What makes Calibrae different from other Virtual Learning Environments? In this post, we'll look at Calibrae's unique approach to providing a learn-by-doing experience.
In brief...
Other VLEs typically provide a 'Teach to Test' experience - teaching their learners with videos, presentations, etc, then bouncing them over to a test to see how much they have understand. This is not how we learn.
The Calibrae approach is to provide a space to actually learn-by-doing, between teach and test, allowing learners to make mistakes and learn from them. Whilst being taught, either through live teaching or online self-paced teaching activities, learner's define a hypothesis that frames their understanding. It is not until they have a chance to apply the hypothesis, however, in solving problems, that they know if the hypothesis is correct. Learners need an endless stream of learning scenarios through which they can test their hypothesis, make mistakes, recieve guidance to reform a more accurate hypothesis, and repeat until the hypothesis is sure. Only then are learners ready for the test.
The Calibrae platform has a unique Exercise Engine - a machine which, when loaded with course-related data generates an endless stream of learning scenarios, enabling the learner to get it wrong, review, refine, and have another go - as many times as they need to fully understand, without mindless repetition!
The task of course authors is to load the engine with the right data.
The engine can build 5 different types of exercise: Categories, Question Banks, Hotspots , Assignments and Custom exercises.
In the we'll look at examples of each exercise type in subsequent posts.
