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Doris Stockton

JOLT - Journal of Online Learning and Teaching - 0 views

  • The Barriers to Online Teaching and Learning
  • Similarly, inadequate hardware and software, slow internet connections, learners’ procrastination, lack of technical expertise among the instructors, insufficient orientation for learners, and a lack of release time for instructors to develop and design their online courses have been cited as barriers to faculty participation in developing and teaching online courses (Nkonge & Gueldenzoph, 2006). The researchers recommended training and support for instructors. Supporting faculty becomes significant because of the number of faculty who begin the online teaching experience with little knowledge of the process of designing, developing, and instructing an online course (Cuellar, 2002).
  • Nelson and Thompson (2005) cited faculty time, rewards, workload, lack of administrative support, cost, course quality, student contact, and equipment concerns as barriers to online teaching practices. The researchers recommended that program leaders keep abreast of the technology issues; courses integrate more collaboration between instructors and learners; training be provided to faculty to overcome negative dispositions; leaders attempt to incorporate the need for distance education courses in institutions’ missions, and that a reconsideration of tenure and promotion decisions should be examined in an attempt to support faculty workloads.
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  • Although instruction provided through the Internet offers a viable alternative to the need for “physical” space, the need for faculty involvement in online learning remains a prevalent issue for those institutions that plan to continue offering instruction at a distance (Matsom, 2006; Nelson & Thompson, 2005; Schifter, 2004). In many institutions, faculty members are expected to participate in online distance education as a part of their regular duties as faculty (Kim & Bonk, 2006). However, many faculty members are hesitant to convert their traditional courses to an online format. This resistance is attributed to a lack of support, assistance, as well as training by institutions of higher education (Allen & Seaman, 2008; Keengwe, Kidd, & Kyei-Blankson, 2009).
  • Both novice faculty, who may have been reluctant to participate, and expert faculty play a significant role in guiding the types of support, assistance, and training provided by institutions of higher education. Rockwell et al., (1999) evaluated the types of education, assistance, and support that faculty felt were needed to be successful in online teaching and learning. Faculty responded with the assertions that assistance and support for developing instructional materials, developing interaction, and for applying certain technologies were critical to their success in online environments. Faculty regarded teaching online as more difficult than teaching traditional courses (Gerlich, 2005) as well as complain that online delivery were more labor intensive because of the amount of time required to grade papers and respond to questions (Lao, & Gonzales, 2005; Wegmann, & McCauley, 2008; Sellani & Harrington, 2002). In other studies, faculty felt that additional instructional and technical support were needed because faculty were genuinely concerned about the quality of their online courses and the amount of technical assistance and training available to them at their institutions (Allen & Seaman, 2008; Keengwe, Kidd, & Kyei-Blankson, 2009).
  • Surveys conducted by Brogden and Couros (2002), Grosse, (2004), and Lorenzetti, (2004) suggest that the time and effort demands to develop online courses and to learn new technologies are also causes for faculty member’s frustrations. Additionally, some faculty members may resist online teaching because they are concerned that those courses may require more time for advanced planning (Matsom, 2006). Further, faculty members may be hesitant about this shift due to the fact that they may lose autonomy and control of the curriculum, lack of technical training and support, and lack of release time for planning. Generally, understanding the differences between traditional face-to-face learning environment and online learning environment, and the process of being able to shift from one modality to the other, will give faculty members the ability to design better online courses and focus more on course delivery (Conrad, 2004; Harlow, 2007; Marfoglio, 2006, Sugar, Martindale, & Crawley, 2007). Faculty members may also need to rethink (a) the nature of the content to be taught (b) their role as faculty members and (c) the needs and requirements of the students (Ben-Jacob, Levin & Ben-Jacob, 2000; Lee & Busch, 2005; Jones, Kollof, & Kolloff, 2008).
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    This is the article that I used for response to Kelly's Speak out discussion post.
Diane Gusa

