Online Learning Communities

 This week we were asked to reflect on our learning about online learning communities.  The following questions seek to discover the benefits of online learning communities, and how students perceive that community.

How do online learning communities significantly impact both student learning and satisfaction within online courses?

“Learning communities create a dynamic where facilitators and learners are equal participants” (Laureate Education, n.d.).  Learners in an online environment have the unique situation in that the learners are able to direct their own learning.  They are given the task of challenging each other, being able to draw things out of each other and professionally give each other feedback.  The goal is co-created knowledge and meaning.   A students’ perception of learning becomes deeper from these experiences, and they are happier with their results.

What are the essential elements of online community building?

There are three main elements that form an online community.

People-have to interact with others, social presence.

Purpose-how the people are brought together, in this case an online class.  This element comes with guidelines and policies to help the class develop.  Not only are there classroom guidelines, but there are also state and federal guidelines that must be followed in an online class.

Process-how the course is delivered.  Set up process for a learner-to-learner environment.  They need to engage with each other to make meaning. 

Not one of these can be dealt with in isolation.  They all interact with each other.

How can online learning communities be sustained?

Some strategies for sustaining online communities include holding a new student orientation.  This gets the student to know the CMS, what online learning involves, and who the members of their program will be.  Make the classroom feel warm and inviting rather than cold and formal. A learner-to-learner environment helps students become more confident in taking charge of their own learning, where by they start to become practitioner-scholars.  They will take that experience with them to the next class, and their sense of presence starts to grow. 

What is the relationship between community building and effective online instruction?

“What a faculty member does makes a difference in what students do” (Boettcher & Conrad, 2010).  When a student feels that they are part of the learning community, they become more actively involved in their learning.  It is up to the faculty member to connect with their students right at the beginning of class and it is even suggested by Drs. Palloff & Pratt to visit the class multiple times per day during the first two weeks of the course.  The instructor is responsible for setting up and maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for students to engage in meaningful learning experiences. The instructor needs to be and equal level in the class, and they need to be present throughout the entire course.

What did you learn that would help you become a more effective instructor in the future?

Community is very important in online instruction.  There may be people in a class that are isolated, not just in the fact that they are alone in a room taking your course, but also geographical location.  By establishing a learning community, students feel more impelled to log on and engage their fellow classmates in their learning.  People will become a more active learner when they feel that they can be comfortable being who they are on-line, and know that others will challenge them in the course, and that they can draw from others expertise to increase their knowledge of the subject matter. 

Drs. Palloff & Pratt also make some suggestions to set up your online community to help students feel more comfortable in your course.

Make the course easy to navigate
Make the classroom feel warm and inviting rather than cold and formal
Visit the classroom multiple times per day during the first two weeks
Welcome students to post a bio
Respond individually to their bio
Relate to something personally

Post an icebreaker for students to get to know one another on a different level (Laureate Education, n.d.)

Following these strategies will help me to be able to engage my students in the course and make them more comfortable in my learning environment.

Chris

References

Conrad, R., & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction (Updated ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (n.d.). [Video] “Online Learning Communities.”  Laureate Education. Retrieved from: http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6493411&Survey=1&47=7369045&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Scope Creep

Analyzing Scope Creep

I liken scope creep to going to Target®.  If I don’t go there with a list and a set budget, I walk out with a cart full of stuff I don’t need, and $300 poorer.

This week we are asked to recall a project that has experienced scope creep.  I can’t recall a project that I worked on that ever experienced scope creep, because every project I have been involved in has never made it past the development stage.  We have never had a project manager, and certainly never had a statement of work.  Generally our “team,” so to speak, has consisted of volunteers of fine arts teachers to work on various committees to design curriculum maps. 

As music teachers, we get off task often and never have a clear vision of what we need to accomplish.  Our curriculum coordinator changes every two years or so, and the district is constantly trying to make us legitimize what we teach, so we always have a new project to work on.  Scope creep never has a chance to happen.

With that being said, what I have learned about project management I can now apply to our next project.  I won’t necessarily assume the role of project manager, but I can develop a work breakdown structure (Greer, 2010) to make sure that everyone has a defined role, create a project schedule, and a project status report.  This way we can keep ourselves on track, and legitimize our project, no matter who our curriculum coordinator happens to be.  Perhaps we might actually complete a project, and be able to use the final result.

