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sschwartz03

Ten Best Practices for Teaching Online - 2 views

    • Joy Quah Yien-ling
       
      Very current and relevant readings
  • Best Practice 6: Early in the term -- about week 3, ask for informal feedback on "How is the course going?" and "Do you have any suggestions?" Course evaluations have been called "post mortem" evaluations as they are done after the fact, and nothing can be changed to increase satisfaction or facilitate learning. Early feedback surveys or just informal discussions ask students to provide feedback on what is working well in a course and what might help them have a better course experience. This early feedback is done early in the course so corrections and modifications can be made. It is an easy opening for students who might have comments or suggestions or questions.
    • Francisca Capponi
       
      very important
  • When faculty actively interact and engage students in a face-to-face classroom, the class develops as a learning community, developing intellectual and personal bonds. The same type of bonding happens in an online setting.
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  • A good strategy for developing a supportive online course community is to design a course with a balanced set of dialogues. This means designing a course so that the three dialogues of faculty to student, student to student and student to resource are about equal. In most online courses, the dialogue of faculty to student is provided with (1) mini-lectures in text or video or audio podcasts, (2) weekly coaching and reminder announcements and (3) explanations/interactions with the students.
  • Online learning is just as intensive as learning face-to-face, and time to do the work needs to be scheduled and planned for, just as if one were attending face-to-face classes. Being clear as to how much effort and time will be required on a weekly basis keeps surprises to a minimum.
  • Early feedback surveys or just informal discussions ask students to provide feedback on what is working well in a course and what might help them have a better course experience. This early feedback is done early in the course so corrections and modifications can be made. It is an easy opening for students who might have comments or suggestions or questions.
  • Quick One-Liner Hints Create open-ended questions that learners can explore and apply the concepts that they are learning Model good Socratic-type probing and follow-up questions. Why do you think that? What is your reasoning? Is there an alternative strategy? Ask clarifying questions that encourage students to think about what they know and don't know. Stagger due dates of the responses and consider mid-point summary and /or encouraging comments Provide guidelines and instruction on responding to other students. For example, suggest a two-part response: (1) what you liked or agreed with or what resonated with you, and (2) a follow-up question such as what you are wondering about or curious about, etc.
  • As courses come to a close, it is easy to forget the value of a good closing experience. In the final weeks of a course, students are likely to be stressed and not take the time to do the lists and the planning that can help reduce stress and provide a calming atmosphere. A favorite image of mine is from David Allen of Getting Things Done. Allen notes that making a list helps us to clear the "psychic ram" of our brains and we feel more relaxed and more in control. Once we have made our list and schedule, we don't have to continually remind ourselves of what needs to be done and when. Here are a few hints for closing out a course experience with style and panache. Take time to remind students of what's next and when assignments and readings are due. Announcements of this type provide a "To Do" list and schedule for the learners. And by implication this list provides a helpful "To Do" list and schedule for you. As always, it is good to post reminders and make references to the planning list in your comments. And update as you go. Plan the ending of the course experience. A well-designed ending of a course provides opportunities for reflection and integration of useful knowledge. It is also a time to wrap up positive social and cognitive experiences.
  • How is the learner supporting the community of learners and contributing to the overall growth of the group? We have much to learn about teaching and learning and specifically about teaching online. The good news is that in 2011 we now know much more than what we did in 1990 or even 2000. The list of references that follow are starting points for both general teaching and for teaching online.
  •  
    This was a great article; it gave many suggestion that seem obvious, but gave me some good ideas to use in my own site. Really helpful!
Heather Kurto

Pedagogical Love and Good Teacherhood | Määttä | in education - 1 views

shared by Heather Kurto on 15 Jun 13 - No Cached
  • A teacher’s proficiency is manifested by the ability to look at the subject from a learner’s point of view, to foresee the critical junctions in learning, and to design teaching to meet learners’ information acquisition and collection processes (e.g., Zombylas, 2007).
  • van Manen (1991) claims that as teachers embrace all children, regardless of their characteristics they become real educators, and thus, educators’ pedagogical love becomes the precondition for pedagogical relations to grow (p
  • Individualistic features, position, nationality, gender, abilities, race, or language do not determine a human being’s value. Those differences based on skills, intelligence, or knowledge are insignificant compared with that basic human presence that is the same for all people: the right and need to be loved, accepted, and cared for as well as the right and need to grow and develop (Bradshaw, 1996; Lanara, 1981; Sprengel & Kelly, 1992).
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  • A teacher’s ethical caring means genuine caring, aspiring to understand and make an effort for pupils’ protection, support, and development. Because of this pedagogical caring, the teacher especially pursues pupils’ potential to develop and thus help them to find and use their own strengths.
  • Pedagogical love has been considered the core factor in the definition of good teacherhood for decades, though the characteristics of a good teacher have always included a variety of features. Features such as the ability to maintain discipline and order, set a demanding goal level, and the mastery of substance have been especially emphasized (e.g., Davis, 1993; Zombylas, 2007; Hansen, 2009)
  • Love influences the direction of people’s action as well as its intensity. Positive emotions, joy, strength, and the feeling of being capable lead mental energy toward the desired goal (Rantala & Määttä, 2011). Negative emotions, grief, fear, and anger cause entropy, an inner imbalance that burns off energy, brands the target with negative status, and pursues nullifying and undervaluing (e.g., Isen, 2001).
  • he educator’s task is to provide pupils with such stimuli and environment where students are guided to limit their instincts by controlling enjoyment and vital-based values, in order to be able to achieve higher values and skills (Solasaari, 2003).
  • Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1990, 2000) has launched the concept that refers to an optimal or autotelic experience where people are riveted so comprehensively by a challenging performance that the awareness of time and place blurs. Flow is possible when the challenges in a task are balanced with an actor’s abilities. Flow is an enjoyable state of concentration and task orientation, leading to optimal performance, whether the case is wall creeping, chess playing, dancing, surgery, studying languages, painting, or composing music.
  • This sets challenges for skill development. If a task is too easy, it will bore. If it is too difficult, it will cause anxiety and fear. The exact experience of flow and the active sense of well-being resulting from the former, encourage people to develop and improve their skills. People are willing to strive for flow whether it was about love for math, art, programming, or orthopedics (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).
  • In an interview, Gardner (as cited in Goleman, 1999) said flow is intrinsically rewarding without the hope for reward or threat of punishment. We should use learners’ positive moods (love) and through it get them to learn things about fields they can succeed in. People have to discover what they like, what things and doings they love and do these things. Even a child learns the best when he/she loves what he/she is doing and finds it enjoyable. (p. 126)
  • Pedagogical love might contribute to pupils’ learning and success by providing them with positive learning experiences, initial excitement, and perceived successes. These are the seeds of expertise as a positive feeling that can be considered the source of human strengths (Isen, 2001).
  • Pedagogical love springs from an individual learner’s presence persuading it to come forward more and more perfectly and diversely. A skillful educator does not just sit by and watch if a learner makes worthless choices or fails in his or her opportunities to grow and develop.
  • Haavio emphasized the meaning of pedagogical love in teachers’ work and considered that teachers’ work consists of the following two obligations: attachment to learners and dutiful perseverance of life values.
  • Pedagogical love speaks to interdependence—the recognition and acceptance that we need others.
  • Love appears in teaching as guidance toward disciplined work, but also as patience, trust, and forgiveness. The purpose is not to make learning fun, easy, or pleasing but to create a setting for learning where pupils can use and develop their own resources eventually proceeding at the maximum of their own abilities
  • A loving teacher reveals for a pupil the dimensions of his or her development in a manner of speaking. This is how a pupil’s self-esteem strengthens and he or she can develop toward higher activities from the lowest, pleasure-oriented ones. Achieving high-level skills is rewarding because it brings pleasure, and yet, it often demands—as mentioned previously—self-discipline and rejections
  • A teacher’s work is interpersonal and relational, with a teacher’s own personality fundamental to building relationships with students. A teacher’s work involves plenty of emotional strain. In addition, a teacher inevitably has to experience frustration in his or her work. There are many situations when a teacher will feel like she or he has failed regardless of the solution he or she creates.
  • Consequently, teachers are likely to experience guilt because they cannot sufficiently attend to all pupils in an appropriate way that is congruent with the notion of caring.
  • However, teachers have to realize that their own coping, motivation, and engagement require attention; they are not automatic.
  • Pedagogical love emerges through teachers’ emotions, learned models, moral attitude, and actions
  • Good teachers are examples to learners even in the most difficult life situations. Teachers have to believe in their work and endeavour to build a nurturing environment and a more humane world.
  • To be happy about life, to guide students to see the wonder and joy in the mundane is a teacher’s most important skill. Being able to help students find and negotiate the joy, wonder, happiness, and pain in the everydayness of life is an increasingly important quality in today’s insecurities, with the mounting pressure of increased demands for efficiency
Joan McCabe

