It appears that we are only allowed a certain number of forum posts and some groups papers are no longer available, so I will put all of my evaluations in one post.

Group 3
Our group was able to put together a strong argument based on the textbook, but supported by reliable external resources. The paper was organized appropriately with headings that made each section clear. Although the paper was well organized with strong resources, I felt that we could have included more informational support for each section.
Score: 4.5

Group 4
Very well written paper which has good transitions and flows nicely. This paper was more of a review/summary of the textbook and needed outside resources to strengthen the argument.
Score: 3.5

Group 5
This paper is extremely well written but I have to admit that I struggled with the sheer length of the paper. The paper was double the length of what was required in the assignment. I initially thought that this was due to extensive outside research, but see that they relied heavily on the textbook for information. While the paper was in-depth and informative I feel that the length got in the way of the message that they were trying to convey.
Score: 4

Group 6
This is a well written paper with a lot of personal touch that made it more enjoyable to read. The group covered most of the information on online learning in a well organized paper with useful headings. It seemed the section on "Instructional and Learning Strategies" was not as well organized as the rest of the paper and it was not clear what learning strategies they were focusing on and what those strategies were.
Score: 4.5

Online Learning Treatise





ETC 677
Northern Arizona University
Spring 2009
Instructor: Chih Tu




Group 3:

Melissa Carroll
Marta Herrera
Nasreen Wahid


Abstract

The number of people taking online classes is growing due to the availability and flexibility that online courses offer. In this paper, an overview of online learning, its stakeholders, and how they are affected will be provided. Online learning allows us to utilize a wide variety of authoring tools that support student learning, new technologies, pedagogies, strategies, and tools which are incorporated into the learning environment. The theories, pedagogies and strategies will also be covered as well as how these are used to create an effective student centered learning environment.

Introduction
Education has been an important topic in human life from the beginning of history. Over time, everything evolves to be bigger and better, and education as we know it is changing along with time. One of the most recent changes in education is the emergence of online and distance learning. The traditional classroom has been taken and transformed into a more convenient medium that provides us with a multitude of information in a wider variety of ways than has ever been available before.

Online Learning
Online learning is a distributed learning environment that uses pedagogical tools through the Internet and Web based technologies. These tools facilitate learning through building meaningful action and interaction. This method of learning is a structured approach that incorporates a variety of activities to achieve a common goal (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, 2005). For online learning to be successful, it needs to incorporate many components, including those that are typical of a traditional classroom. Collaboration, synchronous communication, asynchronous communication, exploration, and flexibility are all components of online learning.

"At least two options exist for the design of online learning environments: an approach that uses the more traditional course management system design that includes multiple students, group discussion, and a shared time frame for progressing through assignments and an approach that uses an individualized approach where the mentor-learner dyad structures the flow of work and conversation as well as the flexibility to negotiate timelines, assignments, and interactions (COPLS)" (Norton, 2008).

There are also many different tools that can be used to enhance online learning. A few examples of these tools are: Content Management Systems (CMS), wikis, social networking sites, bookmark sharing, blogging, podcasts, webquests, media sharing, web authoring tools, CD-Rom tools and more tools are being developed for this purpose each day.
Online learning has many benefits. Firstly, this method of learning is much more flexible. The content is easily accessed at any time over the internet, and students do not have to meet at a set time each/day or week to have the content taught to them. Instead, this method of learning incorporates asynchronous discussion more often that synchronous discussion. Students no longer need to work their schedules and travel around their courses as they are available at anytime from anywhere in the world they may be.
Online learning also has its negative aspects. Technology, though it is growing and becoming more available, is still not easily used by everyone. Many students may not be familiar with the technologies and tools required to be successful in online learning. This can create stress on the students and instructors when trying to remedy the problems and may also deter many students from attempting online courses due to anxiety towards use of complicated tools.

Constructivism
Constructivism is the process in which knowledge and beliefs are formed from within the learner, and that learning is not the result of development, but is development in itself (Conceicao, 2007). In constructivism, there are many key learning strategies such as student centered learning, problem and project based learning, social/group learning and self directed learning. By incorporating group work, and encouraging students to find the knowledge within themselves through investigation, online learning is constructivist in nature.

