Engaging Learners with New Strategies and Tools (Blog Post 4)

Click the link below to access my graphic organizer:

Graphic Organizer


The responsibility of engaging learners falls on the shoulders of the instructor with teacher cognitive, social and teaching presence necessary to facilitate learning.  Anderson (2008) said cognitive presence facilitates “serious learning”; social presence “relates to establishing a supportive environment”; and teaching presence “is critical” (p. 344).  Engaging learners presents a unique challenge in the online learning environment that requires strategies and tools specialized for that learning modality.    

With online instruction, the teacher’s role has shifted to more of a passive role with the student taking the active role in the learning process.  Siemens said the instructor is the “network administrator” (Learn Online, 2007) and students use a variety of technological resources to network (research) to complete assignments. 

My graphic organizer shows the instructor as central to the learning process, providing impetus to engage and involve students in their learning.  The instructor establishes and moderates learning communities, and from learning communities students collaborate with each other via blogs, wikis, interactive chat programs, discussion boards and so forth.  Learning communities also provide peer review and interaction that can assist the learner with clarity, understanding, and personal/professional improvement in writing, critical thinking, and the like.

The instructor also points the student to online resources such as libraries, links, bookstores, tutorial and writing centers, as well as audio, video, whiteboard technology and other electronic resources that can aid in the learning process.  All of these resources and tools engage and involve the student in his/her own learning and provide strategies for a productive online learning experience.

References

Anderson, T. (2008). The theory and practice of online learning. (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.

Learn Online. (September 20, 2007). 10 minute lecture – George Siemens – curatorial teaching. Retrieved from http://learnonline.wordpress.com/2007/09/20/10-minute-lecture-george-siemens-curatorial-teaching/

Assessing Collaborative Efforts (Blog Post 3)

Siemens talked about three methods of assessing collaborative learning as being peer assessment, assessment of online interaction, and instructor evaluation. Assessment, Siemens said, is a “teaching-based activity” (Laureate Education, 2008) and when we as teachers assess the effectiveness of any online learning activity we are in fact “also assessing ourselves as teachers.”  Using all these assessment strategies an instructor can assess participation in a collaborative learning community by those three methods – devising some assessment tool whereby peers can evaluate their peers within the community.  In one of the many learning groups I participated in as an online undergraduate student, we were given an evaluation form at the end of the assignment where we assessed the involvement and participation of the other members of the group (and they assessed us).  Our completed forms were confidential from each other but were given to our instructor who used them in conjunction with his other methods of grading students individually on the group project.  A fair and equitable assessment of learning is subjective but can be balanced by assessing “based on metrics from learning management systems” (Laureate Education, 2008).  These metrics could include how many times the student logged in, how much time they spent online in group activities, number of posts student submitted and so forth.

 “The role of the instructor in an online class is to facilitate discussions, interactions with course content and between classmates, and guide the learners toward constructing knowledge together” (Marziali, 2011).  Consequently, the success of learning communities depends on the participation of each member of the community and the active involvement of the instructor in the community from its inception.  Palloff and Pratt (2005) said instructors should give conflict management information at the outset, and either the team leader or members of the team should first attempt to manage any conflict within the group themselves.  If that fails, then they should ask the instructor to intervene.  Instructors should “slow down” overachievers according to Palloff and Pratt (2005) and, “underachievers encouraged to get into the game” (p. 34).  Every member of the team should be assessed, by whatever methods employed, as to their contribution to the overall team functioning whether or not they want to network or collaborate within their learning community.  It is an assignment and should be graded on its completeness like any other assignment is graded during the course.  

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008a). Assessment of collaborative learning. [Video program]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5701364&Survey=1&47=9479398&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008b). Learning communities. [Video program]. Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5701364&Survey=1&47=9479398&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Marziali, C. (2011). Cathy Marziali’s ed tech corner.  Module 3: Assessment in an online learning environment. Retrieved from http://cathymarzialiedtech.blogspot.com/

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

Storyboard of Video Presentation ...

The link below is to my storyboard.  This is a first draft so all comments/feedback are appreciated!  

(Cathy - thanks for the website).

Storyboard DRAFT