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Alicia Fernandez

Preparing for Distance Learning: Designing An Online Student Orientation Course - 0 views

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    This paper describes the analysis undertaken to design a 1-credit-hour online orientation course for students new to online learning. An instructional design team, as a part of an advanced instructional design course, worked with a university-based client. The client identified specific problem areas encountered by novice students of online courses and the team designed a comprehensive program to meet those needs. Analysis of the data revealed surprising differences in expectations between instructors of online courses and their students of what an orientation to online learning should include. The team also conducted a task analysis to aid in further identifying the skills, knowledge and attitudes required by students for success in online courses. Findings indicated that there is a need for online learners to understand the time commitment required of an online course and possess or develop strong time management skills. Because of small sample size, results cannot be generalized beyond the respondents. The authors found a mismatch in the perception of instructor technical skills versus student technical skill. Based on their findings, the paper provides recommendations on the appropriate design, development and implementation of an orientation to online learning.
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    This paper describes the analysis undertaken to design a 1-credit-hour online orientation course for students new to online learning. An instructional design team, as a part of an advanced instructional design course, worked with a university-based client. The client identified specific problem areas encountered by novice students of online courses and the team designed a comprehensive program to meet those needs. Analysis of the data revealed surprising differences in expectations between instructors of online courses and their students of what an orientation to online learning should include. The team also conducted a task analysis to aid in further identifying the skills, knowledge and attitudes required by students for success in online courses. Findings indicated that there is a need for online learners to understand the time commitment required of an online course and possess or develop strong time management skills. Because of small sample size, results cannot be generalized beyond the respondents. The authors found a mismatch in the perception of instructor technical skills versus student technical skill. Based on their findings, the paper provides recommendations on the appropriate design, development and implementation of an orientation to online learning.
Alicia Fernandez

Early Attrition among First Time eLearners: A Review of Factors that Contribute to Drop... - 1 views

  • Some have reported attrition from eLearning as high as 70 - 80% (Flood 2002, Forrester 2000, in Dagger & Wade, 2004). Parker (1999) argues that “With the growth of distance education has come the problem of exceedingly high attrition rates”. Citing Carter (1996), she suggests that eLearning student attrition in some institutions is exceeds 40%, while others (Frankola, 2001). Diaz (2002), put it at between 20 - 50%,  and Carr (2000), estimate it to be 10% - 20% higher than for traditional on-campus education.
  • learners in employment bring a different set of needs, strategies and motivations to the learning process.
  • frequently geographically removed from the learning resources, information sources, learner peers and Tutors compared to their on-campus peers
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  • Employed adults tend to complete eLearning in their personal time due to workload pressures in the workplace and/or Internet access issues at work
  • Cognitive Load Theory
  • states that learning is initially processed in working memory
  • Learning complex or technically demanding material requires building mental models or cognitive schemas about the subject being studied or the skill being developed over time
  • Learning new material or a skill, for which a schema in long term memory is undeveloped or non-existent, can cause working memory to quickly overload its limited capacity. This overloading can result in a learner becoming highly anxious and losing confidence, which in turn can lead to the learning process, in effect, freezing and the learner being unable to continue.  
  •  “Digital literacy involves more than the ability to use software or operate a digital device; it includes a large variety of complex cognitive, motor, sociological and emotional skills, which users need in order to function effectively in digital environments.”
  • It is this author’s experience in designing, developing and delivering several eLearning programmes to public sector employees in New Zealand, that a face to face workshop prior the start of the online distance course can make a significant difference to a first time eLearner’s perception and experience of eLearning. 
  • This type of pre-course face-to-face induction workshop can also be used to foster the group’s sense of itself, and to identify the individual participants and their backgrounds, along with their expectations and concerns. It is also helpful to have the course design, structure and philosophy explained and to discuss anxieties associated with beginning an online course.
  • The multi
  • al learning tasks of the first time eLearner
  • dimension
  • (1) negotiating the technology; (2) negotiating the course website; (3) negotiating the course content (4) becoming an eLearner (5) negotiating CMC interaction.
  • come to terms with the computing technologies involved.
  • develop a mental model of the content structure and navigation system in order to find his/her way around
  • engage with the learning materials, readings, activities and assessments that make up a programme of study
  • Confronting the actual content and of becoming a learner again.
  • anxiety
  • abandon his/her existing mental model of what it is to be a learner in a formal learning situation
  • embrace a model based on a self-directed and motivated learner
  • undertake the learning tasks involved in interacting with peers via synchronous and asynchronous Computer Mediated Communication
  • Successfully negotiating this early experience depends very much on the relevant skills, circumstances, motivations and personal attributes of the learner. It follows then, that paying particular attention to how an eLearning course is structured and introduced and the manner in which the learner is inducted can make a very important difference in a learner deciding whether or not to engage and persist or to drop out. 
  • actually apprising learners of the issues of cognitive overload and how it is commonly experienced would go some way towards inoculating learners against its more pernicious effects.
  • Supporting learners till they are over the initial “eLearning learning-curve hump”, may involve a seemingly high level of resource and effort on the part of the course facilitator and associated programme administration staff, but the payoff is that fewer learners will drop out at the early stage.
  • Actively supporting, encouraging, gently cajoling and following up on learners who seem to be struggling will help to keep wavering learners in the course.
  • In terms of the actual course design and the structure of the materials and learning activities, then it is a useful practice to aim to start slowly and build the course tempo over time.
  • The one area where something may be done to reduce attrition is in the early stages of an online course.
  • Cognitive overload is a likely contributor to high drop out rates, particularly where those withdrawing do so within the first few weeks of the start of a course.  Greater levels of persistence and completions may be achieved if learners are supported to anticipate, prepare for, recognise and recover from the cognitive burden they may experience as first time eLearners.   
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    Looks at why some students don't make it through online courses- many first time online students are unsure what to expect and are just overwhelmed by the whole experience.
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    The experience of the first-time online learner is qualified. Suggestions for decreasing early attrition are suggested.
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    Attrition among mature adult online learners is affected by sociological, psychological, technical and cognitive factors, critical features of which are the notions of cognitive load and locus of control.
Irene Watts-Politza

