This was a great assignment. It forced me to take some of the concepts and think deeper about them or apply them. I enjoy blogging and it makes me want to resurrect a teaching blog that I used to keep up with. I think this assignment should probably be due at the end of the course so that we can continue to apply the concepts that we are learning. I know we can keep writing but the threat of a looming grade would force my hand, literally.
Overall I think this assignment is a success. It's exactly what I would have my students do in a distance course.
Monday, March 21, 2011
I'm an Architect of Learning
I got this idea from the Module 3 question, "How does the instructor's role change between a face-to-face (F2F) course and one delivered through distance education?" It made me think about what changes I want to make as I move toward the distance model.
When you are in a face-to-face setting, many times you might be tempted to go into the, what I call, sit-n-git (or take notes until your hand hurts) mode. You (student) sit (don't move except for your pen or pencil) and get the information that comes out of my mouth. And that will be what we call learning for today's class.
The distance course instructor cannot fall back on that method of instruction. The students are probably better off in the end. Never having been an instructor for a distance course I imagine the experience being very different. No lectures to prepare for, no classwork or homework to create. The instruction side of the course has already been posted/hosted. You are simply the learning architect.
I see an architect as someone who plans and designs a building and then oversees the construction to make sure it is being built properly. I see a learning architect (not a new architect) in much the same way. The instructor monitors the building (or student) to make sure the learning is happening properly. If a student does not reply to discussion questions or post blogs or submit papers on time, then the education/learning will be poor.
I try to do this in the F2F setting as much as possible. That is one reason why I am a project based teacher. I show my students where the information is and design a project around that information that shows the level of research and content knowledge that I require.
I'm just an architect of learning. Viewing my job in this way kind of gets me out of the way. So many intellectuals I know actually want to stand there and pontificate about their area of expertise. The students want to start building and they can't if we never let them hold the hammer.
The distance "classroom" is designed to let students hold the hammer. A distance education student will have a higher level of student-content interaction. Rarely will the distance instructor insert him or herself in between the student and the content.
And that's a good thing.
I see an architect as someone who plans and designs a building and then oversees the construction to make sure it is being built properly. I see a learning architect (not a new architect) in much the same way. The instructor monitors the building (or student) to make sure the learning is happening properly. If a student does not reply to discussion questions or post blogs or submit papers on time, then the education/learning will be poor.
I try to do this in the F2F setting as much as possible. That is one reason why I am a project based teacher. I show my students where the information is and design a project around that information that shows the level of research and content knowledge that I require.
I'm just an architect of learning. Viewing my job in this way kind of gets me out of the way. So many intellectuals I know actually want to stand there and pontificate about their area of expertise. The students want to start building and they can't if we never let them hold the hammer.
The distance "classroom" is designed to let students hold the hammer. A distance education student will have a higher level of student-content interaction. Rarely will the distance instructor insert him or herself in between the student and the content.
And that's a good thing.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Why I'm Taking the Class
I'm on my way to getting a graduate certificate in Distance Education Management and E-Learning. I happen to be at a school that has been fairly forward thinking. I mentioned before that all my students have tablet PCs. Every day is a web-based lesson in my class. My school recently published it's strategic plan. For some reason institutions feel the need to spend a lot of time planning for things that cannot be predicted. Economic crises, new technology, it doesn't matter, just stick to the plan. Fortunately, the strategic plan included the development of a hybrid learning model for the school. Enter UMUC distance education courses.
When my principal approved the courses he added a small disclaimer. I must help my high school develop their hybrid model. I am still nervous about where to start. Chapter 5 of Michale Moore and Greg Kearsley's Distance Education: A Systems View has helped me get a game plan that I need to start documenting. So here is my rough outline based on the readings.
When my principal approved the courses he added a small disclaimer. I must help my high school develop their hybrid model. I am still nervous about where to start. Chapter 5 of Michale Moore and Greg Kearsley's Distance Education: A Systems View has helped me get a game plan that I need to start documenting. So here is my rough outline based on the readings.
- Assemble Instructional Design Team
- Decide between Author-Editor Model or Course Team Model
- Recommend the Course Team Model since most of our courses are taught in teams currently (Example: 3 freshmen social studies teachers teaching the same subject, work together to create, edit, grade, etc...)
- Choose survey course to create hybrid model with
- Design Study Guide
- Create Lessons
Most of our courses would not be delivered solely online so we would still see our students face-to-face at least once per week. Another topic to discuss is what do those face-to-face meetings look like. Are they lectures, are they tests, are they discussions, are they presentations, or are they a bit of everything.
Just reading this material and thinking about the possibilities gets me excited for the future or education.
