BARB’S
CONTINUING JOURNEY INTO
THE
GSU ONLINE TEACHING CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
FINAL
BLOG (END OF PART II – ONTL 6101 LESSONS 7-9, 10)
DECEMBER
4, 2014
The
second part of Introduction to Online Teaching 6101 was interesting and fun,
but difficult at the same time due to personal issues. I tried to stay focused so that I could
benefit from the classwork, set a strong base for moving forward into the next
course ONTL 6201, and be a valued group member for our second group project.
Lesson 7
concerned itself with learning theories and instructional concepts. Our primary goal should be to help students
learn in the online environment. The
design of online courses must use a variety of methods to assist students with
different learning styles, improve deep thinking using critical thinking, allow
for collaboration in a group situation, and should provide feedback and support
in regard to learning. The behaviorist
theory looks at the “what” and facts.
Learning is viewed as a passive response to the environment or when
behavior changes. Pavlov with classical
conditioning and Skinner with operant conditioning exemplify behaviorist theory
where behavior is often shaped. Cognitive theory explains the
“how.” The learner processes the
information via active participation.
Retention and recall (memorization) of the information are
emphasized. In constructivism the
“why” is explored. Class activities are
active, student centered, and interactive.
Information is constructed and modified based on past experience. Problem solving and real world situations are
often explored. The humanism
theory places the student as central in learning. Student centered learning allows for the
teacher to be a facilitator.
Collaborative and interactive learning is important.
The use
of different theories will provide different tools for engaging the online
student on different levels. Since
students use different methods to learn a combination of these learning
theories can be applied when designing an online course and choosing appropriate
class activities. Knowing student
backgrounds and learning styles will allow a better match to the use of
learning theories when designing an online class.
Models
of instruction take into consideration strategies for assisting student learning
using a variety of activities and technology.
I have chosen three models to investigate that may lend themselves to
effective learning in the online environment.
The three models include: passive
vs active learning, student centered learning (constructivist), and a modern
model called SCCS (social + cognitive – connectedness schemata). Learning can be passive or active. Passive learning involved the ability to
present and take in lots of information, memorization is important, and the
student often sits and listens to a lecture that is teacher centered. On the other hand with active learning
students participate, are able to use different learning styles, problem
solving/critical thinking are utilized, and learning is more student
centered. Online classes that
incorporate more active learning experiences will be more meaningful to
students and provide for deeper learning.
Online classes should center around student centered learning. Students should be given some freedom into
what and how to study. As students
discuss their knowledge they become more motivated and they can connect past
experience to their learning to make it more meaningful. The instructor acts more as a
facilitator. Collaboration with
classmates will provide richness in the learning experience. Group work on labs or case studies or problem
solving using guided design can be useful for the student centered model. The third model SCCS uses discovery in learning
and technology to motivate students.
Schemata are units of knowledge which are affected by past experience
and future needs. This model allows the
student to connect past knowledge to existing current knowledge. Students are allowed to transfer knowledge at
different levels using a variety of activities.
When
designing especially an online class you should always consider the Seven
Principles of Effective (Undergraduate) Education as your primary guide. Student-faculty interaction is the
most important factor for student engagement, motivation, and persistence. One way to accomplish this in an online class
would be to start a discussion thread the first day of class to introduce
yourself to the students and then ask each student to provide their
introduction. Student cooperation is
important as learning is often a team effort.
This decreases competition and enhances collaboration which provides
support in a learning environment that feels safe. Active learning improves your
retention, understanding, and application of knowledge. It is not OK to be a passive “wallflower”
especially in an online class. Lab
groups, presentations, and group projects will help students to be active
players in their learning. Students
should receive prompt feedback on their assignments so they can monitor
their progress and make adjustments for errors that they have made. Emails should be returned within one day so
students don’t lose interest/get frustrated.
Students need to understand the importance of a time commitment to
the class. A discussion thread,
lecturette, or survey on time commitment for the class should occur very early
in the course to make students aware of how critical this is to their
success. Another method to keep students
on task for spending time is to set a deadline for each assignment. You should set high but realistic
expectations for your students. They
will expect more from themselves and achievement is often greater. Traditional and online classes should be
equivalent. An online class needs to
have the same rigor as the traditional class because an online class should not
just be the easy way out to get the credit.
Diversity should be respected in all classes. You should be conscious of students where
learning style varies and provide alternatives for activities and
assessments. Online classes also need to
be ADA compliant so course design or implementation should not cause barriers
to students who have a disability.