Assessment Design and Cheating Risk in Online Instruction - 0 views

  • It would be a mistake to minimize the problem of cheating in f2f classes. Four stylized facts emerge from a survey of the literature on cheating in f2f undergraduate courses. First, cheating by college students is considered widespread (McCabe and Drinan 1999). For example, estimates from five studies of college students reporting having cheated at least once during their college career range from 65% to 100% (Stearns 2001), and Whitley (1998) reports an average of 70% from a review of forty-six studies.   Second, cheating by college students is becoming more rather than less of a problem. Estimates from five studies of the percentage of college students cheating at least once in their college career have been steadily rising over the period 1940 to 2000 (Jensen, Arnett et al. 2002). A study administered in 1964 and replicated in 1994 focused on the incidence of serious cheating behaviors (McCabe, Trevion et al. 2001). This study reported that the incidence of serious cheating on written assignments was unchanged at 65-66%, but the incidence of serious cheating on exams increased from 39% to 64%.  Third, the format of assessment is correlated with cheating. Whitley (1998) reviewed 107 studies of cheating by students over the span of their college courses (published since 1970), and reported that from 10 studies a mean estimate of 47% for cheating by plagiarism, from 37 studies a mean estimate of 43% for cheating on exams, and from 13 studies a mean estimate of 41% for cheating on homework. Fourth, student characteristics of age and GPA are negatively correlated with cheating.  Whitley (1998) reviewed 107 studies on college cheating (published since 1970), and found 16 studies reporting a small negative correlation between GPA and cheating and 10 studies reporting a negative correlation between age and cheating.
  • In the growing literature about online instruction there are two opposing views on the integrity of assessments. One view is that cheating is as equally likely to occur in the f2f format as in the online format of instruction.
  • The alternative view is that proctored exams are the only way to protect the integrity of grades by guaranteeing both that a substitute is not taking the exam and that students are not working together on an exam.
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  • Summary and Conclusions This study reports three principle findings.  First, from a survey of student opinion it is reported that 59% believe that the frequency of cheating is the same in both the online and the f2f instructional format. The proportion is significantly greater than 50% at the .05 level. It is also reported that the responses to the question of cheating and instructional format are significantly different depending on whether the student came from an online class or a f2f class, but only at a p-value of .1060.  Recalling the literature review in Table 1, which reported mixed findings by previous empirical studies, an interesting implication for future research is whether student experience with each instructional format influences student perceptions of differences in the frequency of cheating. Second, on proctoring and the frequency of cheating on essay exams and multiple choice exams, it is reported that roughly half of the respondents perceive unproctored assessments as having greater cheating risk than the same assessment in a proctored format, and half think they have equal cheating risk. These findings are consistent with the conventional perception that in a side by side comparison of two courses with comparable content and predominately multiple choice exam assessments, the course with unproctored exams is viewed as having greater cheating risk. Third, in our analysis of assessment design in 20 online courses it is reported that 70% base roughly half the course grade on unproctored multiple choice exams.     These findings imply that online courses, which have unproctored multiple choice exams, can reduce perceived cheating risk by proctoring some of their multiple choice exams without significantly altering the original mix of assessment types. Gresham’s Law suggests that online courses debased by assessment designs with high cheating risk will displace courses with relatively lower cheating risk. Institutions of higher education tone deaf to the issue of proctoring online multiple choice assessments may understandably find other institutions reluctant to accept these courses for transfer credit.  The benefit of proctoring is not without cost.  A proctored exam limits the spatial and the asynchronous dimensions of online instruction, which may have been the core reason the student enrolled in the online. These costs can be mitigated to some extent by early announcement of the time and date of the exam, by allowing for some flexibility of time of exam, and by permitting use of alternate certified proctoring centers. The costs to individual instructors are formidable but there are potentially significant economies of scale to be realized by integration of online courses with an existing system that administers proctoring of exams for f2f classes.  Proctoring of some multiple choice exam assessments will reduce cheating risk. The elephant in the room, however, is the cheating risk on non-exam unproctored assessments (for example term papers, essays, discussion, and group projects). These are widely used in f2f instruction and, as online instruction evolves, will likely become equally widely used in online courses. These assessments are valuable because they encourage learning by student-to-student and student-to-faculty interactions, and because they measure Bloom’s higher levels of learning. These assessments have higher cheating risk than proctored multiple choice exams. These assessments, more so than multiple choice exams, challenge the ability of faculty and administration to inspire students to behave ethically and to refrain from academic misconduct.
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    Two views on online assessment. Student and teacher opinions on online assessment. How to reduce cheating.
efleonhardt

Microsoft Educator Network - Hot Topics : Personalized Learning : Flipped Learning: tec... - 0 views

  • . Understanding the details of the world in which a learner lives allows the learner to the ability to shape and manipulate that world to his advantage. Content mastery must be accompanied by healthy relationships in a learning community that fosters curiosity within learners. Focusing only upon content can lead to a cold, rote learning environments; spending all our energies on relationships can be done at the expense of content mastery; and developing curious learners without strong relationships can lead to learning in isolation. Essentially, the flipped learning approach allows teachers to spark interest, provide initial exposure, and deliver content through easy to make teacher created video so class time can be used to foster healthy relationships and engage students in higher levels of cognition to help ignite curiosity. Simply using video as a teaching tool will not fundamentally change a classroom. But rethinking how class time can be used for things other than direct instruction and lectures will transform a classroom from a teacher-centered instructional environment to a learner-centered laboratory of learning. Flipped learning is a transitional tool for teachers who know they want to move the attention away from themselves and on to student-centered learning. Flipped learning is not an end, but a means to greater teaching and deeper learning. You can read more about Flipped Learning in our upcoming book: Flipped Learning: Gateway to Student Achievement which can be pre-ordered here: Jonathan Bergmann &amp; Aaron Sams Flipped Learning, Gateway to Student Achievement, Bergmann, Sams piln.hottopic.onPostDisplayInLineLoaded(); Pictures and videos var thumbRatio = [1, 1]; $(function () { initializeGallery('/Gallery/Media/', '138408f4-616a-4cc9-ab2c-9e7543cf50e4') }); Cover of Jon Bergmann &amp; Aaron Sams' book: Flipped Learning $('.galleryDescription').hide(); $('#bigImage').load(function () { var newHeight = $('#bigImage').height() + $('.galleryDescription').height() + 60; if (newHeight < 360) { newHeight = 360; } $('#progressbar').hide('blind', {}, 300); $('#loading').animate({ height: newHeight + 'px' }, 300); $(this).fadeIn('slow'); }); $('.galleryDescription').fadeIn('slow'); gallery created by Jon Bergmann {{if error}} ${name} ${sizef} Error: {{if error === 1}}File exceeds upload_max_filesize (php.ini directive) {{else error === 2}}File exceeds MAX_FILE_SIZE (HTML form directive) {{else error === 3}}File was only partially uploaded {{else error === 4}}No File was uploaded {{else error === 5}}Missing a temporary folder {{else error === 6}}Failed to write file to disk {{else error === 7}}File upload stopped by extension {{else error === 'maxFileSize'}}}The resolution of this image is too big {{else error === 'minFileSize'}}The resolution of this image is a little small. The minimum size is 160x160 {{else error === 'minResolutionSize'}}The resolution of this image is a little small. The minimum size is 160x160 {{else error === 'tooWide'}}This image is too wide for our gallery to display correctly. You will need to replace it with something that is proportional to your monitor. {{else error === 'tooTall'}}This image is too tall for our gallery to display correctly. You will need to replace it with something that is proportional to your monitor. {{else error === 'acceptFileTypes'}}Filetype not allowed {{else error === 'maxNumberOfFiles'}}Max number of files exceeded {{else error === 'uploadedBytes'}}Uploaded bytes exceed file size {{else error === 'emptyResult'}}Empty file upload result {{else}}${error} {{/if}} {{else}} {{if thumbnail_url}} {{/if}} {{/if}} {{if type === 'image'}} ${description} $('.galleryDescription').hide(); $('#bigImage').load(function () { var newHeight = $('#bigImage').height() + $('.galleryDescription').height() + 60; if (newHeight < 360) { newHeight = 360; } $('#progressbar').hide('blind', {}, 300); $('#loading').animate({ height: newHeight + 'px' }, 300); $(this).fadeIn('slow'); }); $('.galleryDescription').fadeIn('slow'); {{html ""}} {{else}} ${description}
  • a situation in which lower order thinking is removed from whole-class teaching time and placed upon the individual regardless of whether video or any other technologies are being used.
  • Content is important in that it is the structure upon which learning is built
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  • Content mastery must be accompanied by healthy relationships in a learning community that fosters curiosity within learners.
  • so class time can be used to foster healthy relationships and engage students in higher levels of cognition to help ignite curiosity
alexandra m. pickett

etap687 Joan Erickson - 3 views

    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Brilliant! i love how you have made your thinking visible to me here!!!
  • 2) leaving my comfort zone and exploring methods I had little training in.&nbsp;
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      i am so glad you choose #2, joan!
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  • &nbsp;Synthesizing and formulating a mini-thesis is where learning becomes meaningful for me; this is where mere information becomes MY knowledge
    • Shoubang Jian
       
