Responses to Final Projects

I responded to Cheree Hamption, Martha Thibodeau and Dwanell Dibartolo.

Principles of Distance Education Final Project 

Module 5

Blog Post- Moving Toward Dynamic Technology

After reflecting on examples of both static and dynamic technologies in education, I feel that I am in between these two types of technology. Moller (2008) discussed examples of technology that are considered in the middle of the continuum (i.e. blogs, wiki, chats, etc.), and these are examples of technology I currently implement in my classes. I feel the continuum in moving more toward dynamic, as our education board has recently identified many of the technologies on the dynamic continuum as beneficial to the education of students and decided to allow teachers to have access to these technologies; whereas before, teachers as well as students were blocked from accessing the content. We now have access to blogs, wiki, content videos, Google aps, Skype, social media, etc, and now teachers are able to allow students to expand learning and deepen understanding.  I believe with time and careful consideration, more and more school districts will consider these dynamic technologies and see the benefit to incorporating them into the curriculum.

References

Moller, L. (2008). Static and dynamic technological tools. [Unpublished Paper].

Responses to Cheree Thompson & Kristy Burrough

Module 4

Blog Post Module 4

Many aspects that are labeled in the graphic organizer above display technological tools that have not only altered the way distance education is constructed, but also how students and instructors interact and collaborate. Siemens (2008) discussed the way technology alters our society also impacts the role of educators. The tools that are now available enhance the way we learn and interact in the distance education environment.

Many tools in the graphic organizer under each category can easily be overlapped with others, and I felt this crossover was most prominent with collaboration and communication. When students and instructors collaborate, they are also communicating in a variety of ways through the use of wiki’s document sharing, Skype etc.  When reflecting aspects of content, I felt this category can be seen as broad and subjective based on the distance education course.

All in all, all the tools and technology that correlated with collaboration, content and communication work hand in hand to enhance distance education.

Siemens, G. (2008). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. ITForum.

Responses to the following blogs:

http://amusingmoose.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/technological-tools-to-engage-the-learner-2/#comment-50 


http://charee1019.blogspot.com/

MODULE 3

Responess posted to Kristy Burrough & Cheree Hampton

Blog Post – Module 3

• How should participation in a collaborative learning community be assessed?

Participation in a collaborative learning environment should be assessed by the instructor based on the level of involvement the student displays (Palloff & Pratt, 2007). These expectations should be outlined in the course syllabus or given in a rubric so all students are aware of these expectations. The rubric can outline participation guidelines in the discussion forums and assess student’s individual attempts to collaborate or respond within the forum. Evaluation and assessment should be a large portion of the learning process with the instructor providing insightful feedback on assignments and discussions (Palloff & Pratt, 2005).

• How do the varying levels of skill and knowledge students bring to a course affect the instructor's "fair and equitable assessment" of learning?

Due to the wide variety of students that participate in the online courses instructors and students may come into contact with varying goals and views on their personal participation level; the group of students in the online setting can range from overachievers that go above and beyond the expectation to inexperienced students that are new to distance education (Laureate Education Inc., 2008).  It is imperative for instructors to take into account the individual students perception of their learning abilities (Palloff & Pratt, 2007).

• If a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community for an online course, what should the other members of the learning community do?

I feel that providing encouragement through communication either in the course discussions or through e-mail. When the student feels comfortable and the sense of trust is built, the student may be more willing and eager to collaborate with others (Swan, 2004). Communication also opens the lines for other to understand the root issue causing the student’s willingness to collaborate minimal. The cause could range from time management or negative experiences in prior collaborative environments.

• What role should the instructor play?

The role of the instructor should include providing encouragement and guidance to students that are participating in the online learning environment, both students who are actively participating and those who are not. It is also the role of the instructor to mediate between providing the support and reminding students of the expectations of the course. The students should be familiar with the consequences of lacking in collaboration.

• What impact would this have on his or her assessment plan?

The students earn their grades, they are not simply given. If the students meet the criteria outlined at that start of the course on the rubrics or in the syllabus they students grade will reflect their participation; the same goes if a student does not meet criteria.

