Group items tagged

I will ask each group several common questions and specific question on your group treatise paper. These questions can be responded by any of your group members as an individual opinion or as group response. It is your group decision. Please list five most critical elements of distributed learning system in distance learning.

Distributed learning is a broad term "associated with face-to-face(f2f) instruction that incorporated some form of technology-based learning experience, either inside or outside the classroom." (Simonson, et al, 2009) 1. Unless access is deliberately restricted, courses are available to any qualified individual anywhere in the world with properly equipped computer and internet connection. Students can participate from school, home, office, or community locations 2. Asynchronous course components are available 24/7- time zone independent 3. Students can work at own pace. 4. Online materials are easy to update and change on the fly 5. Materials and methods are designed to take advantage of the interactivity and resources that the internet provides; The internet can provide a student centered learning environment

Most of people probably would agree that all instructions should have integrated online technology. Do you agree or disagree? Why? Please at least provide three reasons with good literatures to support your arguments.

(all answers consist of collaborative work by all members of team 2) I have recently talked to many who tell me that online learning is not for them. When I ask why they tell me that they need the physical presence of other learners….no mention of an instructor. Some have told me that they are not disciplined enough for online learning. While I know that there are all types of learners and learning styles, I am still amazed to hear people say these things. I originally would have said yes to this question, but now I know that some learners are turned off by online learning. There are many different teaching styles as well. Some teachers may not feel comfortable or want to teach online. Also in different cultures, the use and acceptance of technology is different (say in the Middle East where some teachers do not want their students to go online for fear they may be exposed morally deficient material). In this case, it is best to integrate technology to meet the socio-cultural needs of both the students and the teachers, making sure everyone is comfortable with the technology. Sloan-C. (2003) Sizing the Opportunity: The Quality and Extent of Online Education in the United States. Retrieved November 13, 2009, http://www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/survey03.asp It would seem a great idea given the fact that many 21st century learners are technology literate. However, we need to examine barriers that must be overcome: Some teachers do not want or are uncomfortable with technology in the classroom. Students in a lower socio-economic strata may not have access to equipment. Some classrooms are not equipped and some teachers are not trained to incorporate technology into the lessons. The digital divide is real. Internet courses are labor intensive. Support infrastructure (technology, technicians, training) may be minimal or nonexistent. (Simonson, et al, 2009) Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., Zvacek, S. (2009) Teaching and learning at a

In distributed learning assessment (collaborative learning), it is very difficult to know who is doing the course work. How do we know the actual students are doing the course work and how can we assess?

(all answers consist of collaborative work by all members of team 2) In the real work world, it is an accepted fact that often the work is distributed unevenly. This can happen in the academic world as well. Often a teacher or the group will assign different roles to each member for full responsibility. In other words, the members of the team provide the peer pressure when the "jobs" are given to each member for assessment. In the distance learning world, a synchronous element with recording and video could make members more responsible. In order to help structure group work, often assigning the group specific roles (such as leader, task manager, editor, etc..) can help ensure that everyone is responsible for specific parts of an assignment and therefor will spend time working. Another way to help ensure equal group is to implement a group and self peer-review form, in which group members review both the quality and quantity of work their peers have done as well as having to be responsible to for detailing the work they put into a project. Using programs like wiki's and Google Docs leaves a trail of timestamps and changes allowing teachers to determine how much an individual student has added to an assignment. However, this should only be used as a final step in determining group work as it can be quite tedious. Finally, when forming groups, allowing the students choose who they work with can often (though not always) help ensure group work is done with more equal distribution.