      Well said. I couldn't agree with you more.
  • Then I think about the etap course now.&nbsp; The teaching presence is so apparent.&nbsp; I see it from the professor in the way shes asks questions&nbsp;and my classmates in their posts.&nbsp; I listen to the exemplar courses interviews and think “wow, it must be interesting to be in that course!”
  • I don’t really care how students categorize me as a certain type or style of teacher.&nbsp; I want to know if I am a good teacher in terms of challenging students to&nbsp;obtain knowledge.&nbsp;
  • ” yeah, Joan Erickson is not easy but she can get you to do really good work.&nbsp; And you know you are learning stuff in her class.”&nbsp;&nbsp;
  • learning.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      don't forget to self assess : )
  • But does it make sense to a novice learner’s eye?
  • I love my subject, but I have failed to utilize the human nature to my advantage.&nbsp; I forgot how powerful social interaction, motivation (how to engage), and the need to feel ownership can be in helping students learn.&nbsp;
    • Sue Rappazzo
       
      This is very moving Joan. You must be a great teacher to think this way.
  • I don’t know yet if my online students will step up to the plate, actively and enthusiastically contribute what they know to the community.
    • Francisca Capponi
       
      Hi Joan (4) I have the same fear, I think they will be more slow that we expect, so we have to be patient, and encourage them to participate at first, and wait till they feel comfortable participating, but I hope it will work after a while!
  • Kind of like a wedding planner who walks through the empty reception hall and can foresee the problems with lighting, photography, food, and traffic pattern…&nbsp; I am the course designer, it is my job to minimize any possible glitches.&nbsp; It is my job to provide students with a doable and engaging learning environment.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      exactly!!
  • I see more clear vision of myself as an educator.&nbsp; During this summer course I was confronted with questions that challenged my teaching practices. I started asking myself why I wouldn’t try to trust my students more, let them develop the social presence in the f2f class?&nbsp; What was the harm in that I wouldn’t even consider trying it?
  • I’ve finally made the connection between theory and application.&nbsp; I witnessed firsthand the benefit of social constructivism.&nbsp; It can be done.&nbsp; Our etap687 course is a living proof.
  • I understand myself better as a learner.&nbsp; This course pushed me to think honestly what I truly want to do.&nbsp;
  • Taking education courses &nbsp;is like a spring that feeds into my puddle, bringing fresh new perspectves and ideas.&nbsp; I needed it.&nbsp; It’s reshaped my&nbsp;outlook on&nbsp;teaching.
  • For weeks and weeks I was obsessed with making Jing videos, trying new communication tools.&nbsp;
  • have 2 weeks left.&nbsp; I want to make a difference.&nbsp; I CAN make a difference.&nbsp; I can use the web 2.0 applications as my allies.&nbsp; There is enough time for me to plan and implement changes in the f2f&nbsp;courses&nbsp;before school starts.
  • My reflecting puddle&nbsp;may seem&nbsp;small, because there is so much to learn and I’ve just begun.&nbsp; But my puddle is deeper and its water runs clearer now.&nbsp;&nbsp;Taking education courses &nbsp;is like a spring that feeds into my puddle, bringing fresh new perspectves and ideas.&nbsp; I needed it.&nbsp; It’s reshaped my&nbsp;outlook on&nbsp;teaching.
  • 2 weeks ago I wrote my tagline on this blog as my “reflecting puddle”.&nbsp; I still think it’s a puddle; it is still small(but so much deeper!).&nbsp; I&nbsp;can recount the discoveries on this etap687 journey&nbsp;when I stare into the puddle.&nbsp; I see the following things:
  • ’t believe we are coming to the end of this course.&nbsp; It wasn’t that long ago I was installing diigo toolbar, signing up for voice thread, and setting up this blog site.
  • Now the excitement of trying new tools has settled a bit.&nbsp; I start to think how technology tools will impact my teaching.&nbsp;
  • My self efficacy is low.&nbsp; Does it matter in the end?&nbsp; I only have two&nbsp; options:&nbsp; If I cant’ seem to do the work, I should leave the course.&nbsp; Or, I try with my darnedest effort, and see where I land. Time to take a chance!&nbsp; I think I will have a lot to gain!
  • So this is what I’m gonna do:&nbsp; I will blog here periodically and document my journey in the Ed Psych course.&nbsp; Let’s see if I can be honest with myself.&nbsp; Learn because life in general is interesting and worth exploring, and I can’t capture all on my own.&nbsp; So I go to the experts and learn knowledge from them.
  • For weeks and weeks I was obsessed with making Jing videos, trying new communication tools.&nbsp; I thought WOW, these are the coolest things I’ve learned this summer!&nbsp; Now the excitement of trying new tools has settled a bit.&nbsp; I start to think how technology tools will impact my teaching.&nbsp; What other tasks should be let go in order to make room for the new things in my practice?&nbsp; What educational principles do I base on to justify the changes?&nbsp; What kind of measured learning outcomes and students’ perceived learning do I anticipate after the changes are implemented?
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      hi joan!
  • I added several communication tools.&nbsp; I want the students to feel that I want to talk to them.&nbsp; I want them to hear and see me.&nbsp; (again, teaching presence and social presence.)
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      good point
Joan McCabe

Teaching Adults: Is It Different? - 0 views

  • The following assumptions underlie Knowles' (1984) andragogical model: o Adults tend to be self-directing. o Adults have a rich reservoir of experience that can serve as a resource for learning. o Since adults' readiness to learn is frequently affected by their need to know or do something, they tend to have a life-, task-, or problem-centered orientation to learning as contrasted to a subject-matter orientation. o Adults are generally motivated to learn due to internal or intrinsic factors as opposed to external or extrinsic forces.
  • Knowles has gradually modified his position regarding the contrast between how preadults learn (pedagogy) and how adults learn (andragogy). According to Feuer and Geber (1988), "[w]hat he once envisioned as unique characteristics of adult learners, he now sees as innate tendencies of all human beings, tendencies that emerge as people mature" (p. 33). Nevertheless, the andragogical model has strongly influenced the adult education field, with one result being the assumption teaching adults should differ from teaching children and adolescents.
  • CONSIDERATIONS FOR PRACTICE Is teaching adults different? Based on the literature discussed here, the answer is both yes and no. Although teachers perceive adults as being different, these perceptions do not automatically translate into differences in approaches to teaching. Perhaps a better way to frame the question is to ask "Should teaching adults be different?" According to Darkenwald and Beder (1982), "the real issue is not whether learner-centered methods are universally applied by teachers of adults, but rather for what purposes and under what conditions such methods, and others are most appropriate and effective and in fact used by teachers" (p. 153). Gorham (1985), in citing studies that identified interaction patterns of "master" preadult teachers as being less directive and more student-centered than those of "average" preadult teachers, suggests that "the most cogent prescription might be to define responsive teaching techniques as the approved practice for educators at all levels..." (p. 207). Based on these observations, some considerations for practice emerge. 1. Determine the purpose of the teaching-learning situation. The andragogical or learner-centered approach is not appropriate in all adult education settings (Feuer and Geber 1988). The decision about which approach to use is contextual and is based upon such things as the goals of the learners, the material to be covered, and so forth. 2. Provide opportunities for teachers to practice learner-centered methods. Gorham (1984) suggests training teachers in techniques especially suitable for adult students, such as small-group discussion methods, effective use of nontraditional room arrangements, and so forth. 3. Select teachers on the basis of their potential to provide learner-centered instructional settings. Gorham's (1984, 1985) study identified some characteristics of teachers who seemed to be more flexible and responsive in adult settings. However, she also suggests that more research is needed.
  •  
    Based on the research, the conclusion of this article is "Should teaching adults be different than teaching children?" Many teachers have preconceived notions about the differences between the two groups and some that have these notions do not act upon them. It is better to asses the contextual information in deciding which teaching style is the most appropriate at a specific time or for a specific course or set of people.
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 &amp; 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%, &nbsp;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. &nbsp;
  • &nbsp;“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.&nbsp;
  • 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.&nbsp;
  • 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.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; &nbsp;
  •  
    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.
  •  
    The experience of the first-time online learner is qualified. Suggestions for decreasing early attrition are suggested.
  •  
    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.
alexandra m. pickett

