that mentoring is more convoluted than was once thought. This article will make an effort to untangle some of this research and then suggest a “common sense” and “practical” definition of “mentoring.” This is a definition that can be used in large and small businesses, in churches, schools, and by community organizations. In our conclusion, we summarize the research examined: The characteristics of a mentor The characteristics of a mentor-protégé relationship A description of the mentoring process A simple definition of “mentoring” that is widely applicabl