Lesson 8
includes online pedagogical strategies for addressing the Seven Principles,
technology based strategies, and strategies that provide for effective distance
education.
Specific
strategies are available in the online learning environment to address the
Seven Principles. Student-faculty
interaction could be improved by starting the term with an activity on the
discussion thread for classmates to become acquainted. I would start the activity with my own
introduction and then request that each student provide their own
introduction. If I have not seen a
student access the discussion board or other assignments for a few days I would
call or email the student to be sure that things are OK so that they don’t get
behind. Encouraging student-student
collaboration and cooperation is important.
Include at least one group project during the term that requires each
group member to participate and communicate with group members. Groups should be small (about 4) and guidance
should be given instructing them on how to be a good group member. I felt that our early class meetings on
Collaborate and BB IM chat were a positive and valuable experience for becoming
acquainted with classmates and provided a sense of community. Active learning is required in an
online class. From my experience the
majority of students are satisfied to be “wallflowers”, but they are just
cheating themselves in the level of learning that they could attain by using
these learning techniques. I use a
technique called “Did You Know?” where I post information and a linked article
about the topic that corresponds to a unit of study. Students can discuss the material on the
discussion board. Then I post several
questions to answer while analyzing the material. I treat it as a game whereby the first
student who responds with all of the correct answers wins some extra
credit. After the winner is declared I
post the correct answers so all students can learn. Another way to allow practice in active
learning is to use case studies or projects on controversial topics in
environment or genetics. Projects can be
presented and then classmates can analyze and respond to a project on the
discussion thread. Students deserve to
receive prompt feedback on their work.
This helps them to establish what they have accomplished in the class,
their current status, and the direction for future work. Rubrics should be used that give clear
expectations for the grading of the student’s work. Feedback on assignments should be given
within a week of the due date. I have
individual deadlines for each assignment that are spread out at appropriate
times during the term. I do accept late
work with slightly reduced credit for late work up to ten days. Student need to be made aware that a time
commitment for coursework is crucial to student success. If students have not submitted assignments or
logged in for about a week I try to email or call them to bring them back on
task. During the first week I try to
have a discussion/announcements for students about the appropriate amount of
time to be studying, the class schedule, and suggestions for ways to actively
learn. Early on students need to know
that you have high expectations for them. This helps to motivate them
and increase their effort and achievement.
Your expectations need to be stated clearly in the syllabus. Diversity is respected in the online
classroom. Activities should be
available for each learning style. The
course should be accessible for all students including those with physical or
learning disabilities. An introductory
assignment at the beginning of class to learn about student background and
interests shows respect for each unique student.
Technology
is often a common component in online classes. The technology should serve a
specific purpose and have value and should not just be used to incorporate
technology. To allow frequent student-faculty
interactions discussion threads that include both faculty and students are
valuable. This could include a place for
students to ask questions or to hold a test review in a synchronous method such
as Collaborate. Student-student interaction could be enhanced with
a learning management system (LMS) which
will often include a “Group Tools Section.”
They should interact often using threaded discussion, use live chat, or
group email for example. Technology can
often assist in promoting active learning. A
company by the name of SimBio produces online interactive labs. We have talked about incorporating them into
our Bio 1100 online course. A good one
uses an interesting simulation to illustrate how snail shell thickness evolves
in response to crab attacks. Other
lessons can be found online where virtual experimentation is designed and run
allowing students to analyze data, make conclusions, and virtually act like a
scientist. Prompt feedback helps
students to refine their learning. Many
publishers have technology packages with textbooks that help with practice and
quick feedback for students. For example
McGraw Hill has a technology called Connect/LearnSmart. I use the technology to urge students to stay
on track and pre read prior to a particular topic. In Connect I chose questions and in
LearnSmart the question choice for each student are individualized to a
student’s level of knowledge and confidence.
Each lesson has a deadline. After
assignment submission the data and score are transferred into the BB
gradebook. A running total of points is
always available for calculating the most current class grade. Technology can assist students in spending
enough time on classwork. I provide content online for student review such
as the syllabus, readings and powerpoints, and permanent course messages. McGraw Hill again publishes our text and
their technology encourages students to be prepared before doing their regular
assignments. This forces students to
spend more time studying. Having high
expectations will usually allow for better student performance. If you have students post assignments or
projects then classmates could evaluate them.