Productivity and online learning redux - 2 views

  • Instructional MOOCs (xMOOCs) have basically removed learner support, at least in terms of human (instructor) support, but this has resulted in a very low number of MOOC learners passing end-of-course assessments of learning. Indeed, prior research into credit-based learning has established that instructor online ‘presence’ is a critical factor in retaining students. So far, it has proved difficult to scale up learner support on a massive scale, except through the use of computer technology, such as automated feedback. However, Carey and Trick (2013) and indeed faculty at elite institutions who are offering xMOOCs (see Thrun and ‘the Magic of the Campus‘) have argued that such computer support does not support ‘the learning that matters most’.
  • computer-based approaches to learner support to date has been inadequate for formal assessment of higher order learning skills such as original, critical or strategic thinking, evaluation of strategies or alternative explanations.
  • In cMOOCs that are more like communities of practice and thus contain many participants with already high levels of expertise, that expertise and judgement can be provided by the participants themselves
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  • ‘disruptive’ innovation, where a new technology results in sweeping away old ways of doing something.
  • Thus knowledge management becomes more important than mere access to knowledge. If we look at xMOOCs though we have taken a new technology – video lecture capture and Internet transmission – and applied it to an outdated model of teaching. True innovation requires a change of process or method as well as a change of technology.
  • .Content is only one component of teaching (and an increasingly less important component); other components such as learner support and assessment are even more important. Care is needed then because changes in methods of online content development and delivery could have negative knock-on cost and productivity consequences in other areas of course delivery, such as learner support and assessment. I
Tiffany King

EBSCOhost: Online Collaborative Learning: Relating Theory to Practice - 0 views

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    Abstract: Educational institutions have rushed to provide online courses; however, too often schools have discovered the difficulty in transferring effective teaching strategies in the classroom to an online environment. A unique aspect of quality online courses is how they rely heavily on effective collaboration to create a meaningful learning environment. Unfortunately, online instruction is not as simple as replicating the community atmosphere that is found in the traditional brick and mortar classroom. New strategies are demanded for the successful transfer of knowledge utilizing the Web. Investigating the pedagogical strategies of a program that promotes dialogue and collective intellect in a community model could benefit faculty designing courses. We will present a detailed case study using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods (including observation, focus groups, transcripts from synchronous and asynchronous discussions, surveys, and interviews) collected over a two-year span to identify perceptions of effective online collaboration and performance. Community formation, support, and sustainability are also explored. Examples are included that not only describe what participants perceive as enabling aspects of the support system but also ways in which educators can enhance program development by learning from other pioneers in this area.
Doris Stockton

AJET 26(3) Drexler (2010) - The networked student model for construction of personal le... - 0 views