Instruction by Design - 5 views

  • I was a bit surprised
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      why surprised? It is no longer a question of whether is is as good as f2f instruction. There is a now a significant body of evidence that online instruction done well surpasses f2f instruction: http://slneducation.edublogs.org/2010/07/27/more-than-no-significant-difference/
  • I have been pushed to find out and learn about topics relevant to me!
  • I believe that using questions that allow my students to explore areas that are relevant to their unique situations will help them to be successful.
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • After reading that statement, I felt as though many things clicked for me. The course design and teaching practices are closely linked. The social, cognitive, and teaching presence are related and depend on each other. What does this mean for my course? For me it translates to making sure my course design contains a careful balance to establish the community of inquiry, and that my teaching practices are supported by my course design.
  • First that instructors must give control over the learning to the students, and second that instructors must be skilled at guiding discussions in order to help students learn what is necessary through interactions with others. I especially liked an analogy that Luke used in one of his discussion posts, “Yoda (the teacher) guided Luke (the student) in the ways of the Force, he pointed him where he needed to go but had Luke do the work.” I think this is very relatable for those of us who are star wars fans. Yoda is this incredibly wise mentor, who says very little. The statements he makes are brief but have a lot of meaning. I do see how this relates to effective teaching online. I had to help facilitate a discussion in a past online class, and always felt hesitant to jump in. My sense was that you only want to add something when the thinking stops. You only want to ask enough questions, or statements to get the thinking going again.
  • When I think about my own learning in this course, I realize that even though I may not have direct contact with my classmates or the instructor, I am following those interaction patterns in this course.&nbsp; I am working with the concepts and ideas introduced in each module, researching, relating, and making connections.&nbsp; Then I bring my work back to the community to share.&nbsp; My classmates or the instructor will absorb my contributions and perhaps push it further with suggesting alternate views, or things I have not considered.
  • Now we are discussing how we are using text based environments to create intimacy in learning environments.&nbsp; Perhaps, it is not all that different
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      BRILLIANT!!!
  • I now believe that a teacher is someone who can create an environment where students are able to gain knowledge through interaction and experience.&nbsp; This may be through reviewing materials or engaging in activities, but that seems less important to me now.&nbsp; The crucial part is now designing the interactions.&nbsp;
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Eureaka!! it is NOT about content : ) brilliant!
  • my workshop is really about the journey rather than the destination
  • I realized that although you may think you are engaging students in your course, it may be trickier than you expect
  • I really appreciated that the course was able to allow me to reach these conclusions in my own way, rather than just telling me “the line between direct instruction and facilitation of discourse can be blurred”.&nbsp;
  • I have been able to make the big connections, and form ideas in a way that previously has been difficult for me.&nbsp;
  • I feel as though the reflection assignments have provided the context for my brain to think in a different way.&nbsp; This not only gives me confidence for the future, but it also helps me to discover the connections I have made unconsciously!&nbsp; It seems kind of strange to say that, but it is true!&nbsp; I am hoping to continue to use blogging as a tool to document my insights and learning after the course ends.
  • I definitely was struggling with motivation when I felt the connection to my classmates and the instructor fading.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      interesting...
  • Through ETAP640, I have really learned how important reflection is for deep learning. It is through my blog posts that I have been able to tie all the ideas together in my head and makes sense out of the information. The course manual suggests that you ask your students why they are taking the course within the ice breaker.
  • Now I understand that asking the students to articulate what they want to get out of the course is an important start to getting them to reflect on their learning and progress throughout the course.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      brilliant!!
  • Maree (4)
alexandra m. pickett

Small Town Girl in the Big Cyber City - 1 views

  • &nbsp;My original goal was to&nbsp;get an A in the class, and every other class until I reached&nbsp;my objective of&nbsp; my Master’s w/ a 4.0. Now my goal is to become&nbsp;a teacher that is there for my students,&nbsp;who isn’t assuming any good or&nbsp;bad about&nbsp;them, who’s only goal is to help them grow and learn, (and hopefully to get at least a B in this class.)
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      B R I L L I A N T ! ! !
  • Again, I find myself writing for a college professor rather than a middle school student. Even this past September, I handed out my “course syllabus” to each of my classes. Looking back now I wonder if they knew it was one of my course information documents or is they were trying to figure out how to clap out the syllables.
  • Why did I need to call it a syllabus? That wasn’t for them, it was for me.&nbsp;
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      i LOVE this observation!
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • I want them to know that I understand that some activities will suck and be difficult and that they’ll want to rip their hair out but that I also know which activities are the most fun and how rewarding and accomplished they will feel when it’s all said and done.
  • I really don’t know why I do things the way I do. Is it from years of routine as to this is how it needs to be done? Is it from no one stopping and helping me break these habits?
  • At first my fear was that I was a “dead-thinker”
  • I was predispositioned to not question, to memorize and regurgitate information. I was scared that I was passing this trait on to my students.
  • I’m losing that with all the hours it takes to create these.
  • I really began to question whether I am a teacher or a web designer.
  • After Alex asked me to think about how this may hold true in my daily life and routine I realized I really don’t speak up any where let alone in class.
  • I think this is not only my biggest challenge in this class but in my life as well
  • I think I’m just scared.&nbsp;
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      This is a brilliant self-reflection. Now what are you going to do about it? There is NOTHING wrong with being shy, or an introvert ( http://www.diigo.com/user/alexandrapickett/introvert ) WATCH this NOW! http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts.html You need to get MAD and use that anger to get over the fear that is preventing you from doing/being/experiencing. Anger is a powerful force that can help you stop focusing on yourself -when you flip it to use it to advocate for those less powerful than you - your students!
    • Erin Fontaine
       
      Oh, I'd love to get angry and actually stand up for myself and others. Unfortunately that only seems to happen with a few glasses of wine in me. Not too feasible in the classroom, lol. That should be my next goal, find strength without liquid courage!
  • Ya know Alex, I love you and all and this class has been amazing but I honestly think you are killing my laptop!!
  • Well no more soul searching I have a course to design. Best of wishes to all my fellow classmates as we begin to wrap up this amazing journey!
  • Lisa, I can’t believe how amazing your course is! I want to take it!!
    • Lisa Martin
       
      Thank you, thank you, thank you...I'm finally now starting to spend a good amount of time looking through other people's courses. Looking forward to seeing yours!
  • Less than 24 hours later this article appeared in my inbox. At first I was really aggravated by this article because it seemed like it was ripping to shreds everything I have been working at this summer and I felt like he was sitting at home with an “I told you so” smirk. This quote just floored me “In terms of learning on the college level, the Department of Education looked at thousands of research studies from 1996 to 2008 and found that in higher education, students rarely learned as much from online courses as they did in traditional classes.” Really, what study? Everything that we have read seems to be in the complete opposite direction of this statement! I agree that for some there will be a financial obstacles and internet issues like we’ve all had but that’s where as a teacher we come into play and offer solutions and options. Upon reading it for a second time I feel that this article and any other article discrediting online teaching should be looked at as a challenge! I am strong and passionate about this endeavor of mine and no article or fuddy duddy teacher is going to come in the way of that. Well I hope you all have an amazing weekend. I will be attempting to cool my boiling blood as I sit by the calming cool waters of the Kinzua Dam with a delicious glass of Riesling.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      That article prompted response from the online learning community. Here is a particularly excellent articulate and respectful response: http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/open-letter-professor-edmundson
    • alexandra m. pickett
  • As this class come to an end and I look back at where I was in May, I can only say I wish I knew then what I know now. This class has given me so much academically, personally and technologicially, lol. In only a short time I feel like I have grown so much as person and as a teacher.
Hedy Lowenheim

How Do I Invest? | Beginning Investing - 4 views

  • What is investing?Any time you invest, you're devoting your own time, resources, or effort to achieve a greater goal. You can invest your weekends in a good cause, invest your intelligence in your job, or invest your time in a relationship. Just as you undertake each of these expecting good results, you invest your money in a stock, bond, or mutual fund because you think its value will appreciate over time.
    • Hedy Lowenheim
       
      Very useful site for my course in personal finance. The site explains personal finance in very simple terms. Most anyone should be able to relate to how the information on investing is presented. Great information on topics such as investing, goal setting, active and passive management, etc., that correspond to many of my course's learning objectives.
  • Planning and setting goalsInvesting is like a long car trip: A lot of planning goes into it. Before you start, you've got to ask yourself: Where are you going? (What are your financial goals?) How long is the trip? (What is your investing "time horizon"?) What should you pack? (What type of investments will you make?) How much gas will you need? (How much money will you need to reach your goals? How much can you devote to a regular investing plan?) Will you need to stop along the way? (Do you have short-term financial needs?) How long do you plan on staying? (Will you need to live off the investment in later years?
    • Hedy Lowenheim
       
      The car trip analogy that the authors use in this article for planning & setting personal financial goals, is something everyone can relate to. This gave me some excellent ideas that will definitely be of use to me in my course since financial goal planning is another one of my learning objectives. I felt that the car trip analogy used on the site will assist with understanding the planning that goes into creating medium and short term goals was brilliant, and something everyone should be able to relate to. Creating medium and short term goals are also learning objectives in my course, (module 3). It should be an excellent way to engage students, since most everyone travels and has to put energy into planning out their trips, for example what to bring on the trip, how long it will take, how many stops there will be along the way, etc.
    • Hedy Lowenheim
       
      Another one of my learning objectives is understanding cash management and cash flow and having the students understand how important it is to save, and put that money to work. Site has some very useful examples on how to save and put away money automatically in a disciplined fashion.
  • Active and passive strategiesThe two main methods of investing in stocks are called active and passive management, and the difference between them has nothing to do with how much time you spend on the couch (or the exercise bike). Active investors (or their brokers or fund managers) pick their own stocks, bonds, and other investments. Passive investors let their holdings follow an index created by some third party.
  • ...1 more annotation...
    • Hedy Lowenheim
       
      Another one of my learning objectives is understanding the difference between active and passive management. This site will definitely be helpful in refining some of the learning objectives in my course. It might also be a good site to post a link to for more information on specific person investing topics.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      how will you use this resource in your course, Hedy?
    • Hedy Lowenheim
       