Resources

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.

Estimating Costs and Allocating Resources

Estimating Costs and Allocating Resources

In my search to find some helpful resources that would be useful in estimating a budget for an ID project, I cam across many sites that offered helpful advice and tips.  I’m bad at math, and helpful tips are like someone patting me on the head and telling me that I’ll learn it eventually.  I need a formula or something that is tangible that I can manipulate to see how things will break down.

The first site I visited was Tech Republic.  I found an article by Shelley Doll titled “Creating your project budget: where to begin?” http://www.techrepublic.com/article/creating-your-project-budget-where-to-begin/1045600.  This article gives guidelines on creating a realistic justifiable budget.  It has helpful suggestions such as “project costs and budget costs are two different things, identify project costs first” (Doll, 2002).  It also explains “project costs are not defined solely in monetary amounts. Include actual amounts, with shipping and taxes, for software or hardware purchases that must be made. If you’re pro-rating the costs of using pre-existing hardware and software tools, include it in number of hours. Likewise, developer effort costs are recorded in hours, not dollars” (Doll, 2002). These are things that I would never think of, and to me are extremely helpful without being patronizing.

The next site that I looked at, I actually subscribed to.  Smartsheet is an interactive spreadsheet.  It is an interactive Gantt chart.  Within the Gantt chart you can export and print, switch views between calendar and Gantt chart, add sub tasks drag and drop to instantly change dates and create task dependencies, has a mobile app for smart phones, and the ability to share with others on Google apps.  This is an app that helps me out with my math issues, and it helps with deadlines, and who is responsible for what tasks within the project.  It is great for “bottom-up budgeting” (Portney, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton & Kramer, 2008). https://www.smartsheet.com

The final page that I found helpful was Ten Step.  Ten Step is a consulting firm that specializes in Project Management.  They have posted a 10 step statement of work and posted it online.  Steps 2 and 3 are build the schedule and budget, and manage the schedule and budget.  These sections are then divided into specific sub sections that define the process and technique.  This is just detailed enough that some one like me can understand it, and not be overwhelmed, and yet not “dumbed down” to the point that I feel patronized.  The charts and tips are smartly written and although you need to be a member to continue more indepth, what they place for public viewing is enough to help the budget challenged.  http://www.tenstep.com/open/2.0BuildSchedandBudget.html

There are many great resources out there but the three I chose seemed best for me,  the mathematically challenged. 

Resources

Doll, Shelley, 2007. Web article. “Creating Your Project Budget: Where to Begin?”  Retrieved from: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/creating-your-project-budget-where-to-begin/1045600

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Smart Sheet, 2011.  Retrieved from: https://www.smartsheet.com

Ten Step, Inc. 2010.  Retrieved from:  http://www.tenstep.com/open/2.0BuildSchedandBudget.html

Communicating Effectively

Communicating Effectively

This week we were asked to observe a piece of communication in three different modalities: written text (e-mail), audio (voicemail), and video (face-to-face).  We were then asked to answer several questions about how we interpreted each message.

How did your interpretation of the message change from one modality to the next?

I found it interesting that the e-mail and the face-to face-portion seemed very casual and not so urgent.  The voicemail to me seemed very frantic, and urgent.  I would have responded more quickly to the voicemail than the others.

What factors influenced how you perceived the message?

The e-mail was written so that the words were highlighted to stress the importance of the message.  A visual learner would see this and understand the importance of getting the report sent, or see it as harsh and abrasive.  I saw it as important, but I would get around to it when I had the time.

The voice mail seemed to sound a bit more frantic.  There was an inflection in the voice that made me want to get the report out as soon as I could.

The face-to-face seemed very casual and nonchalant.  Almost a “whenever” tone.  The way the narrator was standing made me feel that it was not urgent or sincere.  I would have done it just so I didn’t have to see that person hanging on my cubicle again.

Which form of communication best conveyed the true meaning and intent of the message?

In my opinion, the voice mail seemed to be the most effective communication.  I would have sent an ETA, or the report itself right away.  I heard the tone of voice and was immediately responsive to its urgency.  But, that is just how I perceive it.  After showing the exercise to several of my students, the responses were all different.  Some liked the casual tone of the face-to-face, and others responded more positively to the e-mail.