  • Personal learning suggests learner autonomy and increased self regulation (Atwell, 2007; Aviram et al., 2008). However, increased responsibility and control on the part of the learner do not necessarily equate to learner motivation (Dede, 1996). Students engaging in networked learning research must be more self-directed. Not only are they navigating a number of web-based applications for the first time, they are also required to take an active role in the learning process by making decisions about how to search, where to search, and why certain content meets a learning objective.
  • Teachers, on the other hand, are challenged to provide an appropriate balance between structure and learner autonomy in order to facilitate self-directed, personalised learning (Beaudoin, 1990; McLoughlin & Lee, 2010).
  • The role of a teacher within a student-centered approach to instruction is that of a facilitator or coach (Wang, 2006). "He or she supports the students in their search and supply of relevant material, coordinates the students' presentations of individual milestones of their projects, moderates discussions, consults in all kinds of problem-solving and seeking for solutions, lectures on topics that are selected in plenary discussions with the students and conforms to the curriculum" (Motschnig-Pitrik & Holzinger, 2002, p. 166).
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  • Figure 1: The Networked Teacher (Couros, 2008)
  • ouros (2008) developed a model of the networked teacher that represents an educator's professional personal learning environment (PLE). A teacher is better equipped to facilitate networked learning if he or she has experienced the construction of such a model first hand. The significant connections in Couros' view of the network include colleagues, popular media, print and digital resources, the local community, blogs, wikis, video conferencing, chat/IRC, social networking services, online communities, social bookmarking, digital photo sharing, and content development communities (Couros, 2008).
  • Networked teacher model
  • In a traditional classroom setting, the teacher has primary control over the content. He or she selects or designs the curriculum. Networked learning gives students the ability and the control to connect with subject matter experts in virtually any field.
  • Figure 2: The Networked Student
  • The networked student follows a constructivist approach to learning. He or she constructs knowledge based on experiences and social interactions (Jonassen et al., 2003). Constructivism encourages "greater participation by students in their appropriation of scholarly knowledge" (Larochelle et al., 1998).
  • Technology supports this appropriation as a collection of tools that promote knowledge construction, an information vehicle for exploring knowledge, an active learning tool, a social medium to promote conversing, and an intellectual partner to facilitate reflection (Jonassen et al., 2003)
  • Developing a model of the networked student The Networked Student Model adapts Couros' vision for teacher professional development in a format that is applicable to the K-12 student. It includes four primary categories, each with many components evident in the networked teacher version (Figure 2).
  • That connection expands to include access to resources and creative artifacts. Computers and mobile devices continue to broaden access to all types of information and learning sources. As quickly as content becomes available, web applications are released to assist in the management of that content
  • The networked student constructs a personal learning environment one node at a time. Once these connections are formed, they must be revisited and built upon to facilitate further learning. The personal learning environment lives beyond time spent in a classroom
  • With so much information to manage, it is increasingly difficult to stay abreast of changes in a given field, much less track implications arising from related fields. Really Simple Syndication (RSS) allows learners to subscribe to changing content and makes tracking changes easier.
  • Ultimately, meaningful learning occurs with knowledge construction, not reproduction; conversation, not reception; articulation, not repetition; collaboration, not competition; and reflection, not prescription (Jonassen et al., 2003).
  • Construction of a personal learning environment does not necessarily facilitate comprehension or deep understanding. Learning potential exists in what the student does with the compilation of content and how it is synthesised. The networked student model is one of inquiry, or the process of "exploring problems, asking questions, making discoveries, achieving new understanding and fulfilling personal curiosity" (National Science Foundation, as quoted by Chang & Wang, 2009, p. 169).
  • Principles of connectivism equate to fundamentals of learning in a networked world. The design of the teacher-facilitated, student-created personal learning environment in this study adheres to constructivist and connectivist principles with the goal of developing a networked student who will take more responsibility for his or her learning while navigating an increasingly complex content base.
  • Nine out of 15 students indicated that time management was the most difficult aspect of the course. Yet, of the fifteen students participating in the project, thirteen were able to manage weekly assignments per the schedule. Two students fell behind and expressed frustration at the amount of work required to catch up. Teacher intervention was required to facilitate their successful completion of the course. They were given a daily list of tasks designed to scaffold the time management aspects of the project. Time management issues were less associated with construction of the personal learning environment and more concerned with the blended format of the delivery. It was an adjustment for students to manage work outside of class even though they enjoyed the freedom of attending a formal class meeting only 3 out of 5 days a week.
  • Achieving the delicate balance between teacher control and student autonomy is an ongoing challenge when facilitating student use of new technologies for self-regulated learning (McLoughlin & Lee, 2010). Motivation, self direction, and technical aptitude are key considerations for implementing a networked student design. The students constructing personal learning environments in this test case were successful in the contemporary issues course.
  • spite of the challenges highlighted above, the Networked Student Model offers a design and framework through which teachers can explore a student-centered, 21st century approach to learning. It further provides a foundation for constructing a personal learning environment with potential to expand as new learning avenues emerge. The student is challenged to synthesise diverse and extensive digital materials, connect to others interacting in respectful and meaningful ways, self-regulate an active approach to learning, and develop an option for life long learning that applies to virtually any curricular area. Once a student has learned how to construct a personal learning environment, he or she is left with a model of learning that extends beyond the classroom walls, one in which the learner assumes full control. Regardless of teacher control, the students' success will depend on how well they have been prepared in the processes that support learning in an ever changing, increasingly networked world.
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    I have highlighted many sections that pertain to student centered online learning.
Karin Bogart

Instructional Strategies for Online Courses - 0 views

  • Because the online environment  facilitates group communication, it is ideal for the types of information exchange typical in forums. In fact, the forum can be more convenient and effective in the online environment than in the traditional classroom because speakers, experts and moderator can participate without having to travel or even be available at a particular time. Both synchronous and asynchronous communication can be utilized to support online learning forums
  • Because the online environment  facilitates group communication, it is ideal for the types of information exchange typical in forums. In fact, the forum can be more convenient and effective in the online environment than in the traditional classroom because speakers, experts and moderator can participate without having to travel or even be available at a particular time. Both synchronous and asynchronous communication can be utilized to support online learning forums
Diane Gusa

Taylor & Francis Online :: Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: ... - 0 views

  • Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice
  • can help students take control of their own learning, i.e. become self‐regulated learners. This reformulation is used to identify seven principles of good feedback practice that support self‐regulation.
  • This shift in focus, whereby students are seen as having a proactive rather than a reactive role in generating and using feedback, has profound implications for the way in which teachers organise assessments and support learning.
Diane Gusa