The following bogs discuss similar topics in relation to education and distance education.

http://theweeklygumboot.blogspot.com/2009/02/classroom-community-times-be-changin.html

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Responses posted to:

Module 3 Storyboard

Here is my storyboard for my multimedia presentation.

Collaboration Storyboard


I plan to use iMovie for the final product.

Module 2

George Siemens discussed the widening acceptance for distance education in both the business world and educational fields. Distance education is creating learning opportunities for many students by giving them the option to participate in a flexible and engaging learning environment. Three elements have been identified that give online learning communities their own individuality: Communication, global diversity and collaboration.

I agree with his view of online learning communities, especially the element of collaboration among peers and instructors and how that coincides with the success of the course.  Having the ability to communicate and work successfully with one another will hopefully build collaborative skills that can be applied into the work place. Communication has evolved greatly over the past century; first with writing letters, the telephone, computers and now the new smart phone and social media technology. Now with the increased implementation of distance education we will begin to see the quality of collaboration and communication increase (Laureate Education Inc., 2008).

There are many tools that come into play to support collaboration in an online community: blogs, wikis, you tube, Google, social media, web conferencing (i.e. skype) and the list continues. With these new technologies the geography no longer prevents communication.

Here is a site that outlines the history of communication. It is very interesting to see how it has progressed. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_history_of_communication.htm

Also, here is a blog that I have found about good and great communication skills. http://www.communicationskillsblog.com/

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author.

Posting to the following blogs: Martha Thibodeau and Kimberly Arlia

Module 1- The next generation of distance educaiton

What comes to mind when you hear the term distance education? Many would immediately think of post secondary online institutions; however in today’s education system the term, distance education, does not only applies to college programs, but now this type of teaching and instruction is rapidly growing in k-12 education.  Many questions and concerns from students and as well as instructors about the learning environment and impact the online environment may have on participants.

Dr. Michael Simonson (2000) discussed the importance of establishing a balance of theories presented in distance education. He believes that the way distance education is established and perceived should evolve to the nest step or generation, just as the traditional face to face teaching evolved as new technology and strategies are presented (Simonson, 2000).  The idea behind distance education provides opportunity to learn and build skills in a variety of ways depending on the learner as well as the instructor. Simonson presents the idea that distance education should not be identical to face to face teaching; in fact, it should be equivalent to face to face teaching. Meaning learners have access to participate in the same learning experience through the use of different technologies, strategies, and experiences to meet the same learning outcomes. (Simonson, 2000).

Moller, Forshay, Huett and Coleman (2008) composed a series of three articles discussions components of distance learning focused mainly on the business approach as well as the impact of instructional design on the distance learning program as well as the learner.  The view these authors took on the importance of instructional design and the composition of the online programs differed from that view that Simonson took. I feel that both aspects and points of view are valuable to establishing a successful distance learning community. Moller, Forshay and Coleman (2008) felt that distance education can be beneficial for a variety of reasons, but distance education in aspects of k-12 instruction lacks adequate support and research to enable it to be as successful as post secondary institutions and businesses.  Because of this lack of support and knowledge, I feel that many students that struggle in the traditional setting do not often get the opportunity to participate in an online learning community that may better suit their learning styles.

Overall, both opinions have valid points and foresee the change in the future of distance learning either to keep up with the vast growth of participants or due to the change in technological advances.  Due to the rapid growth in distance education and advancements in technology, over the next ten years I feel that distance education will have a great impact on many aspects of our society.  

References

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 1: Training and development). TechTrends, 52(3), 70-75.
Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008, May/June). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 2: Higher education). TechTrends, 52(4), 66-70.

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Coleman, C. (2008, September/October). The evolution of distance education: Implications for instructional design on the potential of the web (Part 3: K12). TechTrends, 52(5). 63-67.

Simonson, M. (2000). Making decisions: The use of electronic technology in online classrooms. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 84, 29–34. 
http://www.mediafire.com/file/3422mbnbb342zeh/Simonson2000.pdf


Heather Rogers responded to Vida Martin & Martha Thidbodeau 9/17/2011