Engagement+Theory

Engagement theory was designed by Greg Kearsley and Ben Shneiderman and is a framework for technology-based teaching and learning (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). The unit ‘Help Save a Species’ had been created around this framework to ensure that all learners will be “meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and worthwhile tasks” (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999, p. 1). Engagement theory contains three basic principles for students to collaborate and participate in experiences that are meaningful outside the classroom (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). These principles are to relate, create and donate (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). Students relate to the experience through collaborating with peers via communication tools, planning and social skills (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). Students then create an individual project through a learning sequence of purposeful activities and finally they donate by contributing while learning (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). // To expand on the principles of engagement theory a table has been created below showing the direct link from the activities throughout the unit ‘Help Save a Species’ to the theory. //   The integration of ICTs into this unit caters for our technology minded students as they think and process information fundamentally differently from us (Prensky, 2001). Prensky (2001) refers to this generation as ‘digital natives’ and suggests that we need to change our planning to cater for the needs of these natives to the digital world. In today’s futures orientated society, teachers must transform to keep pace with their learners, whose future relies on innovation, risk taking and creativity in this high speed knowledge economy. Teachers have become co-learners in the classroom. Using digital tools to relate, create and donate information can ensure the success of creativity and collaboration and promote higher order thinking from your students. Using a digital approach across the curriculum embraces flow, repetition, experimentation, experience, doing, observing and motivation all of which would be required of a lifelong learner (Cross, O’Driscoll & Trondsen, 2007).
 * = **Engagement Theory** ||= **ICT Activities** ||
 * = **Relate** || Students relate to the learning by collaborating their ideas/thoughts and perspectives on the knowledge and understanding with their peers through the use of a classroom blog. They are encouraged to share and comment on the blog posts creating discussion around the unit’s key questions to encourage higher order thinking. Learners are encouraged during the unit to work with a partner during research and organising new knowledge. During the culminating task of a PowerPoint presentation students are encouraged to peer review and seek help and guidance by asking questions and seeking help from the other students in the class. ||
 * = **Create** || Students create the learning by using the webquest to research and discuss the knowledge. The experiences throughout the webquest make learning a creative, purposeful activity as the knowledge to be learnt is scaffolded to provide enough background learning for the students to use and then elaborate on during their presentations. They have been given a topic to research and have been provided with some basic starting points for their presentations, however what they contain (what the student thinks is important knowledge) and how they present the information is left up to the learner to decide. This not only allows for the learner’s creative abilities to flourish but also for individual style and expression. ||
 * = **Donate** || Students donate to the learning by presenting their PowerPoint presentations at a whole school assembly. This passes their new learnt knowledge onto the rest of the school and persuades them to take on board and act on the information they have been shown through the student’s presentations. Learners are also encouraged to consider the community by forming a fundraising activity during a school fete or the like to raise money and share awareness of endangered species in the local area. This provides students with the knowledge that learning continues and also makes an impact on others outside the classroom. ||

Cross, J,. O’Driscoll, J,. & Trondsen, E. (2007). //Another Life: Virtual Wolds as Tools for Learning//. Retrieved from [] Kearsley, G. & Shneiderman, B. (1999). //Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning//. Retrieved from [] Prensky, M. (2001). //Digital natives, digital immigrants.// Retrieved from []
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