Establishing an Online Teaching Presence - 0 views

  • the importance of your online teaching presence is that it contributes to online students’ sense of learning and perception of community.  An online teaching presence “is the binding element in cultivating a learning community” (Persico, et al, 2010).  According to Shea, Li & Pickett (2006), “There is a clear connection between perceived teaching presence and students’ sense of learning community.”
  • For an online learning environment, the emphasis shifts from preparing class sessions to preparing learning modules with specific learning goals, reading assignments, brief instructional materials, learning activities, discussion board posting requirements, assessment procedures, etc.   While you design the modules for your course, you should regularly ask: What do I want students to learn in this module? How will students demonstrate their learning of the materials in this module? What assignments or learning activities will support the learning for this module? By asking yourself these questions while designing modules, you will support student learning and will establish your teaching presence in the design of the course.
  • “Skillful facilitation allows students to interact with one another and the instructor at a high level” (Palloff and Prat, 2011).   At the beginning of the course, faculty members can help facilitate discourse through ice breakers that ask students to introduce themselves and find commonalities with other students. 
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  • Peterson and colleagues (2001) suggest, “Summarize the discussion periodically to demonstrate the relation of the discussion to the course content and to point out missing information.”
  • Indicators of direct instruction “include presenting content and questions, focusing the discussion on specific issues, summarizing discussion, confirming understanding, disposing misperceptions, injecting knowledge from diverse sources and responding to technical concerns” (Shea, et al, 2006).
  • A strong online teaching presence makes for a strong online learning experience and a sense of community for your students.
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    Discusses how to establish teacher presence.
Diane Gusa

Mind on Fire - 0 views

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    Open Education, the Long Tail, and Learning 2.0 The most profound impact of the Internet is its ability to support and expand the various aspects of social learning.
Diane Gusa

Adaptive Web-Based Learning for Students with Diverse Backgrounds: Case Study in a Intr... - 0 views

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    "The objectives of the spiral model are to support exploration of the subject matter based on competency, personal preference, interest and background to any depth without requiring the instructor to define explicit navigational paths. The model provides for flexible navigation of the subject matter in order to match a particular student's background and to adapt the presentation of the subject material to that student. The instructor provides a road map and a set of goals, which guides the student's exploration. The subject matter and learning tasks are organized around the integration of a set of skills needed to solve problems at different levels of understanding."
Diane Gusa

SDAIE_Genzuk.pdf - 0 views

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    " They need challenging, rigorous, relevant curricula along with the instructional stragegies and t argeted support based on individualized assessment that will enable them to succeed in a rigorous class (Olson, 2010) ."
Diane Gusa

Application of Blogs to Support Reflective Learning Journals - DE Oracle - 1 views

  • This journal encourages students to review and consolidate learning, evaluate performance, and plan future learning based on past learning experience.
  • blog, the contraction of the term "weblog," is a type of Web page made up of usually short, frequently updated posts arranged in reverse chronological order.
  • Excerpts from Student Learning Journals 
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    • Diane Gusa
       
      Here is a list of suggestions that can help you frame your first blog. Does this help your blog writing?
Diane Gusa

Pedagogy Does Matter! - 0 views

shared by Diane Gusa on 30 May 13 - Cached
  • Uniform, regimented teaching of carefully scripted lessons is heralded as the silver bullet to turn around the performance of disadvantaged children, even though we have mounting evidence that much of the data to support so-called "miracles" is doubtful. (See "Cooking the Education Books? Enron Accounting?" at http://www.nochildleft.com/2003/sum03wmd.html and "Fuzzy Math, Fuzzy Reading and Fuzzy Science" at http://www.nochildleft.com/2003/apr03fuzzy.html).
    • Diane Gusa
       
      Do you think an instructor can teach an online course with someone else's pedagogy?
Diane Gusa

Teaching and Learning at a Distance: The Learners: Self-Regulation - 0 views

  • Whether taking a face-to-face or online course, students must be able to manage their own learning.
  • onsider ways to facilitate self-regulation in your students by encouraging metacognitive awareness, promoting time management, encouraging social interaction, and providing effective, efficient, and appealing learning materials.
  • To succeed in online discussions and other online course activities, participants must have basic social skills including the ability to: listen (read) and comprehend classmate postings ask appropriate questions assist others through supporting comments build on the work of others take on the role of devil's advocate or other perspectives to promote discussion synthesize information and ideas presented by classmates and make a unique contribution participate in a timely manner
Diane Gusa

