| dc.description | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2007
Workshop – Ask the Experts – Tips Techniques, and Creative Strategies for Teaching Online
This workshop involved a group of presenters. Each one of them discussed their experiences with online teaching. Here’s a brief summary of the information I found to be of interest:
Dr. Joan Cannon, University of Massachusetts Lowell
The Orchestration of Faculty Excellence in Online Teaching
Dr. Cannon discussed the use of various components that she found enriched the online learning environment for her students:
• A “Welcome Letter”
• A “What’s happening this week” section
• Course schedule
• Discussion area
• Use of color visuals and illustration
• Use of a Chat Room (e.g. available every Tuesday between 7 – 8 p.m.)
*I think this is a great idea. Students like to be able to know they can reach their tutor/expert at certain times. This is something we would like to try in the School of Business.
Dr. Albert Ingram, Kent State University
Building on what we know: Using theory and research in learning to design online education
The first point of discussion was on the Personalized System of Instruction. Dr. Ingram discussed the importance of mastery learning using a self-paced system. It promotes higher levels of learning and is highly rated by students. He found that students tend to retain the knowledge longer than with conventional instruction.
*Our ACCT 253 is based on this and we find it, too, to be highly successful.
His next topic was on Problem-Based Learning. He found that group problem solving also led to high student ratings and a high level of learning.
Another concept he introduced is the “generation effect”. Students learn better if they generate the answer rather than having the answer given to them through readings, lectures, etc. The question must be presented at a time in the learning where the student is in the range where they can generate an answer – it can’t be given too early on in the learning process.
Interleaved Practice is where students learn many “things” at the same time mixed together. This is different than mastery learning where students master one “thing” and then move on to another. He found that students tend to remember more over a longer term and, therefore, “forget more slowly”
Bill Pelz, Herkimer County Community College
Can anything good come from an old-fashion text-based threaded discussion?
Bill discussed the importance of having quality-based discussion questions as well as the importance of having a discussion grading scale.
The three 3 factors in core pedagogy are: 1) present the content of discipline 2) engage the learners in the content 3) authentic assessment of achievement.
His first cardinal rule is that the message of the posting must introduce new, relevant information. This is important in order to engage the student.
The second cardinal rule is that the subject line “must be a complete sentence which conveys the main teaching point” of the message. This accomplishes two goals: 1) the student must have an excellent understanding of the material which leads to better learning and memory. 2) The reader is able to grasp the main idea of the posting quickly and easily. So the quality of the message and the quality of the subject line are of utmost importance.
Having a rubric aids both the student who is creating a posting and the marker.
He also used three types of evaluation: peer, self and professor.
We haven’t used peer evaluations in the School of Business, but I think it might have some merit. This can be done easier in a class of 25 students who are semester-based. Unfortunately, many of our classes have many more students than this and run on a continuous basis.
He summarized by posing the questions:
• Is the content of the discipline being covered?
• Are the students sufficiently engaged and spending enough time on task to learn?
• Is the discussion forum grade an authentic assessment of content mastery?
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2007
Incorporating Pod Casting Technology in Curriculum Delivery
Presenters: Y. Liu, S. McCombs
In this session, the presenters discussed their research data on how they successfully integrated pod casting in online delivery.
The use of pod casting has increased tremendously over the last few years. In 2004, there were approximately 200 pod casts available on the internet. In 2007, there are over 2 million.
Time shifting is a regular occurrence – doing two things at once. Listening to an iPod while doing something else, such as transporting in a vehicle.
The majority of students use a computer (68%) to listen/view pod casts and is the preferable way. About 28% use an iPod. *This is an important point to note. Our students, who are on the average older than most college students, are more likely to use the computer. So, we can reach both generations by offering pod casts.
She noted that instructions to access the pod cast must be clear. Short pod casts are better; keep audios less than 30 minutes.
There are two methods to obtain – through iTunes or through a Web browser (could have a RSS feed).
Generally, students like to use the pod casts for reviewing purposes – for convenience and because it is easy to use. (I think this applies more to lectures.)
Pod casts make learning more enjoyable.
About 10 percent of the students learn best by listening. Therefore, it is important to use pod casts as a supplement.
Students felt that the use of pod casts helped improve their grades.
For students with no or limited connectivity, CDs or DVDs can be an option.
Useful links:
There are many lectures that are currently available at iTunes:
http://itunes.uh.edu
For information on “All About Podcasting, Everything You Needed to Know to Get Started”, go to:
http://www.uh.edu/podcast
We are starting to implement pod casts in some of our courses: audio files of the lesson notes, welcome videos, and video clips where the professor gives a mini-lecture. I found the information in this session to be very informative and would like to research this topic further.