      Alex I plan on using this Motley Fools web site which focuses on investment basics since the personal investing terms and strategies are presented very clearly, simply and with humor and relate directly to learning objectives in my modules; such as active and passive strategies in relation to investing (module 6), cash management/cash flow (module 2), and short and medium goal planning (module 3). The site will be an excellent resource for the students. This will also introduce them to the Motley Fool web site which should be helpful to them throughout the course and afterward. I felt that the car trip analogy used on the site to help understand the planning that goes into creating medium and short term goals was brilliant and something everyone should be able to relate to. Creating medium and short term goals are also learning objectives in my course, (module 3). It should be an excellent way to engage students, since most everyone travels and has to put energy into planning out their trips, for example things like what to take on the trip, how long it will take, how many stops there will be along the way, etc. I added some comments under the highlighted areas in Diigo with sticky notes (you should also be able to view them on the site) that reference a few of my learning objectives. By the way, I did find some useful sites on Merlot & OER, but many of linked to PDF files. A link on Merlot led me to the Motley Fools web site. I hope this helps! Hedy
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      this looks great Hedy! thanks! not sure what you meant by the comment about pdfs. you should be able bookmark pdfs... : )
    • Hedy Lowenheim
       
      I am under the impression that you cannot highlight text & create sticky notes in PDFs (just tested again), that was why I was having a hard time finding an acceptable site for the assignment in Merlot, most were PDF files. I guess I could have bookmarked them in Diigo and entered my comments write on the Diigo site instead of on the actual URL. I was thrilled once the Merlot site linked to the Motley Fool site!
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      ahhh. yes, that is true, put you can bookmark the resource, and annotate it on the diigo site - exactly as you describe! just wanted to be sure you knew that : )
    • Hedy Lowenheim
       
      I thought you might have wanted us to do highlighting and sticky notes for the assignment and right from the actual URL site. I must say that in the past 24 hours I have became much more familiar with Diigo, sink or swim, but I still need to work with it. Love the tool! Will we have access to Diigo after the course? Thanks and get some rest!!
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      yes. i want to be sure you can use this tool, so i am glad you persisted!! and i am really glad you love the tool. me too! yes you will have access to this group and this tool beyond the end of the term. that is one of the reasons i use the tool!
    • Hedy Lowenheim
       
      Excellent!! Be great if students continue to use it. Looks like these messages b/t us are not for public viewing. Is that a setting you turned on? I know there is public/pvt setting for sticky notes when you first create one (that's what was giving a bunch of students issues), but I do not see that setting on these notes. Hope this makes sense. Thanks& hope swimming is going well! Hedy
Irene Watts-Politza

Reflections on Online Teaching - Diane Hamilton - 3 views

  • maybe even a little less nervous.&nbsp;
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      you are doing a great job so far! : )
    • diane hamilton
       
      Thanks!
  • The rubric does allow for that, but there is a strong sense that some of these dialogic purposes are not as highly valued as others, but I value them all as essential components to class community.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Not at all. personal opinion, experiences and social presence and support ARE essential in building trust and the sense of a class community. That is why they we have class community areas for interaction in the course and why they are in the rubric. It is, however, important to understand that the discussion can't consist only of those types of posts. And high quality posts are what we need to strive for in the discussion areas of the cousre. The rubric is a device to clarify- to give students informed choice and guidance, and to elevate the quality of interactions. "2" points is not bad. it simply indicates the kind of post that it is. you can post as many "1" point posts as you like - that is not wrong - but, you also need to contribute to the quality of the discussion and learning and to do that you need to aim higher than social and personal experience/opinion type posts.
  • I believe students can have teaching presence within a course when the nature of their interactions helps others to think more deeply or to look at something from an alternate viewpoint.
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • (even caused me to consider dropping
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      i am so glad you didn't : )
  • conversational tone she is requesting we use.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      hey diane: don't misunderstand. I use a conversational tone becuase that is my style. my choice. That may not be right for you. I want you to find your own voice. Interestingly enough in my opinion, you have one, and it is strong : )
    • diane hamilton
       
      Hi Alex, Thanks for this notation. Now, I am curious though - what kind of voice do I project to you? Diane
  • I keep trying to understand why it’s been repeated
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      the problem is that not every student reads every document. you would be surprised. That said, there are lots of ways to address this. It is certainly easier to not be redundant. Less to update. Less documentation. If you go this route, just make sure that you always link back to the documentation where the information is posted. : ) me
  • Maybe that’s the point.&nbsp; Maybe I don’t need to know everything well, just the things I need in the moment.&nbsp;
  • I have however come to realize that I need to ask my own questions and pursue them, go on a QUEST to find answers, to locate research and ideas that relate to my own burning wonderings.&nbsp; There is a QUEST in every QUESTion!
  • It’s really difficult to flesh out, and it’s kind of foreign to me to be sharing these behind the scenes thoughts….
    • Maria Guadron
       
      Great screencast, Diane! What a wonderful way to add social presence and direct instruction
    • diane hamilton
       
      Thanks!
    • Catherine Strattner
       
      I would like to echo Maria! Thinking about doing this in my course as well- thank you for the inspiration!
    • Lauren D
       
      Great idea with the screencast!
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      This is often how I felt. I attribute it to first-time online learning curve. Do you think you will be more comfortable in the role of instructor in discussion forum? I do.
    • diane hamilton
       
      Yes, I do. I usually feel quite comfortable in that sort of role, but I also think I will have to be sure to promote a horizontal relationship within discussions so students don't shut down or defer to me. I want them to think,explore, and construct without pressure to give me the answer they think I want.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      Shea proposes "learner presence" ... http://www.slideshare.net/alexandrapickett/learning-presencecs2 Can you propose and research Course Presence?
    • diane hamilton
       
      Interesting....
Irene Watts-Politza

Teachers' Invisible Presence in Net-based Distance Education | Hult | The International... - 0 views

  • The stance taken in this paper, then, is constructivist – that conversation is learning in the making.
  • Any conversation, that is, draws on heteroglossia (Bakhtin’s neologism) – pools of different ideas whose elements, when exchanged, foster learning. According to Bakhtin, every utterance has a double significance. It is an expression of a 'unitary [common] language' used to conduct the conversation and, at the same time, it builds on the 'social and historical' differences embedded in the heteroglossia (1981, p. 272).
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      This is what happens in a discussion thread.
  • Yuri Lotman,
  • ...28 more annotations...
  • described conversations as multi-authored texts rather than as multi-voiced heteroglossia (see Bakhtin, 1994,
  • texts “fulfill at least two basic functions:
  • fulfilled best when the codes of the speaker and the listener most completely coincide and, consequently, when the text has the maximum degree of univocality” (1988, p. 34). The generation of new meanings occurs when there are differences between the speaker and the listener. Texts used in educational exchanges cease:
  • online adult education is not the delivery of texts but, rather, the creation and insertion of ‘thinking devices’ into conversation.
  • For this article we have concentrated on teacher and student views of teachers’ role orientations in online courses.
  • our intention has been to identify and clarify teaching ‘saliences’ that have emerged in online adult education in Sweden. In a wider sense, however, our analysis is also a response to the question: ‘Whatever happened to teaching in the learning society?’
  • the posting data support the claim that the teachers adopted an initiating role.
  • Greater activity:
  • Greater influence on topic:
  • Faster response times:
  • When asked about their views, all students felt that teachers played a central role in supporting Net-based learning. Indeed, some of them suggested that moderation in online settings of adult education is more important than in face-to-face settings.
  • Orientations to Teaching
  • Activity Orientation
  • In this perspective, teachers gave students tasks that activated them and, thereby, fostered their understanding of subject matter.
  • offered students tips about articles, books and Internet sites
  • Some students spoke about being activated by stimulating tasks that led them to engage with the Web and libraries, with one of them adding ‘seeking by your self is a pre-condition for learning.’ Active searching also meant that students came into contact with information which extended their learning beyond the task itself.
  • None of the teachers, however, was entirely satisfied with their dialogic or conference practice. Levels of engagement, dialogue, and initiative-taking were not as high as they had hoped. In response, they tried to promote conversation by encouraging students to react to each other’s postings, by organising tasks where cooperation and interaction was needed, or by introducing new aspects and questions when discussion faltered.
  • Further, teachers reported that they also tried to act as models of good behaviour by giving swift replies to student postings and by making their own postings appropriate yet concise.
  • In contrast to the teachers most of the student group were satisfied with the course conversations.
  • A few
  • felt that sharing different aspects of the subject matter with the teacher and fellow students raised fresh questions. It made them reach beyond the book, evoking learning and thinking along new pathways. Even if they thought that well-chosen tasks were the most effective way of fostering dialogue, they also expected the course leader to participate fully, developing new themes if student postings declined, and remaining alert to student proposals that might enhance the interchange of ideas and knowledge.
  • Many students emphasised the importance of teaching that corroborated or validated their learning.
  • None of the teachers, however, spontaneously offered this view as their primary role or orientation. Nevertheless, when asked whether they had any correspondence with students through private mailboxes rather than ‘conferences’ and ‘cafes,’ some of them said that they occasionally responded privately to correct misinterpretations.
  • This task raises many questions about teaching, highlighting the difference, for example, between instructionist and constructionist paradigms for learning (Wilensky, 1991). Would a too well-planned course be instructionist, thus constraining student influence and the pursuit of democracy? In their postings, teachers in this study felt that there was no necessary contradiction – that well-planned courses could, indeed, strengthen student influence. Nevertheless, busy distance education students, according to the teachers, often appreciate instructionist courses with clearly stated activities and tasks, even if the students are left with limited opportunities to ‘construct their own relationships with the objects of knowledge’ (Wilensky, 1991, p. 202).
  • Teacher’s invisible presence is exemplified in taking a stand-by role and/ or being reluctant to intervene. ‘The [teachers’] silence should be deafening,’ one teacher recommended. Although most of the teachers agreed that well-planned courses do not inhibit course dialogue, the fact that in their own online course deliberations they set aside time to discuss this issue may reflect ambivalence in their stance. The question of when and how teachers should intervene remains impossible to resolve, except in practice.
  • three different aspects of teaching,
  • a second conclusion – that the promotion of learning in an open environment requires an animating or steering presence. Such teaching, however, is not a process of instruction. And for this reason the word teacher may no longer be appropriate. In English, the word tutor is commonly used in adult education, because it has connotations of ‘supervision’ and ‘guardianship’ as well as ‘instruction’ (see Oxford English Dictionary). More recently, Salmon has suggested ‘e-moderating,’ but even moderation carries instructionist connotations – to exercise a controlling influence over; to regulate, restrain, control, rule (OED) – that may not be appropriate to all forms of liberal education. In the context of mainland Europe, the word pedagogue may be appropriate since, etymologically, pedagogue denotes someone engaged in 'drawing out.'
  • Intellectual development, however, can be an intra- as well as an inter-personal phenomenon. That is, learning may not come directly from teachers but rather from their absent or invisible presence. Online pedagogues, therefore, can be present in different ways. They may be present in person, participating in learning conversations. They may constitute an absent presence that, nonetheless, is embodied in the learning resources directed towards students (e.g., the selected readings or activities). Or pedagogues may exist merely as inner voices, inherited from the language of others, that (invisibly) steer the desires, self-regulation, and self-direction of learners. Indeed, this last pedagogic position ‘auto-didacticism,’ has always been central to the post-Enlightenment ideals of liberal adult education.
    • Irene Watts-Politza
       