Stakeholders of Online Learning
There are many stakeholders in online learning, and each must have specific characteristics and desires to be successful. Some of these stakeholders include: students, instructors, parents, administrators, the general public, schools and institutions, and school districts. Students need to have the ability to use the internet, a desire to learn without meeting fellow classmates, and the willingness to use new tools to make learning effective. It is up to the students to learn the concepts (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, 2005). The instructors also need special characteristics to make online learning successful, due to the fact that online learning varies greatly from a traditional learning environment. Lessons and content must be tailored to not only the subject, but to the audience taking the course. This also means that the instructor must have a sound knowledge on not only the content they are teaching, but on the tools that they are using, as not all students come into the course with the knowledge required to use the tools. "Technological issues can interfere with the learning process, causing frustration for both the students and the instructor" (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, 2005). Instructors must take extra care to provide easily accessible explanations of how to use the required tools, and be available to assist students due to the unset class times in online learning. Of all the requirements to be an instructor in online learning, it is imperative that they are able to guide the students through their learning using a constructivist method and provide frequent and constructive feedback to the students to ensure they are performing to their best ability. Online learning also affects parents, administrators, the general public, schools and institutions, and school districts, but by far the largest stakeholders are the students and the instructors.

Authoring Tools and Supportive Materials
Taking classes online has become popular amongst busy adults who already work full time and have families. Now that instructors are more knowledgeable about developing online instruction, they are turning to authoring tools to provide meaningful instruction for their students. Authoring tools are software programs with useful, user friendly features, embedded within them. This software has been adopted by educators in order to help design or integrate multimedia into a learning environment without requiring the expertise and knowledge of programming languages (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, 2005). Due to its user friendliness, anyone with basic knowledge of computers should be capable of using these tools. Basic classes of authoring tools have been developed and are being used by educators to provide a meaningful and quality education. CD-ROM-based authoring tools, Web-Based authoring tools, and Course Management Systems (CMS) are only a few of the classes of authoring tools, each of which has its own unique features.

Classes of Authoring Tools
CD-ROM Based Authoring Tools
CD-ROM based authoring tools are used to create courses that are delivered on a CD-ROM. Students work within the program to accomplish a designated task. Most of these programs make use of games, simulations, and tutorials. These programs are meant for individualized instruction and are mainly integrated for the mastery of specific skills. These are closed programs; this means that the user cannot go beyond the boundaries of the CD by creating their own content.

Web-Based Authoring Tools
Unlike the CD-ROM authoring tools, Web-Based authoring tools such as FrontPage, Dreamweaver, and Claris HomePage, use the Internet to provide modes of instruction. Internet based technologies are utilized in these programs as well. Web-Based Instruction (WBI) is an open system which allows the user to go anywhere on the web. For example, one can search the Internet for peer-reviewed articles on a research topic. Learners can connect and communicate easily due to the Internet and globalization, making it one of the most effective distributed learning features of WBI.

Course Management Systems (CMS)
Course Management Systems (CMS) are web-based authoring tools that combine technical and pedagogical features in an easily customized template for use in an online learning environment (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, 2005). Examples of CMS include WebCT, Blackboard, and Moodle, with new ones being rapidly developed. These systems allow instructors to integrate Web 2.0 tools into their courses to enhance student learning. Examples of Web 2.0 tools that can be integrated with CMS are: Facebook, Delicious, Diigo, and Wetpaint Wiki with new tools emerging continually. CMS have many features that set them apart from other forms of learning environments. One of the main features of CMS is internet-based communications; it is convenient for educators and learners to interact, collaborate, and communicate.

Elements of CMS
Course Management Systems are a form of distributed learning that allows for flexibility in learning. "Distributed learning is described as education delivered anytime, anywhere, to multiple locations, by using one or more technologies-or none" (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, 2005). Many people that take courses through CMS have busy lives and struggle to find time for classes between work and daily life. These future learners choose to take online courses in order to more efficiently manage their time. They can complete coursework at more convenient times, for example, around work schedules or after their children are in bed. Most people who enroll in online courses want meaningful education and support when and how it may fit into their schedule (Khan, 2005). The features of these systems set them apart from other forms of instruction by providing a high level of student engagement. Goals for knowledge acquisition can be achieved with these features when integrated properly and effectively into the CMS learning environment (Khan, 2005).
Course Management Systems also offer collaborative and communication tools that provide synchronous and asynchronous communication. Asynchronous communication such as emails and discussion boards allow users to communicate with one another without having to be available online at the same time (Hrastinski, 2008). This allows students to respond to discussions and emails at a time that is convenient for them. Asynchronous communication allows students to post their thoughts, comments, reflections, and questions onto a discussion board, wiki, blog as well as through email. This form of communication allows for more reflective and deeper thinking. On the other hand, synchronous communication allows students to interact simultaneously through chats instant messaging and screen sharing. Students can collaborate on a pending project while engaging in academic discussion and editing in real time.
CMS provides a high level of engagement through the student centered learning tools it provides. These learning tools are meant for the user to interact through the course as well as take in course content in a way that is meaningful and allows students to organize their learning (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, 2005). Students can decide which tools embedded within a CMS they would prefer to use based on personal learning styles. Examples of the tools are: bookmarks, help, notes, personal and/or academic calendar, student tips, and course map. These tools promote self-directed learning as students use these them to navigate through the course as well as to organize their learning. Through these tools, students are encouraged to explore the content with little help from the instructor allowing students to control their own learning (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, 2005).

