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.

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