      Here's the money.
  •  
    Swedish study of university student and professor attitudes toward satisfaction with and definition of teacher presence in online adult learning. Implications for course design with respect to knowing one's audience.
Hedy Lowenheim

kolb's learning styles, experiential learning theory, kolb's learning styles inventory ... - 0 views

  • Despite this, (and this is my personal view, not the view of the 'anti-Learning Styles lobby'), many teachers and educators continue to find value and benefit by using Learning Styles theory in one way or another, and as often applies in such situations, there is likely to be usage which is appropriate, and other usage which is not.
  • Education is big business. Much is at stake commercially and reputationally, and so it is not surprising that debate can become quite fierce as to which methods work and which don't. So try to temper what you read with what you know and feel and experience. Personal local situations can be quite different to highly generalised averages, or national 'statistics'. Often your own experiences are likely to be more useful to you than much of the remote 'research' that you encounter through life. You must be careful how you use systems and methods with others, and be careful how you assess research and what it actually means to you for your own purposes.
  • A note about Learning Styles in young people's education: Towards the end of the first decade of the 2000s a lobby seems to have grown among certain educationalists and educational researchers, which I summarise very briefly as follows: that in terms of substantial large-scale scientific research into young people's education, 'Learning Styles' theories, models, instruments, etc., remain largely unproven methodologies. Moreover Learning Styles objectors and opponents assert that heavy relience upon Learning Styles theory in developing and conducting young people's education, is of questionable benefit, and may in some cases be counter-productive. Despite this, (and this is my personal view, not the view of the 'anti-Learning Styles lobby'), many teachers and educators continue to find value and benefit by using Learning Styles theory in one way or another, and as often applies in such situations, there is likely to be usage which is appropriate, and other usage which is not.
  •  
    "A note about Learning Styles in young people's education, and by implication potentially elsewhere too: I am grateful to the anonymous person who pointed me towards a seemingly growing lobby among educationalists and educational researchers, towards the end of the first decade of the 2000s, which I summarise very briefly as follows: that in terms of substantial large-scale scientific research into young people's education, 'Learning Styles' theories, models, instruments, etc., remain largely unproven methodologies. Moreover, Learning Styles objectors and opponents assert that the use of, and certainly the heavy reliance upon, Learning Styles theory in formulating young people's education strategies, is of questionable benefit, and may in some cases be counter-productive."
Jessica Backus-Foster

STUDENT SELF-EVALUATION: WHAT RESEARCH SAYS AND WHAT PRACTICE SHOWS - 1 views

  • Self-evaluation is defined as students judging the quality of their work, based on evidence and explicit criteria, for the purpose of doing better work in the future.
  • enhanced self-efficacy and increased intrinsic motivation
  • Do students self-evaluate fairly? Many teachers, parents, and students believe that if students have a chance to mark their own work they will take advantage, giving themselves higher scores regardless of the quality of their performance. We have found that students, especially older ones, may do this if left to their own devices. But, when students are taught systematic self-evaluation procedures, the accuracy of their judgment improves. Contrary to the beliefs of many students, parents, and teachers, students' propensity to inflate grades decreases when teachers share assessment responsibility and control (Ross, et al., 2000). When students participate in the identification of the criteria that will be used to judge classroom production and use these criteria to judge their work, they get a better understanding of what is expected. The result is the gap between their judgments and the teacher's is reduced. And, by focusing on evidence, discrepancies between teacher and self-evaluation can be negotiated in a productive way.
    • Jessica Backus-Foster
       
      this is what I was wondering
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • E. Is simply requiring self-evaluation enough, or do students have to be taught how to evaluate their work accurately? Students harbor misconceptions about the self-evaluation process (e.g., the role that evidence plays). As a result, self-evaluation is unlikely to have a positive impact on achievement if these misconceptions are not addressed by teaching students how to evaluate their work. Simply requiring self-evaluation is unlikely to have an effect on achievement. Students have to be taught how to evaluate their work accurately and need time to develop the appropriate skills.
    • Jessica Backus-Foster
       
      this is the important part...to really get the full benefits, we have to teach students the process and make them part of the process
  • G. What is the greatest challenge for teachers incorporating self-evaluation into their assessment repertoires? One of the greatest challenges for teachers is the recalibration of power that occurs when assessment decisions are shared. Data collected in one of our projects (Ross et al., 1998a) suggested that teachers found it difficult to share control of evaluation decision-making, a responsibility at the core of the teacher's authority. Such difficulty may be due to the fact that teaching students to be self-evaluators involves the implementation of fundamental changes in the relationship between teachers and students in the classroom. Changing root beliefs, behaviors and relationships is difficult and takes time. Accordingly, another challenge is time. Teachers need considerable time to work out how to accommodate an innovation that involves sharing control of a core teacher function with their existing beliefs about teacher and learner roles. As well, students need time to understand what self-evaluation is and how it relates to their learning, in addition to learning how to do it.
  • STAGE 1- Involve students in defining the criteria that will be used to judge their performance
  • STAGE 1- Involve students in defining the criteria that will be used to judge their performance.
  • STAGE 1- Involve students in defining the criteria that will be used to judge their performance.
  • STAGE 2- Teach students how to apply the criteria to their own work.
alexandra m. pickett

Supporting the Spectrum - Building a Bridge between Families and Schools - 1 views

  • Reflections of Module 1 &nbsp;
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      BRILLIANT!! : )
  • The one thing that I did not realize before entering online courses is how it would impact my writing.
  • In addition we as instructors should continue our learning process.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • It is important to create an online community&nbsp;to shift the&nbsp;course from a teacher centered course to a student centered course. We want to facilitate our courses and guide content, but let the students dig deep to provide a rich and diverse experience that has meaning to&nbsp;the participants.
  • So what have I learned? I have learned who I am as a learner, and what I appreciate in a professor. I have learned that I need to let my voice and personality be known to my students because that is how we will connect and become emotionally connected to our course. I reflect on Professor Pickett’s introduction by her daughter. I immediately connected and realized that there was a human being behind the words, and she was relatable. This course is challenging and pushes my abilities, but the interaction with students and the professor helps me know that I am not a lone, and gives me space to evaluate my goals and reflect on what my presence is in our class and in developing the course.
    • Hedy Lowenheim
       