What are the implications of what you learned from this exercise for communicating effectively with members of a project team?

It is important to communicate with all members of the team in all modalities.  Different people are going to interpret each communication in a different way.  Learning styles will determine how a person will respond to the message,

This activity has shown the importance of communicating in different modalities to ensure that everyone involved gets the message in the way that they will best interpret it.  Past classes have discussed the importance of knowing different learning styles, and this activity shows the importance of catering to those styles.  Just showing it to a few students has shown the different ways that people learn and interpret, and that an ID needs to keep that in mind when communicating with the stakeholders in a project.

Resource

 Laureate Education, Inc. (n.d). Multimedia Program. "The Art of Effective Communication" Retrieved from: http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6145/03/mm/aoc/index.html

Project "Post-Mortem"

Project Post-Mortem

I have never actually been involved in a project before, but I have been on several committees.  The specific committee that I would like to focus on is one that was formed to help develop a standardized curriculum map for music, so that all Minneapolis music teachers were teaching the same concepts across the grades.  The main idea was that any student could switch to any school in the district, at any grade level, and still learn the same thing. 

            The committee consisted of 5 elementary music teachers, 2 middle school music teachers (1 instrumental, 1 vocal), and 4 high school music teachers (1 instrumental, 3 vocal, myself included).  There was also the coordinator of Curriculum and Instruction, The Arts, and the district Associate Superintendent.  This group was voluntary, and there was no extra pay involved.  The meeting schedule was established, so that during the start of the process, all members would meet once a week, and then eventually break off into sub groups, and meet once a month, and the large group would meet bi-monthly. 

            Over the course of the year this project completely collapsed.  Although, several timelines were created, there was never a curriculum map that was fully developed or finalized.  Eventually we lost our curriculum coordinator, and our area superintendent, and their incoming replacements seemed to lack interest.

What contributed to the projects failure?

           

The first thing to fall apart was meeting.  Because this group was voluntary, and the schools in the district have different start and end times, it was hard for all members to meet.  E-mails of the discussions were sent out, but very few people would reply with other ideas to add to the discussion.  Eventually only one or two people would show up to do the bulk of the work.  According to Greer (2010), what we failed to do in the onset, is plan and run a kickoff meeting that meets these objectives:

Clarify “broad brush” work product (deliverables)

Clarify riles and responsibilities of team members

Create a shared sense of purpose among team members

Obtain specific commitment of each team member to complete assigned tasks

according to schedule and budget constraints

Make sure all team members have what they need to start work (p.10)

Even though the group was voluntary there should have been something to keep everyone committed, and guarantee that even with an administrative change that there was buy in towards the project.

Which parts of the PM process, if included, would have made the project more successful? Why?

            The problem with the whole project is that there was no Project Manager, there was no process, and there was no one in charge.  At the least, there should have been a Project Charter (Greer, 2010) or Project Schedule (Greer, 2010).  With everyone having a specific task and a specific due date, there is at least some accountability. Even if they can’t make a meeting, they can provide a tangible to work with in their absence.

Resources

Greer, M. (2010). The project management minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your projects! (Laureate custom ed.). Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.

Reflections on Distance Learning

Reflections on Distance Learning

As distance learning becomes more popular, and more educational institutions offer online learning as a part of their curriculum, the perceptions of online learning should become more positive.  According to the Pew Research Group (2011) over the past decade, enrollment in online courses at colleges and universities around the country has grown at a greater rate than overall higher education enrollment (p.4).  This trend only seems to be gaining momentum.  Many colleges and universities offer some sort of online learning whether synchronous, asynchronous, or a blended/hybrid mix, and there are virtual high schools gaining accreditation all over the country.  With this current trend, distance learning should see significant growth in the next 5-10 years. 

As more students begin to explore online classes and degrees, the perceptions of distance learning should see a positive shift.  “Those who have personal experience with online learning have somewhat more positive view of its value” (Parker, Lenhart, & Moore, 2011).   Today’s students are growing up with Web-based technologies, such as podcasts, social networking, search engines, and online role playing games.  This has prepared them to engage in online learning activities that support interaction and collaboration.

