Learning Theories and EdTech2 - Dale, Bloom, and Universal Design of Learning

Edgar Dale's "Cone of Experience"

I must confess, I never heard of Dale's "Cone of Experience". Dale's cone has 11 stages. Those stages are becoming more complex and abstract, as we reach the top of the cone. The experiences are not based on difficulty, but on abstraction and the number of senses involved.

http://teachernoella.weebly.com/dales-cone-of-experience.html


Dale argues that the experiences, as they are getting more abstract, can be - and should be - mixed. They are all interrelated and even though there are lines and stages, finding a balance between concrete and abstract has to be achieved.



Bloom's Taxonomy

Much is written and known about Bloom's Taxonomy, and some educators are now facing the change to integrating technology with the different types of cognitive performance of their students. How can one address "remembering" using a web. 2.0 tool? How can our students be digitally creative and create on a "Higher Order Thinking Level" using the web. Andrew Churches ("educational origami") and Michael Fischer ("visual blooms") offer visuals and links to web 2.0 tools that can be used for the different stages in Bloom's taxonomy. Michael Fischer, however, created a new visual, including the fact that several digital tools can be used in several different areas.

http://visualblooms.wikispaces.com/HOME


Fischer claims that there is a fluidity in using tools online rather than one tool is only usable for one stage.





Universal Design of Learning

UDL is the theory of "differentiation". How can "the curriculum needs [...] be designed for all learner? (cast.org). In their introduction video, they define UDL as follows:

Universal: being used and understood by everyone

Learning: there are three areas:

• recognition - the "What" of learning
• skills and strategies - the "How" of learning
• caring and prioritizing - the "Why" of learning

Design: must be flexible and accessible for all

To design the curriculum, the educator should start with "What is my goal?", closely followed by "What are the barriers?". To universally design the curriculum then, the instructor should give the students choices:

• multiple means of representation of content
• multiple means of action and expression of content/learned material
• multiple means of engagement in the classroom with the content