Increasing Access to Higher Education: A study of the diffusion of online teaching amon... - 0 views

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    This paper reports on research from 913 professors from community colleges, four-year colleges, and university centers in an attempt to determine potential barriers to the continued growth in adoption of online teaching in higher education. Four variables are significantly associated with faculty satisfaction and adoption or continuation of online teaching - levels of interaction in their online course, technical support, a positive learning experience in developing and teaching the course, and the discipline area in which they taught. Recommendations for institutional policy, faculty development, and further research are included.
Danielle Melia

Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning: Program Overview: California State Univers... - 0 views

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    University and college faculty, K-12 teachers, corporate and military trainers, educational administrators, curriculum designers, technical support staff, and others who want to learn how to convert teaching or training materials currently delivered face-to-face into a completely online course or program. Educators and trainers who already design, implement, or teach online courses who seek to update their skills and knowledge of evolving best practices in online learning.
Lauren D

Benefits of Peer-Based Learning.pdf (application/pdf Object) - 0 views

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    Forums, online communities, and professional networks are these new learning environments, where people find and share information, collaborate and learn on demand. A significant challenge is to motivate people to participate in the knowledge-sharing and learning process. Especially in peer-based learning environments, where learning depends on the effort of all participants, it is essential to provide enough incentives to participate and share information with others." Implementing systems fostering trust through reputation can enhance the learning effectiveness, and provide alternatives for the traditional pedagogical approaches still in place in current e-learning courses. Formal education could profit from such new learning environments adopting these pedagogical approaches and related technical systems."
Anneke Chodan

Students' Distress with Distance Education - Noriko Hara and Rob Kling (Center for Soci... - 0 views

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    Many advocates of computer-mediated distance education emphasize its positive aspects and understate the kinds of communicative and technical capabilities and work required by students and faculty.
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    Small study of the frustrations faced by students who were new to distance learning.
sherrilattimer