As an instructional designer I need to be able to change the perceptions of what online learning is and how its value is equal to that of a traditional class. One of the main misconceptions is that the time commitment is not as great as a traditional class.  Being an online student studying how to design online instruction, makes advocating for distance learning a natural thing to do.  I am aware of what is good with distance learning and what its pit falls are.  I have had a mostly positive experience with online learning, but I have also had a few not so positive experiences.  I understand the attributes of a successful online learner, and I can recommend to potential students of distance learning what attributes they need to have to make their experience positive, and to be effective learners.

As an instructor I need to provide the learner with the best possible experience, I need to challenge them academically, engage them socially, and encourage them constantly.  It is up to me to keep deep level learning developing in discussions, and create a learning environment where everyone wants to contribute.  It is also up to me to understand learning styles, what motivates learning and to pull the most from my learners.

In order to promote positive images of distance learning I should focus on designing learning environments that support dialogs that engage learners to collaborate, reflect, evaluate and self-direct their learning.  As the characteristics and skills of the online learner continue to emerge, the perceptions of distance education will transform itself to help promote its validity.

Resources

Dabbagh, N. (2007). The online learner: Characteristics and pedagogical implications.

Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 7(3), 217- 226.

Parker, K., Lenhart, A. & Moore, K. (2011). The digital revolution and higher education: College presidents, public differ on value of online learning. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/files/2011/08/online-learning.pdf.

Converting Face-to-Face Learning Into On-Line Learning

Converting Face-to-Face Learning to e-Learning
Tips to help ease the transition
Converting your face-to-face course into an e-learning course takes more than just
placing all of your content on-line and expecting it to be successful. There are
many factors to consider. The following are some tips and techniques to make a
successful transition.
Pre-planning Strategies
At the beginning of development ask “Why does this project need to exist? What
do they (the learners) need to do? What do they need to practice? What
information do we need to include?”
Research the Instructional Design Models
Pappas (2011) states “the use of an IDM you will ensure that learning is happen
more safely, certainly, thoroughly, and expeditiously than might otherwise
happen. At the same time, you will facilitate the learning process such that
learners require less time, incur less risk, and invest less energy than those who
learned from the raw world without assistance.”
Focus on your Couse Goals
What do you want students to learn? What steps do you take to get there? How
are these intermediate steps best facilitated? Or, how do you want them to learn
it?
Action Mapping
Action Mapping is a way to brainstorm activities. Then you can use whatever
delivery format works best for those activities – could be face to face or online.
What is Action Mapping?
1. The Strategic Goal. Start with a measurable goal for your project. Why does
this e-learning deserve to exist? How will the org benefit in a measurable way?
(the bulls eye)
2. Real world actions people need to do to reach this goal. (the green triangles)
3. Practice activities – to practice what people need to DO. (the orange hands)
4. Crucial information needed for that activity. (the blue dots)


Moore, C., (2011)
Choose the right educational technology
eLearning technology has a blog titled “Teaching Online Courses-60 Great
Resources.” They list everything from books, to online training, to social
networking, and online discussions on eLearning.
Get to know the technology you choose to use for your course. The more
comfortable the instructor is with the technology being used, the better prepared
they will be for technical glitches, and breakdowns when they happen (and they
will happen). In internet based learning the instructor needs to “be certain the
material is designed in a way that is intuitive for the various types of learners who
may be interacting with it” (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek, 2009).
Focus on Assessment
Assignments for students should be regularly scheduled, with specific due dates
and sanctions for not meeting the due dates. Students will do what is needed for
the grade and not much more. Active participation requires incentives. By tying
grades to expectations students will be more willing to have a deeper involvement
in their learning.
Choosing what content to use
Use existing resources
There is no need to reinvent the wheel. There is plenty of valuable content in
your face-to-face instruction that can be converted to an online format. “Many
textbooks come with test banks and discussion questions. Others come with
“plug-ins” for Blackboard and Web CT, if a campus is using those course
development platforms. These plug-ins have text specific content for use in online
classes. There are also repositories of learning objects from organizations like
MERLOT (www.merlot.org) which one can use to find
useful content” (Delaney, 2003). Remember though, that simply moving your
course content (PowerPoints, videos, audio, and documents) to a Learning
Management System (LMS), is not the best way to successfully implement an
online learning course.
Focus on what is NOT working in the face-to-face classroom and see if can be
improved online. Consider what students can do independently.
In-Class / Face to Face Activities                                         Online Activities
Course Introduction                                                               Course content
Collaborative small-group work                                           Announcements
Advanced discussions                                                           Course information (syllabus, schedule, etc)
Project Presentations                                                             Quizzing
Guest speakers                                                                      Course communications
Question & answer sessions                                                  Resource listing
Demonstrations & performances                                          Exam & lesson preparatory materials
Lab work                                                                               Multimedia content
Role-play & Debates (Delaney, 2003)                                  e-Portfolios
Make sure to integrate the online and in person portions of your class. They
should feel connected and feed into one another, not feel like separate courses. 