Web 2.0 Tools
Web 2.0 tools can also be integrated into the CMS to offer a more versatile student centered approach to learning. With Web 2.0 tools, sites like Delicious, a social bookmarking site, can be used to bookmark any relevant information about a topic being discussed in class. These bookmarks are saved on a remote service which makes it easier to share references or sources with other learners (Anderson, 2007). Tags are added to the bookmarks by the user to organize and categorize resources in a way that makes it easier to retrieve the information for future purposes (Anderson, 2007). Tags also make it easier to find articles related to a topic. Wiki sites such as Wetpaint Wiki can also be used for group collaboration on a project and allows users to construct knowledge as a group, allowing a sense of community to be formed (Boulos, Maramba, Wheeler, 2006). Blogs can be integrated into CMS to be used as a form of journal writing where the author shares information about a topic, including links to relevant resources. Members of the online learning community have the ability to comment, share or reflect on the topic being discussed (Boulos, Maramba, Wheeler 2006).
Web 2.0 tools are available for a variety of functions. These tools are often free or provided at a very low cost. This is beneficial to smaller school districts and institutions that cannot afford to put as much funding into tools for online learning courses. CMS tools such as WebCT and Blackboard come rich with features, but are not cost effective in all situations. Web 2.0 tools can be used in unison to make up the required tools to make online learning as successful on a budget as it would be with the expensive CMS tools.

Assessment
Assessment tools are also an important component in online learning. These tools allow students to reflect on their performance as well as acquire constructive feedback from instructors. Assessments can take many forms, such as long and short answer responses, multiple choice responses and a variety of types of presentations and documents that are submitted to instructors. Students can also use self-assessments, which are "authentic assessments that allows students to monitor their comprehension and learning" (Dabbagh, Bannan-Ritland, 2005). These assessments help students reflect on what they are learning. As with traditional course structures, assessments are most effective when constructive feedback and evaluation are provided. Thus, assessment remains an important component of online learning.

Constructivism and Online Learning
There are several schools of thought when it comes to online learning. One of the most prominent is constructivism. The constructivist view is that learning occurs from interactions with the environment (Savery & Duffy, 2001). Within the constructivist approach to learning there are many strategies that have developed to maximize environmental learning. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) constitutes the main area of online constructivist learning.
The roles of instructor and student in a PBL environment are much different than their roles in a traditional classroom. The instructor becomes a model and speaks their thoughts and acts out the behavior that is expected of the learner (Stepien & Gallagher, 1993). The instructor assumes this role early during instruction and will become less actively involved as the lesson progresses. In this environment the student is placed in a new role in which they must use the tools and knowledge that they previously acquired in order to solve a problem. There is no "right" answer to the problem and the learning occurs through the process and the experience (Stepien & Gallagher, 1993).
In a PBL classroom the instructor and students are interacting to solve a real-world problem posed by the instructor. The question that drives instruction should be aligned to appropriate learner goals (Barron, et. al., 1998). The instructor acts as a guide to scaffold the problem solving process. This creates an authentic learning environment that places "cognitive demand" on the learner (Savery & Duffy, 2001). Open-ended questions allow for differentiated learning because it provides scaffolding in order to build on the individual learner's abilities and skills.
The openness of the situation allows for the learner to glide between different subject areas to solve the problem (Stepien & Gallagher, 1993). Students must collaborate with their peers in order to solve the problem. This social organization not only assists with problem solving, but also encourages participation and allows students to feel a "sense of community" (Barron, et. al., 1998). Collaboration is at the core of PBL because it allows learners to test their knowledge and contemplate the understanding of others. Barron et. al. describe social interaction as a "mechanism for enriching, interweaving, and expanding our understanding of particular issues or phenomena" (1998).