If they know that their peers will review their work it will boost the
quality. There should be respect for
diversity of many different kinds of students in your online
classroom. The classroom activities and
assignments should reflect several different learning styles so that a variety
of students can be reached. Games can
bring variety to the classroom. I use Biology Jeopardy when I do a test reviews
for my traditional classes. I think that
this could be adapted to the online course by utilizing powerpoints and/or
Collaborate to review before a unit quiz for example.
While
many strategies can work in both the traditional and online classroom, some are
especially useful in online classes because online classes are so student
centered. Learning contracts that
detail what is to be learned, now, and for how long helps to give the student responsibility
for their learning. Discussion is
an important method in online courses because it is active and
collaborative. The discussion may be on
a thread (asynchronous) or on a Collaborate session (synchronous). Discussion can promote analysis and deep
thinking skills. Mentors can be
useful in the online environment to serve as a support contact and guide who
has frequent contact with the student.
Something that I would like to include in my online class would be a
project. Projects done in small
groups promote discussion, collaboration, and deeper thinking skills.
In
lesson 9 we found out how important the use of technology has become in the
online environment. Multimedia includes
sound, graphics, and text in combination using a computer. Streaming audio could be a speaker’s
voice presentation or a recorded lecture.
Streaming video could be an interesting clip on animal behavior
for example. Chat such as BB IM
or Collaborate are useful collaboration tools.
A technology that is new to me is Web Whiteboards. This can be used as a conference tool where
both faculty and students can draw/outline on a whiteboard in a collaborative
effort. Hand held devices like
I-Phones lend themselves to better communication and conferencing. File sharing appears to be relatively
new to online education but may be useful for group work. Peer-peer sharing does not require the
use of a server.
The one Web
2.0 technology I found was called Classroom 2.0 LIVE which is a
series of Saturday shows whereby teachers can work together using
technology. The format used here are
weekly webinars using BB Collaborate.
There are also a variety of discussion forums available using Google
Classroom 2.0 Search where you can search by tools, subject, or educational
area. The Google Classroom 2.0 subject
for biology could provide additional content for students in an online biology
class. The webinars using Collaborate or
the discussion forums could provide student-student or student-faculty
collaboration.
There
are many good resources on the Internet that can be used to locate content for
online classes. Open Educational
Resources (OER) include various kinds of sites for viewing educational
materials. I found MERLOT (Multimedia
Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching) from California State
University to be useful when looking for multimedia resources in biology for
our group Wiki project. The resource
that I chose was an interactive site on field plant ecology. Open CourseWare Consortium is a site for
instructional materials from more than 200 universities. Scitable which is connected with the
publishers of Nature are now making contributions to OER with free materials in
the sciences.
Today
most publishers offer technology along with their textbooks to enhance student
success. I know that Pearson and Wiley
have technology products sold along with their textbooks. Again with McGraw Hill which we use with the
online Bio 1100 course questions can be chosen by the teacher or selected
specifically for each student adjusted to their knowledge and confidence
level. Students cannot outsmart the
system. If they try to bluff their way
through they will get more questions and it will take longer until they can
prove mastery! I use the assignments as
regular credit assignments. They are
almost all graded automatically and recorded in the BB gradebook.
For my
part of the second group project using the Wiki I found two excellent resources
for biology online instruction. I used
MERLOT to search for an ecology simulation and found one from Bucknell
University on plant sampling which simulated a field exercise for online
students. For the text source I searched
Google for a biology/technology web site with articles. The Educause website provided an appropriate
article on new technology, how it was used, and the effects it had on learning
in a college level biology course.
Both
lessons 6 and 10 concerned with the eportfolio. Eportfolios are becoming useful for
showcasing student work, to apply for a job, or to use it for evidence of your
work in a particular area. The
eportfolio may be of use to me as evidence of the work done for the Certificate
in Online Teaching certificate. Earning
the certificate will make me eligible for a range change and will make me a
more effective online teacher. The
eportfolio should include an introduction, resume, individual course content,
group work from the course, and reflection for each of the four courses in the
certificate program. I chose Weebly to construct my eportfolio site. It is attractive, easy to build, and easy for
the user of the site to navigate.
I have
learned a lot about learning theory, principles that should guide your online
teaching, technologies, and methods to enhance online teaching. Our group projects have been valuable in
learning how to collaborate and discuss items of importance. ONTL 6101 is an outstanding course from which
I have gained much knowledge, a cohort of helpful classmates, enjoyed working
with an excellent instructor, and brand new excitement for teaching my online
class!