Moore quotes Randy Garrison's viewpoint, "...it is normally not possible to satisfy all of the design considerations fully, if only because of time and budget limitations. However the more factors that can be addressed, the more effective the course is likely to be." (Moore and Kearsley, 2005, p. 126) This quote described our situation precisely. Being a smaller private high school, it appears unattainable when the recommendations are to have a lead designer, graphic artist, technical typist, etc. That is simply not possible. One or two people will be all of those positions and more. Most likely the instructors themselves will fill many of these roles.
Even with the limitations of budgets and instructional design talent I am proud to be on the implementation team. I just hope we get it right!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Humanizing the Distance Classroom
Much has been written about the impersonal aspects of distance education. You get your syllabus with the calendar and the assignments pre-planned and ready to go. The discussion questions are posted along with required readings. You do your work on time and you might get a comment or two to one of you "discussion" board comments. You then do a research paper or two and then you pick up your B+ and go on about your life. This is, unfortunately, the perception that most have about distance education courses. The challenge in designing these courses is to add the humanizing aspect of a face-to-face course with the flexibility of an any time, any place course.
In Distance Education - A Systems View, Michael Moore and Greg Kearsley made a list of the instructors role in conducting a teleconference. I found the list to be quite good and not for a teleconference alone but rather for an entire distance education course. Humanizing the teleconference was the first point which made me think about ways that a distance course can be humanized.
#1: Pictures - I think pictures say a lot. I am currently in a course and I don't know what anyone looks like. I don't know if they are young or old. I don't know their ethnicity. I don't know much about them at all other than a brief bio that was placed on a get-to-know-you discussion post. One picture can go a long way in humanizing a distance course.
#2: Synchronous Sessions - I know this is sometimes difficult but hearing the instructors voice and communication style can help make the distance course come alive a little. They are sometimes hard to plan but if you offer different sessions at different times and make them fairly casual they can really increase the human feel.
#3: Flexibility - Distance courses are so scripted. I understand why but some impromptu discussion on a new technology or topic is sometimes necessary to make the students feel that they are not simply completing a check list. For example, if I were teaching a distance Political Science course today, I could not avoid the revolutions in Egypt or Libya. I would need to change an assignment or create a synchronous session for a Socratic seminar. Flexibility could add a little human touch.
In Distance Education - A Systems View, Michael Moore and Greg Kearsley made a list of the instructors role in conducting a teleconference. I found the list to be quite good and not for a teleconference alone but rather for an entire distance education course. Humanizing the teleconference was the first point which made me think about ways that a distance course can be humanized.
#1: Pictures - I think pictures say a lot. I am currently in a course and I don't know what anyone looks like. I don't know if they are young or old. I don't know their ethnicity. I don't know much about them at all other than a brief bio that was placed on a get-to-know-you discussion post. One picture can go a long way in humanizing a distance course.
#2: Synchronous Sessions - I know this is sometimes difficult but hearing the instructors voice and communication style can help make the distance course come alive a little. They are sometimes hard to plan but if you offer different sessions at different times and make them fairly casual they can really increase the human feel.
#3: Flexibility - Distance courses are so scripted. I understand why but some impromptu discussion on a new technology or topic is sometimes necessary to make the students feel that they are not simply completing a check list. For example, if I were teaching a distance Political Science course today, I could not avoid the revolutions in Egypt or Libya. I would need to change an assignment or create a synchronous session for a Socratic seminar. Flexibility could add a little human touch.
Enjoy a little Human Touch from the Boss!
Applying SECTIONS to the iPad 2
- S "Students: what is known about the students - or potential students - and the appropriateness of the technology for this particular group or range of students?
- E Ease of use and reliability: how easy is it for both teachers and students to use? How reliable and well tested is the technology?
- C Costs: what is the cost structure of each technology? What is the unit cost per learner?
- T Teaching and learning: what kinds of learning are needed? What instructional approaches will best meet these needs? What are the best technologies for supporting this teaching and learning?
- I Interactivity: what kind of interaction does this technology enable?
- O Organizational issues: what are the organizational requirements and the barriers to be removed before this technology can be used successfully? What changes in organization need to be made?
- N Novelty: how new is this technology?
