Models of Disability, Models of Learning, Accessibility and Learning Technologies
Martyn Cooper, IET, CALRG 2014
Models of DisabilityMedical Model
• Disability defined by the underlying medical condition
Social Model• Disability viewed as an artefact of the way society is organised
Post-Social Model• We are all disabled – it is a matter of degree and how
Functional Model• Not defining disability but how functionally interact with
computer environment (or context in question)
Implications of Models of Disability Adopted
• Our models of disability affect our attitudes–Medical Model promotes personal blame –Social Model looks to society for cause of problems
• They dictate where we look for solutions
• They provide a framework for accessibility–Social Model applied to e-learning implies adaptability–Functional Model facilitates interface design
Models of learning [Mayes & De Freitas]
• Socratic rhetoric– Learning through argument
• Behaviourism– Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)
highlighted the importance of stimulus for learning
– John Watson (1878-1958), behaviour and learning as part of nervous ‘wiring’
– B. F. Skinner (1904-1990) extended the behaviourist approach, we are a black box upon which experience and conditioning are written. ‘Operant conditioning’ and ‘shaping
behaviour’.
• Constructivism– John Dewey (1859-1952), who
questioned traditional epistemology, instead came to believe that:• “…the theory of knowledge must
begin with a consideration of the development of knowledge as an adaptive human response to environing conditions aimed at an active restructuring of these conditions.”
– Further reference should be made here to the work of Seymour Papert, Piaget and Vygotsky
Models of learning cont.• The Laurillard
conversational model – Learning as an active process
and dependant on interaction– The learning process as a kind of
conversation (c.f. Socrates) – Classification system based on
the type of interaction between instructor and student when a particular medium is used, and raises issues about the nature of feedback, goals and control of student learning• “Learning through acquisition”
(teacher as storyteller/lecturer) only uses part of her model
• “Guided discovery” requires all conversational components
• Cognitive Learning Theory– How cognitive skills develop. Albert
Bandura (1986) “Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory”
• Computational Theories of Learning– Computational theories of learning:
derive from AI and metaphors of computer science
• Cybernetic model– Cybernetics dependent on the
concept of feedback - central to the idea of assessment of learning. Cycles of learning and evaluating learning towards the goal.
Other Models of Learning• Situated Learning• Action learning• Andragogy• Communities of practice• Instructionism or
instructivism• Learning styles• Motivation• Problem-based learning• Socially-mediated
learning• …
• Critique– “All models of learning are
‘crap’”• Think what they are trying to
model
– The are so many!– All are partial / limited– They have utility but need to
understand their limits
Models of Learning and AccessibilityModel of Learning• Behaviourism
• Constructivism
• The Laurillard conversational model
Implication for Accessibility• The importance of stimulus
– How would Pavlov’s dogs learnt that food was neigh if they could not hear the bell?
– The importance of providing stimuli for learning in different modalities.
• The disabled student needs full access to the environmental context of the learning
• Accessibility of all the media used to support the different conversations must be addressed
Tools, Models of Learning and Accessibility• There are many tools to help
construct learning objects/modules–These are often based on a
chosen learning theory– Few if any of them embed
features and prompts that promote accessibility
–This is a huge strategic loss of opportunity
Example – Remote Labs
Functional Accessibility
Access to Learning
Experiments
Laurillard Model
PEARL
Example – Learning AnalyticsLearning Theory
• Cybernetic• Behaviourism
Accessibility
• Scaffolding• PerformanceI
ntegration
• Overcoming Accessibility Challenges
• Improved Retention / Attainment
References
• Mayes, T., & De Freitas, S. (2004). JISC e-learning models desk study. Stage 2: Review of e-learning theories, frameworks and models. http://www.jisc.ac.uk/uploaded_documents/Stage%202%20Learning%20Models%20(Version%201).pdf
• Laurillard, D. (1993) Rethinking university teaching, Routledge, London.
• Seale, Jane and Cooper, Martyn (2010). E-learning and accessibility: an exploration of the potential role of generic pedagogical tools. Computers and Education, 54(4) pp. 1107–1116.
• Martyn Cooper’s Blog: http://martyncooper.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/accessibility-and-learning-theories/
Institute of Educational TechnologyThe Open UniversityWalton HallMilton KeynesMK7 6AA
http://www.open.ac.uk/iet/main/