Depth of Knowledge in the 21st Century - 0 views

  • Depth of knowledge offers some advantages over Bloom’s Taxonomy for planning lessons and choosing instructional techniques. By increasing the DOK levels of activities, teachers can teach students to adapt to challenges, work cooperatively and solve problems on their own.Whereas Level 1 of DOK prompts students to recall or reproduce, Levels 3 and 4 require students to work without the constant supervision of teachers. Usually students work on higher DOK activities in groups, communicating with one another to solve challenging problems and freely offering their own ideas.
  • The teacher’s role at higher DOK levels is therefore to facilitate, not simply dispense the acquisition of knowledge.
  • Working on creating activities in such peer groups enables teachers to learn and articulate while planning for lessons that promote high expectations and cognitively challenging curriculum. In addition, administrators need to provide ongoing support for their teachers in order to empower teachers to succeed in this endeavor.Administrative leadership must mentor and assist teachers in providing the enthusiasm and motivation to continuously teach lessons that promote high student expectations and cognitively challenging lessons.
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  • The students in one classroom are prompted to recall facts and procedures while the students in the other classroom are encouraged to apply their learned knowledge to solve complex problems featuring real-world relevance.
  • Through his work with the business community, he has learned that there is no shortage of employees that are technically proficient, but too few employees that can adequately communicate and collaborate, innovate and think critically. So, rather than simply equating 21st century skills with technical prowess, educators need to expand their understanding of such skills to increasingly emphasize preparing students to think on their feet, communicate effectively and value the ideas of others.
  • The depth-of-knowledge levels of Norman Webb’s depthof-knowledge (DOK) levels constitute a system that addresses how to teach these skills. Depth of knowledge is a scale of cognitive demand that reflects the complexity of activities that teachers ask students to perform. DOK-1. Recall — Recall or recognition of a fact, information, concept, or procedure DOK-2. Basic Application of Skill/Concept — Use of information, conceptual knowledge, follow or select appropriate procedures, two or more steps with decision points along the way, routine problems, organize/ display data DOK-3. Strategic Thinking — Requires reasoning, developing a plan or sequence of steps to approach problem; requires some decision making and justification; abstract and complex; often more than one possible answer DOK-4. Extended Thinking — An investigation or application to real world; requires time to research, think, and process multiple conditions of the problem or task; non-routine manipulations, across disciplines/content areas/multiple sources Level 1 of DOK is the lowest level and requires students to recall or perform a simple process.As DOK increases toward the highest (fourth) level, the complexity of the activity moves from simple recall problems to increasingly difficult and teacher independent problem-solving classroom activities, as well as real-world applications.As students are prompted to work within the realms of higher DOK levels, they will learn to independently employ higher-level thinking skills.
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    Webb's Depth of Knowledge
mikezelensky

Online Drawing Program - 0 views

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    This is a way to create a technical drawing using Google Drive.
JJ Wagner

University of Florida News - Online classes can save schools money, expand learning tim... - 0 views

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    "Based on a 2008 survey of 20 virtual schools in 14 states, UF researchers found that the average yearly cost of online learning per full-time pupil was about $4,300. This compared with a national average cost per pupil of more than $9,100 for a traditional public school in 2006 (the most recent year in which such data was available). Their cost estimates covered course development and teaching, and administrative and technical expenses. "
Donna Angley

Learning Objectives - 0 views

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    There are really TWO categories of learning objectives based on their purpose. One type of learning objective is for internal use-the design team, client and subject matter expert. The other type is for the audience members. If designers would write different learning objectives for each category, the world would be a better place. This is because internal learning objectives tend to be too technical and non-motivating for your eLearning audience.
Diane Gusa

Online Technical Writing: Instructions - 0 views

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    "# Your ability to put yourself in the place of the reader, the person trying to use your instructions # Your ability to visualize the procedure in great detail and to capture that awareness on paper # Finally, your willingness to go that extra distance and test your instructions on the kind of person you wrote them for."
Liz Keeney

The Learning Styles, Expectations, and Needs of Online Students - 0 views

    • Heather Kurto
       
      Seventy-nine percent of the students expected the assignments they submit to be graded "immediately," and if that is not possible, "at least [in] two business days," but not later than the "following week
    • Heather Kurto
       
      The students needed to feel that they are "important and valued participants in the class, even though [they are] separated from instructor and other participants by distance and/or time. W
    • Heather Kurto
       
      technical help, flexible and understanding instructors, advance course information, and sample assignments
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    • Heather Kurto
       
      Fredericksen et al. feel that "if the turn-around time on student requests for assistance is plainly communicated and consistently applied, student disappointment, anxiety, and confusion can be reduced and satisfaction and learning can be increased" (2000, 25).
    • Heather Kurto
       
      Successful online students are expected to have access to necessary hardware and software, and to be minimally proficient in using the technology. They also must communicate through writing, have selfmotivation, and self-discipline. They need to commit sufficient time per week to course work, and they must speak up if problems arise (Howland and Moore 2002; Huber and Lowry 2003
Lisa Martin

ETAP640amp2012: Discussion: I'll go first - 0 views

  • At their age there are no egos, no prejudices, they just love to learn about what children their age are like from all over the world
    • Lisa Martin
       