      Hey Heather Thanks for reminding me of this tool. It looks very cool! Lucky you to go on vacation, must have been tricky. I have been in the same predicament, being enrolled in a course and being on vaca. Definitely a challenge, you just have to be very, very disciplined. But all of us have that in common. Hedy
  • When I read the post prompt of “Where are you?” I know that Professor meant in the course, but I immediately had a flash of Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot. “The significance of our lives and our fragile planet is then determined only by our own wisdom and courage (Sagan,2011) .”
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      so, you may think this course is about online teaching, but it is really about changing the world. : ) I need you to help me. Together we can do more than alone. "where are you?" is a multilayered question.
  • What I have realized in this course, is that teaching presence and social presence and cognitive presence come together to create meaningful learning environments for students and teachers. We want to facilitate this in our classrooms but also in our schools, buildings and districts. We want to create shared spaces where teachers are working together connecting, asking questions, working together to find solutions. When we look at the Seven Principles of Effective teaching, all of these principles are centered around communication and interaction. It is about forming relationships and understanding each other. It is about connecting, creating and understanding.
  • This course held a mirror up to the learner in me. Inside I want to connect with others. The social element in learning is vital. I want to connect, I want to be validated and I want to feel safe in my learning spaces. I want to learn from someone who is passionate about their subject and teaching. I want to be inspired and I want to feel like I am making a contribution. All of these elements have been present in our discussion forum. We have exchanged ideas, thoughts and we have been able to thoughtfully disagree.
  • April 2019 February 2017 July 2015 June 2015 January 2015 August 2014 February 2014 December 2013 November 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013
alexandra m. pickett

Reflections Blog - Just another Edublogs.org site - 1 views

    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Hey Bill: i completely get the "technologically connected" fatigue. i am very plugged in... but, i remind myself that i am in control. I have boundaries. Also fyi - i don't have a cell phone. I know i know... hard to believe, right?! I just don't want to be that connected. me : )
    • William Meredith
       
      I envy you for not having a cell phone!  I took mine to France but told people not to call me.  One of the best parts of being away!
  • it helps remove the filter.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      interesting. really? say more about that. : )
  • Alex mentioned her desire not to allow students to unsubscribe from the posts.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      Bill: i am actually really torn about this. I myself don't use the email subscription AT ALL. I find it confusing and disconnecting from the context and flow of the discussion. I have mine set to subjects only as a daily digest and i mostly just delete them... before even opeining them. I use the cousre interface to interact and view the interactions. I wish i could give students the option. But i can't. I have tried it both ways and talked about it with students from past courses. I even tried it once where i initially forced but then gave students the option to opt out... And i have come to the very reluctant decision that i have to force. I force the subscription, becuase frankly students don't login to the cousre. They disappear for days, and then claim they didn't know or couldn't find...and then claim they are overwhelmed. You also just can't "catch up" once a discussion has ended. The flow has moved on. There are also students that for some reason just prefer to get the posts via email. I've had several students tell me that they liked to view posts from their cell phones... So, i force subscription to all/only the essential forums in the course. The reality is that I can't force students to login to the course and click on the discussion and other areas of the cousre to see all that is happening. And i need a way to make sure that they are aware of the level of activity in the course and what is happening. me
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  • I feel as though students must be subscribed to forums, but be forewarned that they need to develop a system for themselves to allow for tracking of the dialogue and how they want to participate in that dialogue.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      i don't remember this being a problem in past semesters and i wonder if a default was changed at the system level. I thought everyone got a daily digest of subject lines and that highlighted new forum post tracking was automatically enabled by default... based you your feedback here, i have added "forewarning" : ) to 2 of the course information documents (contact and evaluation). : ) me
  • my presence could be demonstrated in other ways&nbsp;than just logging in daily or talking to students.
  • I came to realize that
  • in this course I feel as though everything I learn is huge.
  • it feels as though I am letting the students go without my assistance.
  • This is were the “earth-shattering” part comes in. &nbsp;I am learning that I am not letting the students go. &nbsp;I am going to be there.
  • I can fully see the difference between f2f and online teaching and WHY those differences exist.
  • In the beginning of this course my intention was to translate my f2f assignments and activities to an online format. &nbsp;This made me feel comfortable as I knew that these activities worked for me and for most of my students. &nbsp;Yet, as I began to learn about presence and community it became apparent that these f2f activities did not embody presence or community building. &nbsp;They represented ease for me, and that cannot be the focus in online learning.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      this is a brilliant observation bill!
  • Yet, I know I will always want to be tweaking my activities!
  • My two issues with online education before the start of this class dealt with the actual education being offered as well as the connections being formed.
  • But the theory in this course has allowed me to see that in practice, online education can allow for a sound education and a classroom community that can match that of most f2f classrooms.
  • Online learning allows an instructor the opportunity to put everything into place before the course starts so that students come in being able to see all that they need to be successful.&nbsp; This may not always be the case with f2f courses.&nbsp; Additionally, to make sure that such theories as presence and community are present in online courses online instructors often have to do more to ensure success in their classes.&nbsp; For these reasons I am starting to believe that online education, when combined with effective theories can eventually surpass f2f learning.
  • I am not decisive as I would like to be.
  • While it probably should not be surprising that I feel prepared to teach online at the end of a course in online teaching, for me, I feel as though it is quite a surprising development and one I hope to pursue.
  • The article &nbsp;written by Mark Edmundson, a professor at UVA, questions the validity of online learning.&nbsp;
  • I have discovered that my thoughts are completely different on online education as a result of this class.&nbsp; While this is probably not a huge development it has been interesting to watch my opinions change so much.&nbsp; So, for the moment that is where I am.
  • I discovered that just inserting technology does not suddenly make things better.&nbsp;
  • I leave this course knowing that presence is more than just responding to students.&nbsp;
  • Being truly present requires that the students feel your presence as they are completing assignments and learning – knowing what is expected of them and what they expect of the instructor.
  • if a student knows what to do and how to do it (presence) he/she might feel more comfortable branching out in discussions and discussing points with a majority of students instead of just discussing with the same people at the same time.&nbsp; But community depends heavily on presence and the two really work in tandem.
  • Yet, the blame lies solely with me for just assuming that my students know how to do something.
  • Instead, instructors, both f2f and online, need to assume that their students do not know how to do something.&nbsp; Taking the time to explain something may seem tedious but it will provide for greater clarification, greater learning, and more meaningful assessments.&nbsp; Taking the time to just let students know what to do and how to do it has the potential of increasing the enjoyment of learning for all involved!
  • &nbsp; I truly struggled with this course and I walk away feeling fantastic about it.
  • Coming into this course I figured we would read a few articles about online education and create a course shell for an online course.&nbsp; Additionally, I came into this course assuming online education failed to meet the standards of f2f education. Now, my thoughts are completely changed.&nbsp;
  • Leaving this course I feel as though I could write an effective rebuttal of that argument and I believe that illustrates a great amount of growth for a person who entered this class questioning the merits of online education.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      what would you say? i would like to read that rebuttal.  : ) 
  • Yet, I feel as this is one of the first courses that will let me leave with having a profound change in thinking.&nbsp;
  • Online education is the way of the future and more important, it needs to be done correctly.
  • o in my new “educated” role, I would like to try and be an advocate for online education.&nbsp; I will try to discuss the field more often and when I hear someone mention online education I will ask them what they know about it and what they think about it.&nbsp; Striking up conversations allow for the spread of ideas and maybe eventually online education will gain the same prominence that many f2f courses currently possess. (4)
lkryder

Adaptive Learning System - The Role of Adaptive Learning in Math - 0 views

  • Pedagogically and research-based intelligent adaptive learning technology accesses and stays in the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) for each learner. That means it provides the right next lesson at the right level of difficulty at the right time. When work is easy, learners can do the work on their own without any help. It’s in their "comfort zone." If all the work a learner is asked to do is always in the comfort zone, no real learning will take place and the learner will eventually lose interest. Conversely, when the work is too hard, the learner becomes frustrated and will likely give up. The area between the comfort zone and the frustration zone is the one where true learning will take place – the optimal learning zone. It’s the area where a learner will need some help or will need to work hard to understand a concept or complete a task. By keeping the challenge appropriate, the learner is guided to be a mathematical ‘doer’ — someone who thinks and strategizes in ways they can apply in school and in their real life experience. This is optimal teaching and optimal learning.
    • lkryder
       
      This has been my thinking all along on the gamefying and my weekly really hard quizzes. Now I hope to build on it.
  •  
    This is a page offering a product BUT what I found fascinating was their use of ZPD as the learning opportunity in adaptive technologies. I recall as a child having programmed learning guides that I loved and I did them for hours ( I recall they were about logic and problem solving- very cool). They were printed in a book. Now that kind of thing is frowned upon as low on Bloom but all the publishers are creating these adaptive supplements and students love them.
  •  
    This is a page offering a product BUT what I found fascinating was their use of ZPD as the learning opportunity in adaptive technologies. I recall as a child having programmed learning guides that I loved and I did them for hours ( I recall they were about logic and problem solving- very cool). They were printed in a book. Now that kind of thing is frowned upon as low on Bloom but all the publishers are creating these adaptive supplements and students love them.
alexandra m. pickett

Social Studies Another Way - 0 views

  • don’t use it as a source in research
    • Joan Erickson
       
      Look at what we do in etap, we pull research sources off of the web left and right. Does it make it OK for us to do?
  • . I’m thinking that by creating a mission video that emphasizes their own creativity as the goal that they will see that this is self-directed and endless in its possibilitie
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      fantastic idea!!
  • I notice that I don’t read everything on each direction page, so I’m sure my students won’t either.
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  • Having to support my ideas is cumbersome, and it requires work
    • Joan Erickson
       