Using a Course Template Based on the Quality Matters Rubric to Enrich Online Courses
R. Cicchino
This presenter talked about the creation and use of a template for online courses by using the Quality Matters Rubric (an institutionally developed quality assurance mechanism for online learning).
Many universities and colleges use the Quality Matters Rubric. It is based on national standards of best practice, research literature and instructional design principles.
A few key points he made at the beginning:
• Make sure that students are aware of the minimal technical requirements. Have a “tech test” early on in the course.
• A video introduction helps “build community”.
• Learning objectives should be restated.
I would like to review this Web site further to learn more about the topic:
http://www.qualitymatters.org
When we design our courses, I believe we take most of these elements into consideration but it is good to be reminded about the importance of all of them:
The elements are broken down in eight areas:
I. Course Overview and Introduction
Navigational information, course, instructor, and student information must be clearly stated at the beginning of the course
II. Learning Objectives (Competencies)
Objectives must be clearly defined.
III. Assessment and Measurement
IV. Resources and Materials
V. Learner Engagement
VI. Course Technology
VII. Learner Support
VIII. Accessibility
There are 40 standards that are assigned different points depending on their relative importance. The courses are reviewed by a team of 3 trained peer reviewers.
*The pamphlet I received outlines all 40 standards. I would like to use the rubric and go through our courses to ensure we have covered all of the important criteria. This will be an good resource even if we don’t officially use the company to review and analyze our courses.
How Active Learning Strategies Changed the World (of an OnlineGen Ed Course)
Don Humphreys, Cedarville University
This session outlined “the processes used, mistakes made, victories won, and the learning outcomes achieved as the result of redesigning” a course using Active Learning Strategies. They now use this as a model to improve their other online courses.
The framework of the Quality Matters Rubric is used at this university as well.
The presenter discussed the use of short audio clips, threaded discussion and the use of a professor’s blog to aid learning.
Each week, the content is presented, a discussion takes place and then there is time for “reflection”.
Taking quizzes multiple times aids learning (this goes with mastery learning concept).
Overall, this session didn’t really provide much in the way of active learning strategies. The use of taking quizzes multiple times is very useful and something we are looking at for an ADMN100 course as well as some other courses. The problem is the technology to implement something like this.
Enhancing Teaching and Learning Using the Technologies of Generation Y students
H. Findlay, Tuskegee University
This session discussed the world of Generation Y students and the numerous technologies that are part of their world.
Generation Y students are the ones born between 1978-1989. They are the 18-24 year olds. Other terms given to this age group are: Gen-Next, Nexters, Millennial, the Net Generation, the Digital and the Mosaic Generation. (Some of these terms were new to me!)
This group does not know life without cell phones, pagers, the internet, e-mail, voicemail and chat rooms. They are the age group that has grown up with iPods, Myspace.com, and facebook.com.
Professor Findlay indicates that this age group lets “their fingers do the thinking” so we need to keep this in mind when teaching. Most of us learn by sight (83%); some learn best by listening (11%). We need to design instruction to mirror the world of Generation Y students but also keep in mind how to teach to the different generations. At AU, I believe our demographics are slightly different. Currently our average student is older then the Generation Y students but this is certainly something to think about for future course design. He didn’t really elaborate on HOW we can use the technology to reach the Gen Y students. I would have liked some more specific examples.
He went on to say that we remember approximately 10 percent of what we read or are told via a lecture. We retaining up to 85 percent if we “show and tell”. We must design lessons that elicits retention and teaches for the transference of information. We need to bring the technologies of Gen Y to the classroom.
The presenter also discussed using the CAASE Model to promote critical thinking
C – conceptualizing (to develop skills and abilities in conceiving ideas)
A – applying rule and principles s to solve problems
A – analyzing information to break it down into component parts
S – synthesizing large amounts of information in order to summarize
E – evaluate information based on reading, observation, reflection and reasoning
He talked about using a “1-30-1” instructional design. This refers to using one concept that is not more than 30 words and can be stated in one minute.
He presented some interesting facts which we need to keep in mind as we re-design our courses as more and more of our students will be Gen Y students.
Can You Hear Me Now? Enriching Learning through Audio Integration
E. Collins J. Baron, D. Marmorella, Marist College
This session focused on the issues associated with pod casting.
