INFORMATION VERSUS INSTRUCTION cators,it is important todistinguish be information and instruction.Information is Information can be presented in a memo,in .Often the presentation,whether it or on the Internet,is general in content and its purpose is to give an overview of ideas or subject matter-to generate interest,to provide background information,or to give procedural details. Learners should not be expected to be responsible for the retention or use of information they have only seen or heard.The information provided by a job aid (a short guide to help the user),like a phone book,is not meant to be memorized.It is assumed that you will look up the information when needed.With computers,it has become possible to give ever more rapid and detailed information in specific situations,to the point that the computer could be said to be helping or"coaching"the individual.Although with frequent use of a job aid or a computer help system a person might gradually internalize information,remembering more and more of the information provided,the learning is not an intentional part of the system,whose aim is only to provide just-in-time assistance or specific information. Instruction,on the other hand,refers to any intentional effort to stimulate learning by the deliberate arrangement of experiences to help learners achieve a desirable change in capability Instruction is meant to lead to learning.Active engagement with the information questioning is the critical component of instruction ehon8tcpri8tepaicpoioaioieciomoaaesncog oractice with feedback Instruction therefore e,has as its goal a lasting change in the capability of the learner.This is a crucial point in distinguishing instruction from just providing information. nstruction is also the ngement of information and the envi nt to facilitate learn not only where instruction takes place.but also the strate logy.and media needed to co mation and guide learning.The lear uctor mav do this.Gagne (1985) cti as a set of ents external to the s of learn Preparing the ins ctional environme nt is rk within lea eating lea tunities need to he elp t ing comm B using ati e lens,you ning wikis, nagement systems,y u can your t century learners move through the vels of leaming appropriate to thei goals,the state learning standards,and expected outcomes BLOOM'S DIGITAL TAXONOMY AND 21ST CENTURY 4 CS BenpaminB deveopdinhaths a ring skills vledge th tion (Bl m d simp d th at students star wledge stage by re om memory).Students then progr to the compren sion stage,i (e.g.,using your own words ing,then they were ready for the next step,application.At the application step,stud use the ideas or information in a meaningful way (e.g.,using the author's ideas in her poem relate those ideas to a similar topic).Finally,Bloom felt that when the student had progressed through these prior steps,it was now time to generate a new idea or example (e.g.,using a similar poetry style,write your own poem about a similar topic).He called this highest step evaluation. Over time,Bloom's Taxonomy has been revised and modified.While best known for his original work in the cognitive domain,Bloom added the psychomotor(manipulative or physi- cal skills)and affective (attitudes or feelings)domains,which followed a similar pattem in a Designing and Assessing 21st Century Leaming 25 Designing and Assessing 21st Century Learning 25 Information Versus Instruction As educators, it is important to distinguish between information and instruction. Information is knowledge, facts, news, comments, and content. Information can be presented in a memo, in the classroom, in a textbook, or on the Web. Often the presentation, whether it is live, printed, or on the Internet, is general in content and its purpose is to give an overview of ideas or subject matter—to generate interest, to provide background information, or to give procedural details. Learners should not be expected to be responsible for the retention or use of information they have only seen or heard. The information provided by a job aid (a short guide to help the user), like a phone book, is not meant to be memorized. It is assumed that you will look up the information when needed. With computers, it has become possible to give ever more rapid and detailed information in specific situations, to the point that the computer could be said to be helping or “coaching” the individual. Although with frequent use of a job aid or a computer help system a person might gradually internalize information, remembering more and more of the information provided, the learning is not an intentional part of the system, whose aim is only to provide just-in-time assistance or specific information. Instruction, on the other hand, refers to any intentional effort to stimulate learning by the deliberate arrangement of experiences to help learners achieve a desirable change in capability. Instruction is meant to lead to learning. Active engagement with the information—questioning it, discussing it, applying it to practice situations— is the critical component of instruction. Meaningful understanding, retention, and application require instructional activities, including practice with feedback. Instruction, therefore, has as its goal a lasting change in the capability of the learner. This is a crucial point in distinguishing instruction from just providing information. Instruction is also the arrangement of information and the environment to facilitate learn￾ing. By environment we mean not only where instruction takes place, but also the strategies, technology, and media needed to convey information and guide learning. The learner or the instructor may do this. Gagné (1985) describes instruction as a set of events external to the learner designed to support the internal process of learning. Preparing the instructional environment is another critical role for teachers. As a teacher responsible for creating learning opportunities for your students, you will need to help them work within learning communities. By using collaborative learning tools such as classroom blogs, wikis, social networking resources, and learning management systems, you can help your 21st century learners move through the various levels of learning appropriate to their goals, the state learning standards, and expected outcomes. Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy and 21st Century 4 Cs Benjamin Bloom developed a learning taxonomy that he described as stages focused on cogni￾tive learning skills ranging from knowledge through evaluation (Bloom and Krathwohl, 1984). His idea was that students progressed in an orderly fashion from simple to complex mental abilities. He suggested that students started at the knowledge stage by recalling specific content (e.g., reciting a poem from memory). Students then progressed to the comprehension stage, in which they would be able to paraphrase or summarize the content (e.g., using your own words, describe what the author meant in her poem). He assumed if students could understand mean￾ing, then they were ready for the next step, application. At the application step, students could use the ideas or information in a meaningful way (e.g., using the author’s ideas in her poem, relate those ideas to a similar topic). Finally, Bloom felt that when the student had progressed through these prior steps, it was now time to generate a new idea or example (e.g., using a similar poetry style, write your own poem about a similar topic). He called this highest step evaluation. Over time, Bloom’s Taxonomy has been revised and modified. While best known for his original work in the cognitive domain, Bloom added the psychomotor (manipulative or physi￾cal skills) and affective (attitudes or feelings) domains, which followed a similar pattern in a M02_SMAL4150_01_SE_C02.indd 25 2/7/14 8:37 AM