Consider Using Games as Assessment Tools
For millennia, teachers have used pop quizzes, recitals, competitions, verbal
examinations, and a variety of other testing methods to see how well their
students have learned the material. Teach and test, teach and test, the cycle repeats
itself over and over throughout the process of education. For the teacher, the
student, and any other interested parties, the purpose of this continual testing is to
demonstrate proof of learning. Examples of why such proof is necessary are:

• Student advancement from level of education to another.
• National and international comparison of students.
• Demonstration that the student has completed a particular training program.
As they move into classrooms around the world, on computers and even video
game consoles, serious games will continue this tradition of testing. (Michael &
Chan, 2005)
When using games as an assessment there are three main assessments to consider.
• Completion Assessment -Did the player complete the level in the game? How
long did it take? How many attempts? Was it the preferred path?

• In-Process Assessment – How did the player choose his or her actions? Did he
or she change their mind? If so, at what point? What was the motivation behind
the choice? Was it congruent with other decisions or did it appear to be a guess?

• Point Assessment -Did the player score enough points to be considered
successful? Did they score them in the right area?
From Instructor to Facilitator
The instructor role is more of a facilitator. It is up to the instructor to lead a
discussion and help facilitate deep approaches to learning. “Contextual factors
such as workload and time constraints, type of learning evaluation, the
opportunity for metacognition, the shift of learning management to the students
themselves, and instructor explanation, enthusiasm, and empathy have all been
indicated in the development of deep learning” (Garrison & Cleveland-Innes,
2005).
Know your audience
One of the most important aspects of planning for distance learners is to
understand who your learners are. “To be effective, it is necessary to understand
the learners in the target audience” (Simonson, et. Al., 2009). Not only is it
necessary to understand multiple intelligences, but also cultural background, time
constraints, geographical locations, age range and educational backgrounds.
“Knowledge of general leaner characteristics can inform the instructor of the
nature of the students at originating and distance sites” (Simonson, et. Al., 2009)
Encouraging Online Communication
In order for a facilitator to encourage a deep approach to learning it is important
to provide clear participation requirements (length, content information and time
lines). It is also up to the facilitator to “provide engaging questions, focus
discussion, challenge and test ideas, model appropriate contributions, and ensure
that the discourse is progressive. It is up to the teacher to monitor and shape the
direction of the discourse” (Garrison & Cleveland-Innes, 2005).
Keep In Constant Communication With Your Learners
Let your learners know that you are there for them and you are involved in their
learning processes. By being available to them, and in constant communication
with them you encourage them to contribute to discussions, and think at a deeper
level.
Participate in all Discussions
By participating in all of the discussions you are letting the learners know that you
are contributing you knowledge to the discussions and encouraging them to “step
up” and engage in their learning.
Keep it Flexible
One reason that students enjoy hybrid courses is that the flexibility “fits their
attention spans and their lifestyles” (Delaney, 2003). This includes plenty of time
to respond to discussion boards, and time for research around lifestyles.
Resources
Delaney, S., (2003). Converting a Face-to-Face Course to a Hybrid Course.
Research Paper. Retrieved from: id.highline.edu/online/converting.to.hybrid.pd
Garrison, R., & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2005). Facilitating Cognitive Presence in
Online Learning: Interaction Is Not Enough. The American Journal of Distance
Education, 19(3), 133-148.
Michael, D., Chen, S., (2005). Blog. Proof of Learning: Assessment in Serious
Games. Retrieved from: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2433/
proof_of_learning_assessment_in_.php
Moore, C., (2010). Saving the World From Boring eLearning. Blog. Retrieved
from: http://cammybean.kineo.com/2011/09/cathy-moore-on-saving-world-fromboring.
html
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2009). Teaching and
learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4th ed.) Boston, MA:
Pearson.