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Video Presentation

The Next Generation of Distance Learning and Web 2.0 Technologies

http://s1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh506/carolynalm/?action=view&current=theNextGenerationofDistanceLearning1.mp4

 

References

Module 5: Media and Technology

As stated in the discussion for Week 5, I feel that “Using appropriate media and design methods to promote learner-centered learning through diverse and effective technology is of primary importance in distance learning (Fahy, 2008, p. 172), especially at the undergraduate level.”

I am especially interested in “designer-created differentiated learning,” meaning that I want to design learning experiences specifically for one learner or type of learner who may not be main stream.   I would like to see this type of instruction become more available since distance learning has not reached all learners, and I believe distance education has the potential to reach most learners if designed to meet specific needs. For example, Fahy pointed out that field dependent learners were not as satisfied with online learning (p. 170). Yet, field dependent learners should find collaboration and cooperation a familiar way to learn, so as learning becomes more dynamic they may find it more comfortable.  Perhaps, if learning material were designed for the particular learner, different learning styles would find learning to be easier. Also, I believe that static information can be made more interactive, which in turn makes the information more dynamic if the learner is interacting with it. My question is how does cognitive flexibility theory fit here? What about Bandura’s self-efficacy? In addition, Olaniran (2009) pointed out that “In essence, cultural differences can influence the use and selection of technologies in e-elearning” (p. 263). Olaniran also pointed out that Web 2.0 tools are more in line with individualistic types of culture, i.e., Western, versus countries like Africa, Japan, and Asian countries (p. 262). If we are designing learning-centered experiences, many factors must be taken into account, which is why I would like to see differentiated learning become an option.

Perhaps one of the reasons distance learning is popular is that it seems to be more personal. I am interacting with the material on a different level than in a face-to-face classroom. I do not feel isolated or alone in an online  class, and if I have a question classmates are more than helpful in clarifying ideas and thoughts. I merely need to ask. In addition, if i get really confused, I only need to ask for guidance from my instructor. Designing instruction to make the material more personal for the learner should include using whatever tools are most effective for that learner. Simulations and virtual reality are possible ways to help students connect with information in a more productive and useful way because it makes the material more tangible.

Fahy, P. (2008). Characteristics of interactive online learning media. In Anderson, T. (Ed.). The theory and practice of online learning (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Olaniran,B. (2009). Culture, learning styles, and Web 2.0. Interactive Learning Environments, 17(4), 261-271

Responses to Other Blogs:

Module 5: Media and Technology – Resources

http://michellenotes.blogspot.com/2012/02/module-5-blog-post.html#comment-form

http://helloworld-educationaltechnology.blogspot.com/2012/02/module-5-where-am-i-on-static-dynamic.html?showComment=1328647340505#c5863131009809869945

Module 4 Engaging Learners with New Strategies and Tools

Here is the graphic organizer.

While I do not believe all technological tools that learners use should be brought into the classroom, I think some of the ones they use support learner-centered learning and enhance learning and self-efficacy through their use. Some of the more effective ones are shown on the graphic organizer and include wikis, blogs, social networks, Google documents, virtual worlds, email, chat rooms, IM, mobile phones, discussion forums, podcasts, You Tube, videos, and LMS.

Each has its use and its place.  As shown on the graphic organizer, some tools are better for content, some for communication, and some for collaboration. Some technological tools fit all three areas. As Meyer (2010) stated, however, “Tools are understood only through their use and uses, rather than through some abstract conceptualization of their characteristics. This means that Web 2.0 tools are best understood by evaluating what students learn through their use in education and not through discussions of the possibilities of these tools,” (p. 226). In addition, some tools are more appropriate for a particular pedagogy and teaching approach (Anderson and Dron, 2011).

For content development, wikis, blogs, videos, podcasts, LMS, and YouTube are appropriate tools. Wikis do have some challenges for those who have never used them as pointed out by Meyer (2010). For example, only one person can work at a time because work will be overwritten (p. 230). Videos are visual ways to present information, and depending on the school setting, and the student, may be an alternate way to support a particular learning style. YouTube is a repository for videos and can be used as a resource. Podcasts can be video and auditory or just auditory. Like the video, podcast can be used to support an auditory learning style, too. Virtual worlds are, according to Anderson and Dron (2011) “immersive technologies, such as Second Life,” (p. 86). This technology presents a visual, virtual environment, for example, a depiction of a school. It may be more a more conducive environment for those who need a more face-to-face type of learning. Learning Management Systems (LMS) provide an organized, structured, and secure way to present content. As stated by Zdravkova, Ivanovic, and Putnik (2011) “In spite of everything, students preferred lectures the most,” (p. 19) and reported that their LMS [Moodle] supported Web 2.0 technologies (p. 18).