The Web site listed below will be a good resource for the School of Business for we are currently incorporating pod casts into various courses.
http://www.academic.marist.edu/sloan07
Gcast was recommended by the presenter:
http://www.gcast.com/
It seems that faculty at Marist College are responsible for doing their own pod casting. This is where we at AU and/or the School of Business has the advantage – we have multimedia specialists who produce quality audio files and videos.
Marnorella presented the many strengths of using audio. The two main reasons are that it obviously reaches the auditory learners and it adds a more personal touch to the course. Students like to hear a voice. The research at their college shows the majority of students have a strong preference for audio commentary.
Guest speakers can be brought in this way. Students definitely like the change in pace. We, too, have thought about this idea.
Here’s a link to his research:
http://www.users.muohio.edu/sommerjd/research.htm
Some excellent software he suggested:
Audacity - to edit audio clips
Adobe 8 – great embedding sound files
Dragon Naturally Speaking - to transcribe audio
MSWord - has an “insert audio” component – this would be good to personalize marker comments.
http://www.users.muohio.edu/sommerjd/research.htm
I definitely agree that “the use of audio increases quality of the learning experience”.
Promoting Active Learning in the Online Classroom through Innovative Course Design
M. Roberts
The focus of this session was that “successful course design must engage the online learner by bringing learning material to life.” Several ideas were put forth:
• Options for students – for multi-learning styles
• Group projects – need to be well-devised; gives students a sense of community
• Gallery walk – several discussion threads
• Debates – students have to prepare both sides of argument. This can be done in a discussion thread.
• Case Studies – let students chose their own topic of interest
• In-classroom session once a week. If students can’t be there in person, have a transcript available for them to read. (This obviously wouldn’t work for us.)
• Use of multimedia – show a video and then follow up with discussion questions
• Audio files – for important instructor notes
• Interactive exercises
• What you do in the classroom can be done online. Think how it can be done.
• Guest lecturer
None of this information was really new or anything that I could bring back for our courses as we implement most of these elements already.
This is Robert’s web site that I would like to explore further:
http://www.virtuallearningassociates.com/
Student Suggestions on Preventing Plagiarism,
Y. Liu, T. Acosta, University of Houston
This presentation discussed “suggestions on preventing plagiarism”. Approximately 300 students participated in this project. Students were encouraged to use Turnitin as a learning tool – to check over their papers before submitting to be marked. The projected looked at student perceptions, suggestions and feedback on the use of Turnitin.
Generally, it was found that students claim to know what plagiarism is but yet want more instruction on it. Approximately one quarter of the students copy but do not consider it a form of plagiarism.
One note of warning is that students could copy material directly from a print textbook and this may not be in the Turnitin database. So one must be cautious. It isn’t a 100 percent reliable source.
It was noted that some students had technical problems with using Turnitin.
*Important to know this – we have to be prepared with instructions on how to use this tool and/or be prepared to provide technical support.
Overall, positive feedback was received. Over 30 percent indicated that the tool helped them understand plagiarism. They agreed that it encourages “original” work.
Students felt it was very important that they be informed about the different aspects of plagiarism.
It was suggested that the policy be on every syllabus and that students be reminded on each assignment. Instructors should stress the severe consequences of plagiarism.
Students suggested there be classes/seminars on plagiarism. They would like to see handouts on different examples of plagiarism and examples on how to properly cite sources.
*This tool could definitely be used to educate students.
Students didn’t like harsh consequences and the majority wanted the option to re-do an assignment to make it right. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”
Resource to check:
http://www.cte.usf.edu/plagiarism/index.html
We plan on piloting Turnitin in a few courses so I found this session to be quite useful and informative.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2007
Looking Forward – Where Will Online Learning Go?
Dr. Karen Swan, Kent State University, Dr. Chuck Dziuban, University of Central Florida
This was an interesting session that speculated on the future of online learning.
Both presenters compiled information from various educators across U.S. and came up with very similar lists on where they think online learning is headed:
• Open source
• Mobility
• On demand - just in time learning
• Modularity
• Collaborative with other institutions
• Outsourcing
Young people today use technology for leisure and social activities but not so much for learning. We control the future to some extent. We can offer:
• More flexible learning
• Learning while mobile
• Audio-enabled material
• More pods, blogs, etc.
• Second life
The growth rate for online enrolments is 9.5%. (I believe this stat is for US colleges/universities.)
Technology is “unbundling” real estate, publishing, banking, music – the traditional way of doing business has changed dramatically. As society changes, so does higher education. We are dealing with an information revolution and globalization. We need to respond accordingly.
This session provided “food for thought” and I believe AU is certainly a leader in many of these components already.
