Acclimation by Design: Using 4C/ID to Scaffold Digital Learning Environments

Authors

Sam Leif, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Danielle Head, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Michael Mccreery, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Joseph Fiorentini, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Le Quanda L. Cole, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

10-1-2020

Publication Title

Proceedings of SITE Interactive 2020 Online Conference

First page number:

513

Last page number:

517

Abstract

Traditional learning environments consist of learners physically present together in classroom-based ecosystems (El Mansour & Mupinga, 2007). Digital learning environments remove the requirement of physical proximity by leveraging technology-based ecosystems. Within each ecosystem learning is situated, where usable knowledge and schema work to build conceptual understandings (McCarthy & Wright, 2004). As learners experience novel environments a domain-based acclimation stage occurs (Alexander, 2004). Traditionally, learners acclimate to classroom-based rules, norms, and procedures as they engage with learning tasks, facilitated by instructor-provided just-in-time information and corrective feedback. Digitally, students must be acclimated not only to the content but also the system in which the content is taught. To compensate for the lack of physical instructor presence, the intentional design of content that scaffolds the introduction of system-based rules, norms, and procedures is required. The 4C/ID model can be employed to create a structured acclimation stage (van Merriënboer, 2019), designed to attenuate learners to the constraints and affordances of the digital learning environment. Without this scaffolded acclimation stage, learners are tasked with simultaneously learning the system and the content. As a result, student construction of knowledge to attain conceptual understanding may be hampered.

Keywords

Traditional learning environments; TLE; Digital learning environments; Classroom-based; Digitally-based

Disciplines

Education | Higher Education | Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Language

English

Repository Citation

Leif, S., Head, D., Mccreery, M., Fiorentini, J., Cole, L. L. (2020). Acclimation by Design: Using 4C/ID to Scaffold Digital Learning Environments. Proceedings of SITE Interactive 2020 Online Conference 513-517.