Online Instructional Strategies
There are other instructional strategies and tools that broaden the constructivist theories into more specific learning environments. These learning environments expand on the constructivist theories by integrating technology and web-based tools. Included would be exploratory, dialogic, integrational, and supportive learning environments.
Exploratory learning environments are a type of PBL in which the learners are given an authentic question or problem to solve. It is imperative that learners engage in the problem solving process by gathering necessary information and forming hypotheses in order to formulate their own unique solutions (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, 2005). With the exponential growth of technology tools there have become an increasing number of technologies for use in exploratory learning environments including: webquests, hypermedia, digital video and audio, and computer animation (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, 2005).
The dialogic learning environment begins with the idea that learning happens through contextual design in which meaningful artifacts are created by the interaction between the learners (Ackermann & Strohecker, 1999). Students are encouraged to articulate their thoughts about their actions. They are then able to generalize their knowledge for application, this, in turn encourages collaboration. There are a variety of web-based technologies that support dialogic environments. Online forums or discussion boards allow users to participate in content-based conversations. File and document sharing allows for the creation of a collaborative artifact (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, 2005).
With the increasing use of web-based authoring tools the integrational learning environment has emerged. This environment allows for a central location for content course delivery and brings together many aspects of online learning that can make for a more complete learning environment with a wide range of capabilities (Dabbagh & Bannan-Ritland, 2005).
The importance of self-directed learning is increased with online learning as students are required to complete tasks and assignments on their schedule to meet deadlines. Cognitive apprenticeship can assist with improving students' independent learning. An instructor must begin with modeling the task so that the learner can gain a conceptual idea of the activity idea and process. Next, the instructor will observe the students as they perform the task. She or he will then encourage the students and coach them by giving tips, feedback, and more modeling as needed. Scaffolding is important to cognitive apprenticeship in which the instructor gives tasks that the students are capable of at their skill level and then builds from there (Collins, Brown, & Holum, 1991).

Conclusion
Although online learning is barely leaving its infancy stage, there are many technologies, pedagogies, strategies, and tools that are being incorporated into this learning environment in order to support learners. Educational theories are never stagnant and continue to develop over time. With the exponential growth of technologies it is important that educators stay current with research and best practices. The success of online teaching does not rely solely on the technology or the developing theories, but is effective due to the top notch instructors that integrate the theories, technologies, and best practices, in order to create a research-based learning environment.






Resources
Ackermann, E. & Strohecker, C. (1999). Build, Launch, Convene: Sketches for Constructive-Dialogic Learning Environments. Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.

Anderson, Paul (2007). JISC Technology and Standards Watch, Feb. Retrieved on March 31, 2009 from http://ioptimizerss.com/Documents/What%20is%20Web%202.0%20-morebuyertraffic.pdf

Barron, B.J.S., Schwartz, D.L., Vye, N. J., Moore, A., Petrosino, A., Zech, L., Bransford, J. D. (1998). Doing with understanding: lessons from research on problem- and project-based learning. The Journal of Learning Sciences, 7 (3/4).

Boulos, Maged N. Kamel; Maramba, Inocencio; Wheeler, Steve (2006). Wikis, blogs and podcasts: a new generation of Web-based tools for virtual collaborative clinical practice and education. BMC Medical Education. 6 (41).

Collins, A., Brown, J.S., and Holum, A., (1991). Cognitive apprenticeship: making thinking visible. American Educator, Winter.

Coneição, S., & Taylor, L. (2007, September). Using a Constructivist Approach With Online Concept Maps: Relationship Between Theory AND Nursing Education. Nursing Education Perspectives, 28(5), 268-275.

Dabbagh, N. & Bannan-Ritland, B., (2005). Online Learning: Concepts, Strategies, and application. Pearson Education Inc. Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Dabbagh, N. (2005). Pedagogical models for E-Learning: A theory-based design framework. International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning, 1(1), 25-44.

Hrastinski, S. (2008). Asynchronous and Synchronous E-Learning. EDUCAUSE Quarterly, 31(4). Retrieved March 31, 2009, from http://www.educause.edu/EQ/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/AsynchronousandSynchronousELea/163445

Khan, B.H. (2005). Learning features in an open, flexible, and distributed environment. AACE Journal, 13(2), 137-153.

Norton, P. & Hathaway, D. (2008). Exploring Two Teacher Education Online Learning Designs: A Classroom of One or Many? Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 40(4), 475-495.


Savery, John R. & Duffy, Thomas M. (2001). Problem based learning: an instructional model and its constructivist framework. Center for Research on Learning Technology Technical Report,16 (01)

Stepien, W. & Gallagher, S. (1993). Problem-based learning: as authentic as it gets. Educational Leadership. 50 (7).

Vrasidas, C. & McIsaac, Marian S. (2000). Principles of pedagogy and evaluation for web-based learning. Education Media International. 105-111.