Blogs and wikis seem to be the most applicable technologies for content, communication, and collaboration. Meyer (2010) reported that overall “students perceived the use of blogs to be easy and were a good tool,” (p. 231). Fong (2011) was referring to blogs and wikis when he stated, “Web 2.0 allows users to create their own interactive content and make them available online to other users,” (p. 298). Blogs support critical thinking, literary skills, and the ability to use the Internet for research purposes,” Fong further stated (p. 299). Social networks remind us of Facebook and MySpace as Ryberg and Christiansen (2008) pointed out, but there are social networking sites based on an “affinity or interest groups” (p. 212) Baym as quoted in Ryberg and Christiansen said that online groups were not replaced by networks, and they are growing “on Web boards, in multiplayer online games and even on the all-but-forgotten Usenet (Baym, 2007, Introduction Section, paras, 1-3).” Zdravkova, Ivanovic and Putnik (2011) reported negative reactions by students to using social networks for distance learning preferring to keep their private life separate from school (p. 4). However, in the context of Baym, social networks designed to share an interest might be more feasible. In fact, Ryberg and Christiansen (2008) seemed to be supporting Siemens and the actor-network theory when the researchers said, “However, these online communities are taking more complex forms where the participants spread across and draw on several sites and resources in their engagement, as our analysis suggests,” (p. 218). Google Documents is an online environment where teachers and students can collaborate and work on documents if given access. It tracks work so teachers can see who worked on what when. This technology would support group work, and the teacher may be able to use it to watch for plagiarism for further opportunities to educate avoidance.

Rapid communication is a positive result of technology. We now have email and instant messaging (IM), chat rooms, cell phones and smartphones, blogs and wikis, and podcasts. Durrington, Berryhill, and Swafford (2006) stated that chat rooms should be set up by instructors as a place to share ideas and have dialogues (p. 192). Blogs and wikis continue to be places where students can post comments and replies.  Podcasts can be used as a communication tool by instructors and as a medium for feedback and insight.

Anderson, T. and Dron, J. (2011). Three generations of distance education pedagogy. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(3), pp. 80-97.

Durrington, V. A., Berryhill, A., & Swafford, J. (2006). Strategies for enhancing student interactivity in an online environment. College Teaching, 54(1), 190−193.

Fong, W. (2011). From Web 2.0 to classroom 3.0. In K. Kwan et al. (Eds.): International Conference on Hybrid Learning, 2011, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 6837, pp. 298-305.

Meyer, K. (2010). A comparison of Web 2.0 tools in a doctoral course. Internet and Higher Education, 13, pp. 226-232.

Ryberg, T. and Christiansen, E. (2008). Community and social network sites as technology enhanced learning environments. Teaching, Pedagogy, and Education, 17(3), pp. 207-219.

Zdravkova, K., Ivanovic, M., and Putnik, Z. (2011). Online First. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com/content/d104l7104k1650q3/

Comments to other blogs:

http://www.edtechu.org
http://michellenotes.blogspot.com/

 

 

Alm Module 3 assessing collaborative efforts

Participation in a collaborative learning community should be assessed by the quality and quantity of interactions and by providing different types of collaboration opportunities (Siemens, Laureate Education, Inc., 2008; Swan, 2004). Rubrics should be used to assist the student in achieving the objectives for the assignment, and in turn, rubrics help the instructor to make a fair and equitable assessment of each student’s work (Swan, 2004; Siemens, Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). Rubrics are a fantastic tool since they identify varying levels of achievement, which helps the student know areas to focus on if there is a problem. Standards need to be set for the number of postings that are required, and a schedule should tell students when to start and when to stop posting.