Learning Domains - 1 views

  • The affective domain is critical for learning but is often not specifically addressed.  This is the domain that deals with attitudes, motivation, willingness to participate, valuing what is being learned, and ultimately incorporating the values of a discipline into a way of life.  Stages in that domain are not as sequential as the cognitive domain, but have been described as the following: Receiving (willing to listen) Responding (willing to participate) Valuing (willing to be involved) Organizing (willing to be an advocate) Characterization (willing to change one’s behavior, lifestyle, or way of life)
  • Videos and audio clips are also excellent ways to engage the affective domain. These should be short and may include the following: Former students giving tips on how to be successful The instructor informing the students of the value of the course Professionals who are using the knowledge from the course in their lives An overview of the program with key support personnel and facilities visible to the student Streaming audio files throughout the course encouraging students and providing helpful tips Short video clips of the instructor explaining course content
Kristie Rushing

Technology and Education Online Discussion Forums: It's in the Response - 0 views

  • participation in online discussion forums provides opportunities for responsibility and active learning through the expectation of regular participation in online discussions.
  • hey construct knowledge through the shared experiences that each participant brings to the collaborative discussions. The online web courses about teaching offer deeper perspectives and opportunities to learn because the participants are teachers from school districts around the state and other states.
  • This particular use of the discussion forum, to negotiate and construct knowledge, is an example of using the technology as a cognitive tool and not simply as another kind of blackboard or one-way communication method. Cognitive tools and environments stimulate cognitive learning strategies and critical thinking (Jonassen, 1998). Students engaged with course content in discussions and group work with other students engage in generative processing of information.
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  • his involves the processes of reflection and the construction and re-construction of domains of knowledge. The resulting kinds of learning from these processes are not a regurgitation of a lecture or reading. It is a negotiated interpretation of knowledge
  • The discussion forum environment evens the playing field of opportunity and accessibility.
  • The discussion forum makes active participation by all students the price of citizenship within this learning community.
    • Tiffany King
       
      What do you think about this? I found this an interesting way of putting it.
    • Diane Gusa
       
      Cool!
  • Students quickly discover that their peers are also holders of knowledge and they initiate discussions and respond to one another's postings
  • It is possible to feel invisible in an online discussion forum if no one responds to an individual's postings. Part of a course design should include a requirement that students respond to at least 3 or more students each week and at least 1 of those should be a student not previously responded to. This helps distribute the responses. Responses are a hook to student motivation to participate above and beyond grades.
  • They recommended that, "Instructors can encourage and model this behavior from the beginning of a course, thereby creating a safe learning environment of acceptance and trust. Activities that enhance sharing and cooperation can further develop openness and solidarity within groups." (McDonald & Gibson, 1998, p.21)
  • Web environments can make use of interactive components and educators should design and look for activities that are problem oriented, interactive, and engage students in an application of knowledge, principles, and values (Hazari & Schnorr, 1999).
  • he stage for disagreement within the discussion forum is also a motivation and invitation for students to become more engaged in the discussions.
  • instructors should have the syllabus developed and the course up and online before the first day of class
  • Instructors need to be a "presence" in the virtual conference center as they monitor the discussions and provide continuous guidance to students to focus on the course goals by utilizing a technique called "weaving". This is a skill that involves using a part of a student comment in a posting and re-directing it to the main topic without an explicit negative value judgment. Instructors in a discussion forum will set and maintain the type of language and tone used in the virtual conference center. It is harder to interpret the tone and therefore the meaning of a message without visual clues or the sound of a voice. Instructors fulfill a role like that of a list moderator as they support and give students guidance in communicating successfully within the environment.
  • Feedback has long been recognized as critical to the learning process and timely feedback is potent.
  • Feedback needs to be specific, personal, and within 24 hours of the posting.
    • Diane Gusa
       
      I think the syllabus should be sent out at least a week before the class starts. What do you think?
    • Kristie Rushing
       
      I find my self doing this. I am always corious what my classmates have to add to what I have posted.
  • The need for affection is also present in a virtual discussion forum. This need is characterized by trust, self-disclosure and willingness to reveal experiences, thoughts and interpretations.
  • challenging deeply held beliefs
  • These "getting-to-know-you" scenarios are as important as course content in reaching the goal of a collaborative community of learners. The instructor needs to be sensitive to this need and find a balance within the discourse.
  • If they are left dangling for days on end, they lose a feeling of connection and begin to feel lost in Cyberspace.
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    Why use Disuccion boards in online education.
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