- S Speed: how quickly can courses be mounted with this technology? How quickly can materials be changed?" (A.W. Bates and G. Poole, 2003, pp. 79 - 80)
In my brief encounter with the iPad 2 I have been impressed with it's SECTIONS "score". Here is my score sheet for the iPad 2:
S - Few can successfully argue that a tablet devise is not appropriate for the the distance classroom or the Face-to-face (F2F) classroom. Students have access to the internet, books, note taking programs, video and photo cameras, and more. A+
E - I found the iPad to be very easy to use. Many students will be familiar with the interface due to the similarities between the iPod Touch / iPhone and the iPad. Many students have them or have a friend who does so the learning curve is very short. The battery life can last 10+ hours making it an ideal devise for an academic environment. A student can attach a keyboard or purchase a inexpensive stylus that can be used for notes, research, and course participation. The digital keyboard takes some getting used to but after a while you will get more accurate. A
C - At an entry level of $500 for the basic iPad the cost barrier is low when compared to laptops or even desktops. The most expensive iPad is $700 and gives you 64 GB of storage. The unit cost per learner is affordable and meets the needs of the 21st century learner.
T - Teaching a classroom full of these devises would be a dream. My students would have access to the internet and note taking apps. Currently my students have laptops and many times I feel a barrier between me and the students. They could be in a group assignment or in a lecture and with their computer back to me it feels like they are off task and I'll never know. With the iPad I can imagine that "wandering" might be a little more difficult. The educational applications and textbooks that are starting to be developed for this technology are simply amazing. They are also very affordable. A+
I - The iPad provides a high level of interactivity. Students are able to use a F2F chat feature to communicate with one another. Third party apps like Skype and Google Talk enable students to communicate for free. Interactivity can easily be accomplished through numerous websites as well. A+
O - Being inside an institution that is considering this device for about 180 high school freshmen I can assure you that there is some institutional reorganization that will need to take place. For one, the institution needs to train instructors, whether in a face-to-face setting or in a distance setting, how to use the iPad as a student. Most students will figure it out on their own but the instructor is going to need some training. The iPad is viewed by some as a viewing device and not a "creation" device. This perception will need to change inside the organization. B
N - This is as new as it gets. A+
S - This is probably the weakest point of iPad implementation. The apps and textbooks are just now catching up. Publishing companies were not willing to take a chance on the iPad before they knew if it would fly or not. I think it is safe to say that every publishing house in the world is not developing iPad ready textbooks. The educational apps that are coming out are incredible. However, the markets slow response to this device is currently an issue but I fully anticipate this changing within the next 365 days. C
*Bates, A.W., and Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 79 - 80.
S - Few can successfully argue that a tablet devise is not appropriate for the the distance classroom or the Face-to-face (F2F) classroom. Students have access to the internet, books, note taking programs, video and photo cameras, and more. A+
E - I found the iPad to be very easy to use. Many students will be familiar with the interface due to the similarities between the iPod Touch / iPhone and the iPad. Many students have them or have a friend who does so the learning curve is very short. The battery life can last 10+ hours making it an ideal devise for an academic environment. A student can attach a keyboard or purchase a inexpensive stylus that can be used for notes, research, and course participation. The digital keyboard takes some getting used to but after a while you will get more accurate. A
C - At an entry level of $500 for the basic iPad the cost barrier is low when compared to laptops or even desktops. The most expensive iPad is $700 and gives you 64 GB of storage. The unit cost per learner is affordable and meets the needs of the 21st century learner.
T - Teaching a classroom full of these devises would be a dream. My students would have access to the internet and note taking apps. Currently my students have laptops and many times I feel a barrier between me and the students. They could be in a group assignment or in a lecture and with their computer back to me it feels like they are off task and I'll never know. With the iPad I can imagine that "wandering" might be a little more difficult. The educational applications and textbooks that are starting to be developed for this technology are simply amazing. They are also very affordable. A+
I - The iPad provides a high level of interactivity. Students are able to use a F2F chat feature to communicate with one another. Third party apps like Skype and Google Talk enable students to communicate for free. Interactivity can easily be accomplished through numerous websites as well. A+
O - Being inside an institution that is considering this device for about 180 high school freshmen I can assure you that there is some institutional reorganization that will need to take place. For one, the institution needs to train instructors, whether in a face-to-face setting or in a distance setting, how to use the iPad as a student. Most students will figure it out on their own but the instructor is going to need some training. The iPad is viewed by some as a viewing device and not a "creation" device. This perception will need to change inside the organization. B
N - This is as new as it gets. A+
S - This is probably the weakest point of iPad implementation. The apps and textbooks are just now catching up. Publishing companies were not willing to take a chance on the iPad before they knew if it would fly or not. I think it is safe to say that every publishing house in the world is not developing iPad ready textbooks. The educational apps that are coming out are incredible. However, the markets slow response to this device is currently an issue but I fully anticipate this changing within the next 365 days. C
*Bates, A.W., and Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 79 - 80.
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