      Shoubang left a message on my blog saying the same thing: it is WORK. But we learn a lot from one another!
  • I was always annoyed in grad classes when people would just shoot off their mouths about random things, totally wasting class time on their own rants (usually at 9pm). This definitely alleviates that situation!
  • I don’t accept laziness or haphazard work, but I usually reject it with a smile and a joke
    • Joan Erickson
       
      Melissa, I want my son to have a teacher like you! I want to have a teacher who knows how to gracefully reject silly work !
  • At this point, I need stick notes to track down sticky notes
    • Joan Erickson
       
      melissa you are too funny!
  • I resisted activities where the students “taught” each other for fear that they would leave something out
    • Joan Erickson
       
      of course you would have that fear. I think every teacher has that concern when they use peer-learning activities. state exams put so much pressure on the teachers and the kids.
    • Melissa Pietricola
       
      They do, it is truly counterproductive!
  • I will be extremely busy
  • I am eliminating much of the homework requirements so students can work on the online course
  • It will be an enormous challenge for me to let students take the lead and not dominate the airspace. If I want my students to make it to that “performance” or “resolution” stage I see this stepping back as being essential. I want them to “Perform” in the sense that they build their learning into webpages. If I dominate their peer critiques, for example, they might as well become my webpages. The intent is for them to run wild with their creativity, and to step away from me as the direct instructor. He also discusses the steps groups take to make decisions, “forming, norming, storming, and performing.” Garrison emphasizes that groups not only need time, but also clearly stated goals to function productively. I am very familiar with his claim that, “groups do not naturally coalesce and move to integration and resolution phases.” I loathe group work for this very reason! I have avoided it much of my teaching career, afraid of losing control of the classroom and the content, and often seeing little progression in student learning when I do venture to use it. He goes on to argue that, “direction and facilitation is required to establish cohesion and ensure messages are developed.” I guess I assumed this, that you need to give clear directions, state your goals for the activity, and facilitate its progression. I’m concerned with how this will go online.
  • This reminds&nbsp; me of Kelly as a “thread killer.”
  • time consuming
    • Joan Erickson
       
      me too. you mentioned about this in your earlier blog. Compposing a post felt like writing a mini-essay for me, I just couldn't produce a coherent, educated, and educational post in a matter of minutes. It is time-consuming to produce intelligent work.
    • Melissa Pietricola
       
      It is! I felt like I would wander through the Internet in a thousand directions, getting irritated with myself for being so scatterbrained. It took me forever!
    • Joy Quah Yien-ling
       
      I agree! Takes forever - days and days to write. Blogging is agonizing!! But ultimately satisfying :-) We survived.
    • Joan Erickson
       
      wheeew! Now I feel better. For the longest time I thought it was due to my inadequacy that it took me days to pull research together and write up a coherent reply. If you two felt this way, who am I to complain?! Thanks!
  • By that I mean it keeps me thinking. I wake up in the middle of the night and wonder on it, it makes me uncomfortable, and it appears on my to-do list in the strangest way. One thing I think of is the idea of student-centered learning. Its not that this is new to me entirely, but it has been a bit of a shocker to learn how to do it effectively and how to readjust my thinking and teaching to make the student at the middle. The idea that my activities should be engaging has always been moderately important, but I’ve thought about it in the past as “entertaining.” I always came back to the thought that I wasn’t here to entertain my students, they get entertainment everywhere else.
  • But, as a student, I completely understand and empathize with the idea that they should be engaged and want to be a part of what they are learning. This is a new thought to me. That I should make the activities engaging (by using technology, by encouraging connections, and by making purposeful learning) not simply so students have fun, but so that they learn more!
  • whether I’d catch the next episode of the “Backyardigans.”
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      i love backyardigans!! : )
  • It stimulated a different part of my brain and gave me an adult purpose to my day. Very important for my sanity and helpful for me as a mother, as well. I truly agree that being an educated woman makes us better caretakers for our children (especially our girls!)
  • The truth is, though, that it did help me to learn and it was a challenge I could meet.
Joy Quah Yien-ling

Teacher as Facilitator - 1 views

  • Develop student learning opportunities. This takes into account the course documents, the teacher's personal theories of teaching and learning, the student’s interest, their preferred learning styles and their understanding and skills. It is in this area that the teacher as facilitator is able to provide opportunities for student learning that will take hold of the students' interests and thus motivate them to engage in the learning opportunity. Harrison (1998a &amp; b) has presented the S.P.A.C.E. model for creating optimal learning conditions. The conditions for optimal learning include the following: Self-affimation – the learner’s view themselves as effective learners and the teachers provide them with feedback to that effect; Personal meaning – the learners are able to find personal meaning in the learning. That is, the learning is relevant to them; Active learning - the learners are active in the learning, whether that activity is physically doing something (as for concrete learners) or intellectually doing something (as for abstract reflective learners). Collaborative – the learners are able to collaborate with others in the learning process and not to view learning as an isolating experience; Empowering – the learners are able to shape the learning process, to have control over what is learnt and the direction of the learning.
  • The role of the teacher is diverse and has several orientations. One important aspect is that of facilitator of student learning. The facilitator attempts to provide circumstances that will enable students to engage with the learning opportunities and construct for themselves their understandings and skills. This role will interact with those of teacher as learner, colleague and community partner.
  • A student’s beliefs about the nature of teaching and learning will interact with a teacher’s beliefs. The teacher therefore needs to understand what students expect and are willing to do as well as what they themselves expect of the students.
    • Shoubang Jian
       
      I like this statement. I've never thought of the importance of a dialogue between student's and teacher's idea of teaching and learning.
    • alexandra m. pickett
       
      so, shoubang... how can an instructor understand what students expect? How will you understand what your students expect? What do you expect of your students and more importantly how will they know what you expect? What mechanisms have i used in this course to achieve both of these ends?
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    • Joy Quah Yien-ling
       
      Anticipating and providing students with space to make mistakes is important. Skills and knowledge take some time to assimilate. Packing a course too tightly may deprive students of the chance to experiment and explore and to reposition, when necessary.
  •  
    Learning and collaboration
  •  
    One mechanism you use, I think, to achieve this is to have all discussion and activity forums be completely open to all in the class. Thus the optimal learning conditions are created by creating open pathways for each person to see ways to deepen their thinking and get more from the course material.
  •  
    It is explicit in the expectations and get the most documents of the course what you expect from your students, and how they can succeed, that is important. But how the teacher know what the students expect I think it is more difficult, maybe asking them explicitly, and provide spaces for them to talk between them, to make comments and suggestions.
Diane Gusa

RESEARCH IN ONLINE LEARNING COMMUNITY - 0 views

  • RESEARCH IN ONLINE LEARNING COMMUNITY
  • High Social PresenceLearning in an online learning community occurs as an active social process that is defined as: "the level of social presence depends upon social context, online communication, and interactivity (Tu &amp; McIsaac, 2002)." Online social presence (Hiltz, 1998) is required to ensure the online interaction necessary to sustain community activity. Social presence is a critical factor that affects the online learning community. Gunawardena and Zittle (1997) found that social presence is the predictive of the satisfaction of online learners with their learning. Social presence, online learners' social relationships, tasks being engaged in (Tu &amp; Corry, 2002b), communication styles and personal characteristics have impacts on online learning (Tu &amp; McIsaac, 2001). Therefore, researchers concluded that to foster an ideal online learning community, one should increase and idealize the level of social presence
  • Computer-mediated communication democratizes the online learning environment (DiMatteo, 1990; Rheingold, 1993; Sproull &amp; Kiesler, 1991a
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • ..for anyone to become an information provider for others, thereby both democratizing information access and enabling new roles for network users. In the most successful online courses, students assume some of the roles that traditionally belong to the instructor" (p. 208).
  • Because of the blurred roles of students and teachers, more weight is placed on the learning process/experience than upon roles. In other words, both students and teachers, as learners, share their responsibilities in online learning. Morrison (1995) argued that the learning process is unbounded by time (when one learns), space (where one learns), mode (how one learns), pace (the rate at which one learns), level (the depth of learning) and role (with whom one learns). Therefore, it is not merely learner-centered; in fact, an online learning community is a learner-driven process. While the learning is in transition from teacher-centered to learner-driven, the focus which had emphasized the needs of organization, government, and institutional is moving to a focus on community-centered needs. This shift has made lifelong learning more important.
  • Effective learning occurs in active approaches that present learning as a social process that takes place through communication with others (Hiltz, 1998; Mead, 1934)
  • Social interaction is a key component in social learning according to Vygotsky's theory.
  • "The level of social presence depends upon social context, online communication, and interactivity. When the level of social presence is high, there is a potential that online learners will engage more interactively in online activities (Tu &amp; McIsaac, 2002).
  • In a knowledge construction community, one should have the opportunity to make contributions that will enhance the total learning value of the community. L
  • Chih-Hsiung Tu
  •  
    conference paper
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