You Only Live Twice: Making the Most of Second Life in Education
Kenneth Hartman, Drexel University Online; Kevin Jarrett, Walden University, Catherine Parsons, Duchess County BOCES
This presentation was done with one presenter in person and the other two virtually in Second Life using audio.
Ken Hartman talked about Second Life providing “increased interaction” and a “sense of community”.
He said that in 5-10 years, students will demand, not desire, this type of environment. I think there is no doubt that this type of environment engages the student. We need to focus on how this can be used in learning.
The second presenter talked about immersing himself in this environment for six months and acknowledged that there is a large learning curve. Not too many people have that kind of time. However, one can learn the skills to build or hire someone. He acknowledged the learning curve for the student to become an avatar is also high. *These are valid concerns for any institution.
The safety of students was questioned – he indicated that “if you need to control everything, this isn’t for you” as you cannot control the environment one hundred percent. You will find the same things in real life that you could find in Second Life.
Several more questions were raised:
1) The avatar can be male or female. How do you know who you are dealing with? This could pose problems but it could also be a learning tool for role-playing.
2) There is a high level of engagement but how do you assess if learning has taken place?
3) Accessibility may be an issue.
4) Hardware problems are an issue – you need a powerful pc to run this application.
Most people seemed interested in this environment but from the questions that were asked, many were skeptical about its use in an educational setting. I see it as a possible tool for future educational use. Right now, I think it can be used for marketing AU and our courses – to have a “presence”. Currently, it would be difficult to use due to the technical issues around SL.
Social Computing: Cost Effective Technologies for Online Education
C. Tomer, University of Pittsburgh
This session basically discussed a list of technologies that could be used. The presenter didn’t go into detail so it wasn’t informative in that sense. It is useful to be made aware of what’s out there, though, and I would like to research some of these further.
CourseCast by Panopto – for video capturing.
http://www.panopto.com/
Blogging – course related chronicles by students.
https://www.blogger.com/start
WordPress or PodPress(with Plugins) – open source, blogging application
http://wordpress.org/
Loud Blog – free, for sound files
http://www.loudblog.com/
Google groups – or sharing documents, constructing collaborative activities, for students with limited skills.
http://groups.google.com
*This is one area I am interested in exploring further.
We have a few courses that would like to use “grouping” of students and we need to find a way to do it in an asynchronous environment.
SkypeCast – to communicate with an audience.
Open University Video Conferencing (England) – free request an account
http://www.ouw.co.uk/info/technology.shtm
So, overall, this session ended up giving me a list links to various technologies that may be useful in our course delivery.
Interesting Exhibits/Vendors
Kryterion Online Secured Testing
This is relatively new company that may be worth investigating further.
http://www.kryteriononline.com/
This company has developed a way for a student to do an online exam from their home (or anywhere) without an invigilator or the cost of an invigilator. It uses a web camera and biometric technology (fingerprinting and digital photographs) to verify the identity of the student. It also uses data forensics to monitor the keyboarding of the student and can recognize any change in pattern.
Each student is monitored through “online proctoring” and with the aid of the data forensics, cheating can be detected immediately.
This company claims that their “online proctoring” is secure, affordable and accessible. Another benefit, they claim, is that there is “less opportunity for collusion between a no-so-reputable proctor” and a student.
I see this as a possible option for our students who are in remote areas and cannot find an invigilator. In the long-run, it would be cheaper for a student since there wouldn’t be any invigilator fees.
I talked to Mark Fabbro about this and he is interested in learning more about this so I have forwarded the information to him.
Handout – Becoming a Successful Online Student
Eight Readiness Factors
I picked up this handout which was rather interesting. I wonder how many of our students are really prepared for online courses. This questionnaire-type handout asks the students several questions. If the answers are predominantly “Yes”, then the student is ready to become an online student. If there are many “No’s”, it is suggested that they take a basic computer course and confer with a Learning Skills Specialist. An interesting idea.
One of the readiness factors talks about “self-motivation skills” and the fact that online learning requires a higher level of discipline and motivation than most traditional courses. It also talks about the importance of good communications skills – a student needs good reading and writing skills. Having access to a reliable computer system and the internet is another must. The handout leads the student through the “action” of determining if their pc has the minimum requirements that are required.
It might be useful to incorporate this into an online checklist for new students – something to think about.
Overall, I found the conference to be somewhat useful. I think we are “ahead” of many of these institutions. Many are just starting to offer online courses and some of them offer parts of their course online so they are more in a blended environment. It is always exciting to see “what’s out there” and to confirm that we are on the right track! | en |