I am one of the students who would oppose a certain type of collaboration. I have been in a course setting where a group project was required. We received one group grade for the project. I did not like that grading system because if someone did not do his or her part, we would all receive a lower grade, which is what happened. That class was not at the doctorate level, but that type of thing happens often in lower level classes. However, Andrew Marcinek gave steps to establish collaborative assessment in secondary schools by

• Step 1: Set clear objectives and tasks
• Step 2: Allow for open collaboration
• Step 3: Allow access to learning tools
• Step 4: Limit explicit direction
• Step 5: Define clear expectations

If a student did not want to network or collaborate, members of the learning community could make an extra effort to include or interact with the individual in discussions and strive to help the individual build confidence and trust in the group. According to Swan (2004), the student interacts with four levels: peers, content, instructor, and interfaces (p. 1). The instructor could listen to the student’s concerns and offer suggestions that were in line with the course objectives. If the student did not participate in the collaborations, it could have a significant impact since assessment is based on meeting the requirements of the rubrics. The instructor, according to Siemens (2008), should change the assessment and make the assignment one that gives an experience, like role playing. The instructor could also make sure there were a wide variety of collaboration experiences so that the course was not build around one collaborative experience, and that variety would give the reluctant individual other opportunities to become more comfortable.

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

Marcinek, A. (2012). Importance of collaborative assessment in a 21st century classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/collaborative-assessment-digital-classroom-social-media-tools

Swan, K. (2004). Relationships between interactions and learning in online environments. The Sloan Consortium.

Comments to Other Blogs:

http://rodrussell-roderickr.blogspot.com/

http://slayeduc.blogspot.com/

Storyboard for Video Podcast: Web2.0 technologies and the Next Generation in Distance Learning

I have revised my storyboard. Please give lots of feedback since I did not feel confident about this aspect of the project.

web2.0technologies_storyboard

Alm Blog Post for Module 2: Elements of Distance Education Diffusion

As Siemens (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008) pointed out, global diversity is one element that contributed to the acceptance of distance learning. Global diversity, Siemens explained, was accepted by corporations because they could communicate with different offices worldwide. Thus, when Siemens used the term, global diversity, he meant that people could be separated by geographical distances, but still participate in distance education. Now, students and instructors are globally diverse. Siemens was not discussing ethnic or cultural diversity, which seems to be the general use of the term. Perhaps, a better term would be “globalization.” As pointed out by Dr. Wheeler (30 November 2011), “It is a force that affects our economy, travel, exchange of goods and services, access to information, communication, health provision, education delivery and even the way we have begun to reconceptualise the world about us.”

In this same vein, Martha Kanter (2011), Under Secretary, U. S. Department of Education, explained that “Today the United States is more diverse than ever and with President Obama’s leadership, reaching out to other countries around the world is ever more important. What’s incredible is that our knowledge economy is changing at the same time as our global diversity changes, at the same time as American diversity increases throughout our population.”

I agree with Siemens that global diversity helped make distance learning an acceptable learning option. Distance learning is open to anyone, and students and instructors can live anywhere and still learn and teach. This factor led schools to find instructors who are knowledgeable about distance teaching principles and pedagogy. Classes began to be more than online textbooks; real classes based on sound principles taught by educators no matter where they lived became the norm, drawing more students from diverse locations as well.

Center for Global Advancement of Community Colleges. (2011). Leadership interview series: Martha J. Kanter Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Education. CC global gazette. Retrieved from http://www.cgacc.org/globalgazette/blog/2011/05/31/diversity-in-global-education-networks-interview-with-martha-kanter-under-secretary-u-s-department-of-education/

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

Wheeler, Steve. (November 30, 2011). Global forces. Learning with ‘e’s. Retrieved from http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2011/11/global-forces.html

Response to Other Blogs:

Elements of Distance Education Diffusion

http://transeyblogs.blogspot.com/2011/12/element-of-collaborative-interaction-as.html#comment-form