      This is my favorite part of working with the little ones as well. They are so innocent and eager to learn with no bias :-)
  • I want to not only be able to bring these techniques into my classroom but I also want to be able to help other teachers who may not have a strong technical background feel more comfortable bringing it into theirs.
    • Lisa Martin
       
      I've been thinking about the same thing. So many teachers at my school are terrified of technology and I would love a chance to show them that not only does it not have to be scary, but it can be fun!
Amy M

Connecting with Experts in the Real World: Educators Learn to Teach Science From the Pr... - 1 views

  • ratorium's Teacher Institute, explains the conceptual design of their new-teacher-induction program. "Beginning teachers are immediately introduced into an established community of exemplary science teachers who themselves are part of a professional community of learners at the Exploratorium
  • mentees
  • nsylvania. The program provides technical and writing support as well as an opportunity for teachers to collaborate with their peers on the development of Web-based resources
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    ways to connect to experts in the field
alexandra m. pickett

ETAP640amp2012: How am I doing it in this course? And how are you doing it? - 0 views

  • That brings me to my first question for Alex: Was our reaction typical? In other words, do students normally begin the course feeling the way we were feeling? 
  • Were the VoiceThread introductions and the “opening” of the course two weeks prior to the actual start date a means for getting some specific information about who we would be as your students? Also, did you use this information to make any alterations to the course?
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Opening the course 2 weeks before is a good practice on a number of fronts... one it gives the early birds something to do, it helps students work through technical difficulties prior to the start of the course, it helps students decide if the course is for them AND it gives me some preliminary view of the students who may be part of the class community that term. It also really helps me prep by knowing what the background is of the students, what their expectations are, and what their disciplines are. I can begin to collect and tag resources based on the interests, expectations, and disciplines of the students.
Amy M

E-ffective Communication - 0 views

  • everyone else was present and eager to start.The students have got the hang of communication in world and our session ran smoothly,
  • Feedback from students continues to be mostly positive despite the technical hiccups.
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    A blog of a teacher's experience in SL
lkryder

Authentic Education - What Is an Essential Question? - 0 views

  • The big-idea questions signal that education is not just about learning “the answer” but about learning how to learn.  
    • lkryder
       
      In art history this helps with relevance to the students
  • A second connotation for “essential” refers to key inquiries within a discipline. Essential questions in this sense are those that point to the big ideas of a subject and to the frontiers of technical knowledge. They are historically important and very much “alive” in the field.
  • By actively exploring such questions, the learner is helped to arrive at important understandings as well as greater coherence in their content knowledge and skill.
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    Essential questions as the key component in design of instruction, in particular UbD model (Understanding by Design)
lkryder

Individual and Social Aspects of Learning - 1 views

  • The cognitive transformations triggered by tools have two sides, paralleling the kinds of effects discussed above. One side is learning effects with the tool. This recognizes the changed functioning and expanded capability that takes place as the user uses and gets used to particular tools. Impact occurs through the redistribution of a task‰s cognitive load between persons and devices (e.g. Pea, 1993; Perkins, 1993), including symbol-handling devices (e.g,. a spell checker) or across persons, mediated by devices and symbol systems (telephones, fax machines). As these examples suggest, such tools are all around us, but their possibility also invites the design of special-purpose tools for supporting various cognitive functions. For instance, experiments have shown that a computerized Reading Partner that provides ongoing metacognitive-like guidance improves students‰ comprehension of texts while they read with the tool (Salomon, Globerson, & Guterman, 1991).
  • Social Mediation by Cultural Artifacts
  • The role of tools and symbol systems as both reflecting and affecting the human psyche has long been recognized. But it is mainly due to the Russian sociocultural tradition of Vygotsky (e.g., 1978), Luria (1981), and Leont‰ev (1981), and their Western interpreters (e.g,. Cole & Wertch, 1996), that scholarly attention has focused on tools as social mediators of learning. Here we use ‹toolsŠ in a broad sense, including not only physical implements but technical procedures like the algorithms of arithmetic and symbolic resources such as those of natural languages and mathematical and musical notation.
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  • implements of information-handling,
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    dated but still very interesting and relevant article about what "social learning is"
Kelly Hermann

ADA Home Page - ada.gov - Information and Technical Assistance on the Americans with Di... - 0 views

shared by Kelly Hermann on 04 Jun 10 - Cached
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    This is the Department of Justice's webpage about the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA applies to more than just education so there is a lot of information there. It may be interesting to explore some of the ADA publications to learn more about how the law applies in different environments.
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