Alm Blog Post for Module 1

Ally (2008a), Anderson (2008b), and Simonson (2000) are working toward a uniform, standardized concept for a quality online learning philosophy that will support a theory of online learning so that researchers and scholars can build frameworks and a useful body of knowledge. Simonson’s equivalency theory framework helps to create a learning environment that offers information that results in the same learning outcomes because it incorporates time and space, student, and instructor (Simonson, 2000, p. 30). A unified theory will improve the student experience in distance learning by ensuring that knowledge and information are presented in effective, valid ways, using techniques that are appropriate and useful. In addition, this unified theory will make learning more learner-centered, which is a new trend in education that I hope continues and seems grounded in Dewey’s (1938) ideas of education and experience. Education in the past has worked to meet government and business needs rather than capitalizing on the individual’s abilities and interests, which seems backwards. It is in the best interest of both business and government that individuals fulfill their capabilities since everyone would then benefit rather than the individual being exploited. Based on strategies proposed by Kaufman, Oakley-Browne, Watkins, and Leigh (2003), there would be positive benefits on the mega, macro, and micro levels.

Recent trends discuss the social aspects of online learning and how it promotes collaborative learning. While I do believe in the value of collaboration and the dynamics of group thinking, I am not a proponent of using social media for online learning at higher levels of education. Social media preference may be an aspect of a certain cognitive learning style, and it may have a place in the corporate learning structure and elementary and secondary education. As Moller, Foshay, and Huett (2008c) stated “It also seems plausible that the type of learner who typically engages in web-based educational courses (adult, independent learners with higher internal loci of control) have goals and preferences when it comes to online learning that may not lend themselves well to learning communities(Navarro & Shoemaker, 2000; Reisetter & Boris, 2004)” (p. 74). At the elementary and secondary levels of education, it seems a good approach since these students prefer social media. As Moller, Robinson, and Huett (in press) noted, “In a recent needs assessment focus group at a small east coast university, we were struck to learn that 100% of the students were active participants in either Facebook or Twitter. The students felt that Facebook provided a great model for what technology-enabled social networking could be in an educational setting” (p. 21).

On of the most important topics is instructional design and how to improve the process. As mentioned by Simonson (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008d), taking a face-to-face class and moving it to the Internet was a quick and easy way to get a class online, but it was not the best way. Huett, Moller, Foshay, and Coleman (2008e) suggested that “There is a strong need for instructional designers, specifically trained in distance education technologies and design, who are ready to tackle distance education challenges at all levels” (p.65). Using a collaborative approach to developing classes and involving the instructor as a contributing member in the instructional design is dynamic and positive approach that promotes a more thorough presentation and implementation (Huett, Moller, Foshay, and Coleman, p.65).

Developing standards, criteria, theories, and framework establish distance learning as an area of education that is a separate, unique, and valid area of education. It is not a by-product of face-to-face education, but a different approach to learning. When it first started it went through several stages of development. Today, it is an accepted and respected way to learn, and it opens the door to unexplored ways to learn. That learning is shifting to learner-centered is a beneficial change for society since this type of learning offers value at the mega, macro, and micro levels (Kaufman, Oakley-Browne, Watkins, and Leigh, 2003).

Ally, M. (2008a). Foundations of educational theory for online learning. In T. Anderson (Ed.), The theory and practice of online learning (2nd ed., pp. 15–44). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Anderson, T. (2008b). Towards a theory of online learning. In T. Anderson (Ed.), The theory and practice of online learning (2nd ed., pp. 45–74). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York, N. Y.: Touchstone.

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.

Kaufman, R., Oakley-Browne, H., Watkins, R., & Leigh, D. (2003). Strategic planning for success: Aligning people, performance, and payoffs. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

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

Moller, L., Foshay, W., & Huett, J. (2008d, 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.

Huett, J., Moller, L., Foshay, W. & Coleman, C. (2008e, 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 classes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 84, 29–34.

Discussion posts:

http://rodrussell-roderickr.blogspot.com/2011/12/module-1-next-generation-of-distance.html?showComment=1323993851416#c1282008345171107208

Potential of the Web in Education

Professional Organizations

Today, I joined three professional organizations related to educational technology: Association for Educational Communications and Technology (www.aect.org), Consortium for School Networking (www.cosn.org), and United States Distance Learning (www.usdla.org).

Hello!

Welcome to my edistancelearning blog. This blog is for me to post information related to my doctoral classes in educational technology. As I become more comfortable with my blog, I am sure I will post my opinions.  I strongly believe in online learning. It brings education to all who want it. There is no bias or discrimination in online education. You can succeed if you work at learning the information you need to master. Learning online is as difficult, if not more so, than a face to face class.